Tip of the Week Department of Education seeking emergency approval for updates to the 2026-27 FAFSA The Department of Education is calling for emergency action to ensure a timely release of the 2026-27 FAFSA. In a Federal Register Notice published on July 29, the Department of Education is requesting emergency processing and Office of Budget
Tip of the Week – July 30, 2025 Read More »
Higher Ed News Vol. 17 – Issue 15 Certain Budget Reconciliation Bill changes effective upon enactment Financial aid administrators will want to make note that certain provisions of the Budget Reconciliation Bill were effective upon enactment. Borrowing Parent Loans – 2026 and beyond It’s hard to find an equilibrium. Changes to V4 and V5 verification
Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News – July 24, 2025 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid administrators will want to make note that certain provisions of the Budget Reconciliation Bill were effective upon enactment. While many of the changes through the Budget Reconciliation Bill are not effective until July 1, 2026, and in subsequent years, some provisions were effective immediately upon enactment of the bill. In a
Certain Budget Reconciliation Bill changes effective upon enactment Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander To cut down on potential fraud and streamline processes, the Department of Education outlined instructions for the V4 and V5 verification groups in the latest Federal Register and as an update to an earlier Dear Colleague Letter. In the July 22 Federal Register Notice and July 22 Dear Colleague Letter update, the Department
Changes to V4 and V5 verification tracking groups for 2025-26 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Schools and other entities that want to test their processing system for 2026-27 can use a test data file that is available from Federal Student Aid. Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced the availability of a 2026–27 Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) test data file that can be used by schools, state agencies, software providers, and other
Test ISIR data file available for 2026-27 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander New and experienced financial staff can usually benefit from additional training, especially training that incorporates hands-on activities. Federal Student Aid (FSA) recently highlighted some Learning Tracks that will help financial aid professionals feel more confident in their Title IV skills. Some of the suggested Learning Tracks include: To check out these learning opportunities,
Learning Tracks from Federal Student Aid Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander A financial aid offer is often a key component of the college decision making process. Financial aid offers are not always alike and comparing offers can be challenging. To effectively review offers, here are some key points: While financial aid offers may differ in appearance from college to college, this sample College Financing
Financial Aid Offers – A closer look Read More »
Tip of the Week Borrowing Parent Loans – 2026 and beyond It’s hard to find an equilibrium. When it comes to Parent PLUS Loans, the ability of parents to borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any financial aid, meant students could attend any college where they were admitted. But it also meant parents
Tip of the Week – July 23, 2025 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander While financial aid professionals are in the midst of processing FAFSAs and making corrections for the upcoming school year, the deadline for another important responsibility is looming. In a July 21 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education reminded schools about the availability of the 2026-27 FISAP on the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) website. The deadline
By Marlene Seeklander To add or update staff access to federal student aid systems, schools will now make those changes through FSA Partner Connect. In a July 14 Electronic Announcement, Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that FSA Partner Connect is now the primary enrollment and user management service for schools and other organizations. This allows them
Staff enrollment for access to federal aid functions now through FSA Partner Connect Read More »
