College Aid Services

FSA Releases 2026–27 Training Opportunities: Fundamentals Series, Learning Tracks, and New Staff Training

Alex Fuentes — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 20:45:13 +0000

The U.S. Department of Education has announced its 2026–27 Federal Student Aid (FSA) training offerings, providing institutions with updated learning opportunities for the upcoming award year. The announcements include the required FSA Fundamentals Training Series for certain institutions, updated Learning Tracks for financial aid professionals, and the FSA Basic Training for New Staff course. Whether… More »FSA Releases 2026–27 Training Opportunities: Fundamentals Series, Learning Tracks, and New Staff Training

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U.S. Department of Education Holds First-of-its-Kind Higher Education Fraud Summit

Alex Fuentes — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:00:32 +0000

On Tuesday June 8th, the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) held the first-of-its-kind Higher Education Fraud Summit featuring Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division Colin McDonald, and White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud Executive Director Scott Brady. The event drew over 800 participants to… More »U.S. Department of Education Holds First-of-its-Kind Higher Education Fraud Summit

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2026–2027 COD Technical Reference (July 2026 Update)

Alex Fuentes — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:31:13 +0000

FSA has updated the 2026–2027 COD Technical Reference guide to update volumes 1, 2, 6 and 7. The changes are noted in the July 2026 Change Tracking Log. Access the COD Technical Reference Guide here.

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2026-27 FAFSA Verification IRS Tax Return Transcript Matrix

Alex Fuentes — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:44:47 +0000

FSA has released the 2026-27 FAFSA Verification-IRS Tax Return Transcript Matrix that institutions can use for 2026-27 verification of tax return information entered by the applicant on the FAFSA® application. Since the IRS Tax Return Transcript does not have line or item numbers and uses wording that may be different from what is used on the FAFSA… More »2026-27 FAFSA Verification IRS Tax Return Transcript Matrix

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Comment Request: Income Driven Repayment Plan Request for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loan Programs

Alex Fuentes — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:31:35 +0000

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) signed into law on July 4, 2025, made statutory changes to Sections 455(a), 455(d), 455(e), 455(g), and 455(q) that impact borrower eligibility, terms and conditions, and borrowers’ rights and responsibilities for Direct Loans received on or after July 1, 2026. Additionally, previous provisions regulated in 34 CFR 685.209… More »Comment Request: Income Driven Repayment Plan Request for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loan Programs

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Comment Request: William D Ford Federal Direct Loan Program Repayment Plan Selection Form

Alex Fuentes — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 16:44:06 +0000

The Fixed Payment Repayment Plan Request form serves as the means by which Direct Loan borrowers notify the Department of their choice of an initial fixed payment repayment plan as described in 34 CFR 685.208 before their loans enter repayment. The form may also be used by borrowers to request a change to one of these plans… More »Comment Request: William D Ford Federal Direct Loan Program Repayment Plan Selection Form

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Department of Education Reminds Institutions of July 31 Foreign Gift and Contract Reporting Deadline

Alex Fuentes — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 13:46:29 +0000

The U.S. Department of Education has issued a reminder that institutions subject to Section 117 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) must submit any required foreign gift and contract disclosure reports by July 31, 2026. The reporting deadline is established by federal law and applies to reportable activity during the applicable reporting period. Who Must… More »Department of Education Reminds Institutions of July 31 Foreign Gift and Contract Reporting Deadline

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New EDExpress Service Releases Available for 2025–26 and 2026–27

Alex Fuentes — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 21:49:57 +0000

The U.S. Department of Education has released new service updates for EDExpress for Windows 2025–26, Release 2.0 and EDExpress for Windows 2026–27, Release 2.0. The updates focus on correcting enrollment related fields, resolving known software issues, and improving overall system performance for financial aid offices. The new service releases provide several important updates, including: Both… More »New EDExpress Service Releases Available for 2025–26 and 2026–27

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2026–27 Federal Student Aid Handbook – Volumes 3 and 6 Now Available

Alex Fuentes — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 21:43:20 +0000

FSA has announced the availability of Volumes 3 and 6 of the 2026–27 Federal Student Aid Handbook. These volumes discuss the following: Volume 3: Academic Calendars, Cost of Attendance, and Packaging discusses the academic calendar, payment period, and disbursement requirements for awarding aid under the Title IV student financial aid programs, determining a student’s cost of… More »2026–27 Federal Student Aid Handbook – Volumes 3 and 6 Now Available

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TEACH Grant Closeout Information for 2025–26 Award Year

Alex Fuentes — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 21:38:52 +0000

The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant data submission (closeout) deadline for the 2025–26 award year is the last processing day of the award year: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. The Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System must receive and accept all G5 data no later than 8 a.m. Eastern time (ET).… More »TEACH Grant Closeout Information for 2025–26 Award Year

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