Department of Education

2025 Thanksgiving holiday hours for Federal Student Aid and Mapping Your Future

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By Marlene Seeklander Hopefully, you will be enjoying Thanksgiving day and not working, but if you do need to work, you should know that some Federal Student Aid offices are taking a break or will have modified hours. Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that their offices and contact centers will be closed on Thursday, November 27, in observance […]

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Department provides new student data test files with Budget Reconciliation changes

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By Marlene Seeklander Colleges and state agencies which receive student FAFSA data can now better prepare for the 2026-27 academic year with some updated test records.                                     In a recent update to an earlier Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that it has published an additional set of system-generated 2026-27 ISIRs. These ISIRs include updates to

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Department of Education corrects FAFSA error that impacted financial aid calculation for some applicants

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By Marlene Seeklander Some FAFSA filers may have received an incorrect determination of their financial aid eligibility due to an error in calculating assets. The Department of Education recently resolved an issue which impacted some 2025-26 and 2026-27 FAFSA filers and how assets were used in calculating their Student Aid Index (SAI). In a November 20,

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FISAP edit corrections and updates due December 15, 2025

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By Marlene Seeklander Although submitting the FISAP is behind you, you still can make any needed corrections and updates by December 15. In a recent Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education reminds schools that any changes, corrections, or edits to the recent FISAP must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time (ET) on Monday, December

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2026-27 Federal School Code List of Participating Schools

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By Marlene Seeklander The Federal School Code List – a key component of the FAFSA – has been updated by the Department of Education for 2026-27. The Department announced the availability of the 2026–27 Federal School Code (FSC) List of Participating Schools. Students enter these codes on the FAFSA in order for the postsecondary schools to

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Upcoming changes to the FSA ID account process

Newsroom, College preparation, Department of Education, FAFSA resources, Paying for College / By

By Marlene Seeklander Creating a StudentAid.gov account or FSA ID shouldn’t be an obstacle for students and contributors when completing the FAFSA. The FSA ID is a “key first step” to completing the FAFSA, and Federal Student Aid (FSA) has made updates over the past few years to make the process easier. Aaron Lemon-Strauss, Executive Director

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Wooden cubes with the abbreviation Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA

Students and parents can complete FAFSA during federal shutdown

Newsroom, College preparation, Department of Education, FAFSA resources, Paying for College / By

By Catherine Mueller Despite the government shutdown, students and parents can complete the FAFSA and financial aid will be processed on the regular schedule according to the U.S. Department of Education. The Department announced on October 1 that despite the lapse in appropriations to fund the federal government, there will be minimal impact on students, borrowers,

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Negotiated rulemaking on budget reconciliation student loan provisions to continue in early November

Newsroom, Department of Education, Latest, Student Loans / By

By Catherine Mueller Despite the federal government shutdown, the Department of Education will resume negotiated rulemaking sessions on the student loan provisions which became law under budget reconciliation. Negotiators are expected to continue their discussions on the provisions November 3 to November 7. The first negotiated rulemaking session was conducted in early October and while many

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Department of Education issues reminder: Federal grant funds may not be used on lobbying activity

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By Marlene Seeklander Higher education officials may already know that federal grant funds cannot be used for lobbying efforts but just in case anyone didn’t know, the Department of Education sent out a reminder earlier this week. In a September 30 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), the Department of Education (Department) provided clarifying guidance that the use

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