Tip of the Week Student loan borrowers have additional time to enroll in auto pay Student loan borrowers have an additional three months to enroll in auto pay and receive a one percent interest rate reduction benefit. Auto pay allows the student loan servicer to automatically deduct the monthly student loan payment directly from the
Tip of the Week – September 30, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Swatting incidents are growing problem for education institutions as well as law enforcement. And the Department of Education is encouraging institutions to be prepared to respond. In a September 25 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), the Department of Education stressed the importance of educational institutions, including institutions of higher education and state and local
Department of Education provides guidance to educational institutions on swatting events Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander With the latest EDExpress release, users should notice improvements with installation and with the functionality of the software, EDExpress users now have access to the EDExpress for Windows 2027-28, Release 1.0 software, which introduces a new database format and includes changes implemented during the 2027-28 FAFSA beta testing. In a recent Electronic Announcement,
EDExpress for Windows 2027-28, Release 1.0 now available Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals and other industry partners will have the opportunity to attend the in-person Federal Student Aid (FSA) Conference in December. Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced the in-person training conference that will be held December 14-16 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The agenda will include
Federal Student Aid Training Conference to be held December 14-16, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander With all the changes to federal financial aid, students and parents need a plan to pay for college – now more than ever. Cathy Mueller, executive director of Mapping Your Future, discussed paying for college and other college planning topics recently on the Broadcast Retirement Network’s podcast. Entitled “How to Afford College in
Planning how to pay for college – topic of podcast program featuring Mapping Your Future Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Students and parents can now complete the 2027-28 FAFSA – in advance of the Congressionally mandated release date of October 1. The early release of the FAFSA enables students and families to get a head start on preparing for the 2027-28 academic year. Once the FAFSA is completed, students and parents can focus
2027-28 FAFSA now available for all students and contributors Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Education and workforce professionals can gain valuable professional development while connecting with colleagues at regional conferences hosted by ACT over the next several months. The ACT Regional Conferences will be held throughout the country from October 22, 2026 through March 3, 2027. A list of the conference dates, locations, and registration link can
ACT Regional Events offer educational and networking opportunities Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Student loans now total more than $1.7 trillion with nearly 14 percent or $234 billion of the federal student loan portfolio in default. The federally managed portfolio—which includes FFEL and Perkins program loans owned by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and Direct Loans—is more than $1.64 trillion, representing more than 95 percent
Updated reports posted by Federal Student Aid to FSA Data Center Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education will transfer its Federal Perkins Loan portfolio to a new servicer on December 1, and the move could impact some schools as well as borrowers. In a recent Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education outlined the schedule, which could impact those schools planning to assign their Perkins loans to
Transition to new Perkins Loan servicer to impact schools and borrowers Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Institutions with a Prison Education Program (PEP) now have federal guidance for post-program approval and reporting documentation. In a September 21 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education (the Department) outlined information addressing “Post Approval Guidance” and “Reporting Guidance” for institutions of higher education. Post Approval Guidance When the Department approves a PEP, the
