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Federal Student Aid Training Conference to be held December 14-16, 2026

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals and other industry partners will have the opportunity to attend the in-person Federal Student Aid (FSA) Conference in December. Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced the in-person training conference that will be held December 14-16 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The agenda will include

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Planning how to pay for college – topic of podcast program featuring Mapping Your Future

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By Marlene Seeklander With all the changes to federal financial aid, students and parents need a plan to pay for college – now more than ever. Cathy Mueller, executive director of Mapping Your Future, discussed paying for college and other college planning topics recently on the Broadcast Retirement Network’s podcast. Entitled “How to Afford College in

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2027-28 FAFSA now available for all students and contributors

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By Marlene Seeklander Students and parents can now complete the 2027-28 FAFSA – in advance of the Congressionally mandated release date of October 1. The early release of the FAFSA enables students and families to get a head start on preparing for the 2027-28 academic year. Once the FAFSA is completed, students and parents can focus

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ACT Regional Events offer educational and networking opportunities

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By Marlene Seeklander Education and workforce professionals can gain valuable professional development while connecting with colleagues at regional conferences hosted by ACT over the next several months. The ACT Regional Conferences will be held throughout the country from October 22, 2026 through March 3, 2027. A list of the conference dates, locations, and registration link can

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Updated reports posted by Federal Student Aid to FSA Data Center

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By Marlene Seeklander Student loans now total more than $1.7 trillion with nearly 14 percent or $234 billion of the federal student loan portfolio in default. The federally managed portfolio—which includes FFEL and Perkins program loans owned by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and Direct Loans—is more than $1.64 trillion, representing more than 95 percent

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Transition to new Perkins Loan servicer to impact schools and borrowers

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By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education will transfer its Federal Perkins Loan portfolio to a new servicer on December 1, and the move could impact some schools as well as borrowers. In a recent Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education outlined the schedule, which could impact those schools planning to assign their Perkins loans to

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Guidance issued for Prison Education Programs (PEP) – Reporting and Approval Documentation

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By Marlene Seeklander Institutions with a Prison Education Program (PEP) now have federal guidance for post-program approval and reporting documentation. In a September 21 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education (the Department) outlined information addressing “Post Approval Guidance” and “Reporting Guidance” for institutions of higher education. Post Approval Guidance When the Department approves a PEP, the

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FAFSA Specifications Guides updated

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals can stay current with any changes to the FAFSA form and financial aid processing by reviewing the recent updates to the FAFSA Specifications Guides for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 award years.   The Department of Education recently announced updates to several volumes of the guides. Updates were made to volumes 1,

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Tip of the Week – September 23, 2026

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Tip of the Week Mapping Your Future offers FAFSA video presentation in preparation for the 2027-28 FAFSA Although the FAFSA application is much simpler to complete, financial aid remains a complex topic for students and parents. With the release of the 2027-28 FAFSA just around the corner, Mapping Your Future recorded a financial aid presentation

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Mapping Your Future offers FAFSA Presentation video

Newsroom, College preparation, FAFSA resources, Mapping Your Future features, Paying for College / By

By Marlene Seeklander Students and parents preparing to complete the 2027-28 FAFSA will want to watch the latest video from Mapping Your Future. The “2027-28 Financial Aid Event” presentation is available on the Mapping Your Future YouTube channel. In the 2027-28 FAFSA presentation, Cathy Mueller, Executive Director of Mapping Your Future, presents a high-level overview of

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