Fed-Updates Financial Aid Newsletter – April 23, 2021

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Rob Wright – (813) 435-6227
Pamela Notemyer Rogers – (617) 967-7955

Note:  Fed-Updates newsletter updates are excerpts from original announcements posted on the  Knowledge Center  webpage on the  FSAPartners.ed.gov  website. The Knowledge Center has replaced the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) website.  Please review the entire update by clicking the link included with each posting. We are not able to include all Federal updates and deadlines, but you’ll find additional information at the Knowledge Center  – including earlier  Electronic Announcements  and  Dear Colleague Letters .  Important Reminder: Deadlines and event dates noted in our newsletters are subject to change as determined by the Department of Education.

TECHNOLOGY SECURITY ALERT:  IRS Warns Postsecondary Institution Students and Staff of Impersonation Email Scam (EA ID: GENERAL-21-22): The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) posted a warning of an ongoing IRS impersonation scam that appears to primarily target educational institutions, including students and staff of institutions that have “.edu” email addresses. Please review the  April 12, 2021, electronic announcement   .

2020–21 Verification Reporting and Verification Status Code “W” Warning Message (EA ID: GRANTS-21-04):  This electronic announcement provides information on the following topics: 2020–21 Verification status code reporting reminders, recipients selected for Verification by the CPS, recipients not selected for verification by the CPS, and 2020–21 Verification status code “W” warning message that was processed on April 7, 2021, and the Verification deadline. Please review the  April 8, 2021, electronic announcement  for additional information.

Live Internet Webinars – Distance Education and Innovation Regulations – Registration and Details:  This letter notifies institutions that the Office of Postsecondary Education will host several webinars that will provide an overview of the changes to regulatory requirements in the Distance Education and Innovation regulations, which were published on September 2, 2020 and will be effective July 1, 2021 (unless early implemented by institutions). Slides, transcripts, and a recording of each presentation will be made available after the presentation on Federal Student Aid’s (FSA) training website at https://fsatraining.ed.gov. For additional information, please review the  April 7, 2021, Dear Colleague Letter  (DCL ID ANN-21-05).

Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement – Borrower Completion Will Not be Required for 2021–22 Award Year (EA ID: DL-21-02):  To reduce the administrative burden on schools as a result of the continued disruptions caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19), the requirement that borrowers complete the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement prior to disbursement will not go into effect for the 2021–22 Award Year. Please review the  March 8, 2021, electronic announcement  for additional information.

2021–22 Final Funding Authorizations for the Campus-Based Programs (EA ID: CB-21-05):   In a Jan. 28, 2021 Electronic Announcement, we informed schools of tentative 2021–22 funding levels for the Campus-Based programs. We now announce that final 2021–22 Campus-Based programs funding worksheets and the 2021–22 Statement of Account for each of the Campus-Based programs have been posted to the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) website. Please review the  April 1, 2021, electronic announcement  for additional information.

SNAP benefits for eligible students during the COVID-19 pandemic (EA ID: GENERAL-21-11) (Updated April 5, 2021):  We are pleased to share with our community the following information about students who are enrolled in postsecondary education and qualify for SNAP benefits during the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency. Please review the  February 23, 2021, electronic announcement , as updated on April 5, 2021, for additional information.

Availability of Guide for Compliance Attestation Engagements of Proprietary Schools Expending Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grants (EA ID: GENERAL-21-21):   The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General has published the Guide for Compliance Attestation Engagements of Proprietary Schools Expending Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grants (Guide). The Guide applies to and provides requirements and guidance for compliance attestation engagements of proprietary schools, as defined in Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations § 600.5, receiving Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grants through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act; the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021; the American Rescue Plan; or any future acts passed by Congress that include HEERF (collectively, HEERF grant programs). Please review the  March 31, 2021, electronic announcement  for additional information.

Next Gen FSA – Retirement of FSAID.ed.gov Website (EA ID: GENERAL-21-24):  On April 25, 2021, the FSAID.ed.gov website will be retired and legacy FSAID.ed.gov website links will be redirected to StudentAid.gov. The automatic redirects will be in place for at least one year. Please review the  April 19, 2021, electronic announcement  for additional information.

Next Gen FSA – FSA Partner Connect and Knowledge Center Now Available (EA ID: GENERAL-21-20):  We are pleased to announce the launch of the FSA Partner Connect website. We also welcome users to the new Knowledge Center. Please also review the  March 28, 2021, electronic announcement  for additional information.

2021 Federal Student Aid Training Conference – We Are Virtual, Again! (EA ID: GENERAL-21-23):  The 2021 Federal Student Aid Training Conference will once again be delivered virtually: Nov. 30–Dec. 3, 2021. Please review the  April 15, 2021, electronic announcement  for additional information.

RESOURCES


FFEL Program:


Federal Registers:


Training:


Department of Education:


NASFAA:


The Knowledge Center on the FSAPartners.ed.gov website provides guidance, resources, deadlines, and information related to the administration and processing of Title IV federal student aid. Here is a sampling of some helpful Knowledge Center information pages: Grant and Direct Loan (COD) Processing Information, Training Resources, Library, Federal Registers, Software and Other Tools, and NSLDS Resources.

Thank you for taking the time to review our newsletter!

Rob Wright

Disclaimer of Liability: Every effort is made to provide accurate and complete information in FA Solutions, LLC’s’ newsletters. However, FA Solutions makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the newsletters and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of its newsletters. Although FA Solutions may include links providing direct access to other Internet resources, including Websites, FA Solutions is not responsible for the accuracy or content of information contained in these sites. Please note that by signing up for this newsletter you will also receive information about FA Solutions services.

fasolutions • Apr 23, 2021
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