Tip of the Week 25 years ago – Remembering 9/11 Do you remember where you were or what you were doing on September 11, 2001? Many of us very distinctly remember exactly where we were or what we were doing when the news broke on the radio and TV about the first plane crash. Many
Tip of the Week – September 9, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander With approximately nine million student loan borrowers in default, the Department of Education is urging schools to act to help their former students return to repayment. In a September 2 Dear Colleague Letter, Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced two upcoming webinars, which are a part of their initiative to assist schools in
Federal Student Aid offers webinars aimed at reducing student loan defaults Read More »
Tip of the Week Financial aid superheroes Financial aid professionals are superheroes. Granted, they don’t wear fancy superhero outfits or have special powers. Or maybe they do. This time of the year especially, financial aid professionals have always exhibited their “superhero” abilities. As another academic year settles in, a long “To Do” list continues. But
Tip of the Week – September 2, 2026 Read More »
Tip of the Week It’s a matter of trust My flight was delayed, and the chances of getting home in time for some evening plans were getting slimmer by the minute. After checking the flight monitor, I headed back to the waiting area. That’s when I ran into Gracie. Gracie, an airport therapy dog, was
Tip of the Week – August 26, 2026 Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Student loans have gotten a lot of press in the past few years and most of it has not been good. For some students, the headlines and stories are enough to scare them away from taking out any student loans – even it means not pursuing or postponing education beyond high school. And
The good and bad of student loans Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid professionals can sharpen their knowledge about cohort default rates and default prevention and management by participating in a course offered by Federal Student Aid. Federal Student Aid (FSA) recently announced the release of an online, self-paced learning track on cohort default rates (CDRs) and default prevention and management. It is
FSA online training courses highlight Cohort Default Rates and Default Prevention Read More »
Tip of the Week A higher education battle It seemed like all hope was lost. The American army had marched for days in freezing cold – some soldiers without shoes, leaving a trail of blood where they stepped. Many were sick and had not eaten for days. How could an army that was so bedraggled
Tip of the Week – August 19, 2026 Read More »
Tip of the Week What can you withstand? Growing up in the Ozarks and now living in Texas, I’ve had my share of snake encounters. Some of those encounters have been close calls – like opening the front door and if I hadn’t looked down, I would have stepped on top of a copperhead. I
Tip of the Week – August 12, 2026 Read More »
Tip of the Week Future Focus on Financial Aid I was far away from any shore, and the waves were crashing against the fishing boat. Just when I thought the sea was calm, another wave would hit the boat, making it rock violently. My seasickness was made worse by the anxiety over when another wave would
Tip of the Week – August 5, 2026 Read More »
Tip of the Week Federal Student Aid fraud alert from U.S. Department of the Treasury Fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated, particularly when it comes to federal student aid fraud. According to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), colleges are seeing an increase in “ghost students,” stolen identities, synthetic identities, AI-generated documents, and other methods used
Tip of the Week – July 29, 2026 Read More »
