By Marlene Seeklander EDExpress for Windows users have a new service release available for their use that will aid in the completion of the 2027-28 FISAP report. In a December 9 Electronic Announcement, Federal Student Aid announced a new service release for EDExpress for Windows 2025–26, Release 2.0. It is available in the Software and Other Tools area of
By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education this month released more information about enhancements to the new foreign gifts and contracts reporting portal. According to a December 3 Electronic Announcement, the new reporting portal will include a tailored, efficient, and institution-specific reporting process while maintaining compliance with Section 117. Based on feedback from nine institutions of
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Tip of the Week Managing the “hecticness” of the holidays The holidays can be a hectic and stressful time for many people. How many times do we think that we must find the “perfect” gift for each person on our list, go all out with decorating and baking so that we create a magical experience,
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By Marlene Seeklander Students completing the FAFSA now have additional information when deciding which college they may want to attend. In a December 8 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced the implementation of a new lower earnings indicator as part of the FAFSA. This indicator—effective December 7, 2025, and only applicable to first-year undergraduate students—provides
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By Marlene Seeklander FAFSA users who previously encountered an issue when attempting to report their address within the U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, should no longer encounter an issue. In a December 4 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that on December 7 an update to adjust some users’ state and country code information was
By Marlene Seeklander Colleges that need to report foreign gifts and contracts will want to make note of an upcoming training webinar. In a December 5 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that they are offering a training webinar, “Using the New Section 117 Reporting Portal” for schools required to report foreign gifts and contracts.
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By Catherine Mueller Students wanting to better understand financial aid for college can do so by looking at the big picture. To make the financial aid process more manageable, Mapping Your Future has developed a list of the five major steps a student must take to receive financial aid. Granted, each one of the steps involves
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Higher Ed News Vol. 17 – Issue 24 Keeping up the FAFSA momentum After years of hard work among financial aid and college access professionals, it was precious good news. 2026-2027 FAFSA information to be verified and acceptable documentation Financial aid professionals can now plan for the upcoming FAFSA verification season with the latest
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Tip of the Week Keeping up the FAFSA momentum After years of hard work among financial aid and college access professionals, it was precious good news. More than a quarter of all high school seniors (26 percent) in the country have completed a 2026-27 FAFSA, an 11.7 percent increase over the previous year, according
Tip of the Week – December 3, 2025 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander With a deadline looming, higher education officials will need to get skilled on using a new portal for reporting foreign gifts and contracts. On January 2, 2026, the Department of Education (ED) will launch a new Section 117 reporting portal, in which they said they “have attempted to incorporate many comments provided by
