By Marlene Seeklander Hopefully, your holiday “to do” list doesn’t include working on Christmas or New Year’s day, but if you need to, be aware that some Federal Student Aid offices are taking a break or will have modified hours. Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that their federal offices and Federal Student Aid processors and contact
Holiday hours for Federal Student Aid and Mapping Your Future Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Just when you think you have completed all the financial aid applications, your college financial aid office notifies you they need an IRS tax transcript. The request is part of the verification process – something that any postsecondary institution offering federal financial aid must do. College and university financial aid offices are
Why your college may ask for a tax transcript and how to get one Read More »
By Catherine Mueller While several steps have been taken to simplify the FAFSA, students and parents often still have questions about calculating the value of assets. To help students and parents understand and be prepared to answer the asset questions, here are some things to know: To determine the value of an investment, the student or
Things to know when calculating assets for the 2026-27 FAFSA Read More »
Higher Ed News Vol. 17 – Issue 25 Students completing the FAFSA to be notified about colleges with lower earnings Students completing the FAFSA now have additional information when deciding which college they may want to attend. Federal Student Aid Training Conference to be held March 4-6, 2026 After several years of hosting a virtual
Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News – December 18, 2025 Read More »
Tip of the Week Happy Holidays from Mapping Your Future
Tip of the Week – December 17, 2025 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Schools with existing Federal Perkins Loan portfolios will want to make note of important information to ensure they stay in compliance. In a December 11 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education provided information on the required capital distribution from the school’s Perkins Loan Revolving Fund as part of the wind-down of the Federal
Important reminders for schools with Federal Perkins Loan portfolios Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander After several years of hosting a virtual conference, the Department of Education is once again hosting an in-person training conference. In a December 15 Electronic Announcement, the Department announced that the in-person Federal Student Aid (FSA) Training Conference will be held March 4-6, 2026 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
Federal Student Aid Training Conference to be held March 4-6, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Enhanced controls prevented more than $1 billion in attempted financial aid fraud in the past year, according to the Department of Education. In a December 11 press release, the Department announced by implanting fraud controls they prevented the fraud which included coordinated international fraud rings and AI bots pretending to be students. The
More than $1 billion in federal student aid fraud halted in 2025 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals can now add the latest volumes of the 2025-26 Federal Student Aid Handbook to their financial aid reading list. The December 11 Electronic Announcement from the Department of Education announced the availability of Volume 1 – Student Eligibility, Volume 4 – Processing Aid and Managing FSA Funds, and Volume 6 – The Campus-Based Programs.
Additional volumes of 2025-26 Federal Student Aid Handbook now available Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Students who want to take the ACT in February, either for the first time or to improve their score, have until early January to register. The regular registration deadline is Friday, January 9 for the February 14 ACT test. After January 9, students can register for the February test up until January 23
February 2026 ACT registration deadline approaching soon Read More »
