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
2027-28 FAFSA now available for all students and contributors Read More »
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
ACT Regional Events offer educational and networking opportunities Read More »
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
Updated reports posted by Federal Student Aid to FSA Data Center Read More »
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
Transition to new Perkins Loan servicer to impact schools and borrowers Read More »
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
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,
FAFSA Specifications Guides updated Read More »
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
Tip of the Week – September 23, 2026 Read More »
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
Mapping Your Future offers FAFSA Presentation video Read More »
By Catherine Mueller New training sessions in the FSA Training Center offer financial aid professionals an opportunity to learn more recent changes to EDExpress for Windows software. The Department of Education recently announced two training sessions: To access the training, financial aid professionals should log into the FSA Training Center. Questions about the EDExpress training or
EDExpress changes addressed in latest FSA training offering Read More »
Higher Ed News Vol. 18 – Issue 19 2027-28 FAFSA Preview Presentation now available Financial aid and college access professionals can now access information and screenshots for the 2027-28 FAFSA to use for planning purposes, communicating changes, and training. 2027-28 FAFSA prototype now available Financial aid and college access professionals now have a tool available
Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News – September 17, 2026 Read More »
