By Marlene Seeklander At first the request seems like a paradox – you didn’t file a tax return, and the college financial aid office is asking you to prove something you didn’t do. While it may seem unusual to prove that you didn’t file a tax return, you may need to do just that and depending […]
Five steps to obtain proof of federal tax return non-filing Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander POET is offering scholarships to help students take that big step to pursuing their aspirations. POET, a South Dakota based company that has expanded across the Midwest, is awarding up to $75,000 in scholarships to students who are never satisfied with “good enough” and share POET’s mission to create a brighter future. The
POET offers “Never Satisfied Scholarships” Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Scholarships are a wise investment in a student’s educational career – both for the organization granting the scholarship and the student applying for funds. For students, not only does a scholarship award look great on a resume, it can also reduce the amount of money a student has to borrow to pay for
Scholarship opportunities to help students pay for college Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Sure, sometimes high school students don’t want to invite their parents to something, but in the case of the FAFSA, most students need to invite their parents. Students completing the 2026-27 FAFSA (if they are determined to be dependent students) are asked to invite their parent or parents to contribute to the FAFSA. Students only need to
Contributing to a student’s FAFSA when the invite isn’t received Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Just when you think you have completed all the financial aid applications, your college financial aid office notifies you they need an IRS tax transcript. The request is part of the verification process – something that any postsecondary institution offering federal financial aid must do. College and university financial aid offices are
Why your college may ask for a tax transcript and how to get one Read More »
By Catherine Mueller While several steps have been taken to simplify the FAFSA, students and parents often still have questions about calculating the value of assets. To help students and parents understand and be prepared to answer the asset questions, here are some things to know: To determine the value of an investment, the student or
Things to know when calculating assets for the 2026-27 FAFSA Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Students completing the FAFSA now have additional information when deciding which college they may want to attend. In a December 8 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced the implementation of a new lower earnings indicator as part of the FAFSA. This indicator—effective December 7, 2025, and only applicable to first-year undergraduate students—provides
Students completing the FAFSA to be notified about colleges with lower earnings Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander FAFSA users who previously encountered an issue when attempting to report their address within the U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, should no longer encounter an issue. In a December 4 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that on December 7 an update to adjust some users’ state and country code information was
By Catherine Mueller Students wanting to better understand financial aid for college can do so by looking at the big picture. To make the financial aid process more manageable, Mapping Your Future has developed a list of the five major steps a student must take to receive financial aid. Granted, each one of the steps involves
Breaking financial aid into five steps 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. In a November 26 Dear Colleague Letter, the Department of Education details the changes in verification for 2026-27 and provides suggested text for schools to use in requesting additional documentation from students.
2026-2027 FAFSA information to be verified and acceptable documentation Read More »
