By Marlene Seeklander Most of us need a nudge every once in a while, a little reminder to do something important like, maybe, completing the FAFSA. Students who completed FAFSAs in the last couple of years are receiving reminders from the Department of Education that the 2025-26 FAFSA is ready for them to complete. And the […]
2025-26 FAFSA reminder campaign underway Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Another important piece of the 2025-26 award year processing will soon be in place. The Department of Education announced that on March 23 they will implement the functionality to support Campus-Based programs and the processing of Pell Grant, TEACH, and Direct Loan awards for the 2025-26 award year in the Common Origination and
2025–26 award year COD System implementation Read More »
By Catherine Mueller After successfully completing your FAFSA, you should celebrate your accomplishment. However, don’t celebrate so much that you forget you will have other tasks to complete. One of those tasks is to review your FAFSA Submission Summary. One to three days after a student submits a 2025-26 FAFSA (and provided a valid email address),
Six things to check on your FAFSA Submission Summary Read More »
By Catherine Mueller It’s no longer just a matter of “done” or “not done” when considering the status of your financial aid application. It’s important to understand the different status updates to determine if you need to take any action. When you log in to your account at StudentAid.gov, the status of your application will be one
Understanding your FAFSA status Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Students and families will want to take note of a recent update to one of the FAFSA questions. The Department of Education announced an update made to the FAFSA to comply with President Trump’s Executive Order, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. The update to
FAFSA Question 11 updated Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Although the 2026-27 academic year seems a long way into the future, financial aid professionals now have some tools available to help them prepare for it. The Department of Education announced the initial installment of the 2026–27 FAFSA Specifications Guide, which includes the Microsoft Excel version of the 2026–27 Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) record
2026-27 FAFSA Specifications Guide released Read More »
By Catherine Mueller An online video can sometimes be a lifesaver. Maybe you’re working late at night and can’t figure out the instructions on some project. Do an online search and, more than likely, you’ll find a video that solves your problem. Fortunately, for many students and parents, who often complete the FAFSA late at night
This season’s lineup on the Mapping Your Future YouTube channel Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander For some students, one of the most challenging parts of the FAFSA is knowing which parent to invite to the FAFSA. The Department of Education has the parent wizard tool available outside of the FAFSA form, making it easier for students, families, and others to make this determination ahead of time. In addition, Mapping Your
Determining the parent for the 2025-26 FAFSA Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Institutions will want to take note of a recent update to one of the FAFSA questions. The Department of Education announced an update made to the FAFSA to comply with President Trump’s Executive Order, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. The update to Question 11
FAFSA Question 11 updated Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander While many students and parents are completing the 2025-26 FAFSA, the Department of Education is already looking ahead to next year’s FAFSA. Now is your opportunity to submit comments to the Department of Education about the proposed draft 2026-27 FAFSA form and FAFSA Submission Summary. In an Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education
Draft 2026-27 FAFSA application materials available for comment Read More »
