Early Awareness E-News August 2026Vol. 18 – Issue 8 Beta testing plan announced for 2027-28 FAFSA In preparation for the upcoming launch of the 2027-28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form by October 1, the Department of Education (the Department) has announced its plans for beta testing. Identity fraud detection system now in
Early Awareness E-News – August 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals have two new training resources available to help them with some of the recent changes. The FSA Training Center announced the release of two new training courses to help Financial Aid Administrators (FAAs) use the new FAFSA Partner Portal (FPP) functionality that supports Workforce Pell implementation and real-time fraud detection.
FSA Training Center announces new training opportunities Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Starting your senior year is an exciting time in life. During your senior year, you will finalize your college choice, if you haven’t already. This year will be filled with admission applications, scholarship essays, financial aid information, and the need to meet deadlines. Throughout your senior year, continue to build your resume by
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By Marlene Seeklander An updated 2026-27 Federal School Code List, which plays a key role in the FAFSA, has been released by the Department of Education (the Department). The Department announced the availability of the updated 2026–27 Federal School Code (FSC) List of Participating Schools. Although it’s usually not necessary, students can enter these codes on
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By Catherine Mueller To thwart would-be fraudsters, the financial aid application now includes an identity screening process. Earlier this year, the Department of Education launched a new, real-time fraud detection capability for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Every applicant will be evaluated in real-time through a risk-based identity screening. Applicants who display
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By Catherine Mueller Students completing the FAFSA will no longer have to wait to view their FAFSA Submission Summary. This summer, the U.S. Department of Education announced they have launched a processing enhancement that allows students to immediately view their FAFSA Submission Summary when signing and submitting an initial application or correction of a 2025-26 or
FAFSA results now available in real time Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Students can get a head start on completing a college admissions requirement by registering now for the September ACT test. The early registration deadline for the September 19, 2026, test is August 14, with the late registration deadline on September 1. Registration takes about 30 minutes to complete and requires students to register
August 14 early registration deadline for September ACT test Read More »
Tip of the Week Federal Student Aid fraud alert from U.S. Department of the Treasury Fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated, particularly when it comes to federal student aid fraud. According to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), colleges are seeing an increase in “ghost students,” stolen identities, synthetic identities, AI-generated documents, and other methods used
Tip of the Week – July 29, 2026 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 »
By Catherine Mueller Not to ruin anyone’s summertime vibe, but just a reminder – it won’t be long now before fall semester tuition bills come due. If you are running short of funds, there are some actions you can take now if you are worried about paying for college this fall: Students have other options as
Strategies for students (and parents) when money for college runs short Read More »
