Department of Education

By Marlene Seeklander Foreign institutions now have updated guidance on national emergencies. In a recent update to a prior Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education has expanded the types of emergencies and appropriate foreign authorities. The guidance now reflects the provisions under the CARES Act. Types of emergencies that may qualify for a waiver include: A […]

By Marlene Seeklander Schools still participating in the Federal Perkins Loan Program need to watch for an important notification from the Department of Education. The Department recently announced that, as part of the wind-down process of the Federal Perkins Loan Program, they require an annual capital distribution from the school’s Perkins Fund.   Schools will be

By Marlene Seeklander For those financial aid professionals affected by the recent weather-related disasters, the Department of Education has provided some relief to their offices and for their students. The Department of Education (ED) has announced guidance about regulatory relief to institutions located in federally declared disaster areas due to Tropical Storm Helene or Hurricane Helene.

By Marlene Seeklander Navigating the important recertification process can be daunting for financial aid administrators. The Department of Education announced the availability of a recorded webinar, presentation slides, and transcript to assist schools with the completion and submission of the recertification application. A school must submit a completed recertification application no later than 90 days

By Marlene Seeklander Borrowers with a joint consolidation loan with another individual can separate their joint debts into an individual Direct Consolidation loan. The Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act (JCLSA) was signed into law on October 11, 2022, and allows borrowers with either Direct Loans (DL) or Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) to separate their joint

By Marlene Seeklander Of all the tasks on your to-do list, registering for the annual virtual Federal Student Aid (FSA) Training Conference is an easy one to check off. FSA announced that the registration for their free annual training conference on December 3-6 is now open. Registration can be completed at the FSA Training Conference Home on

By Catherine Mueller The U.S. Department of Education invites school districts to join the Student Attendance and Engagement Solutions Network. According to an announcement from the Department of Education, the network (also known as the Attendance Solutions Network) has been created to support districts to reduce chronic absence, increase student engagement, and build on prevention