As Financial Aid Administrators, we are faced each and every day with opportunities to help our students succeed.  In these uncertain economic times, students and their families rely on us even more to guide them through their college career.  The information we provide and the way in which we provide it can make the difference [...]

As we all know, the only constant in financial aid, is that the rules are constantly changing.  With federal aid programs representing the largest source of financial aid at most schools, the government has made strengthening these programs their main priority.  It is vital that these programs remain available to the students that need them.
So, [...]

For those schools new to Direct Loans, reconciliation is a federal requirement and is required of all DL participants.  On a monthly basis, schools must ensure that not only do their internal records match (between the FAO and the Business Office), but that their records match with the Department of Education’s.
So, how can you go [...]

By Jeff Baker, Director Policy Liaison and Implementation, Federal Student Aid
The following letter from U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan was e-mailed to college presidents October 26, 2009
THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION WASHINGTON, DC 20202
As this academic year moves forward, it is hard to believe we already need to consider the 2010-2011 year to come. In [...]

Did you know that the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) changed the requirements for FAFSA preparers? Effective August 14, 2008, only persons who are paid a fee to help the student complete the FAFSA are considered preparers. Those who advise students without charging a fee, such as high school counselors and financial aid administrators, are [...]

Guidance on Federal Veterans’ Education Benefits for Purposes of the Title IV Student Assistance Programs
Author: Jana Hernandes, Service Director, Operations, Federal Student Aid (September 10, 2009)
We are pleased to announce the availability of “A Guide to Creating a Policies and Procedures Manual.” We have developed this guide to assist schools in creating and revising written [...]

Author: David Bergeron, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, and Innovation, Office of Postsecondary Education (August 13, 2009)
On July 1, 2009, President Obama signed H.R. 1777 into law as Public Law 111-39, making technical corrections to the Higher Education Act (HEA). Among other things, H.R. 1777 updated the list of programs that meet the [...]

July 12, 2009
In a January 30, 2009 Electronic Announcement on the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site, we provided customer service contact information for Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans that the Department of Education (the Department) purchases from FFEL loan holders. Through methods commonly referred to as “PUT” by FFEL loan [...]

June 17, 2009
The Department awarded Title IV Student Loan Management/Servicing contracts to AES/PHEAA of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Great Lakes Education Loan Services, Inc. of Madison, Wisconsin; Nelnet, Inc. of Lincoln, Nebraska; and Sallie Mae  Corporation of Reston, Virginia. The award of these contracts provides the Department with the capacity necessary to support anticipated increases in the [...]

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) requires institutions to post a net price calculator (NPC) on their web sites by August 2011. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is required to provide a template for this calculator by August 2009. The HEOA permits institutions to use the net price calculator developed by [...]