The Department of Education released new NSLDS layout changes to help the industry prepare for the financial aid procedures required by last year’s federal budget reconciliation.
On March 12, the Department of Education announced the availability of the updated NSLDS Transfer Student Monitoring & Financial Aid History User Guide and Record Layouts. A PDF version of the document is also included in the announcement.
The March 2026 update provides step-by-step instructions for using Transfer Student Monitoring (TSM) online, how to request Financial Aid History (FAH), and detailed information about the TSM/FAH batch process. Additionally, it provides important updates to the TSM/FAH processes that will be available in late April 2026 and will support changes through the Budget Reconciliation Bill. The updates will not be implemented before April 26, 2026.
The Department recently announced that they are drafting presentations and documents to ensure that vendors, servicers, partners, and stakeholders have sufficient time to prepare for the implementation of changes made in the Budget Reconciliation Bill, even though the information is subject to change through the rulemaking process.
Questions about the updated information can be directed to the NSLDS Customer Support Center at 1-800-999-8219 or via email at nslds@ed.gov.
