Tip of the Week

Tip of the Week Reminder of COD peak processing times Delays in COD processing can be frustrating as you prepare to disburse aid, so you may want to make note of the peak processing times. In a recent announcement, the Department of Education reminds schools that starting in January, processing for the 2024-25 award year […]

Tip of the Week Mapping Your Future offers helpful tips on FAFSA completion, StudentAid.gov account creation in new videos Students and parents wanting to know about the FAFSA or who need to create a StudentAid.gov account will want to watch the latest videos from Mapping Your Future. The “2025-26 FAFSA and Financial Aid” presentation and

Tip of the Week It was clear the FAFSA needed to be fixed It was while helping his own daughter complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA, that Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona realized something needed to be fixed. In his remarks today at the virtual Federal Student Aid (FSA) Conference, Cardona acknowledged that the root cause of

Tip of the Week For your kindness If it weren’t for the kindness of friends and strangers, I am not sure where I would be. When I think about what I am thankful for this holiday season, I am aware of the many times someone helped me. Much of that help has come from family,

Tip of the Week ED releases 2025-26 College Financing Plan As you prepare for the 2025-26 award year, you may want to implement the new College Financing Plan template. The Department of Education recently announced the release of the 2025-26 College Financing Plan (CFP), formerly known as the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet, a tool that

Tip of the Week Reminder of a post-holiday deadline Not to ruin the upcoming holidays for anyone but maybe this reminder can help you get ahead of things. The Department of Education issued an Electronic Announcement on November 13, reminding schools of two Financial Value Transparency/Gainful Employment (FVT/GE) requirements that must be completed by January

Tip of the Week An offering of thanks to our veterans To those veterans who have sacrificed and served our country, we owe much. Veterans’ educational benefits is one way as a country we can express our gratitude. But understanding veteran education benefits can be a challenge – especially with different programs, different eligibility criteria

Tip of the Week 2025–26 FAFSA Form Preview Presentation Now is the time to update your financial aid night presentation and training materials with the 2025-26 screenshots. The Department of Education has released a PowerPoint presentation and PDF file that includes information and screenshots of the 2025-26 FAFSA. The presentation includes scenarios for the initial

Tip of the Week Who’s my FAFSA parent? It’s a critical step and one that sometimes can be fraught with emotion. Determining which parent contributes to the FAFSA can create a challenge for students. And, for some, it’s better to determine which parent should contribute to the FAFSA before sitting down to complete the application.

Tip of the Week Happy Financial Aid Day Over time, I realized I had “been bitten by the financial aid bug.” This was a career field I wanted to continue in and advance myself. I’ve always said that people either like working in financial aid or they don’t. If they don’t, they move on to