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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 6h

Join NASFAA as a presenter at the 2027 National Conference! We welcome proposals from financial aid professionals, higher education leaders, equity and inclusion practitioners, and policy advocates. Learn more about submitting a session proposal: ow.ly/sJWK50ZXGhJ

Smiling woman in a yellow jacket speaking at a podium during NASFAA 2027 event in San Diego.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Last week, the Department of Education announced an extension on the 2026 FVT/GE reporting deadline for institutions, with a new deadline of Friday, January 15, 2027, after more than 1,000 institutions failed to meet the initial October 1 reporting deadline: ow.ly/6skN50ZXetq

ED announces extension of FVT/GE deadline for the 2026 reporting cycle with financial graphics.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Jill explains what the new cohort default rate (CDR) means in context to borrowers returning to repayment after the Covid-19 payment pause. Listen to the new episode of "Off The Cuff" to learn more about the CDR: ow.ly/BsuS50ZWi0r

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

The NASFAA website will be unavailable today, October 8, starting at 3:00 p.m. ET for scheduled maintenance. The outage is expected to last a few hours, and the site will be fully restored when complete. Thank you for your patience while we work to maintain our online resources.

Notice of planned NASFAA website outage on October 8 for essential maintenance work.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The Trump administration put forward a “rescission package” that partially targets funds for the Department of Education allocated to Title VI international education domestic programs and competitive grants within Special Programs for Migrant Students: ow.ly/lha850ZVr7J

Headline about rescission package cutting several ED programs facing congressional opposition with scissors and dollar sign graphic.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

A working paper examining the results of Tennessee Promise, a community college scholarship program, found strong evidence that the program increased college enrollment among new high school graduates and raised associate’s degree attainment at minimal cost to the state: ow.ly/QkGt50ZUYzm

Graph depicting first-time full-time enrollment trends from 2009 to 2018, with community colleges rising sharply post-2015 after Tennessee Promise introduction.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

NASFAA joined the American Council on Education in raising concerns about the proposed revisions to the Education Department General Administrative Regulations, which make “harmful changes” to how ED operates, competes, and funds its competitive and formula grants: ow.ly/PqBp50ZUuxq

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

The Department of Education announced that it is extending the sign-up deadline to December 31, 2026, for its temporary initiative in which borrowers enrolled in autopay receive a 1% interest rate reduction on their federal student loans.

ED extends deadline for borrowers to enroll in auto pay for interest rate reduction initiative.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The Department of Education, in collaboration with the Treasury Department, announced a new online portal to support borrowers who have defaulted on their federal student loans and aims to return them to repayment. Learn more: ow.ly/8tL550ZTX49

Announcement of ED and Treasury launching a support center dedicated to helping borrowers in default.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Picture This: San Diego. June 2027. You are presenting to your financial aid colleagues Share your expertise, and help shape the NASFAA 2027 National Conference by submitting a session proposal by October 23: ow.ly/Pc7f50ZTuBc

Smiling woman with glasses speaks at a podium promoting NASFAA 2027 conference in San Diego about shaping financial aid's future.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The FY 2023 national cohort default rate (CDR) is 0.4%, up from 0% for FY 2022, as expected with pandemic-era borrower protections ending during the cohort’s default measurement window. NASFAA is pleased to announce the launch of our new CDR Web Center at nasfaa.org/cdr.

Comparison infographic showing why the National CDR is higher in FY23 than FY22, highlighting borrower repayment timelines and COVID-19 payment pause effects.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Common Origination and Disbursement officials acknowledged an issue identified by several NASFAA member institutions who had been unable to disburse federal loan funds for students enrolled in dual degree programs such as BS-PharmD programs. Learn more: ow.ly/WzaG50ZT8KA

Announcement about COD implementing a manual fix for rejected dual degree student records with a clipboard and pencil illustration.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Last week, NASFAA submitted public comments in response to the Department of Education's (ED) re-established matching program between ED and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Learn more: ow.ly/GVpI50ZSHyq

Illustration of an open orange envelope containing a letter from NASFAA about comments on the SSA and ED matching program.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

In an email posted to the FSATech Listserv, FSA explained that the UEH code had been disabled from late June until September 13, and that reenabling it generated a "catch-up" batch of flagged ISIRs covering that timeframe. FSA said that the UEH code is now working correctly.

Text update about ED explaining large batches of reprocessed UEH-flagged ISIRs with a document and exclamation icon.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Hugh, Sarah, and Jill discuss the 2027-28 #FAFSA application, which officially launched earlier this week after completing beta testing. 🎧 Listen to the new episode of "Off The Cuff" to learn more! Now streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on our website: ow.ly/8Waz50ZRrx6

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Federal Student Aid on Wednesday announced that it will host an in-person Training Conference on December 14-16, 2026, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, MD. Here's what we know so far about what to expect at the training conference: ow.ly/x0Qg50ZRrgo

FSA announces an in-person conference scheduled for December 14 to 16 with a speaker addressing an audience.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

NASFAA's comments on Federal Student Aid's FY 2026-30 Draft Strategic Plan call for FSA to restore the state data-sharing API, commit to measurable service standards for FAFSA processing, and address persistent backlogs in IDR and PSLF processing, and more: ow.ly/6gLi50ZR1jI

An open orange envelope reveals a letter from NASFAA discussing comments on the Federal Student Aid FY 2026-30 Draft Strategic Plan.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Over the past two weeks, NASFAA members reported receiving unusually large batches of reprocessed ISIRs carrying UEH flags, well beyond what they typically see in reprocessed transaction batches, with flagged transactions totaling anywhere from several dozen to over 1,000: ow.ly/IWrX50ZQYMG

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

JUST IN 📣 Federal Student Aid (FSA) has announced that the 2027-28 #FAFSA is now available for all students and contributors: ow.ly/UCqM50ZQywF

Colorful announcement bubble with text stating the 2027-28 FAFSA is now available for applications.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

NASFAA is pleased to share its comments on the Department of Education's Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which proposes changes to the regulations governing accrediting agencies: ow.ly/RPCW50ZQbJO

Letter from NASFAA submitting comments to the U.S. Department of Education on accreditation and modernization rules.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

This week on "Off the Cuff,"🎙️Natalie is joined by Kerline Eglaus and Daniel Matamoros from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to discuss how they bring financial aid into broader institutional conversations and build campus-wide ownership of OB3 implementation: 🎧 ow.ly/BYXF50ZP8HL

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Cohort Default Rates Expected to Rise for First Time Since Pre-Pandemic Era The fiscal year (FY) 2023 federal student loan national cohort default rate, due later this month from the Department of Education, is expected to rise from the FY 2022 rate. Learn more: ow.ly/zer550ZP7Vx

Timeline showing FY 2023 cohort default rate period from borrower repayment start on 10/1/22 to default window end on 9/30/25, with CDR released in 2026.

Bar chart showing national cohort default rates from 2017 to 2022 with projections and unknown rates from 2023 to 2025, highlighting COVID-19 impact and borrower protections.

Timeline chart showing FY 2017-25 CDR measurement periods with COVID-19 repayment pauses and SAVE forbearance overlaps.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

NASFAA shared our members' most pressing questions seeking clarification on calculating the “expected time to credential” exception to the statutory loan limits with attorney Denise Morelli of Sligo Law Group to help institutions navigate this uncertain situation: ow.ly/X2Mi50ZOJB2

Portrait of Denise Morelli from Sligo Law Group discussing expected time to credential in a Q&A format.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The Department of Education announced that beginning in October, institutions will use a new Borrower Defense portal to respond to notifications from FSA related to borrower defense to repayment applications. Learn more: ow.ly/tnmi50ZNZI8

Announcement of ED launching a new Borrower Defense Portal within Partner Connect for streamlined access.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Summer Catch-Up 🎙️ Funding, Repayment, FAFSA, and More "Off The Cuff" is back from our summer hiatus! In our first episode since July, Melanie and Karen catch listeners up on several financial aid developments. 🎧 Listen now: ow.ly/CzY650ZMz8c

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

How America Pays for College is an annual survey from Sallie Mae of undergraduate college students and parents of undergraduates, and includes questions on how families paid for college, perceptions around financial aid offices, and more. Read NASFAA's 10 key takeaways: ow.ly/icFh50ZLYoo

Cover of Sallie's report on how America finances college, featuring a mother and son reviewing documents together.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Join NASFAA as a presenter at the 2027 National Conference! Presenting is a valuable opportunity to advance the profession, expand your network, and raise the visibility of your institution or organization. Submit a session proposal by Oct. 23: ow.ly/j6IN50ZLf3x

A speaker addresses a large audience at the NASFAA 2027 conference on shaping the future of financial aid.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici Reintroduces Bill to Prevent Student Loan Borrower Default NASFAA supports the SIMPLE Act, with Karen McCarthy, NASFAA’s VP of public policy and federal relations, saying that the financial aid community stands in support of this bill. Learn more: ow.ly/6Z7I50ZJrGK

NASFAA endorses the SIMPLE Act to help prevent student loan borrowers from defaulting on their loans.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

“Financial aid administrators are resilient but overwhelmed." Experts gather for an event hosted by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) to discuss the student and institutional impact of new graduate student loan caps of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: ow.ly/EXBy50ZIOOh

Three panelists seated on stage at an AEI event, engaged in discussion with name tags Ted Mitchell and Melanie Storey visible.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

ED Announces Plans to Reschedule Webinar Focused on SOR The webinar was originally scheduled for August 26. ED wrote in a blue note to a previously-issued announcement that it will inform the financial aid community about the new date when the information becomes available.

Announcement of ED rescheduling a webinar centered on the Science of Reading (SOR) with a virtual meeting graphic.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

The Department of Education announced last week that it corrected a technical issue that prevented its new fraud prevention evaluation results from being included in certain FAFSA transactions. Here's what that means for financial aid offices: ow.ly/S5b650ZFJhl

Notification about ED reprocessing FAFSA transactions due to a fraud evaluation problem.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

The Department of Education has started its second phase of beta testing for the 2027-28 FAFSA, where any student or parent is able to request early access to complete the form. Learn more: ow.ly/HfAT50ZFJch

ED announces second phase of 2027-28 FAFSA beta testing with launch set for October 1.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

NASFAA is pleased to share its response to the Department of Education's request for comments on its information collection for the Direct PLUS Loan Request for Supplemental Information: ow.ly/pQ2X50ZFg0I

An open orange envelope containing a letter from NASFAA about federal Direct Plus Loan supplemental information.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

NASFAA has developed a Professional Degree Program Definition Timeline providing a chronological overview of the development of the professional degree definition for purposes of the new loan limits. Find the timeline in our OB3 Web Center: ow.ly/jGwc50ZEMBz

Timeline outlining key dates for the Professional Degree Program Definition.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

A new letter from 16 Congressional Democrats, led by Rep. Alma S. Adams Ph.D. (D-N.C), outlined concerns and questions that the financial aid community has been voicing since ED issued its final rule regarding less-than-full-time loan proration changes made under the OBBBA: ow.ly/z5rK50ZCov9

Letter from U.S. Congress to Education Secretary urging formal guidance on loan proration policy changes.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

NASFAA has identified an issue with how StudentAid.gov displays the Graduated and Extended Graduated repayment plans for borrowers logged into their accounts: ow.ly/TZC250ZBvnW NASFAA notified the Department of Education and will update members as more information becomes available.

Warning about Graduated Repayment Plan display issue on StudentAid.gov with a computer alert icon.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

The Department of Education (ED) published an electronic announcement on Monday announcing that public institutions no longer need to submit public status documentation via eZ-Audit unless specifically requested by ED. Learn more: ow.ly/O8Z450ZBsLp

Announcement that ED no longer requires submitting public status documentation through eZ-Audit platform.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

A coalition of four labor unions filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education, adding a third legal challenge to the final rule definition of “professional degree,” setting up another court fight over which grad programs qualify for the higher federal loan caps: ow.ly/1EJc50ZAY9x

Legal documents and gavel icon illustrating the third lawsuit against RISE Rule's professional degree definition.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

During a webinar on Aug. 12, ED staff instructed schools to use credits rather than time to calculate Expected Time to Credential, a key component of eligibility for the interim exception to new loan limits enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: ow.ly/hgXY50ZzQez

Department of Education updates rules for calculating the expected time to earn a credential with calendar and calculator icons.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

The NASFAA National Student Aid Profile is an annual publication that provides a high-level overview of federal student financial aid programs that provide funding to millions of students each year. Access the 2026 National Student Aid Profile: ow.ly/6fqr50ZzqnZ

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

The Department of Education Sets Final Deadline for Overdue FVT/GE Data, Outlines STATS Early Implementation We summarized what financial aid offices need to know about this latest guidance: ow.ly/FwLP50ZyVY9

Text announcing ED's final deadline for overdue FVT/GE data and early STATS implementation plans with financial and chart icons.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

The Department of Education released long-awaited formal guidance this week on how financial aid administrators should reduce annual loan limits for less-than-full-time enrollment using the Schedule of Reductions (SOR). Learn more: ow.ly/HQzg50ZxCft

Text announcing ED's formal guidance on schedule of reductions with purple FAQ speech bubbles on a light background.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Read NASFAA's key takeaways from a new blog post from The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs written by Muhammad Kara, PhD, a former NASFAA DME intern: ow.ly/bg7K50Zx5zq

Illustration of Benjamin Franklin wearing a graduation cap with floating dollar bills, highlighting fewer students receiving emergency aid despite more colleges offering it.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

ED Approves First Workforce Pell Program Iowa Central Community College is the nation’s first institution approved to conduct a Workforce Pell Grant program, specifically through the institution’s Emergency Medical Technician program. Learn more: ow.ly/1aGR50Zx5oh

ED announces approval of the first Workforce Pell Program supporting skilled labor training.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

In a letter addressed to all university presidents and governing boards, Education Secretary Linda McMahon calls on institutional leaders to publicly support the Trump administration’s policies to reform higher education by the end of the year. Learn more: ow.ly/8TgC50Zwh9U

Message urging university leaders and boards to back key higher education goals.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

We know your students enrolled in professional degree programs have questions about the recent court ruling and its implications for federal student loan borrowing. That's why we created a new student-facing resource to help answer common questions in plain language: ow.ly/mJaX50ZwANp

Document outlining temporary changes to professional student loan limits and key information students should know.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Several members of the Trump administration, including Education Secretary Linda McMahon, sent a letter to Congressional leadership calling on them to support the administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education through interagency agreements. Learn more: ow.ly/VmPX50ZwhkQ

Graphic showing a call for congressional support of ED's interagency agreements with an open envelope.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

The state-led lawsuit over the Department of Education’s definition of a professional degree is moving forward. The court entered a scheduling order, setting out the dates for the case to be heard, with the case likely to continue into November 2026. Learn more: ow.ly/hQT550ZvPMT

Timeline of key court dates in a state-led lawsuit challenging the RISE rule, spanning July to November 2026.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

A recent review by the Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Inspector General (OIG) reveals that the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the department, specifically the reduction in force (RIF), resulted in a 40% decrease in ED's workforce: ow.ly/Qve550ZtilW

Blurred figures walking in a modern hallway on the cover of the OIG flash report about reduced force impact at FSA.

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators @nasfaa.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

House Democrats Host Panel Over Trump Administration's Changes to Student Loan System Read our recap of the panel hosted by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee: ow.ly/UKFQ50ZskOY

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