Tip of the Week What can you withstand? Growing up in the Ozarks and now living in Texas, I’ve had my share of snake encounters. Some of those encounters have been close calls – like opening the front door and if I hadn’t looked down, I would have stepped on top of a copperhead. I […]
Tip of the Week – August 12, 2026 Read More »
Tip of the Week Future Focus on Financial Aid I was far away from any shore, and the waves were crashing against the fishing boat. Just when I thought the sea was calm, another wave would hit the boat, making it rock violently. My seasickness was made worse by the anxiety over when another wave would
Tip of the Week – August 5, 2026 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
August checklist for high school seniors 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 »
Tip of the Week 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. In a July 21 Electronic Announcement, the Department released its plan
Tip of the Week – July 22, 2026 Read More »
Tip of the Week New resources for those seeking guidance in implementing Working Families Tax Cuts Act regulations Just when you have the new regulations all figured out, a new situation arises – making you question all you thought you knew. That’s the circumstance for many financial aid professionals who are working hard to implement
Tip of the Week – July 15, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals have more training opportunities available for the 2026-27 award year. In a July 9 announcement, Federal Student Aid announced the launch of the 2026-27 FSA Fundamentals Training series which includes the FSA Fundamentals Online self-paced course and the FSA Fundamentals Virtual Workshop, which is an instructor-led four and one-half day
2026-27 FSA Fundamentals Training Series announced Read More »
Tip of the Week Tax Transcript Matrix for 2026-27 Verification now available Although the number of FAFSAs selected for verification is down, financial aid professionals will, no doubt, appreciate any tool to assist with verification – particularly tax information. In a July 8 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education released the 2024 IRS Tax Return
Tip of the Week – July 8, 2026 Read More »
Tip of the Week It’s been a fireworks show For many of us, the highlight of July 4th is the fireworks show. It’s always been one of my favorite things, especially seeing the night sky light up with the vibrant colors and patterns produced by the fireworks and hearing the “oohs and aahs” of the
Tip of the Week – July 1, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander During your senior year, you made a lot of decisions, including finalizing your college choice. This year was filled with submitting admission applications, scholarship essays, financial aid information, and deadlines. Below are the tasks you should complete during the month of July: Congratulations! It’s time to get ready to start your life after
July checklist for high school graduates Read More »
