Financial Aid Industry News

On January 26, 2023, the Department of Education released the 2023-2024 Federal Pell Grant Payment and Disbursement Schedules. Each year, HEAG monitors the Pell Grant changes closely to share the news with our client base. On December 29, 2022, the President s …

We learned recently that two federal loan servicers, FedLoan Servicing and Granite State Management & Resources, would not renew their contracts with the Department of Education (ED). FedLoan Servicing has been the administrator of the Public Service Loan …

Can you believe it?  For many of you, the fall start is just beginning and before you realize the census date passed you by, the 2020-21 FAFSA year will be open for business. The new award year will bring some major changes to the line items of locating tax in …

  Although it was created more than 10 years ago as part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is still a mystery to many college administrators. So, it is no surprise that borrowers don’t quite …

On February 25th, 2019, the U.S. Department of Education released each institution’s draft FY2016 Cohort Default Rate, which will become the official rate unless incorrect data is challenged through the incorrect data challenges (IDC) process …

Let’s face it, sometimes our campus colleagues don’t fully understand the work we do in the Financial Aid Office.  We know how important administering millions of dollars of financial aid is to our institution’s enrollment goals, and how counseling students on …

Students attending one of Massachusetts’ fifteen community colleges may now receive state grant funds they wouldn’t have been previously eligible for. This year, Governor Charlie Baker’s administration made an additional $7.5M available to expand MASSGrant and …

Some college students get extremely close to graduation day and when that happy moment of walking across the stage to receive their diploma should be around the corner they run into a snag. They learn they have to pay their tuition balance to zero in order to …

The CFPB is losing a division that oversaw student loan servicers, debt collectors and predatory lenders for former and current college students. The Office of Students and Young Consumers is being folded into a broad “financial education” sector within the de …

Have we reached peak student loan borrowing at U.S. community colleges? Borrowing trends are reversing as many states have spent more on students by making community college tuition less expensive, sometimes even free. HEAG has covered the topic in the past wh …

IFAP News – Posted June 18, 2018 Today, in the Federal Register, the Department announced it will allow additional time, until July 1, 2019, for institutions to comply with the requirements of the Gainful Employment (GE) regulations in 34 CFR 668.412 (d) and ( …

The HEAG Spring/Summer Newsletter is now available. In this issue: Meet HEAG’s New Executive Director – Joanne Dashiell Good News Regarding Student Loans for Those Attending Community College The Life of a Financial Aid Consultant Consumer Financial Protection …

Student Loan Borrowers in PSLF – take notice   A few months ago, we wrote an article about the potential demise of the federal student loan benefit program called Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).  We are here to share that as of the March budget si …

Analysis of UMass Tuition & Student Debt   The statistics continue to get worse for college students, no matter where they end up studying.  According to a recent Boston Globe article, specifically for Massachusetts residents attending 4-year public c …

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the primary advocacy group for America’s community college system, has headed warnings for its member schools regarding the latest PROSPER Act which is being proposed in Congress and has asked for their he …

While we have been writing about and following the Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization for quite some time, the battle has moved to the social media arena. Led by NASFAA along with some of the regional financial aid professional organizations, those wor …

The Federal Register notice released on March 28th, 2018, begins to outline the 2019-20 verification guidelines for higher education financial aid administrators with very few surprises or changes.  Prior-prior income is here to stay and will be requested from …

As of the first week of March 2018, the Senate’s Health, Education & Labor Committee has held eight hearings to help move along the Higher Education Act’s (HEA) reauthorization.  We are still a bit of time away from a potential bill but progress has been s …

Revision as of April 10, 2018 from the new Dear Colleague Letter:   On March 23, 2018, the President signed Public Law 115-141, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018.  Under this appropriation, the maximum Pell Grant award will increase to $6,095 for …

The Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform Act (PROSPER Act) It could be a very big year for the higher education sector, as Congress sets to act on a complete overhaul of the Higher Education Act (HEA) and has already put …

In case you missed it, here are some of our most popular blog posts from 2017 for college and university financial aid offices. HEAG’s financial aid consultants often write on issues related to Title IV compliance, verification, file review and processing supp …

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) has been a controversial program ever since it was introduced in 2007.  Here is a summary for college financial aid offices. Is this potentially the end of the program? PSLF promises student borrowers who have made ten ye …

On December 20th, the Department of Education announced sweeping changes to the student loan discharge process known officially as “Borrower Defense to Repayment”. Here is a summary for college financial aid offices. Department of Education Reforms Student Loa …

    On December 22nd, President Trump signed into law one of the largest tax reforms in U.S. history.  A few weeks back, there were several pieces of the initial legislation that would have had impacted students as well as certain institutions, with …

The largest division of the Department of Education may soon no longer hold that title if some of the workers there accept an employment proposition extended to them.  Some of the Office of Federal Student Aid’s (OFSA) 1300 employees have been offered buyouts, …

For financial aid administrators, verifying tax data can be a tedious process. Modifications to the 2018-2019 FAFSA should be a welcome change.   IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) First and probably the most important, is the return of the IRS Data Retrieval …

HEAG’s Fall Newsletter is now online. It includes articles for financial aid professionals on: HEAG’s Consultants Share What They’re Thankful for HEAG ~ Growing to Serve You TechTalk: 2018-2019 FAFSA Changes: IRS Tax Data and Securing Personal Information Fede …

The state of Illinois went 736 days without a budget deal, but that ended on July 6 as lawmakers overrode Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a spending bill and tax hike. State universities have now started the school year with the promise of state money from Springf …

Year-round Pell is back for 2017-18. This is good news for Pell-eligible students who want to attend in the summer to accelerate their progress toward graduation. According to Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, “this decision is about empowering students and …

Early FAFSA This is the 2nd year of earlier FAFSA filing, with the date being pushed back to October 1 and where students and parents use prior prior year income. For instance, while filing the 18-19 FAFSA, students and parents will use their 2016 income. Upda …

$713 Million in Federal Financial Aid to be Paid Back? The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General has released the results of a compliance audit of Western Governors University. Citing concerns about an inadequate faculty role, the inspecto …

August 7, 2017 Authors:  Craig Munier, Assistant Director, Policy Liaison and Implementation, Federal Student Aid ~ Lisa DiCarlo, Director, Student Experience Group, Federal Student Aid Subject:  Changes to the IRS Data Retrieval Tool Process for the 2018-19 F …

In the last few years, it seems data breaches have been become common place in our country. Back in 2013, giant retailer Target was hacked, affecting an estimated 70 million consumers. This caused many Americans to have their banks/credit card companies issue …

  There are currently nine servicers to handle all federal student loans, with many being in place since the Affordable Care Act of 2010 which ended the Federal Family Education Loan Program program and replaced it with the current Direct Loan model.  A b …

Have you read “Spare Parts: Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream” by Joshua Davis? The book came out in 2014 and the movie in 2015. Davis tells the inspiring, true story of four Latino high school students born in …

HEAG’s Summer Newsletter is now online. It includes articles for financial aid professionals on: Summer Reading and the Dream Act New Year-Round Pell: How It’s Different This Time Around Student Loan Servicers, And Then There Was One Are You Using Social Media …

A bill introduced on July 26, 2017 by Marc Veasey of Texas seeks to make it easier for students to gain access to the required non-filer statements that can currently only be requested through the IRS. These forms are required for verification of i …

The Higher Education Assistance Group’s blog includes more than 200 articles on financial aid topics prepared by the Group’s expert financial aid consultants and systems analysts. Search by topic: Compliance Federal Student Aid Programs Technology File Review …

Department of Education Releases Updated Federal Program Review Guide The U.S. Department of Education released the 2017-2018 Federal Program Review Guide for financial aid administrators on June 2, 2017.  The guide was made available for download via the IFAP …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of our most recent tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 4/19/17 – HEAG’s Spring 2017 Newsletter for financial aid professional …

IRS Data Retrieval Tool Nationwide, college financial aid offices and their students are being impacted by the current outage of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. The outage, now expected to continue until the start of next FAFSA season, was in response to security …

HEAG’s Spring 2017 Newsletter for financial aid professionals is here! This issue includes: HEAG’s Consultants Share Their Favorite Commencement Memories HEAG ~ Growing to Serve You HEAG’s Annual Staff Training 7 Principles of Great Service Gainful Employment …

  The week of October 17th, 2016, the National Student Loan Database (NSLDS) generated and sent a report to the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) mailbox for schools that were required to report Gainful Employment (GE) data. These recently uploaded file …

The time has come and gone, with the new 2017-18 already launched on October 1st, 2016 and students completing a FAFSA that won’t go into effect for another nine months. So it’s time to start strategizing for the upcoming verification season. These are new tim …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of our most recent tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 10/24/16 – Looking for the latest info on #financialaid ED policies? T …

HEAG’s Fall 2016 Newsletter is here. This issue includes: HEAG ~ Growing to Serve You Tech Talk Corner – 2017/2018 Has Begun! Gainful Employment Debt-to-Earnings – An In-Depth Look HEAG ~ Recent and Upcoming events Upcoming Changes to 2017-18 Verification Proc …

On September 28th, President Obama announced that once again, the maximum Pell grant award for 2017-18 would be increasing to $5920 but few other details were available at the time.  A little over a week ago, the Department of Education released the latest Pel …

We are approaching the milestone anniversary of President Obama announcing the significant changes coming to the 2017-18 FAFSA form.  The revisions were announced on September 14th, 2015 and are about to become reality for aid offices all over the world which …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of our most recent tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 8/24/16 – The #CFPB comes down hard on #WellsFargo, who will be refund …

It wasn’t the numbers in the blog post, “FAFSA Non-Filers: What the Research Says,” by Paula Acevedeo on the National College Access Network¹ that caught
 our attention, it was the experiments conducted by ideas42. With at least 2 million students failing to c …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of our most recent tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 8/9/16 – ED Urges Caution in Setting Priority Deadlines Read more 8/10 …

What’s on your summer reading list? Here are some of the things on our list this summer: State of Denial: Where Community College Students Lack Access to Federal Student Loans The Institute for College Access & Success, June 2016 This 20+ page assessment o …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of our most recent tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 7/25/16 – A bill was introduced to try and eliminate the large tax bil …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of our most recent tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 7/18/16 – A recap of HEAG attending the annual NASFAA Conference, “A H …

HEAG’s quarterly Newsletter reports on developments in the financial aid industry. Topics include administering Title IV aid efficiently and effectively, maintaining compliance, file review and verification, staffing solutions and technology tools. The Summer …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of our most recent tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. HEAG has been very busy with the NASFAA Conference and returned last w …

“A Half Century Opening Doors to Educational Opportunity” July 10-13th, Washington D.C. The Higher Education Assistance Group was proud to be part of this year’s annual NASFAA conference in Washington D.C. from July 10th – 13th, 2016.  HEAG joined the estimate …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of our most recent tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 6/13/16 – Want to See If Our Compliance Experts Can Help Your School? …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of our most recent tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 6/6/16 – POLL: Why did you choose the college you went to? Tweet us yo …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of our most recent tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 6/1/16 – Showdown over Obama’s student-loan swan song Read more 6/2/16 …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of our most recent tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 5/16/16 – Discount rates rise yet again at private colleges and univer …

  Typically, we wouldn’t even be thinking about a future award year when the upcoming one hasn’t even begun yet.  But with the major changes surrounding the release of the 17-18 FAFSA in October of this year along with prior-prior year income being utiliz …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 5/9/16 – Has someone in your office ever misfiled a W-2 in another student …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 5/2/16 -Could free or reduced lunch programs become a possibility for #col …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 4/25/16 – Very important information for #finaid professionals related to …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education.   4/18/16 – Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts, HEAG offices were closed …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 4/11/16 – Free #communitycollege tuition survey results from Presidents of …

On September 14, 2015, President Obama announced major changes impacting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process for award year 2017-2018. These changes include early filing access and the use of prior-prior year data (use of 2015 income i …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 4/4/16 –  From #PLUSloan interest rate decreases to #Pellgrants needing to …

On March 23rd, 2016, the House Budget Committee (HBC) released more detail surrounding spending cuts on some key higher education programs.  There remains a dichotomy between the Republican controlled Congress and the Democratic White House as they both attemp …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at@HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 3/28/16 – Financial aid fraud is a problem that offices need to be aware of …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at@HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 3/21/16 – More guidance released from #ED on the 17-18 #PriorPriorYear rule …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets, focusing on topics of Title IV financial aid and higher education. 3/14/16 – #PriorPriorYear FAFSA Toolkit available for your campus, thanks …

March 10th, 2016 In Part One of a three-part blog series, we wrote about the tuition-free, community college proposal President Obama is looking for in his 2017 budget.  In Part Two, we took a look at the Pell grant overhaul …

March 9th, 2016 In Part One of a three-part blog series, we analyzed President Obama’s community college initiatives in full detail which included information on his grand idea of tuition free, public education through the America’s College Promise Act of 2015 …

March 8th, 2016 On February 9th, 2016, President Obama unveiled fiscal year 2017 plans to the tune of a $4.2 trillion spending package, with Education taking up $69.4 billion of that figure overall (an increase of 1.3 billion or 2% over prior year).  While the …

February 29 – March 4, 2016 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. @HEAG_INC Feb 29th, 2016 #SuperTuesday is a day away, read about the stance each remaining candidate has made on …

On February 11th, the Department of Education (DOE) released its guidance for financial aid professionals via a Dear Colleague Letter, regarding how professional judgment (PJ) cases will be handled starting in the 2017-18 award year, once “prior-prior year inc …

February 22 – 26, 2016 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. @HEAG_INC Feb 22nd, 2016 A non-partisan think tank believes it is time to scrap the current #financialaid system, radi …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. @HEAG_INC Feb 16th, 2016 Student loan company succumbs to bankruptcy. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/company-accused-of-preying-on-student- …

A new, 60-page study from the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, MA shows a somewhat surprising correlation between the increases in tuition and the access to financial aid between 1987 and 2010 at the nation’s private colleges.  In those cohor …

February 7 – 13, 2016 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏‪@HEAG_INC Feb 12 HEAG’s Annual Training Program ‪https://heag.us/node/275    HEAG, Inc ‏‪@HEAG_INC Feb …

On February 8th, 2016, the Department of Education announced the creation of a “Student Enforcement Unit” that can aggressively bring action against schools that are in violation of certain rules in higher education. “When Americans invest their time, money an …

January 31 – February 6 2016 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets.   HEAG, Inc ‏‪@HEAG_INC Feb 5 A survey of 5000 students states more students than ever are using ‪#financia …

January 24 – 30, 2016 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏‪@HEAG_INC Jan 28 Want to improve processing without hiring staff? ‪http://conta.cc/1VunYOK    HEAG, In …

January 17 – 23, 2016 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏‪@HEAG_INC Jan 21 U of Phoenix off DoD probation, Apollo still owes FTC documents ‪http://www.educationdive. …

01/19/2016 As of December 17, 2015, federal student loan borrowers have a new income- driven repayment plan at their disposal. REPAYE is an acronym for Revised Pay As You Earn. The program is aimed at capping student loan payments to 10% of the borrower’s disc …

January 10 – 16, 2016 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets.   HEAG, Inc ‏‪@HEAG_INC Jan 15 Washington Post piece on ideas for fixing the student loan debt problem. ‪#studentl …

01/14/2016 In danger without any action from Congress, a tentative deal to extend the Perkins Loan Program through September 30, 2017 has been passed and then signed by the President on December 18, 2015, saving the program for another two years. Named for exa …

We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏‪@HEAG_INC Jan 8 Advocacy group analyzes Obama’s free tuition plan for community colleges. ‪http://www.nasfaa.org/news-item/7173/F …

November 30 – December 6, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets.   HEAG, Inc ‏‪@HEAG_INC Dec 4 Oregon Promise leaves students doubting ‪http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-new …

Hot off the presses on November 4, 2015, the College Board has once again released its annual “Trends in Higher Education” report. What could be ascertained from the data is that states vastly differ in terms of what they charge students, but overall, trends a …

November 15 – 21, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Nov 20 Wright-Moore appointed Education Chair for the Nat’l Coalition of 100 Black Women, NJ Cha …

November 8 – 14, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at@HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets.   HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC Nov 11 HEAG Heads to NJASFAA in Atlantic City Nov. 11-13, 2015. Stop by our Booth. #heagnjas …

HEAG was proud to be a part of the Fall 2015 NYSFAAA Conference held in Buffalo, NY. Karyn Wright-Moore, HEAG’s Vice President of Compliance and Quality Assurance, andTammi White, HEAG Financial Aid Consultant, enjoyed the timely and informative sessions at th …

View HEAG’s recent blog postings, NYSFAAA Fall 2015 Conference recap and upcoming events.  Click here to view HEAG’s latest news.

November 1 – 7, 2015   We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC Nov 5 Highlights from NYSFAAA 2015 #constantcontact http://conta.cc/1Hd3tEa HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG …

October 25 – 31, 2015   We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Oct 26 We share news related to higher education and financial aid on Twitter @HEAG_INC. H …

October 18 – 25 2015   We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Oct 20 We share news related to higher education and financial aid on Twitter@HEAG_INC. Her …

October 11 – 17, 2015   We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Oct 16 USA Funds grants $3.5M for new measures of college valuehttp://www.educationdive.co …

October 4 – 10, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Oct 9 Defense Department Puts U of Phoenix on Probation | Inside Higher Edhttp://bit.ly/1Nu7Kp0  …

September 27, 2015 – October 03, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Sep 28 We share news related to higher education and financial aid on Twitter @HE …

eptember 13 – 19, 2015   We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Sep 18 Smaller colleges feeling financial stress of lower enrollment | Education Divehttp …

September 6 – 12, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  60m60 minutes ago One Small Step for FAFSA, One Giant Leap for Studentshttp://www.edcentral.org/ …

August 30 – September 5, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Sep 4 Are You In Compliance with Gainful Employment? https://heag.us/node/211    HEA …

August 23 – 29, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets.   HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Aug 24 We share news related to higher education and financial aid on Twitter @HEAG_INC. He …

HEAG’s Karyn Wright-Moore, Vice President of Compliance and Quality Assurance, and Colleen King, Executive Director, along with more than 2200 other attendees enjoyed another successful and effectual NASFAA conference. The traffic was booming with those ready …

In Part 1 of this series, I wrote about some of the hurdles students and families face when completing the FAFSA. In Part 2, I examined the pros and cons of some of the proposed changes to FAFSA. In Part 3, I provide suggestions for how schools can help studen …

In Part 1 of this series, I wrote about some of the hurdles students and families face when completing the FAFSA. In Part 2, I have examined the pros and cons of some of the proposed changes to FAFSA. Tennessee Senator, Lamar Alexander, believes that it is unn …

August 16 – 22, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Aug 21 Ed Dept to create student debt relief committee | Education Dive http://www.educationdive.c …

August 9 – 15, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Aug 14 HEAG Consultant Spotlight http://www.heag.us/node/203    HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Aug 13 C …

August 2 – 8, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC  Aug 7 New Senate bill would overhaul default sanctions | Education Dive http://www.educationdive.com …

July 26 – Aug 1, 2015   We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets.   EducationDive ‏@EducationDive  Jul 31 Massachusetts #ForProfit settlement nets $2.3M for students: http:/ …

July 19 – 25, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets.   HEAG, Inc ‏‪@HEAG_INC Jul 24 Financial aid website to refund consumers $5.2 million for bogus charges ‪http://wpo.s …

Posted:  July 24, 2015 By:  Jeffrey Megargell, HEAG Consultant While there have been dire warnings in recent years within the higher education community that there will be fewer overall students entering collegiate halls over the next two decades due to lower …

July 12 – 18, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC Jul 17 College is affordable – but it would be cheaper if colleges were less regulated  http://www.th …

July 5 – 11, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC Jul 9 Gates Foundation joins calls for FAFSA simplification | InsideHigherEd  http://bit.ly/1NR4Jeu HE …

June 28 – July 4, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets.   HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC Jul 2 Latest HEAG Newsletter Issue #constantcontact  http://conta.cc/1H3TCwW   HEAG, …

June 21 – 27, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC Jun 26 Lessons From The Education Department’s Ratings Reversal http://www.nasfaa.org/Main/fa-news/na …

June 14 – 20, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC Jun 19 10 Colleges Where Upperclassmen Get Less Financial Help  http://t.usnews.com/Za3evw   via@usne …

May 31 – June 6, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets.   HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC Jun 5 Federal Trade Commission charges Ashworth College with deceptive marketing | InsideHi …

June 7-13, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Here is a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC Jun 12 Gainful Employment Electronic Announcement #54 – Certification Requirements for Gainful Employmen …

May 24-30, 2015 We share industry news and stories on Twitter throughout the week at @HEAG_INC. Hereis a recap of last week’s tweets. HEAG, Inc ‏@HEAG_INC May 29   IRS Responds to Data Breach Involving Get Transc …

Posted:  February 20, 2015 Harvard began the trend six years ago when it started a program for accepted freshmen whose families made less than $65,000 per year, announcing that tuition for this set of students would be fully covered by the university. These ne …

Posted:  November 10, 2014 In a report released on October 28, 2014, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education predicted that by 2025 public campuses will produce 55,000 to 65,000 fewer degrees than employers need. “This report is intended as a wake-up …

Posted:  November 1, 2013 Tax season isn’t exactly what most people look forward to, unless you’re expecting a refund or you’re a financial aid administrator. Unfortunately, the most recent news is bad for both. Because 90% of the IRS was furloughed during the …

Posted Date:  October 22, 2013 With student loan debt on a steady rise, coming in second only to mortgages, the Massachusetts Legislature is taking notice. Massachusetts is now 12th in the nation for the highest average student loan debt, prompting the Legisla …

On August 2, 2011, Congress passed the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011, which put into place an automatic process of “across-the-board” Federal budget cuts, known as the sequester, to take effect if Congress failed to enact legislation to reduce the Federal d …

On February 13, 2013, President Obama delivered the annual State of the Union Address.  During the address, the President touched on a series of higher education related topics.  One particular item that he highlighted, “the College Scorecard”, is worth taking …

Sixty-five percent of Financial Aid Administrators surveyed use e-mail to receive information regarding their job.  About a third use e-newsletters for information and 24% use websites.  How would you like to receive information? Read the latest issue of the H …

In February 2013, we plan to release draft cohort default rates to all eligible schools, guaranty agencies, and lenders. This year, we plan to release a 2-year and a 3-year draft cohort default rate as follows: On February 19, 2013 we plan to release the FY 20 …

EASFAA’s Training Committees have been very busy designing webinars for the spring that we believe will be beneficial to you and your institution. February 20, 2013 –“What’s Ne …

Did you know that 32% of surveyed Financial Aid Administrators use LinkedIn for their job?  29% use Facebook and 16% use Twitter.  Do you use these social media tools for your job?

Ever wonder what resources are being used by other Financial Aid Administrators?  HEAG learned what websites are used most by Financial Aid Administrators through a recent survey: U.S. Department of Education’s Common Origination and Disbursement (COD): The CO …

Late Tuesday, January 2, the Senate and the House agreed upon a fiscal cliff compromise to extend the Bush-era tax breaks for another two months. Though this delay is a relief to many taxpayers, it is still wildly unclear on how higher education will be affect …

The 2012-2013 Federal Student Aid Handbook Errata and Updates are now available.  Go to: http://ifap.ed.gov/fsahandbook/1213FSAHandbookErrata.html The errata and updates are items that were amended after the initial PDF files were posted to the Web. For questi …

The Department of Education is need your help.  Federal Student Aid (an Office of the U.S. Department of Education) selects training topics for various webinars, classes and computer based offerings presented throughout the year.  Those choices are largely bas …

PESC is pleased to announce that a 30-day public comment period is now open on the newly proposed Student Loan Data Reporting standard. This proposed standard was developed for use by banks and lenders, loan servicing companies, guarantee agencies, colleges an …

The Department of Education just announced the release of the indexed version of the 2012-2013 Federal Student Aid Handbook. A PDF version of this document is available on the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site at  http://ifap.ed.gov/f …

Student Loan Interest Rate for Subsidized Loans will remain at 3.4% for one more year. The House passed the bill 373-52. The Senate passed the bill 74-19 barely beating the July 1 deadlline when rates would double.

April 11, 2012 Contact:   Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov To provide more complete information on student persistence and completion, the Education Department released an action plan today that takes steps to augment its current measures of student …

NASFAA recently announced the launch of NASFAA University, a new learning program for financial aid professionals. NASFAA University will be rolled out during the next few months through multiple learning formats. This five part training program consists of: C …

For the last several years there seems to have been constant changes made to the application processing system. More ISIR codes and integration of  IRS information  made up many of these changes.  The Department of Education put out an electronic announcement …

In a report released on October 28, 2014, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education predict hat by 2025 public campuses will produce 55,000 to 65,000 fewer degrees than employers need. “This report is intended as a wake-up call to the state,” said Richa …

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 y …