Department of Education

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Department updates 2026-27 Federal Student Aid Handbook with latest school eligibility and operations requirements

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals can now brush up on the latest federal financial aid school eligibility and participation requirements with the release volume 2 of the 2026-27 Federal Student Aid Handbook. In a September 1 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education (ED) announced the availability of Volume 2 – School Eligibility and Operations. This volume

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Federal Student Aid offers webinars aimed at reducing student loan defaults

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By Marlene Seeklander With approximately nine million student loan borrowers in default, the Department of Education is urging schools to act to help their former students return to repayment. In a September 2 Dear Colleague Letter, Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced two upcoming webinars, which are a part of their initiative to assist schools in

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Department releases report on which institutions have reported financial value data; reminds institutions about upcoming 2026 deadline

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By Marlene Seeklander Institutions now have a little less than a month to submit their Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment (FVT/GE) data for 2026. In an August 28 update to an August 11 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education reminded institutions about the October 1 deadline for reporting 2026 data and announced the availability of an

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Report of foreign involvement in U.S. higher education further delayed again

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By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education has once again pushed back its planned publication of all foreign sources of ownership, gifts or contracts involving those institutions of higher education required to submit reports. In an August 25 update to a July 6 Electronic Announcement, the Department has agreed to delay the planned publication of the

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Department of Education announces the launch of Beta 2 testing for 2027-28 FAFSA

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By Marlene Seeklander The testing of the 2027-28 FAFSA continues to move forward, allowing some students and families to complete the FAFSA form early. In an August 25 update to a July 21 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced the launch of the second phase of the 2027-28 FAFSA beta testing period. Students and contributors

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Department of Education publishes new instructions for financial aid professionals to access federal immigration status system

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid administrators working with non-citizens will want to check out the latest instructions for accessing the information needed to determine if a student is eligible for federal financial aid.  In an August 20 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that they have updated the guide to access Department of Homeland Security

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FSA online training courses highlight Cohort Default Rates and Default Prevention

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals can sharpen their knowledge about cohort default rates and default prevention and management by participating in a course offered by Federal Student Aid. Federal Student Aid (FSA) recently announced the release of an online, self-paced learning track on cohort default rates (CDRs) and default prevention and management. It is

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Input sought for FSA’s Fiscal Year 2026-30 draft strategic plan goals and objectives

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid stakeholders have the opportunity to provide input to Federal Student Aid (FSA) on their draft goals and objectives which are part of their strategic plan. FSA extended the invitation to institutions of higher education, financial partners, and other stakeholders via an August 24 Electronic Announcement. Feedback is encouraged as it will

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2025-26 Federal Student Aid Handbook now available in PDF format

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals have another way to access the 2025-26 Federal Student Aid Handbook – via PDF format. In an August 20 Dear College Letter, the Department of Education announced the availability of PDF files of the 2025–26 Federal Student Aid Handbook. This allows schools to download the entire handbook or individual volumes.

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Schools identifying as public institutions must maintain documentation

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By Marlene Seeklander Schools that identify as public institutions for purposes of the federal student aid programs must maintain documentation stating as much and must be ready to provide it to the Department of Education when requested. In an August 17 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education clarified the regulatory requirements for all institutions of higher

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