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 »
By Marlene Seeklander Schools that have not yet closed out their 2024-25 Direct Loan Program year need to do so by July 31. In a July 21 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that the deadline to submit records for the 2024-25 Direct Loan Program year is 8 p.m. (Eastern) on Thursday, July 31, 2026.
Closeout deadline soon approaching for 2024-25 Direct Loan Program year Read More »
Tip of the Week Beta testing plan announced for 2027-28 FAFSA In preparation for the upcoming launch of the 2027-28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form by October 1, the Department of Education (the Department) has announced its plans for beta testing. In a July 21 Electronic Announcement, the Department released its plan
Tip of the Week – July 22, 2026 Read More »
Tip of the Week New resources for those seeking guidance in implementing Working Families Tax Cuts Act regulations Just when you have the new regulations all figured out, a new situation arises – making you question all you thought you knew. That’s the circumstance for many financial aid professionals who are working hard to implement
Tip of the Week – July 15, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Students in some professional degree programs will find that they are – at least for now – eligible to borrow the higher federal student loan limits, while others will find that their program is no longer on the approved list. A recent June 24 court case preliminarily stayed part of the Department
List of professional degree programs updated due to recent Court Order Read More »
Tip of the Week Tax Transcript Matrix for 2026-27 Verification now available Although the number of FAFSAs selected for verification is down, financial aid professionals will, no doubt, appreciate any tool to assist with verification – particularly tax information. In a July 8 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education released the 2024 IRS Tax Return
Tip of the Week – July 8, 2026 Read More »
Tip of the Week It’s been a fireworks show For many of us, the highlight of July 4th is the fireworks show. It’s always been one of my favorite things, especially seeing the night sky light up with the vibrant colors and patterns produced by the fireworks and hearing the “oohs and aahs” of the
Tip of the Week – July 1, 2026 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander As of July 1, schools can establish lower annual loan limits for specific programs, beginning with the 2026-27 award year. In a June 26 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that the Working Families Tax Cuts Act (the Act) allows schools to set lower annual loan limits for specific programs, provided
Schools can set lower, program specific student loan limits Read More »
Tip of the Week Achieving the dream; the greatness of financial aid A time to celebrate. Just in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary, the NASFAA conference will be in Washington, D.C., next week and celebrating its own 60th anniversary. The conference, of course, is an important time to get the latest information on the
Tip of the Week – June 24, 2026 Read More »
June 19, 2026 By Catherine Mueller Federal student loan borrowers could save some money on their student loans if they enroll in autopay. On June 18, The U.S. Department of Education announced that federal student loan borrowers enrolled in auto pay will be eligible for a 1 percent interest rate reduction beginning July 1. Borrowers who
Federal student loan borrowers to get rate reduction for enrollment in autopay Read More »
