July 29 | 10:00 - 11:45 AM
As online education continues to grow in scale and strategic importance, Chief Online Learning Officers face a new convergence of pressure: heightened regulatory scrutiny and increasingly fragile funding for learners. This interactive session brings together executive leaders to explore the implications of shifting federal aid policies, the long-term viability of traditional revenue streams, and fraud. Through expert insights, scenario-based planning, and peer dialogue, participants will assess institutional risk, challenge outdated assumptions, and leave with tools to align compliance obligations with sustainable online growth strategies.
The 2026 Convening is the annual gathering of the Council for Chief Online Learning Officers (C-COLO). Attendance is free and limited to COLOs and Institutional Representatives separately registered for the 2026 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration. Each UPCEA member institution has the opportunity to identify a COLO to represent them in the Council. Registration for the Convening will close Monday, July 20.
Title IV Financial Aid Funding: What Changes with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3)
Attendees will learn more about the changes to Title IV funding triggered by the passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025), inclusive of the elimination of Grad PLUS Loans and new loan Limits
FRAU 201: What COLOs Need to Know About Financial Aid Fraud
Fraud, but for ‘non-financial aid majors’ (COLOs), we will spend time exploring financial aid fraud schemes. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about nuances of fraud, inclusive of details your financial aid director wants you to consider from an online learning enterprise perspective.
Aligning Compliance and Revenue Strategy: A Leadership Planning Exercise
In peer groups, COLOs will identify ways to bridge the gap between evolving regulations and institutional financial models.
Timothy Lehmann is Vice President of Student Financial Services at Southern New Hampshire University, where he leads financial aid, fraud mitigation, and compliance with a student-first lens. Known for translating complex regulations into clear operations, he has guided teams through major federal policy shifts and alternative financing models. Timothy’s recent work includes creating a strategic plan for financial aid fraud focused on developing a comprehensive, data-driven approach to address fraud throughout the SNHU student journey, that enables proactive prevention, targeted mitigation, and measurable results. He also was responsible for launching SNHU’s Basic Needs Emergency Fund and embedding it within the university’s wellness strategy using the Beam platform and an uplift model to target support where it improves persistence most. He has overseen Title IV transitions and closeouts (including Kenzie programs and ISA wind-down in partnership with General Counsel), built a data-driven credit management approach to improve third-party agency performance, and advanced QA automation using AI to reduce compliance risk and elevate service quality. A frequent conference speaker and subject-matter expert in higher-education financing, Timothy focuses on resilient processes, ethical use of analytics, and practical tactics colleges can adopt now to cushion students and staff from regulatory whiplash. Tim has been leading high performing financial aid teams since 1985 and has been at Southern New Hampshire University since 2013.