Department of Education

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Learning Tracks from Federal Student Aid

By Marlene Seeklander New and experienced financial staff can usually benefit from additional training, especially training that incorporates hands-on activities. Federal Student Aid (FSA) recently highlighted some Learning Tracks that will help financial aid professionals feel more confident in their Title IV skills. Some of the suggested Learning Tracks include: To check out these learning opportunities, […]

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Reminders for the Fiscal Operations Report for 2024–25 and Application to Participate for 2026–27 (FISAP)

By Marlene Seeklander While financial aid professionals are in the midst of processing FAFSAs and making corrections for the upcoming school year, the deadline for another important responsibility is looming. In a July 21 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education reminded schools about the availability of the 2026-27 FISAP on the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) website. The deadline

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Staff enrollment for access to federal aid functions now through FSA Partner Connect

By Marlene Seeklander To add or update staff access to federal student aid systems, schools will now make those changes through FSA Partner Connect. In a July 14 Electronic Announcement, Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that FSA Partner Connect is now the primary enrollment and user management service for schools and other organizations. This allows them

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2023-24 Direct Loan closeout deadline nears; Department provides additional information

By Marlene Seeklander With the end of July deadline looming, the Department of Education is providing additional guidance to those schools that have not yet closed out their 2023-24 Direct Loan program year. In a recent Electronic Announcement, the Department provided additional information to supplement guidance provided in two earlier Electronic Announcements on February 20 and

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Blue clipboard with white paper next to computer keyboard that says FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Additional updates to 2026-27 FAFSA Specifications Guide

By Marlene Seeklander In preparation for the upcoming FAFSA cycle, financial aid professionals will want to review the most recent additions to the 2026-27 FAFSA Specifications Guide. The Department of Education recently announced the addition of several volumes to the 2026-27 FAFSA Specifications Guide. These volumes include: Along with the new volumes that have been added, updates have also

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FVT/GE Required Reporting for the 2025 Cycle reminder

By Marlene Seeklander Schools can now begin reporting Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment (FVT/GE) data for the just-completed academic year. In a recent Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education reminded schools that the data reporting for the 2025 cycle – which includes the 2024-25 award year – started on July 1 and runs through October

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Reallocation of 2024-25 campus-based funds

By Marlene Seeklander The clock is ticking for schools to release any 2024-25 campus-based funds which haven’t been used. A July 10 Electronic Announcement outlines the reallocation process, the availability of the 2024-25 Campus-Based Reallocation Form, and what schools need to do to request supplemental funds for 2025-26. The Department of Education advises that schools review their current

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Reporting Federal Work-Study Earnings to COD System

By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education has now issued instructions to assist schools in the reporting of student-level earnings for the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program. In a June 25 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education outlines the operational guidance for schools as they begin reporting Federal Work-Study earnings for the 2024 calendar year. The implementation

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 FSA announces updated course offerings for 2025-26 Award Year

By Marlene Seeklander Federal Student Aid (FSA) redesigned and updated its offerings in the FSA Training Center Learning Tracks. According to the July 1 FSA announcement, the new offerings include an updated FSA Basic Training for New Staff with 2025-26 content. Since the Learning Tracks are award year specific, FSA encourages the completion of training each

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 2025–26 FSA Fundamentals Training Series launched

By Marlene Seeklander Learning the fundamentals is essential for anyone taking on a new job, but it’s especially true in the world of financial aid. On July 1, the Department of Education announced the launch of Federal Student Aid’s (FSA) 2025–26 FSA Fundamentals Training Series. This training series consists of two courses: Participants must successfully complete the FSA

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