By Marlene Seeklander With the beginning of a new semester and increased demand for financial aid, the Department of Education is reminding schools that some processing may take longer. In an announcement, the Department shared the following peak processing reminders for the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system: Questions can be directed to the FSA Partner […]
Peak processing reminders for 2025-26 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid administrators and staff now have an opportunity to learn more about the impact of the Budget Reconciliation Bill on federal student aid programs through an online training course. The Department of Education announced that an online, self-paced training course is available, providing an overview of the Budget Reconciliation Bill (P.L. 119-21
Online training on the Budget Reconciliation Bill now available Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Institutions that need to submit foreign gifts and contract information can now use the new Section 117 reporting portal. In a recent Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education is reminding institutions that the new Section 117 reporting portal located at ForeignFundingHigherEd.gov is now live. Institutions need to use the portal to submit foreign
New Section 117 Portal now live – Reminder of January 31 reporting deadline Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Schools and other organizations will soon be able to test the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system for the 2026-27 award year. In a January 7 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that the FSA Partner and School Relations Center will allow school testing of the COD system for the 2026-27 award
COD school testing for the 2026-27 award year available soon Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander More students completed the 2026-27 FAFSA as of late December – at a rate more than double the previous year, according to the Department of Education. In a recent press release, the Department announced that more than 5 million 2026-27 FAFSA forms have been successfully submitted by students and families, an increase of
Historic milestone reached in FAFSA completions Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid administrators often face a complex process for determining eligibility for mid-year transfer students. Mid-year transfer students – those who transfer from one school to another during the award year – understandably want to transfer their financial aid to their new school. However, the process of determining eligibility and packaging Title IV
FSA offers “Mid-year Transfer Students” learning track Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Hopefully, your holiday “to do” list doesn’t include working on Christmas or New Year’s day, but if you need to, be aware that some Federal Student Aid offices are taking a break or will have modified hours. Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that their federal offices and Federal Student Aid processors and contact
Holiday hours for Federal Student Aid and Mapping Your Future Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Schools with existing Federal Perkins Loan portfolios will want to make note of important information to ensure they stay in compliance. In a December 11 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education provided information on the required capital distribution from the school’s Perkins Loan Revolving Fund as part of the wind-down of the Federal
Important reminders for schools with Federal Perkins Loan portfolios Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander After several years of hosting a virtual conference, the Department of Education is once again hosting an in-person training conference. In a December 15 Electronic Announcement, the Department announced that the in-person Federal Student Aid (FSA) Training Conference will be held March 4-6, 2026 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
Federal Student Aid Training Conference to be held March 4-6, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Enhanced controls prevented more than $1 billion in attempted financial aid fraud in the past year, according to the Department of Education. In a December 11 press release, the Department announced by implanting fraud controls they prevented the fraud which included coordinated international fraud rings and AI bots pretending to be students. The
More than $1 billion in federal student aid fraud halted in 2025 Read More »
