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,
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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
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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
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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
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By Marlene Seeklander Following a widespread security breach involving the Canvas Learning Management System, the Department of Education detailed its response and provided recommendations for institutions. In a May 12 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education stated that they have been actively working with Instructure Holdings, Inc, the parent company of the Canvas Learning Management System
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By Marlene Seeklander While FAFSA Simplification may have been a challenge for many schools, a recent GAO study confirms what many in the industry thought – that student eligibility increased for Pell Grants after changes were made to the FAFSA. A recent study published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicates that student eligibility for Pell Grants,
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By Marlene Seeklander There’s good news for Direct Loan borrowers and students receiving TEACH Grant awards in the 2026-27 academic year as the Direct Loan fees and TEACH award amounts once again remain unchanged. A recent Electronic Announcement outlined the sequester-required increases to Direct Loan fees and sequester-required reductions in TEACH Grant award amounts. These apply
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Higher Ed News Vol. 18 – Issue 10 Colleges implementing new rules for federal student loan programs Along with all of the tasks at the academic year end and the awarding of aid for the next year, financial aid professionals are also in the middle of implementing new federal student loan rules. “Awarding With Pell
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Cultivating your graduates Graduation is the time for new beginnings for students. Many are ready to walk into their new careers, while others may pursue additional education. As colleges host graduation ceremonies, it doesn’t mean it is the end of the relationship you built with your students. Many of these graduates may be student loan
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By Marlene Seeklander Good financial aid professionals know their job responsibilities. Great financial aid professionals understand how their job responsibilities fit into the big picture of federal financial aid. Financial aid professionals can strengthen their knowledge of Title IV administration through a new standalone course in the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Training Center – “Introduction to
