By Marlene Seeklander What exactly is the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculated by the FAFSA? While the SAI isn’t a new concept – it replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) starting with the 2024-25 FAFSA – it may cause some confusion for students and families. The SAI, based on a range from –1500 to 999999, is […]
Student Aid Index – A deeper dive Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Student loans are an investment in your future. When you apply for financial aid and receive a financial aid offer from the college financial aid office, you may be offered student loans. A student loan is money you borrow and must repay with interest. Student loans can come from a variety of sources:
Understanding student loans Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Creating a StudentAid.gov account or FSA ID shouldn’t be an obstacle for students and contributors when completing the FAFSA. The FSA ID is a “key first step” to completing the FAFSA, and Federal Student Aid (FSA) has made updates over the past few years to make the process easier. Aaron Lemon-Strauss, Executive Director
Upcoming changes to the FSA ID account process Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Despite the government shutdown, students and parents can complete the FAFSA and financial aid will be processed on the regular schedule according to the U.S. Department of Education. The Department announced on October 1 that despite the lapse in appropriations to fund the federal government, there will be minimal impact on students, borrowers,
Students and parents can complete FAFSA during federal shutdown Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Students have been able to complete the 2026-27 FAFSA since September 24, 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 and
Five tips to complete this important FAFSA first step Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life can be rather scary. Choosing a career can raise many “what ifs.” For example: Going to college, deciding on a career, and choosing the right school can be overwhelming. The good news is that if you are thinking about the “what
Getting rid of the “what-ifs” when choosing a career 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
Tips for avoiding scholarship scams Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Two “bugs” in the FAFSA Processing System that resulted in incorrect Pell Grant eligibility data have been resolved. The Department of Education announced that they unintentionally introduced two errors into the FAFSA Processing System that resulted in incorrect Pell Grant eligibility data being shared with institutions and applicants. The issues have since been
Department of Education announces resolution of Federal Pell Grant eligibility issues Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Those financial aid professionals who opt to use the Department of Education’s College Financial Plan template now have a new version for the 2026-27 award year. The Department of Education announced the release of the 2026-27 College Financing Plan (CFP), a consumer tool that colleges can use to notify students about their financial
Department of Education releases 2026-27 College Financing Plan Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander The 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available for all students to complete. The availability of the FAFSA – a week ahead of the official release date of October 1 – is what the Department of Education (ED) said is the earliest launch of the FAFSA in the program’s
Launch of the 2026-27 FAFSA is the earliest in the program’s history Read More »
