Paul C Combe

Paul’s responsibilities include all aspects of managing an organization with close to 500 employees and a portfolio of nearly $40 billion in federal student loans. He currently oversees ASA’s newly-launched initiative to build a movement, through an educational program called “SALT,” to develop financial competencies among current and former college students by using student loans and the higher education experience as a series of teachable moments. Since joining American Student Assistance in 1996, Paul has led the organization through a process of strategic change and renewal that repurposed its focus from defaulted student loan collection to student loan “wellness” -- proactively engaging student loan borrowers to prevent repayment problems before they begin, thereby inspiring their long-term financial success and good credit standing. Among policymakers and the higher education finance community, Paul has long advocated for the student loan programs to place a greater emphasis on proactive communications and counseling that put borrowers in the best position to successfully manage education debt. During the Higher Education Act Reauthorization of 1998, he was a driving force behind the creation of Voluntary Flexible Agreements between Federal Family Education Loan Program guarantors and the U.S. Department of Education. These agreements aligned federal funding incentives with keeping borrowers’ loans in good standing and gave guarantors latitude to research best practices in positively affecting borrower repayment habits. Through the successful implementation of its Wellness initiatives, ASA helped borrowers avert over $120 million of loan defaults between 2001 and 2008; increased the number of borrowers and loans in good standing in its portfolio; and consistently achieved delinquency and default rates improvements relative to the overall market. Prior to joining ASA, Paul served as President and CEO of both Knight College Resource Group and the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, as well as the Director or Acting Director of Financial Aid at Boston College, Middlesex Community College and Framingham State College. He received his bachelor’s and master’s in Education from Framingham State College.