By Marlene Seeklander You will want to make note that the federal government offices will be closed on January 9 for a National Day of Mourning and some processing may be impacted. In a recent Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that their federal offices will be closed to observe the day of mourning in […]
Federal government closures on Thursday, January 9, 2025 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Schools facing a reduction in their campus-based funding due to underuse have until later this month to request the penalty be waived. The Department of Education recently released an Electronic Announcement outlining that, when a school returns more than 10% of its Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) or Federal Work Study (FWS)
Deadline approaching for 2025-26 Underuse Penalty Waiver for the Campus-Based Programs Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander All good things must come to an end, including the Fresh Start initiative. The Fresh Start initiative, which was announced in a Dear College Letter dated August 17, 2022, allowed schools to award Title IV aid to a student who would have otherwise been ineligible due to a prior defaulted loan. This applied
Important reminders about the Fresh Start initiative Read More »
Early Awareness E-News January 2025Vol. 17 – Issue 1 Create your StudentAid.gov account updated flyer available Students and parents setting up an FSA ID find it easy to do so, but there are some important tips to avoid account problems in the future. A few tips for creating an FSA ID Creating a StudentAid.gov account isn’t
Early Awareness E-News – January 2025 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander In addition to the looming deadlines for financial value and transparency reporting, another important deadline is approaching for some institutions of higher education. The Department of Education recently released an Electronic Announcement for institutions of higher education (IHEs) that are owned or controlled by a foreign source or receive a gift or enter
Reporting deadline for Section 117 of the HEA is January 31 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Another tool is available to schools for the 2025-2026 award year set-up. The Department of Education has posted Volumes 1, 2, 6, and 7 of the 2025–2026 Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) Technical Reference, with the remaining volumes coming in early 2025. This resource includes development information for the 2025-2026 award year. Questions
Partial version of 2025-2026 COD Technical Reference available Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Students interested in gaining leadership skills and money for college may want to consider the AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps), one of AmeriCorps’ most established programs, provides young adults ages 18 – 26 with the opportunity to serve in a full-time, paid, 10 –11-month national service opportunity. Another option is
Applications now open for 2025 AmeriCorps program Read More »
By Catherine Mueller During your senior year, you will finalize your college choice. This year is filled with admission applications, scholarship essays, financial aid information, and the need to meet deadlines. Throughout your senior year, continue to build your resume by achieving academic success, as well as participating in extracurricular activities. Colleges are interested in well-rounded
January tasks for high school seniors Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander As the focus on the value of career training increases nationwide, the Department is reminding financial aid offices about exceptions to the ability-to-benefit requirements. Students who otherwise might not be eligible for financial aid because of the ability-to-benefit standards, may be eligible for financial aid in specific career programs, but only if the
Department offers guidance on exceptions to ability-to-benefit requirements Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Borrowers who qualify for Total and Permanent Disability Discharge will see some changes in 2025, impacting how they track their progress to forgiveness. The Department of Education announced that as part of the new Unified Servicing and Data Solution loan servicing environment, designed to improve the borrower experience and repayment outcomes for approximately
Total and Permanent Disability Discharge transition announced Read More »
