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Tip of the Week – March 25, 2026

Mapping Your Future hosts scholarship strategies webinar – recording now available Scholarships can sometimes mean the difference between having enough money for a college education or having to borrow student loans.   Knowing the strategies of how to make the most of scholarships can be a key component in finding money for college. The “Strategies […]

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Closeout deadline for 2024-25 Direct Loan Program year

By Marlene Seeklander Schools that have not yet closed out their 2024-25 Direct Loan Program year need to make note of the upcoming closeout deadline. A March 18 Electronic Announcement reminds schools that Friday, July 31, 2026, is the closeout deadline and last processing day before the end of the program year. This means that all

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2026 FSA Training Conference session recordings now available

By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals and other industry partners who were unable to attend the recent FSA Training Conference can now view the session recordings. In a March 20 Electronic Announcement, Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that the session recordings from the recent FSA Training Conference are now available at the following: In the announcement,

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First step taken to move federal student loan administration to U.S. Treasury

By Catherine Mueller The U.S. Department of Treasury will begin collecting on defaulted federal student loan loans in what is intended as the first step move federal student loans out of the Department of Education. On March 19, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) announced the interagency agreement.

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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News – March 19, 2026

Higher Ed News Vol. 18 – Issue 6 Number of student loan borrowers in default matching pre-pandemic levels Nearly 8 million student loan borrowers with $180 billion federal student loans are in default, according to the latest data from the Department of Education. Reminder of upcoming scholarship strategies webinar hosted by Mapping Your Future Scholarships

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Department of Education releases NSLDS layout changes to accommodate new financial aid requirements

By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education released new NSLDS layout changes to help the industry prepare for the financial aid procedures required by last year’s federal budget reconciliation. On March 12, the Department of Education announced the availability of the updated NSLDS Transfer Student Monitoring & Financial Aid History User Guide and Record Layouts. A

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Department of Education publishes “E-App User Guide”

By Marlene Seeklander Schools now have a user resource available to them when completing an important application process for participating in the federal aid programs. The Department of Education has created the “Application for Approval to Participate in Federal Student Financial Aid Programs User Reference Guide” for completing what is commonly referred to as the E-App.

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2025-26 FSA Handbook Appendices now available, Department of Education to seek input on future content

By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education released new content for the FSA Handbook and announced it will be seeking input from financial aid professionals as they “reimagine the content” of the handbook. In a March 16 Electronic Announcement, the Department announced the availability of the Appendices of the 2025-26 Federal Student Aid Handbook and said

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State specific and national scholarship opportunities for students

By Marlene Seeklander Students seeking additional funds for their college education may want to review these scholarship opportunities to determine if they are a good fit. College Now Adult Learner Scholarship– This scholarship is available to adult students age 19 and older who have interrupted their education for at least one year and who are pursuing a

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Tip of the Week – March 18, 2026

Reminder of upcoming scholarship strategies webinar hosted by Mapping Your Future Scholarships can often be a critical source of funding when it comes to paying for college. Mapping Your Future’s “Four Components of a Successful Scholarship Strategy” webinar will address tips and techniques for applying for scholarships. The webinar will benefit high school and college

Tip of the Week – March 18, 2026 Read More »

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