Paying for College

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Planning how to pay for college – topic of podcast program featuring Mapping Your Future

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By Marlene Seeklander With all the changes to federal financial aid, students and parents need a plan to pay for college – now more than ever. Cathy Mueller, executive director of Mapping Your Future, discussed paying for college and other college planning topics recently on the Broadcast Retirement Network’s podcast. Entitled “How to Afford College in

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FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Concept with keywords, letters and icons. Flat vector illustration. Isolated on white background.

2027-28 FAFSA now available for all students and contributors

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By Marlene Seeklander Students and parents can now complete the 2027-28 FAFSA – in advance of the Congressionally mandated release date of October 1. The early release of the FAFSA enables students and families to get a head start on preparing for the 2027-28 academic year. Once the FAFSA is completed, students and parents can focus

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FAFSA Specifications Guides updated

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals can stay current with any changes to the FAFSA form and financial aid processing by reviewing the recent updates to the FAFSA Specifications Guides for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 award years.   The Department of Education recently announced updates to several volumes of the guides. Updates were made to volumes 1,

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Mapping Your Future offers FAFSA Presentation video

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By Marlene Seeklander Students and parents preparing to complete the 2027-28 FAFSA will want to watch the latest video from Mapping Your Future. The “2027-28 Financial Aid Event” presentation is available on the Mapping Your Future YouTube channel. In the 2027-28 FAFSA presentation, Cathy Mueller, Executive Director of Mapping Your Future, presents a high-level overview of

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FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) text on graduation cap and money.

Department of Education releases 2027-28 College Financing Plan

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals who opt to use the Department of Education’s College Financial Plan template now have a new version for the 2027-28 award year. The Department of Education announced the release of the 2027-28 College Financing Plan (CFP), a consumer tool that colleges can use to notify students about their financial aid

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2027-28 FAFSA Preview Presentation now available

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid and college access professionals can now access information and screenshots for the 2027-28 FAFSA to use for planning purposes, communicating changes, and training. A September 3 Electronic Announcement from Federal Student Aid (FSA) includes a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation and PDF file with information and screenshots of the 2027–28 online FAFSA form. The screenshots

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2027-28 FAFSA prototype now available

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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid and college access professionals now have a tool available to familiarize themselves with the 2027-28 FAFSA. The Department of Education announced the availability of the 2027-28 FAFSA prototype, which is an interactive tool that allows users to see and interact with most of the pages of the online 2027-28 FAFSA form. To access

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Wooden cubes with the abbreviation Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA

Preparing for the 2027-28 FAFSA

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By Marlene Seeklander There’s nothing like being prepared to make something a little easier and less stressful, including completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). With the launch of the 2027-28 FAFSA by October 1, 2026, students and families can start doing some prep work in advance. Federal Student Aid encourages students and families

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September checklist for high school seniors

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By Catherine Mueller Most high school seniors anxiously await life after high school. Many are ready to pursue their dreams.   And while that life offers new-found freedoms, those same seniors may experience stress over the responsibilities that come with those freedoms. Your senior year is a time to dream of the future and think about

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Computer keyboard with FAFSA button

Department of Education announces the launch of Beta 2 testing for 2027-28 FAFSA

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By Marlene Seeklander The testing of the 2027-28 FAFSA continues to move forward, allowing some students and families to complete the FAFSA form early. In an August 25 update to a July 21 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced the launch of the second phase of the 2027-28 FAFSA beta testing period. Students and contributors

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