By Marlene Seeklander Schools and other entities have additional 2025-26 test ISIRs available to assist them in their 2025-26 set up and testing. In a recent update to an earlier Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that an additional set of system-generated 2025-26 ISIRs is now available. The ISIRs includes a wider array and higher […]
Additional 2025-26 test ISIRs available Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander The long-awaited processing of corrections to paper forms is finally available. In an October 18 update to a previous Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that the paper corrections functionality has been implemented. The Department estimates that by the end of October, they will have processed paper corrections received to date. After
2024-25 FAFSA paper processing now available Read More »
It’s a critical step and one that sometimes can be fraught with emotion. Determining which parent contributes to the FAFSA can create a challenge for students. And, for some, it’s better to determine which parent should contribute to the FAFSA before sitting down to complete the application. Perhaps for those reasons and others, the Department
Who’s my FAFSA parent? Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Students and borrowers experiencing hardship because of damage done by the recent hurricanes have resources to help them cope with the disaster. According to the U.S. Department of Education, current students and federal student loan borrowers who have been impacted by a federally declared natural disaster should visit StudentAid.gov/naturaldisaster for guidance and support.
Resources to help students and borrowers impacted by hurricanes Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Schools and interested stakeholders can find updates on the 2025-26 FAFSA BETA testing by going to one central location. The Department of Education is providing updates to the BETA testing process at https://fsapartners.ed.gov/beta/Updates. Listed by date, with the newest information appearing at the top, schools and stakeholders can find updates on such topics
BETA Updates Page for 2025-26 FAFSA Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Although students and parents won’t be able to apply for financial aid until December, you can get ready by setting up a StudentAid.gov account. Setting up an account at StudentAid.gov, is also known as creating an FSA ID, which is the username and password for the account. When setting up an account, here
Tips for creating an FSA ID Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Students are completing the beta-test version of the 2025-26 FAFSA without encountering any critical errors and students are receiving the records of those students. Along with sharing the results of the first round of the 2025-26 FAFSA beta tests, the U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday announced the launch of the second stage of
First round of 2025-26 FAFSA testing is complete, no major problems found Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander You can make a note on your 2025-26 planning list to check out the recent additions to the 2025-26 FAFSA Specifications Guide. The Department of Education recently announced the addition of two volumes to the 2025-26 FAFSA Specifications Guide. These volumes include: Throughout the 2025-26 cycle, the Knowledge Center website will be updated
Updates to 2025-26 FAFSA Specifications Guide Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Although students and parents won’t be able to apply for financial aid until December, there are some things you can do in the meantime to prepare. The U.S. Department of Education announced several weeks ago that it would not release the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) until December 1. In
Five tips to complete this important FAFSA first step Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander In an effort to improve communication with schools and colleges, the Department of Education recently sent an update to key leadership at postsecondary institutions, outlining their work to improve the FAFSA. On September 23, the Department announced that Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona sent a letter to presidents and chancellors to provide an
Secretary of Education letter on improving the FAFSA experience Read More »
