Financial Literacy

Tip of the Week Gathering feedback on a student financial aid feedback system Sometimes change for the better requires someone to speak up. That’s the intent of most feedback systems – to gather thoughts and ideas from users as to what is not working and how it could be better. While it may seem “meta-like”, […]

Tip of the Week A proactive approach to help student borrowers With more than 5 million borrowers in default, the Department of Education has announced it will be taking proactive steps to help future students make better borrowing decisions. On September 5, the Department’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that it is expanding

Tip of the Week A guide to fall conference season – three ways to justify your attendance With Labor Day behind us, it’s now time to get ready for the next season – that is fall conference season. You may be planning to attend or present at an upcoming conference, however, with tight budgets and

Tip of the Week Department of Education announces the launch of Beta 2 testing The testing of the 2026-27 FAFSA continues to move forward, allowing some students and families to complete the FAFSA form early. On the Department of Education’s Homeroom blog, James Bergeron, Deputy Under Secretary, recently announced that following a successful Beta 1

Tip of the Week 2026-27 FAFSA Preview Presentation now available Financial aid and college access professionals can now access Information and screenshots for the 2026-27 FAFSA to use for planning purposes, communicating changes, and training. An August 14 Electronic Announcement from Federal Student Aid (FSA) includes a presentation and PDF file with information and screenshots of the

Tip of the Week Breaking News – FAFSA Central to feature latest updates Anyone interested in what’s happening with the FAFSA now has a new virtual “woodstove” of sorts to gather around and get the latest news. The Department of Education recently launched FAFSA Central, a hub for regular updates for the community about the

Tip of the Week 2026-27 FAFSA available in beta testing for some applicants Some students will have an opportunity to complete the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) early. Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that the 2026-27 FAFSA is currently open to a limited number of students and contributors in their early testing

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 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 Something to cry over Keep the tissue box handy. Sure, you have it there for the students who come in your office. But you might have been the one needing it this summer as news broke about all the changes that will impact higher education. So, if this summer (or maybe