Financial aid professionals will soon have a new portal available to respond to Borrower Defense repayment applications.
In a September 10 Dear Colleague Letter, the Department of Education (the Department) announced that starting in October 2026, schools will use FSA Partner Connect to access the new Borrower Defense Portal to respond to notifications from FSA regarding borrower defense to repayment applications filed by their former or current student borrowers.
The new Borrower Defense portal will be used to review cases, understand applicable regulation years, and upload evidence.
The Department will update FSA Partner Connect to offer:
- a new summary page for borrower defense cases
- robust search and filter tools
- improved functionality to review case details
- a modernized approach to manage evidence
A live, instructor-led webinar and self-paced training materials will be available to help understand the new functionality of the Borrower Defense Portal.
WEBINARS
Two webinars will be offered – one for school administrators and one for third-party servicer and district service organizations.
Borrower Defense for School Administrators
- Wednesday, September 23, 1:00–2:30 p.m. (Eastern)
- Borrower Defense for School Administrators Webinar
Borrower Defense for Third-Party Servicer and District Servicer Organization Administrators
- Thursday, September 24, 1:00–2:30 p.m. (Eastern)
- Borrower Defense for Third-Party Servicer and District Servicer Organization Administrators Webinar
No registration is required for the live webinars as participation is first-come, first-served, with accommodation for up to 10,000 attendees.
ADDITIONAL TRAINING RESOURCES
The Department will also provide self-paced training materials, including a job aid, to allow professionals to go through the new process step-by-step, we well as a webinar recording.
Once the additional resources are available, they can be accessed by logging in to the FSA Training Center, selecting “Systems Training,” choosing “FSA Partner Connect” and then selecting the “Partner” icon in the middle of the page.
Technical questions about FSA Partner Connect can be sent by completing the Customer Support form in the FSA Partner Connect Help Center or contacting the FSA Partner and School Relations Center at 1-800-848-0978.
Questions about a specific borrower defense to repayment application should be directed to the Borrower Defense Customer Support at 1-855-279-6207.
Information for borrowers is available at StudentAid.gov/borrower-defense.
