Higher Ed News Vol. 18 – Issue 16 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. Updated NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide (July 2026) now available Financial aid professionals now have a new enrollment reporting guide, updated with information […]
Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News – August 6, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Schools with Federal Perkins Loan portfolios that they are assigning to the Department of Education will need to make note of the transition to a new servicer. In an August 3 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education (the Department) announced that they are transitioning the servicing of federal held Federal Perkins Loans from
Federal Perkins Loan Servicer change announced Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals can now access a key volume of the 2026-27 Federal Student Aid (FSA) Handbook. The July 30 Dear Colleague letter from the Department announced the availability of Volume 7 – The Federal Pell Grant Program, which provides information to assist schools in determining student eligibility for and calculating Federal Pell Grants. The
2026-27 FSA Handbook now includes Pell Grant information Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals may get answers to the many questions about implementation of new regulations with some upcoming training sessions. Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced on July 31 that they are continuing to offer new webinars and virtual office hours during August for the financial aid community, allowing them to receive answers to
FSA announces new regulations training series for August 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 »
Early Awareness E-News August 2026Vol. 18 – Issue 8 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. Identity fraud detection system now in
Early Awareness E-News – August 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals have two new training resources available to help them with some of the recent changes. The FSA Training Center announced the release of two new training courses to help Financial Aid Administrators (FAAs) use the new FAFSA Partner Portal (FPP) functionality that supports Workforce Pell implementation and real-time fraud detection.
FSA Training Center announces new training opportunities 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 »
By Marlene Seeklander An updated 2026-27 Federal School Code List, which plays a key role in the FAFSA, has been released by the Department of Education (the Department). The Department announced the availability of the updated 2026–27 Federal School Code (FSC) List of Participating Schools. Although it’s usually not necessary, students can enter these codes on
Updated 2026-27 Federal School Code List now available Read More »
By Catherine Mueller To thwart would-be fraudsters, the financial aid application now includes an identity screening process. Earlier this year, the Department of Education launched a new, real-time fraud detection capability for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Every applicant will be evaluated in real-time through a risk-based identity screening. Applicants who display
Identity fraud detection system now in FAFSA Read More »
