College Aid Services

JANUARY 9, 2024

The Department of Education has made the 24-25 Application and Verification Guide as well as the 23-24 FSA Assessments resource available online. To obtain a digital copy of both documents, read the instructions below.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

JULY 23, 2024

Figure 1 illustrates how these questions might be posed in federal data collections like sample surveys, the Census, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Full compliance across all data collections and publications is required by March 2029. The bold text indicates the minimum reporting categories.

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College Aid Services

DECEMBER 10, 2024

The Department of Education announced on December 6th that it would implement additional changes to the identity verification process for FAFSA applicants and contributors without a Social Security Number (SSN) to streamline the process for impacted users.

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School & Student Services by Community Brands

MARCH 11, 2025

Application deadlines to encourage timely submissions. Hold Open Financial Aid Workshops for Families Many families, especially first-time applicants, find financial aid applications confusing or intimidating. Ensure compliance with state regulations regarding financial assistance.

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Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

In 2020, the California State Auditor’s office reported that the University of California was not in compliance with NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA, stating that the university system had “inadequate policies and oversight” and lacked tribal representation on campus and systemwide committees, leading to “inconsistent practices” for repatriation.

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School & Student Services by Community Brands

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

Yield rate of financial aid applicants Determines how many admitted students accept offers based on aid availability. Additionally, schools can analyze trends in financial aid applications to anticipate future demand and ensure they are adequately prepared. Are application forms too complex? Is communication clear and timely?

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College Aid Services

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

FSA announced that it will resume flagging FAFSA applicants for potentially fraudulent activity on both the the 2024-25 and 2025-26 forms, which will require that schools complete V4 or V5 verification prior to disbursing any Title IV aid.

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College Aid Services

OCTOBER 1, 2024

This guidance includes details what schools must do prior to submitting their applications, procedures if there are multiple program locations, and how to respond if offices cannot… More » Revised Application Process for Prison Education Programs Now Available The post Revised Application Process for Prison Education Programs Now Available first (..)

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College Aid Services

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

The Department of Education released important details about the application process for institutions wishing to participate in the Work Colleges Program under the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program for the 2025-26 award year.

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College Aid Services

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

The Department of Education released important details about the application process for institutions wishing to participate in the Work Colleges Program under the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program for the 2025-26 award year.

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College Aid Services

MARCH 7, 2025

The Department of Education’s latest federal register outlines the eligibility requirements, application process, and waiver request procedures for institutions applying for funding under the Higher Education Act.

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College Aid Services

JANUARY 31, 2025

The Department of Education has released the 2025-26 Federal Pell Grant maximum award of $7,395, with the minimum set at $740 in the Dear Colleague Letter below.

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College Aid Services

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

The Department of Education has released an updated timeline for launching batch institutional corrections for the 2024-25 and 2025 -26 FAFSA applications through the Electronic Data Exchange (EDE). Below are the most important details from the announcement. 27 first appeared on College Aid Services.

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School & Student Services by Community Brands

OCTOBER 15, 2024

Ensuring that these systems are secure is not just about compliance—it’s about safeguarding the trust and well-being of the school community. Private K-12 schools can take proactive steps to secure their financial aid processes, not just for regulatory compliance but to protect their community from the risks associated with data theft.

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College Aid Services

AUGUST 9, 2024

FSA acknowledged that this would cause significant delays for the small population of applicants who do not pass the initial identity verification… More » DHS Implements Temporary Fix to Address FAFSA Verification Backlog The post DHS Implements Temporary Fix to Address FAFSA Verification Backlog first appeared on College Aid Services.

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College Aid Services

AUGUST 1, 2024

The Fiscal Operations Report for 2023-24 and Application to Participate for 2025-26 (FISAP) was approved by the federal government earlier this year and the deadline to submit is Tuesday, October 1st at 11:59 p.m. ET; corrections to the report will be on December 13, 2024.

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College Aid Services

JULY 22, 2024

The latest electronic announcement outlines 2024-25 federal guidelines to determine when a FAFSA applicant qualifies for independent status as a unaccompanied youth who is homeless, self-supporting, or at risk of being homeless.

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College Aid Services

JULY 11, 2024

Noncitizens are eligible for federal aid through the FAFSA application if they fall within specific classifications—such as permanent resident, conditional entrant, or refugee, etc.—and and provide a valid Alien Registration number that is verified by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

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College Aid Services

JULY 25, 2024

Federal Student Aid has published two volumes the 2024-2025 Federal Student Aid Handbook and updated the Application Verification Guide. What has changed: Volume 8: The Direct Loan Program – This volume discusses the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (Direct Loan Program) and describes how the U.S.

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College Aid Services

JANUARY 9, 2024

FSA is conducting another set of webinars designed to answer your most pressing questions about the new FAFSA application.

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College Aid Services

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

The letter contains a detailed overview of the guidelines, recent changes to application process, and where administrators can find additional resources if they have questions or concerns.

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College Aid Services

JANUARY 25, 2023

Posted: January 25, 2023 Author: Federal Student Aid Subject: 2023-2024 FAFSA Verification-Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tax Return Transcript Matrix Attached to this Electronic Announcement is the 2023-2024 FAFSA Verification-IRS Tax Return Transcript Matrix that institutions can use for 2023-2024 verification of IRS tax return information included (..)

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College Planners of America

MAY 13, 2023

The 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) integrates major changes in the way students will apply for Federal student aid. According to the U.S. Education Department (ED), these changes will help students by enabling a better and simpler FAFSA experience.

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EAB

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

As Liam Knox of Inside Higher Ed put it , the ruling was “a vague and at times self-contradictory piece of jurisprudence that continues to frustrate colleges keen to maintain diversity without falling out of compliance.” universities may not simply establish through application essays or other means the regime we hold unlawful today.”

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School & Student Services by Community Brands

AUGUST 11, 2022

Summer is here, which means financial aid season is just around the corner, and many of you will be opening digital piles of applications in September. We compiled a checklist of three tasks you can knock out before opening those applications. What percentage of approved applicants ended up enrolling?

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EAB

MAY 30, 2023

Data from EAB student surveys and partner institutions have shown a steady increase in the average number of applications per student from just over six to seven across the pandemic. For enrollment leaders, this means that students’ attention is increasingly divided. New Research into College Enrollment Declines. Ready to find out more?

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College Aid Services

JULY 26, 2024

The 2024-25 Federal School Code (FSC) List of Participating Schools is now available as an online document and an integrated search function for applicants navigating the fafsa.gov website.

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College Aid Services

AUGUST 2, 2024

Update 8/1/24: Following its July 24th update, Federal Student Aid has clarified its guidance on resolving conflicting information for applicants or contributors that have FTI data and manually indicated that they did not file a U.S. tax return for 2022.

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EAB

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

Applications were pouring in, but by the time classes began, nearly half of the prospective students had vanished. Applicant-to-enrollee conversion rates increased 17% between Spring 2019 and Spring 2021 , ensuring more students were successfully integrated into the college community. Enrollment saw a 16% increase.

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EAB

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Unifying your data management, governance, and reporting strategies will not only reduce the stress on your staff, but it will also give you access to the information you need to make data-informed decisions and streamline tedious but critical workflows like compliance reporting.

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College Aid Services

APRIL 12, 2024

FSA outlines when verification status codes (“W,” “V,” or “S”) are applicable. The electronic announcement below provides important reminders about how institutions should process students who are selected for verification. Read the full announcement below.

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College Aid Services

APRIL 4, 2024

Please be aware that these online trainings are designated for institutions whose recertification applications are due… More » Upcoming Webinars Offer Title IV Recertification Training to Eligible Institutions The post Upcoming Webinars Offer Title IV Recertification Training to Eligible Institutions first appeared on College Aid Services.

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College Aid Services

DECEMBER 13, 2024

Financial Aid Offices can now utilize the Application Receipt Date on the 2024-25 paper FAFSA forms to determine a student’s eligibility for late disbursements using a copy of the original paper FAFSA, mailing receipts if there discrepancies.

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College Aid Services

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

In a recent publication, Federal Student Aid released key deadlines for Title IV institutions must submit reports for the 2024-25 academic year.

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College Aid Services

JULY 31, 2024

Federal Student Aid revealed yesterday that batch institutional corrections will be delayed until the 2025-26 because schools would not have access until after the fall semester begins and to prioritize a success rollout of next year’s FAFSA application.

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College Aid Services

JULY 31, 2024

The Department of Education announced it will maintain its temporary policies for applications without a SSN to access the 2024-25 FAFSA form until it can resolve the underlying issues with secondary identity verifications.

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College Aid Services

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

The letter contains a detailed overview of the guidelines, recent changes to application process, and where administrators can find additional resources if they have questions or concerns.

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