College Aid Services

MARCH 21, 2025

Updated March 21st The Department of Education continues to update the “Technical Frequently Asked Questions and Known Issues” to address issues for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 FAFSA applications. According to the FAQ, there are currently 3 open issues and 3 that have been resolved.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Federal Student Aid has updated the 202425 FAFSA Specifications Guide. The volumes contained in this guide contain FAFSA Processing System (FPS) technical and processing information for the 202425 award year. Update on Feb. 21, 2025: We updated Volume 5 Edits and Rejects and Volume 7 Comment Codes.

FAFSA

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Student debt issues loom, and problems due to the rollout of the 2024-25 FAFSA linger. That over compliance as a residual effect of whats happening in Texas, Tennessee and Florida, is also happening in California. What they did this year was actually simplify the FAFSA they just messed up the rollout and the administration of it.

Mental health

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.

Title IV

College Aid Services

NOVEMBER 8, 2024

The federal government published a comprehensive guide to how Title IV institutions state grant agencies, and contractors can utilize personally identifiable information that they receive from the FAFSA Application. of Education Issues Guidance on Handling FAFSA Data When Administering Student Aid The post Dept.

Title IV

College Aid Services

APRIL 25, 2025

This update is crucial for schools administering Federal Pell Grants to ensure compliance with Title IV regulations. On April 24, 2025, FSA released an important update regarding 202425 Verification Reporting and the handling of Verification Status Code W (GRANTS-25-02).

Title IV

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). 27 The post Beta Testing Phase Ends for FAFSA Batch Correction, Processing Begins Feb. 27 first appeared on College Aid Services.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

DECEMBER 12, 2024

8932, also known as the FAFSA Deadline Act, is federal law now that it has the President’s signature. The bill received overwhelming bipartisan support with a 381-1 vote in the House of Representatives on November 15 and then passed unanimously in the Senate one week later.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

In accordance with President Trump’s executive order, question 11 on the FAFSA form was updated to only offer “male” and “female” options for applicants to select.

Compliance

College Aid Services

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Federal Student Aid (FSA) has released updated guidelines for how the FAFSA should be processed for underaged applicants who wish to apply for financial aid.

Application

College Aid Services

AUGUST 26, 2024

Federal Student Aid has released the first four volumes of the 2025-26 FAFSA Specifications Guide. The volumes contained in this guide contain FAFSA Processing System (FPS) technical information for the 2025-26 award year and are only available as PDF documents at this time.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

OCTOBER 8, 2024

Federal Student Aid has added Volume 7 – Comment Codes to the 2025-26 FAFSA Specifications Guide.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

JANUARY 9, 2024

The English and Spanish FAFSA Submission Summary are now available online as a training resource for financial aid professionals. To access the documents, click the PDF links at the bottom of the FSA press release below.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

JUNE 18, 2024

FSA has released an electronic announcement to clarify how issues discovered during the 2024-25 FAFSA rollout would be treated in terms of conflicting information and the appropriate steps that Financial Aid offices should take.

FAFSA

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.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

FEBRUARY 20, 2024

Federal Student Aid has updated the draft 2024–25 FAFSA Specifications Guide. The volumes contained in this guide contain FAFSA Processing System (FPS) technical and processing information for the 2024–25 award year. What changed?

FAFSA

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.

FAFSA

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).

FAFSA

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.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

FEBRUARY 27, 2024

As part of their ongoing Better FAFSA support strategy, the federal government has outlined what institutions can expect over the next several days in terms of implementation support.

FAFSA

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 (..)

FAFSA

College Aid Services

JULY 25, 2023

POSTED DATE: July 21, 2023 AUTHOR: Federal Student Aid ELECTRONIC… More » Guidance on reporting Federal Work-Study (FWS) earnings to comply with the FAFSA Simplification Act requirement The post Guidance on reporting Federal Work-Study (FWS) earnings to comply with the FAFSA Simplification Act requirement first appeared on College Aid Services. (..)

FAFSA

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. Education Department (ED), these changes will help students by enabling a better and simpler FAFSA experience. According to the U.S.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

OCTOBER 16, 2024

Federal Student Aid has released volumes of the 2025-26 FAFSA Specifications Guide. The volumes contained in this guide contain FAFSA Processing System (FPS) technical information for the 2025-26 award year and are only available as PDF documents at this time. Update on October 16, 2024: FSA has published Volume 8 – Agency Matches.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

OCTOBER 9, 2024

Federal Student Aid has released volumes of the 2025-26 FAFSA Specifications Guide. The volumes contained in this guide contain FAFSA Processing System (FPS) technical information for the 2025-26 award year and are only available as PDF documents at this time. Update on October 8, 2024: FSA has published Volume 1 – Summary of Changes.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

AUGUST 2, 2024

Below is an overview of the Department’s guidance for financial aid offices to address this… More » Resolving Conflicting Information on the 2024-25 FAFSA (August 2024 Update) The post Resolving Conflicting Information on the 2024-25 FAFSA (August 2024 Update) first appeared on College Aid Services.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

JULY 25, 2024

Federal Student Aid has updated the 2024–25 FAFSA Specifications Guide. The volumes contained in this guide contain FAFSA Processing System (FPS) technical and processing information for the 2024–25 award year. What changed?

FAFSA

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.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

FEBRUARY 27, 2024

Today, the Department of Education reiterated their commitment to supporting institutions as they transition to the 24-25 FAFSA and address various issues along the way.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

JUNE 18, 2024

FSA has released an electronic announcement to clarify how issues discovered during the 2024-25 FAFSA rollout would be treated in terms of conflicting information and the appropriate steps that Financial Aid offices should take.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

This announcement provides much needed relief to Financial Aid offices across the country who are already struggling with issues surrounding the the 2024-25 FAFSA. Today, the Department of Education announced that the deadline for Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment Reporting is being extended to January 15, 2025.

Financial aid officer

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.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

MARCH 4, 2024

Federal Student Aid has published several important changes regarding the 2024-2025 FAFSA. What changed? FSA has replaced the SAI formula that it released on February 27th with its previous iteration due to the passage of the Extension of Continuing Appropriations and Other Matters Act, 2024.

FAFSA

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.

Title IV

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.

FAFSA

College Aid Services

JULY 30, 2024

The Department of Education has provided updated guidance on the use of FAFSA data for identifying students who may be eligible for means-tested benefits. Initially designated under Section 483(a)(3)(E) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, this provision allowed institutions to utilize FAFSA data for outreach purposes.

Grant

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.

Title IV