Department of Education

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Updated 2025–26 Federal School Code List of Participating Schools

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By Marlene Seeklander A key component of the FASFA – The Federal School Code List – has been updated by Federal Student Aid (FSA). A recent Electronic Announcement provided information on the most recent 2025–26 Federal School Code (FSC) List of Participating Schools.  Students enter these codes on the FAFSA in order for colleges to receive their FAFSA […]

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SAVE program zero-interest period ends July 31

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By Marlene Seeklander Student loan borrowers enrolled in the SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) program will see interest accrual begin once again. SAVE participants were placed in a zero-interest forbearance period but will see that end on July 31 and interest accrual begin on August 1. Loan repayment amounts for the SAVE program borrowers will

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Upcoming outage alert for StudentAid.gov

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By Marlene Seeklander The StudentAid.gov site will be unavailable August 2-3, 2025. Federal Student Aid announced that they are completing maintenance to the StudentAid.gov site on August 2-3. Beginning on Saturday, August 2 at 5 p.m. (Eastern) until approximately Noon (Eastern) on Sunday, August 3 the site will be unavailable. Users will not be able to log

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Nonpayment Rates by Institution report now available in the Federal Student Aid Data Center

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By Marlene Seeklander Schools now have a report available to assist them in understanding the delinquency and default risks of their most recent borrowers – something that will be important as cohort default rates potentially rise. In a July 23 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced the availability of the nonpayment rates by institution report, available

Nonpayment Rates by Institution report now available in the Federal Student Aid Data Center Read More »

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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

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

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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

Test ISIR data file available for 2026-27 Read More »

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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,

Learning Tracks from Federal Student Aid Read More »

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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

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

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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

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

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