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The past 180 days of articles are displayed below.
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ACT to expand online testing option
June 01, 2023
More students will have the option to take the ACT exam online rather than in person beginning later this year.
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Department of Education updates draft 2024-25 FAFSA Specifications Guide
June 01, 2023
In the first of its promised updates, the Department of Education this week announced changes to its draft of the 2024-25 FAFSA Specifications Guide.
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Early Awareness E-News
June 01, 2023
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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News
June 01, 2023
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Mapping Your Future to offer 2024-25 FAFSA webinars this fall
June 01, 2023
FAFSA Simplification, which will be implemented with the 2024-25 FAFSA, is the first major redesign of the financial aid process in more than 40 years.
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Save key to be removed for 2024-25 FAFSA
June 01, 2023
Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA, students will no longer be asked to create a save key.
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Department of Education reminds institutions about assignment of defaulted Perkins Loans
May 31, 2023
Some Perkins Loans may appear to be gone due to default, but those loans shouldn't be forgotten.
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June tasks for high school seniors
May 31, 2023
Congratulations on your graduation from high school!
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Practice budgeting skills with summer job earnings
May 31, 2023
A summer job offers many benefits for students in addition to the money earned.
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Schools reporting work-study wages encouraged to test system
May 31, 2023
Consider it a sort of dress rehearsal for the sending of data.
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Scorecard helps students find best college fit
May 31, 2023
Students trying to decide which college to attend may find some help with the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
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Tip of the Week
May 31, 2023
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Updating the 2023-24 interest rates
May 31, 2023
The cost of borrowing student loans is getting more expensive.
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Tip of the Week
May 24, 2023
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StudentAid.gov enhancements to help students, parents, borrowers
May 19, 2023
Students and parents may notice some improvements this spring to the Department of Education's StudentAid.gov website.
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Department encourages use of work-study funds to pay for tutoring and mentoring programs
May 18, 2023
To help overcome pandemic learning loss, the Department of Education is encouraging postsecondary institutions to use work-study funds for programs to provide tutoring, mentoring, and other support to school-aged students.
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Department of Education proposes new gainful employment regulations
May 18, 2023
Postsecondary institutions offering non-degree programs and all programs at for-profit institutions will face some higher standards in the future under proposed regulations.
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Department of Education updates third-party servicer guidance
May 18, 2023
It looks like it is back to the drawing board for third-party servicer guidance.
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Higher interest rates set for loans borrowed during 2023-24 academic year
May 18, 2023
Borrowing student loans will get more costly with the new interest rates set for the 2023-24 academic year.
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Keeping track of scholarship requirements
May 18, 2023
Congratulations to the class of 2023 on a job well done!
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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News
May 18, 2023
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Reminder about Memorial Day holiday closings
May 18, 2023
The Department of Education is among the federal offices closed for the Memorial Day federal holiday on Monday, May 29.
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StudentAid.gov enhancements to help students, parents, and borrowers
May 18, 2023
Students and parents may notice some improvements this spring to the Department of Education's StudentAid.gov website.
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Tip of the Week
May 17, 2023
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2024-25 FAFSA to present new "consent" process to determine financial aid eligibility
May 16, 2023
It will be a necessary step in applying for federal financial aid.
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Tip of the Week
May 10, 2023
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Department of Education publishes draft 2024-25 Draft FAFSA Specifications Guide
May 04, 2023
You might call it a work in progress.
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Making sure the Department of Education has the right address
May 04, 2023
It's time to check the Department of Education's address book to make sure your institution's information is up to date.
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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News
May 04, 2023
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Seeds of hope
May 04, 2023
I couldn't do it if I didn't have hope.
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New location for Federal Student Aid conference
May 03, 2023
The Federal Student Aid conference is moving to a new location – albeit still virtual.
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Tip of the Week
May 03, 2023
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Changes to cost of attendance rules for 2023-24
May 01, 2023
The cost of college is a worry for most parents and students – partly because they know tuition and fees are not the only costs associated with attending postsecondary education.
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Early Awareness E-News
May 01, 2023
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Five facts everyone should know about parent student loans
May 01, 2023
Saving for college can be tough.
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Knowing what to pack for college
May 01, 2023
If you plan to live in a dorm for the fall semester, you can start preparing now by knowing what you plan to take with you.
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May tasks for high school seniors
May 01, 2023
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IRS Data Retrieval Outage planned for May
April 30, 2023
Sunday afternoons can be a good time for students to complete the FAFSA - that is, except for May 7.
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Tip of the Week
April 26, 2023
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Contact information for Mapping Your Future
April 20, 2023
The Mapping Your Future staff are available to assist schools, students, and Sponsors with the variety of tools and services Mapping Your Future offers.
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Department schedules webinars to prepare professionals for FAFSA Simplification
April 20, 2023
If the number of webinars planned by the Department of Education is any indication, there's a lot to learn about FAFSA Simplification.
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Guidance issued for unaccompanied homeless youth for determination under FAFSA Simplification
April 20, 2023
In advance of changes to take effect on July 1, new guidance has been issued clarifying the roles and responsibilities in determining the dependency status for unaccompanied homeless youth.
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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News
April 20, 2023
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More than skills and knowledge required for financial aid profession
April 20, 2023
Are you worried about losing your job to artificial intelligence?
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Second Chance Pell Experiment Schools invited to participate in revised experiment
April 20, 2023
It is an exclusive invitation of sorts.
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The bottom line on financial aid offers
April 20, 2023
Choosing a college is an important financial decision.
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Tip of the Week
April 19, 2023
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Tip of the Week
April 12, 2023
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Guidance issued on Pell eligibility for confined or incarcerated individuals
April 06, 2023
Postsecondary institutions interested in developing programs for confined or incarcerated individuals recently received some new guidance from the Department of Education.
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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News
April 06, 2023
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Tip of the Week
April 05, 2023
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10 changes planned for the 2024-25 FAFSA
April 04, 2023
Students and parents applying for financial aid for the 2024-25 academic year will have a new FAFSA form to complete, thanks to changes mandated by Congress.
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Guidance issued to schools to help students with the end of the public health emergency
April 04, 2023
In an April 3 Electronic Announcement, the Department said it recognizes that the end of the public health emergency will impact both institutions and students.
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2023-24 FAFSA renewal campaign launched
April 03, 2023
With everything going on, it's easy to understand how college students may forget or may not realize they need to file a renewal FAFSA.
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Early Awareness E-News
April 03, 2023
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Special Twitter event to assist with understanding financial aid offers
April 03, 2023
Students and parents with questions about college financial aid offers can get the help they need during a special Twitter event hosted by the U.S. Department of Education.
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April tasks for high school seniors
April 01, 2023
As your senior year winds down, don't let yourself become distracted by solely focusing on celebrating graduation - stay focused and finish your high school career strong.
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Mapping Your Future offers a variety of financial literacy tools
April 01, 2023
Current economic conditions, including concerns over inflation, underscore the need for good financial management skills.
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Department of Education updates guides
March 31, 2023
The Department of Education recently updated several guides to reflect changes that will be implemented on April 2 to their application processing system.
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Tip of the Week
March 29, 2023
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Department of Education prepares for the 2023-24 award year
March 23, 2023
To prepare for the 2023-24 award year, the Department of Education is planning a brief outage of the COD System in early April.
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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News
March 23, 2023
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Steps to evaluate a financial aid offer
March 23, 2023
Once a student has been admitted to a college, the question that often follows for both the student and the parents is how will we pay for it?
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Successful students do this one thing
March 23, 2023
Successful students often do a lot of the right things to accomplish their educational goals but there’s one thing they all do.
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The Department of Education announces public hearings on Higher Education Rulemaking
March 23, 2023
If there's a higher education issue that's been bothering you and could be addressed through improved regulations, now is your opportunity to speak your mind.
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New FAFSA set for December 2023 release
March 22, 2023
Good things come to those who wait.
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Tip of the Week
March 22, 2023
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Tip of the Week
March 15, 2023
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Department releases new schema for reporting campus-based program data
March 09, 2023
Among the many changes brought on by FAFSA Simplification is the implementation of new method of reporting campus-based program data.
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Getting ready for new Pell amounts
March 09, 2023
Several things have to happen for students to receive the correct Pell Grant amount.
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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News
March 09, 2023
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Updates planned for FSA Partner Connect website
March 09, 2023
To make the website a one-stop place for everything about administering federal financial aid, the Department of Education will be making a couple of changes this month to the FSA Partner Connect website.
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Nobody's perfect
March 08, 2023
I've made my share of mistakes.
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Tip of the Week
March 08, 2023
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Early Awareness E-News
March 01, 2023
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FAFSA completion ‐ A big step followed by some smaller steps
March 01, 2023
Completing the FAFSA is a big accomplishment.
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Mapping Your Future offers free career planning information, resources
March 01, 2023
Career planning happens year-round but special attention was paid in February, which was Career and Technical Education month.
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Tip of the Week
March 01, 2023
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Tips for encouraging your students to complete the FAFSA
March 01, 2023
The number of students applying for financial aid this year is up with a 5.8 percent increase nationally when compared to the same period last year.
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March tasks for high school seniors
February 28, 2023
As your senior year gets closer to winding down, make sure to complete the necessary admission applications, scholarship essays, and financial aid information.
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Resources for encouraging students to apply for financial aid
February 28, 2023
March is a good month to make sure that students are doing all they can to apply for financial aid.
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Why your college may ask for a tax transcript and how to get one
February 28, 2023
Just when you think you have completed all the financial aid applications, your college financial aid office notifies you they need an IRS tax transcript.
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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News
February 23, 2023
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Helping students earn degrees and credentials for future careers
February 22, 2023
Helping students thrive in future careers is the goal of a new Department of Education initiative.
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Listening sessions scheduled on incentive compensation prohibition
February 22, 2023
Anyone interested in having their say about the incentive compensation prohibition impacting postsecondary institutions will have the opportunity to share their thoughts during listening sessions.
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Resources to help institutions with cybersecurity response plans
February 22, 2023
To help institutions with data security efforts, the Department of Education has provided new guides for developing Incident Response Plans and for sanitizing media.
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Tip of the Week
February 22, 2023
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Making informed career decisions
February 20, 2023
A career decision is both emotional and practical.
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Tip of the Week
February 15, 2023
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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News
February 09, 2023
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New rules for institutions to safeguard consumer personal information
February 09, 2023
Postsecondary institutions will need to comply with some new rules going into effect this summer to protect the privacy and personal information of consumers.
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Federal Student Aid Conference will be a virtual event again in 2023
February 08, 2023
Hoping to reach a large audience of financial aid professionals, the Department of Education is planning another virtual event for the 2023 Federal Student Aid Conference.
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Tip of the Week
February 08, 2023
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2023-24 Verification worksheets released
February 07, 2023
Mapping Your Future recently released the 2023-24 verification worksheets provided to assist Member schools and schools in Sponsored states in collecting information they need from students to complete the verification process.
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A strategy for choosing the right college for you
February 01, 2023
It's nice to have a choice.
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Celebrating National School Counseling Week February 6-10
February 01, 2023
A week-long celebration of school counseling is much deserved but almost too short.
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Early Awareness E-News
February 01, 2023
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February tasks for high school seniors
February 01, 2023
It's just a few, busy months away from graduation for high school seniors.
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Four components of a good college financial plan
February 01, 2023
It is understandable – that overwhelmed feeling you get when thinking about how to pay for college.
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Important questions to ask yourself before applying for a scholarship
February 01, 2023
Students should apply for as many scholarships as possible.
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No greater love
February 01, 2023
It was an act of sacrifice and service so great we should never forget.
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Tip of the Week
February 01, 2023
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The real reason admission and scholarship essays are so hard to write
January 31, 2023
It’s not that you don’t want to write the essay.
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Applications open for the 2023 Voyager scholarships
January 26, 2023
Students interested in public service are encouraged to apply for the Voyager Scholarship.
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Dates to look forward to (or at least prepare for)
January 26, 2023
Institutions participating in campus-based financial aid programs can now mark their calendars with the 2023-24 award year deadline dates.
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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News
January 26, 2023
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Strategies for making the most of scholarship applications webinar recording available
January 26, 2023
The Strategies for making the most of scholarship applications webinar addressed tips and techniques for applying for scholarships.
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Tax Return Transcript ready for 2023-24 verification season
January 26, 2023
The key to deciphering an IRS Tax Return Transcript is now available.
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Updated verification worksheets under development
January 26, 2023
Mapping Your Future staff are working on the 2023-24 verification worksheets and the worksheets should be available in the next week.
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Waiver of funding requirements for campus-based programs available for some institutions
January 26, 2023
Students may have a little more access to some federal financial aid programs under a program that waives the institutional funding requirements.
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Tip of the Week
January 25, 2023
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Tip of the Week
January 18, 2023
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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News
January 12, 2023
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Comments sought on proposal to amend rules governing income-contingent repayment plans
January 11, 2023
The public now has a chance to comment the Department of Education's proposed changes to income-contingent repayment plans.
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Department of Education clarifies Federal Work Study Program rules on tutoring jobs
January 11, 2023
Although the Federal Work Study Program requires institutions to meet specific community service requirements, college officials may have been hesitant to allow students to take tutoring or mentoring jobs at elementary or secondary schools.
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Reminder about Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday closings
January 11, 2023
The Department of Education is among the federal offices closed for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday, January 16.
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The year of living financial aid
January 11, 2023
Not saying you should forget everything you know about financial aid, but some big changes are coming.
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Tip of the Week
January 11, 2023
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A checklist of applications to complete for a college education
January 04, 2023
By the first day of college classes, a student has completed a lot of paperwork to begin their educational journey.
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Data Retrieval Tool planned outage this weekend, impacting FAFSA completion and IDR Plan Requests
January 04, 2023
Students and parents who have a new year's resolution to complete the FAFSA may want to just sleep in on the morning of Saturday, January 7.
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Early Awareness E-News
January 04, 2023
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Simple steps to update your FSA ID
January 04, 2023
Your FSA ID is your key to your federal student aid account, and therefore it's important that you keep information associated with your account up to date.
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Tip of the Week
January 04, 2023
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How do I start applying for financial aid?
January 03, 2023
If you are a high school senior or the parent of a senior, the next few months are important for applying for financial aid, such as scholarships, grants, and loans.
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New FAFSA to debut in late 2023
January 03, 2023
Students and parents applying for financial aid in the fall of 2023 will experience a totally new FAFSA.
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January tasks for high school seniors
December 31, 2022
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Tip of the Week
December 21, 2022
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Mapping Your Future Higher Ed News
December 15, 2022
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Mapping Your Future review of top articles for 2022
December 15, 2022
Mapping Your Future strives to provide a variety of articles to benefit students, parents, high school counselors and educators, and financial aid professionals.
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New training opportunities for financial aid professionals
December 15, 2022
In a preview of coming attractions, the Department of Education has announced a new Wednesday Webinar series for early in 2023.
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Reminder about student aid website two-step verification
December 15, 2022
Students and parents, who completed the FAFSA or set up an account this fall at StudentAid.gov already know about the two-step verification now required.
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Strategies for making the most of scholarship applications webinar scheduled for students, parents
December 15, 2022
Register today for the January 24 or 26 webinar.
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Tip of the Week
December 14, 2022
Understanding taxes webinar available
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Tip of the Week
December 07, 2022
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Understanding taxes webinar recording available
December 07, 2022
Financial aid is in the midst of some of the most dramatic changes in the industry in decades.