Department of Education

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Certain Budget Reconciliation Bill changes effective upon enactment

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid administrators will want to make note that certain provisions of the Budget Reconciliation Bill were effective upon enactment. While many of the changes through the Budget Reconciliation Bill are not effective until July 1, 2026, and in subsequent years, some provisions were effective immediately upon enactment of the bill. In a […]

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Changes to V4 and V5 verification tracking groups for 2025-26

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By Marlene Seeklander To cut down on potential fraud and streamline processes, the Department of Education outlined instructions for the V4 and V5 verification groups in the latest Federal Register and as an update to an earlier Dear Colleague Letter. In the July 22 Federal Register Notice and July 22 Dear Colleague Letter update, the Department

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Test ISIR data file available for 2026-27

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By Marlene Seeklander Schools and other entities that want to test their processing system for 2026-27 can use a test data file that is available from Federal Student Aid. Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced the availability of a 2026–27 Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) test data file that can be used by schools, state agencies, software providers, and other

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Learning Tracks from Federal Student Aid

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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)

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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

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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

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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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Additional updates to 2026-27 FAFSA Specifications Guide

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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

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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

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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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