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Department of Education launching efforts to prevent fraud through identity verification

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By Marlene Seeklander Institutions will have additional due diligence requirements as part of the Department of Education’s efforts to protect the integrity of the federal student aid programs. In a June 6 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education (ED) announced its nationwide effort to eliminate identity theft and fraud in the federal student aid programs. This […]

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2025-26 FSA Handbook Volume 8 – The Direct Loan Program – now available

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By Marlene Seeklander You may want to update your financial aid reading list with the latest volume of the 2025-26 Federal Student Aid Handbook that has just been released by the Department of Education (ED). A June 5 Electronic Announcement from ED announced the availability of Volume 8 – The Direct Loan Program. This volume includes information for schools

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Updates to 2026-27 FAFSA Specifications Guide

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By Marlene Seeklander You can make a note on your 2026-27 planning list to check out the 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: Throughout the 2026-27 cycle, the Knowledge Center website will be updated with changes to the FAFSA

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2025-2026 Federal Pell Grant award amounts confirmed

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By Marlene Seeklander The minimum and maximum Federal Pell Grant amounts for 2025-2026, through the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, that were previously announced are correct. In a May 29 update to an earlier Dear Colleague Letter, the Department of Education noted that the previously announced Federal Pell Grant maximum and minimum award amounts

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Direct Loan interest rates for loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2025 announced

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By Marlene Seeklander Student loan borrowers will see slightly lower interest rates starting July 1 for Direct Loans borrowed on or after July 1, 2025. The new interest rates were announced by the Department of Education in a May 30 Electronic Announcement. The interest rate is a fixed rate for the life of the loan. For Direct

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Early Awareness E-News – June 2025

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Early Awareness E-News June 2025Vol. 17 – Issue 6 A handy packing list with everything you need for college Although graduation ceremonies are just now getting underway for many students, it won’t be long before move-in day on college campuses. Department of Ed issues reminders for student loan borrowers The Department of Education has three

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June tasks for high school seniors

Newsroom, College preparation, FAFSA resources, Mapping Your Future features, Paying for College / By

By Marlene Seeklander Congratulations on your graduation from high school! Like most high school graduates, you may be just now catching your breath after all the activity surrounding the end of the senior year. It’s a good time for you to relax and reflect on your accomplishments. But once you’ve had some time to consider all

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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News – May 29, 2025

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Higher Ed News Vol. 17 – Issue 11 Use and Disclosure of Federal Tax information and FAFSA Data training available New financial aid professionals will likely benefit the most from a new training course on the handling of student data, but experienced professionals may want to attend the course as a refresher. Campus-Based school testing

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Upcoming Federal Student Aid webinar with Q&A format

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals will have the opportunity in a June webinar to ask questions about recently released Department of Education (ED) and Federal Student Aid (FSA) guidance. In an Electronic Announcement this month, ED announced an upcoming webinar that will focus on topics presented in the Federal Update presentation held earlier this year.

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