By Marlene Seeklander Student loan borrowers may feel overwhelmed right now and it may not just be about the amount of debt. Keeping track of all the latest news and determining whether any of the administrative changes and legal challenges of student loan repayment impact borrowers, could be leaving them and you feeling anxious. Mapping Your […]
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By Marlene Seeklander Financial Aid Administrators have some new workarounds and functionality to address some of the lingering issues related to 2024-25 and 2025-26 FAFSA form processing. An April 14 Electronic Announcement provided updates and guidance for several items, including: Student Records with a Pseudo-SSN First-time FAFSA filers from the Freely Associated States (the Republic of
Updates to 2024-25 and 2025-26 FAFSA form processing Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander The Department of Education is inviting public feedback on several student loan related topics. In a Federal Register Notice dated April 4, 2025, the Department announced its intent to host public hearings and establish negotiated rulemaking committees as well as inviting public feedback on the following topics: Written comments on these and any
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By Marlene Seeklander Borrowers seeking a TPD Discharge can now submit forms and track their progress at StudentAid.gov. In an April 7 Electronic Announcement, Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that the TPD Discharge process has now fully transitioned to FSA as of March 23, 2025 and allows borrowers seeking TPD to submit their TPD forms and
Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Discharge Transition and updates Read More »
By Catherine Mueller Although there have been administrative changes and legal challenges in the federal student loan program in the past several months, the Public Service Loan Program (PSLF) remains a benefit for some borrowers. Borrowers currently enrolled in PSLF should continue making payments to ensure progress toward forgiveness. Some borrowers enrolled in PSLF and also
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By Marlene Seeklander Student loan borrowers wanting to apply for the Income-Drive Repayment Plan or Loan Consolidation can once again do so. A March 26 Press Release from the Department of Education announced that they have reopened the online income-driven (IDR) plan and loan consolidation applications for borrowers. In order to comply with the 8th Circuit
By Marlene Seeklander Schools can begin reviewing their FY 2022 draft cohort default rate information and prepare for making any necessary appeals. The Department of Education announced the distribution of the FY 2022 draft cohort default rate (CDR) packages on February 24 to all eligible domestic and foreign schools. The information, sent to the SAIG mailbox
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By Marlene Seeklander Financial aid offices that haven’t closed out their 2023-24 Direct Loan Program Year will want to make note of an important date. The Department of Education announced that all school data must be received and accepted by the July 31, 2025 closeout deadline in order to be included in the final Ending Cash
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By Marlene Seeklander It’s that time of the year – tax preparation time – and you may receive questions about the reporting of student loan interest payments. In a recent Electronic Announcement, Federal Student Aid (FSA) outlined general information about the reporting of 2024 student loan interest payments. Borrowers who made federal student loan payments in
Reporting of 2024 student loan interest payments by loan servicers Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander All good things must come to an end, including the Fresh Start initiative. The Fresh Start initiative, which was announced in a Dear College Letter dated August 17, 2022, allowed schools to award Title IV aid to a student who would have otherwise been ineligible due to a prior defaulted loan. This applied
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