College preparation

Wooden tile spelling out FAFSA

2025-26 FAFSA reminder campaign underway

By Marlene Seeklander Most of us need a nudge every once in a while, a little reminder to do something important like, maybe, completing the FAFSA. Students who completed FAFSAs in the last couple of years are receiving reminders from the Department of Education that the 2025-26 FAFSA is ready for them to complete. And the […]

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Magnifying glass with FAFSA being magnified

Six things to check on your FAFSA Submission Summary

By Catherine Mueller After successfully completing your FAFSA, you should celebrate your accomplishment. However, don’t celebrate so much that you forget you will have other tasks to complete. One of those tasks is to review your FAFSA Submission Summary. One to three days after a student submits a 2025-26 FAFSA (and provided a valid email address),

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Computer keyboard with FAFSA button

Understanding your FAFSA status

By Catherine Mueller It’s no longer just a matter of “done” or “not done” when considering the status of your financial aid application. It’s important to understand the different status updates to determine if you need to take any action. When you log in to your account at StudentAid.gov, the status of your application will be one

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Blue clipboard with white paper next to computer keyboard that says FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid

FAFSA Question 11 updated

By Marlene Seeklander Students and families will want to take note of a recent update to one of the FAFSA questions. The Department of Education announced an update made to the FAFSA to comply with President Trump’s Executive Order, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. The update to

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Cute student girl taking notes with a pen and smiling

A key strategy for choosing the right college for you

By Catherine Mueller It’s always nice to have options. But sometimes too many options can be overwhelming – especially when you’re making an important life decision such as where to go to college. If you are considering 2, 5, or even 10 colleges and having a hard time deciding, maybe it’s time to change your thinking. Changing

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Dad and teenage son working on laptop

Determining the parent for the 2025-26 FAFSA

By Marlene Seeklander For some students, one of the most challenging parts of the FAFSA is knowing which parent to invite to the FAFSA. The Department of Education has the parent wizard tool available outside of the FAFSA form, making it easier for students, families, and others to make this determination ahead of time. In addition, Mapping Your

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Dark blue folder with FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid on the front.

FAFSA Question 11 updated

By Marlene Seeklander Institutions will want to take note of a recent update to one of the FAFSA questions. The Department of Education announced an update made to the FAFSA to comply with President Trump’s Executive Order, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. The update to Question 11

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What happens after you submit the FAFSA?

By Marlene Seeklander Students often have lots of questions about “what happens next” with the financial aid process. The general answer to all the questions is students who have submitted a FAFSA have now taken their first step to determine eligibility for financial aid. There are many specific things that happen now that a FAFSA has

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