By Marlene Seeklander Students have been able to complete the 2027-28 FAFSA since September 23, 2026, in advance of the official October 1 release date. Prior to completing the FAFSA, students and parents can go ahead and set up their account at StudentAid.gov, also known as creating an FSA ID. An FSA ID is the username
Five tips to complete an important FAFSA first step Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Students interested in taking the December ACT test should register soon to avoid late fees. The regular registration deadline is Friday, November 6 for the December 12 ACT test. After November 6, students can register for the December test up until November 29 but will have to pay a late fee with their
Early registration deadline approaching for December ACT test Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander EDExpress users should find it a little easier to process, package and manage financial aid with the latest fixes and updates to the software. In an October 19 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that EDExpress for Windows 2026–27, Release 2.0 is now available, resolving, it said, several software issues reported to
Tip of the Week Happy Financial Aid Day 2026 Happenstance. It’s how many of us ended up working in financial aid. As high school students, most of us did not list working in financial aid as a future career goal. It may have been a work study position in college that became a full-time opportunity
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By Catherine Mueller Scholarships are the best kind of financial aid, but students should be careful to avoid scams. Because so many students are looking for scholarships, there are, unfortunately, a lot of bad actors that want to take advantage of these students. Therefore, it’s important to be careful and make sure the scholarship offer is
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By Marlene Seeklander It’s never too early to begin your search for college scholarships. All high students – not just seniors – should pursue scholarships. In fact, some scholarships are aimed at students as young as those in elementary or middle school. And, even if you can’t apply for some scholarships until you are senior, here
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By Catherine Mueller The expansion of the Federal Pell grant program to cover short-term certificates and credential programs creates opportunities for both institutions and students. However, the expansion, known as Workforce Pell, has also created a lot of questions. To answer some of those questions, the Department of Education on October 15 announced the release of
Department answers Workforce Pell questions in new FAQ document Read More »
Higher Ed News Vol. 18 – Issue 21 Federal report provides insight on 2025 college costs; recent tuition rate hikes and trends Students, families, and taxpayers now have easier access to information about college costs thanks to a new report released this week by the Department of Education. Borrower Defense to Repayment system functionality restored
Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News – October 15, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Students, families, and taxpayers now have easier access to information about college costs thanks to a new report released this week by the Department of Education. In an October 14 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education (the Department) announced the release of the 2025 College Affordability and Transparency Report (CATR), which is based
By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education encourages those higher education institutions delinquent in reporting on financial value and gainful employment to attend training on the requirements. The Department of Education (the Department) recently announced upcoming training sessions to help schools understand complete their Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment (FVT/GE) and Student Tuition and Transparency
Schools behind on financial value reporting encouraged to attend upcoming training Read More »
