By Marlene Seeklander Financial barriers shouldn’t prevent a student from finishing a degree and pursuing their dreams. Students attending a U.S. college who are experiencing financial barriers may want to review these funding opportunities through Last Mile Education Fund.
Last Mile Education Fund supports students facing financial barriers Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals can now plan for the upcoming FAFSA verification season with the latest guidance from the Department of Education. An October 23 Federal Register Notice announced that the Secretary of Education has published a notice regarding the FAFSA information that an institution and an applicant may be required to verify, as
2027-2028 FAFSA information to be verified and acceptable documentation Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Some students are being asked to show their government-issued identification when completing the 2027-28 FAFSA. The request is a part of the Department of Education’s real-time fraud detection system, which is estimated to impact less than 4 percent of FAFSA filers. Before processing the FAFSA, the fraud detection system, implemented in April 2026,
Government-issued identification may now be needed when completing the FAFSA Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Students have been able to complete the 2027-28 FAFSA since September 23, 2026, in advance of the official October 1 release date. Prior to completing the FAFSA, students and parents can go ahead and set up their account at StudentAid.gov, also known as creating an FSA ID. An FSA ID is the username
Five tips to complete an important FAFSA first step Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Scholarships are the best kind of financial aid, but students should be careful to avoid scams. Because so many students are looking for scholarships, there are, unfortunately, a lot of bad actors that want to take advantage of these students. Therefore, it’s important to be careful and make sure the scholarship offer is
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By Marlene Seeklander It’s never too early to begin your search for college scholarships. All high students – not just seniors – should pursue scholarships. In fact, some scholarships are aimed at students as young as those in elementary or middle school. And, even if you can’t apply for some scholarships until you are senior, here
Five reasons to begin your scholarship search early Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Students, families, and taxpayers now have easier access to information about college costs thanks to a new report released this week by the Department of Education. In an October 14 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education (the Department) announced the release of the 2025 College Affordability and Transparency Report (CATR), which is based
By Marlene Seeklander Additional 2027-28 FAFSA resources are now available for staff training or financial aid presentations. Federal Student Aid announced the publication of several forms for the 2027-28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) award year. All forms are available in both English and Spanish and include the following: 2027-28 FAFSA Form (PDF format)
2027-28 FAFSA resources now available Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid and college access professionals will want to review the 2027-28 FAFSA Presentation for a recent updated scenario. An October 5 update to a September 3 Electronic Announcement from Federal Student Aid (FSA) states that a missing slide about parent assets to the Dependent Student – Required Parent scenario has now been
2027-28 FAFSA Preview Presentation updated by Federal Student Aid Read More »
By Catherine Mueller One look at a college’s sticker price and many students and their parents wonder how they will ever be able to afford higher education. The good news is that most students do not end up paying the full sticker price for college. That’s because many students receive some form of financial aid from
The difference between sticker price and what you will pay for college Read More »
