Department of Education

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Updates to the 2026-27 Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide

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By Marlene Seeklander The 2026-27 Student Aid Index and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide now includes updates based on recent statutory changes made through the Budget Reconciliation Bill. In an August 25 update to an earlier Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education stated that they have made the following updates to the 2026-27 Student Aid Index (SAI) […]

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EDExpress for Windows 2026-27 Packaging Technical Reference

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By Marlene Seeklander EDExpress for Windows users now have a resource available to help them in planning for the 2026-27 award year. The Department of Education announced the posting of the 2026–27 EDExpress for Windows Packaging Technical Reference in the Software and Other Tools area of the Knowledge Center website. The reference document includes instructions and record layouts for

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Updated reports added by Federal Student Aid to FSA Data Center

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By Marlene Seeklander More than 5 million ED-serviced borrowers with nearly $117 billion in outstanding federal student loans are in default as of June 2025, according to a Department of Education announcement. In addition, according to the Department, more than 6 million borrowers are in a delinquent status with about 4 million of those borrowers in

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Schools are reminded to keep contact information current

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By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education wants to know who to contact when program issues arise, so they are reminding schools and servicers to keep their contact information current. In a recent Electronic Announcement, the Department reminded schools and third-party servicers to keep their contact information in the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) current in

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Financial aid peak processing season – reminders for 2025-26

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By Marlene Seeklander With the start of the 2025-26 school year, the Department of Education is reminding schools that processing financial aid may take longer during this peak season. 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

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Department of Education updates guidance on use of Federal Work Study funds for distributing voter registration information

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By Marlene Seeklander Institutions will want to take note of updated guidance on the distribution of voter registration information and the allowable use of Federal Work Study (FWS) funds for these activities. On August 19, 2025, the Department of Education (ED) released a Dear Colleague letter GEN-25-05 outlining their interpretation of the allowable use of Federal

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IRS Tax Return Transcript Matrix for 2025-26 Verification now available

Newsroom, Department of Education, FAFSA resources / By

By Marlene Seeklander Although the 2025-26 FAFSA processing cycle has been underway for months, the Department of Education has just released the 2023 IRS Tax Return Transcript Matrix. The August 14 Electronic Announcement includes the 2023 IRS Tax Return Transcript Matrix in Excel format. The matrix is designed to assist financial aid administrators in mapping the

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2025-26 FSA Handbook Volume 9 – The TEACH Grant Program – now available

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals, whose schools participate in the TEACH Grant Program will want to update their reading list with the latest volume of the 2025-26 Federal Student Aid Handbook. A recent Electronic Announcement from ED announced the availability of Volume 9 – The TEACH Grant Program. This volume includes information for schools about the eligibility requirements

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