Colleges Have a Responsibility to Protect Students’ Best Financial Interests

Students look to their college as a trusted source of information as they determine how to pay for tuition, housing, books, and other basic needs. In today’s environment, students are facing additional financial challenges coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising interest rates, and inflation. Each year, millions of students look to their

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Federal Student Aid’s Summer Assignment: Modernize the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS®)

By: Richard Cordray, Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid For many, summer is a time for family trips and backyard BBQs, but it is not all fun and games. Before we know it, many students will be rushing to complete summer assignments before heading back to school. Here at

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5 Valuable Financial Tips for College Students

By: Andrew O’Donnell, intern for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid As someone currently attending community college, I can tell you firsthand about many of its benefits. Not only is community college significantly cheaper than four-year institutions and often much closer to home, it’s also a great place to begin your

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Financial Literacy Education and Paying for College

President Biden issued a proclamation deeming April 2021 as National Financial Capability Month. This communication emphasizes the benefits of financial capability, the value of financial literacy, and the importance of access to financial resources. Understanding personal finance topics such as savings, loans, and investments is seldom a straightforward task, especially in the context of paying

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HEERF Spending Analysis Shows Critical Role of Emergency Funds for Postsecondary Success

By: Nasser Paydar, Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education As part of the COVID-19 emergency funds that went to higher education institutions, funded through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), institutions are required to file annual reports about how the funds were utilized and their impact. Today, we released the data from the 2022

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Online For All: Coalition Mobilizes for Digital Equity during Back-to-School Season

By: Ji Soo Song, Digital Equity Advisor, Office of Educational Technology and Elena Saltzman, Director of Campaigns, Civic Nation Last month, as part of Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar, Secretary Cardona held a roundtable discussion in Kansas City, KS about broadband connectivity with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. During this event with

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Update on the Department of Education’s Third-Party Servicer Guidance

By: James Kvaal As the Department of Education (Department) strives to make postsecondary education more affordable and student loans more manageable than ever before, we are also working to identify and remedy the root causes of unaffordable debts. President Biden has called for a postsecondary education system that’s not only more affordable, but more accountable

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Resources for Communities Following Natural Disasters

Recent natural disasters have significantly impacted communities and their education institutions. Since 2017, there have been over 300 presidentially declared major disasters across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Outlying Areas. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) closely follows the impacts of natural disasters on students, educators, staff, families, and others. Schools are a

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