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EDExpress for Windows 2025-26, Release 2.0 Service Release now available

By Marlene Seeklander EDExpress for Windows users have a new service release available for their use. In a June 27 Electronic Announcement, Federal Student Aid announced a new service release for EDExpress for Windows 2025–26, Release 2.0 in the Software and Other Tools area of the Knowledge Center. This release added the functionality for schools to report student Federal […]

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July tasks for high school seniors

By Marlene Seeklander During your senior year, you finalized your college choice. This year was filled with admission applications, scholarship essays, financial aid information, and deadlines. Below are the tasks you should complete during the month of July: Congratulations! It’s time to get ready to start college.

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How to master the art of being a good student

By Catherine Mueller No one enters college with a plan to fail. Well, at least no one who is serious about their education. However, some students do fail – despite their desire to succeed. What do successful students do to achieve their educational goals? Successful students employ strategies to master the art of being a good

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Financial Aid Processing Feedback Survey available

By Marlene Seeklander If you’ve always wanted to provide feedback to the Department of Education on how the FAFSA processing system and services can be improved, you now have that opportunity. The Department of Education recently announced that they are gathering feedback from financial aid administrators and state agencies on the FAFSA processing systems and services

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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News – June 26, 2025

Higher Ed News Vol. 17 – Issue 13 Federal Student Aid announces webinars and additional resources for FSA Partner Connect Financial aid professionals will soon have some training resources available to help them understand and transition to FSA Partner Connect for enrollment and user management services. 2026-27 Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility

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Five reasons you should complete the FAFSA

By Catherine Mueller Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can make the difference when it comes to pursuing your dreams for the future. For many students, who couldn’t otherwise afford the cost of an education, the FAFSA makes it possible. If you haven’t completed the 2025-26 FAFSA, here’s some reasons why you should:

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More steps toward simplification planned for the 2026-27 FAFSA

By Catherine Mueller Although many of the major stumbling blocks with the simplified FAFSA have been overcome, there have been a few remaining issues for students and parents. The Department of Education has now announced plans to fix two of those issues involving the identity verification and the contributor invite processes. Real-time identity verification – Starting

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Independence Day holiday closings

By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education is among the federal offices that will be closed for the Independence Day federal holiday on Friday, July 4. The June 24 Electronic Announcement states that the Federal Student Aid (FSA) processors and contact centers will be closed on July 4. All FSA websites will be operational on the holiday. The FAFSA

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Tip of the Week – June 25, 2025

Tip of the Week More steps toward simplification planned for the 2026-27 FAFSA Although many of the major stumbling blocks with the simplified FAFSA have been overcome, there have been a few remaining issues for students and parents. The Department of Education has now announced plans to fix two of those issues involving the identity

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Improvements planned for 2026-27 FAFSA; testing to begin in August

By Marlene Seeklander With the upcoming launch of the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, the Department of Education is now planning further steps to simplify the process. In a recent Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education shared some updates for the 2026-27 FAFSA, including two major changes: Starting August 4, the Department

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