Office of Student Assistance and Relief
The OSAR Team
Yan Cao, OSAR Chief
Yan Cao is the Chief of the Office of Student Assistance and Relief (OSAR) in the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE). She joins OSAR with over a decade of experience in law and policy representing students and consumers. Prior to this position, Yan served as Senior Counsel at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and completed a detail to the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) office of Federal Student Aid (FSA). In those roles, she worked closely with the CFPB and ED Ombudsman offices, advised on enforcement actions and guided policy decisions to protect students.
Previously, Yan was a senior fellow at The Century Foundation where she worked on higher education policy with a focus on expanding high-quality opportunities and promoting fair outcomes for students. Yan’s research has been featured in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and NBC, and she has provided expert testimony to state and federal governments, including the U.S. House of Representatives and New York State’s governor’s office. Yan also represented students individually as a legal aid attorney and through impact litigation as a Skadden Fellow at the Project on Predatory Student Lending at Harvard Law School.
When not working with students, Yan enjoys live theater, propagating plants, and getting bossed around by her cat. Yan grew up Florida, received her J.D. from NYU Law School, and is excited to return to California, where she earned her B.A. from Stanford University.
Brian Vest, OSAR Manager
My name is Brian Vest and I am the manager for the Office of Student Assistance and Relief. I have worked with students through OSAR over the past 5 years to help them make informed choices about their education. Prior to OSAR, I worked to help children with disabilities in high school achieve their educational goals.
I enjoy working directly with students and connecting them to the various resources that California has to support them in their educational journey.
James Townsend, OSAR Analyst
My name is James Henry Townsend III, and I currently serve as a Staff Services Analyst with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Office of Student Assistance and Relief (OSAR), where I have worked for over three years. In my role, I assist students impacted by school closures and institutional issues through outreach, documentation review, and claim processing.
As a student myself, I understand the potential pitfalls, detours, and challenges that can occur throughout an educational journey. This lived experience has strengthened my passion for helping students navigate complex systems and avoid unnecessary setbacks. I am grateful for the opportunity to assist students and approach my work with professionalism, empathy, and attention to detail.
Outside of my professional role, I am a dedicated family man who values integrity, responsibility, and service. These values inform how I approach my work and reinforce my commitment to public service.
Kylie Johnston, OSAR Analyst
My name is Kylie Johnston, and I currently serve as a Staff Services Analyst with OSAR, where I have worked for the past two years, including more than one year in my current role. I began my State journey as OSAR’s Office Technician, and through training, initiative, and a strong attention to detail, I advanced into the Staff Services Analyst position. I hold an associate degree in General Sciences and bring strengths in accuracy, organization, and collaborative problem solving to my work. I enjoy learning new processes, supporting my team, and contributing to meaningful and effective public service.
Frequently Asked Questions
OSAR is a State of California governmental agency that was created to assist California’s prospective, current and past students of private colleges.
If you are a California resident who has enrolled in a private college or is considering enrolling in a private college, OSAR can assist you.
OSAR provides individualized assistance to California residents selecting a private college, and counsels California students as they navigate their financial and academic future following the closure or unlawful activities of the private college they attended. OSAR helps students research colleges and helps students identify, obtain, complete, and submit financial relief documents through on-site or remote outreach.
OSAR provides prospective students information on making informed decisions when choosing a college and also information on their rights when attending a private college. OSAR provides current and past students of private colleges information about their rights, filing a school complaint, and resources available to them (including potential reimbursement from the Student Tuition Recovery Fund). OSAR also provides one-on-one guidance to help students access State and federal relief programs, and free nonprofit resources.
The services provided by OSAR are free of charge.
The OSAR partners with the California Student Aid Commission, the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the California Department of Veterans Affairs, the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the United States Department of Education.