By Marlene Seeklander Schools that have not yet closed out their 2024-25 Direct Loan Program year will need to make note of the upcoming closeout deadline. A May 20 Electronic Announcement reminds schools that Friday, July 31, 2026, is the closeout deadline and last processing day before the end of the program year. This means that
Closeout deadline nearing for 2024-25 Direct Loan Program year Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Schools can now send a test file of Federal Work Study (FWS) wages prior to sending data for real. In a recent Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that the FSA Partner and School Relations Center will conduct Campus-Based school testing from May 19 through September 30, 2026, for reporting Federal Work
Campus-Based school testing is now available for reporting Federal Work Study wages Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid administrators now have access to the final regulations that impact Federal Pell Grant student eligibility and establish the new Workforce Pell program. On May 18, the Department of Education issued the final regulations in the Federal Register that have a significant impact on Federal Pell Grant eligibility. The statutory changes, which
Final regulations on Workforce Pell and other Pell Grant student eligibility published Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education is among the federal offices closed in observance of the Memorial Day federal holiday on Monday, May 25. The May 20 Electronic Announcement states that the Federal Student Aid (FSA) processors and contact centers will be closed on May 25. All FSA websites will be operational on the holiday. The FAFSA
Memorial Day 2026 holiday closings Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Even though summer break just started for many students, it’s not too early for high school juniors and seniors to start thinking about the upcoming academic year and taking the ACT test. Students can now review the 2026-2027 ACT test dates, set up their account, and possibly register for a test date. By
2026-2027 ACT test dates now available Read More »
The real reason to celebrate Memorial Day weekend It can be difficult to enjoy something if you know it has come about because of the sacrifice of someone else. That’s why Memorial Day weekend has always been a paradox of sorts for me. Like many people, I’ve looked forward to the holiday every year. It’s
Tip of the Week – May 20, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander The class of 2026 has already done great things by setting an all-time high completion rate for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). According to a recent article published by the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), as of May 1, 54.7% of seniors across the county have already completed the FAFSA,
Class of 2026 sets FAFSA completion record Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals can update their financial aid reading list with the latest volumes of the 2026-27 Federal Student Aid Handbook have just been released by the Department of Education. In the May 14 Electronic Announcement, the Department announced the availability of Volume 1 – Student Eligibility and Volume 9 – The TEACH Grant Program. The Federal
New volumes added to 2026-27 FSA Handbook Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education recently made updates to a key technical resource for schools. On May 18, the Department posted an update to the 2026–2027 Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) Technical Reference by adding Volume 3 (Combination System Supplement) and Volume 4 (Campus-Based Processing Technical Reference). Questions can be directed to the
Additional volumes added to financial aid origination and disbursement guide Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Financial aid professionals will be busy checking student identity after a few hundred thousand FAFSAs were selected for additional verification. The selection of the FAFSAs for additional identity verification follows the implementation of a new fraud detection system. On May 14, the Department added information to a April 15 announcement about the fraud
Hundreds of thousands of FAFSAs selected for identity verification Read More »
