By Marlene Seeklander Students can get a head start on completing a college admissions requirement by registering now for the September ACT test. The early registration deadline for the September 19, 2026, test is August 14, with the late registration deadline on September 1. Registration takes about 30 minutes to complete and requires students to register
August 14 early registration deadline for September ACT test Read More »
Tip of the Week Federal Student Aid fraud alert from U.S. Department of the Treasury Fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated, particularly when it comes to federal student aid fraud. According to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), colleges are seeing an increase in “ghost students,” stolen identities, synthetic identities, AI-generated documents, and other methods used
Tip of the Week – July 29, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander A financial aid offer is often a key component of the college decision making process. Financial aid offers are not always alike and comparing offers can be challenging. To effectively review offers, here are some key points: While financial aid offers may differ in appearance from college to college, this sample College Financing
Financial Aid Offers – A closer look Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Not to ruin anyone’s summertime vibe, but just a reminder – it won’t be long now before fall semester tuition bills come due. If you are running short of funds, there are some actions you can take now if you are worried about paying for college this fall: Students have other options as
Strategies for students (and parents) when money for college runs short Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education has again pushed back its planned publication of all foreign sources of ownership, gifts or contracts involving those institutions of higher education required to submit reports. In a July 24 update to a July 6 Electronic Announcement, the Department has agreed to delay the planned publication of the names
Report of foreign involvement in U.S. higher education delayed Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals now have a new enrollment reporting guide, updated with information on reporting enrollment statuses related to the new Return to Title IV Funds withdrawal exemption. On July 27, the Department of Education announced an updated version of the Enrollment Reporting Guide. The guide provides step-by-step instructions for NSLDS enrollment reporting.
Updated NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide (July 2026) now available Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander The Federal Trade Commission is reminding student loan borrowers how to avoid debt relief scams, after news of a court-issued orders banning Nevada-based operators from engaging in the debt relief industry. In a July 21 press release, the FTC said that Dennise Merdjanian, an operator of a student loan debt forgiveness scheme, will
FTC warns of student loan forgiveness scams Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander While financial aid professionals are in the midst of dealing with implanting new regulatory changes in addition to their usual workload for the upcoming school year, the deadline for another important responsibility isn’t far away. In a July 20 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education reminded schools about the availability of the 2027-28
By Marlene Seeklander Schools that have not yet closed out their 2024-25 Direct Loan Program year need to do so by July 31. In a July 21 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that the deadline to submit records for the 2024-25 Direct Loan Program year is 8 p.m. (Eastern) on Thursday, July 31, 2026.
Closeout deadline soon approaching for 2024-25 Direct Loan Program year Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Financial aid professionals and software providers now have another resource to prepare for 2027-28 financial aid awards. In a July 22 update to a May 5 Electronic Announcement, the Department said it made two updates to the 2027-28 FAFSA Specifications Guide, adding an ISIR Test File for the upcoming year under Volume 9
2027-28 FAFSA student record file now available for testing Read More »
