By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education is among the federal offices closed for the Labor Day federal holiday on Monday, September 1. The August 28 announcement states that the Federal Student Aid (FSA) offices and contact centers will be closed on September 1. All FSA websites will be operational on the holiday. The following additional […]
Labor Day holiday closings Read More »
Tip of the Week Department of Education announces the launch of Beta 2 testing The testing of the 2026-27 FAFSA continues to move forward, allowing some students and families to complete the FAFSA form early. On the Department of Education’s Homeroom blog, James Bergeron, Deputy Under Secretary, recently announced that following a successful Beta 1
Tip of the Week – August 27, 2025 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals now have some new tips for resolving a FAFSA error that has created confusion both students and schools. An August 21 Electronic Announcement provided an update from the Department of Education about the FAFSA Reject Code 68 and guidance for resolving issues related to this code. Reject Code 68 indicates
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By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education wants to know who to contact when program issues arise, so they are reminding schools and servicers to keep their contact information current. In a recent Electronic Announcement, the Department reminded schools and third-party servicers to keep their contact information in the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) current in
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By Marlene Seeklander With the start of the 2025-26 school year, the Department of Education is reminding schools that processing financial aid may take longer during this peak season. In an announcement, the Department shared the following peak processing reminders for the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system: Questions can be directed to the FSA Partner
Financial aid peak processing season – reminders for 2025-26 Read More »
Higher Ed News Vol. 17 – Issue 17 2026-27 FAFSA Preview Presentation now available Financial aid and college access professionals can now access Information and screenshots for the 2026-27 FAFSA to use for planning purposes, communicating changes, and training. Verification reporting available soon; deadlines adjusted Although financial aid professionals still face some deadlines for “verification
Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News – August 21, 2025 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Institutions will want to take note of updated guidance on the distribution of voter registration information and the allowable use of Federal Work Study (FWS) funds for these activities. On August 19, 2025, the Department of Education (ED) released a Dear Colleague letter GEN-25-05 outlining their interpretation of the allowable use of Federal
By Marlene Seeklander Although the 2025-26 FAFSA processing cycle has been underway for months, the Department of Education has just released the 2023 IRS Tax Return Transcript Matrix. The August 14 Electronic Announcement includes the 2023 IRS Tax Return Transcript Matrix in Excel format. The matrix is designed to assist financial aid administrators in mapping the
IRS Tax Return Transcript Matrix for 2025-26 Verification now available Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals, whose schools participate in the TEACH Grant Program will want to update their reading list with the latest volume of the 2025-26 Federal Student Aid Handbook. A recent Electronic Announcement from ED announced the availability of Volume 9 – The TEACH Grant Program. This volume includes information for schools about the eligibility requirements
2025-26 FSA Handbook Volume 9 – The TEACH Grant Program – now available Read More »
Tip of the Week 2026-27 FAFSA Preview Presentation now available Financial aid and college access professionals can now access Information and screenshots for the 2026-27 FAFSA to use for planning purposes, communicating changes, and training. An August 14 Electronic Announcement from Federal Student Aid (FSA) includes a presentation and PDF file with information and screenshots of the
Tip of the Week – August 20, 2025 Read More »
