FAFSA

2017 - 2018 FAFSA

(Early FAFSA/Prior Prior Year)

The 2017–18 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) season will begin earlier than previous FAFSA application cycles

fafsa calendar information

Beginning on Oct. 1, 2016, students will be able to fill out the FAFSA for the 2017–18 school year. (In the past, they had to wait until January 1). In addition, applicants will no longer need to estimate income and tax information and will be able to retrieve their data directly from the IRS, right from the first day the FAFSA is available. Students also will have information about their Expected Family Contributions earlier, helping them as they’re going through the college application and selection process. 

Webinars

National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Enrollment Reporting Statistics Page and Compliance

June 14, 2017

Wednesday, June 14, 2017 2-3 PM ET 

This webinar will be hosted by AACRAO. Representatives from the Department of Education and the National Student Clearinghouse will also participate.  

Some institutions are still struggling to comply with the NSLDS guidelines associated with enrollment reporting requirements. The Department of Education recently sent letters to financial aid administrators and the primary reporting contacts at institutions who have failed to meet the 90 percent mark in terms of the percentage of students on their NSLDS rosters with certified program information. The next round of letters to these institutions are scheduled to be sent in a couple of months, copying the President of the institution. 

While it is unclear exactly why so many schools are out of compliance, some of the reasons that we have heard include: 

  • Outdated records appearing on rosters (students on the roster who may not have been enrolled for years) 
  • Students appearing on the rosters who are non-degree seeking and with no program information
  • Confusion surrounding how students enrolled at more than one institution should be reported on a roster  
  • The institution’s failure to report program information 
  • The institution not correcting enrollment roster errors

This webinar will assist to answer any questions institutions may have on how to be in compliance and prevent future letters to your institutions.  

Watch Now


Presenter: 
Jeff Baker, Director of Policy Liaison and Implementation Staff at U.S. Department of Education

Jeff Baker has been a student aid professional for more than 40 years. For the past 23 years Jeff has been at the U.S. Department of Education where he is currently the Director of the Policy Liaison and Implementation Staff for the Department’s Federal Student Aid office. In that capacity he advises senior FSA management on all statutory, regulatory, and policy matters that relate to the Title IV Federal student aid programs. Jeff holds a B.S. in Management from Northeastern University, an M.S. in Education from the University of Wisconsin and has done postgraduate work in higher education administration at the University of Southern California. 

Presenter: Randy Bowman, Information Technology Specialist, Business Operations at U.S. Department of Education

Randy Bowman has over 30 years experience in federal student aid, beginning with four years at the Washington State student loan guarantee association.He joined the Department of Education in 1987, working on Debt Collection, and later on the Direct Loan Servicing and Loan Consolidation systems.He has worked on NSLDS since 2009, specializing on Enrollment Reporting.

Presenter: George Levathes, Vice President, Compliance and Education Finance Industry Relations at National Student Clearinghouse

George Levathes serves as the Clearinghouse’s subject matter expert in the area of federal student aid regulatory compliance and is responsible for analyzing and interpreting federal financial aid regulations regarding all Title IV programs to develop strategies and priorities of the National Student Clearinghouse. Mr. Levathes has over 25 years of operations, finance, and accounting experience and is one of the Clearinghouse’s longest-serving employees, having started with the organization in 1995. In addition to compliance, he is also responsible for working with the education finance industry to identify trends and issues that may affect the Clearinghouse’s ability to achieve its business objectives.

Moderator: William Gil, Director of Government Relations at AACRAO3

William Gil is the Director of Government Relations for the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO), where he manages and implements AACRAO’s public policy agenda and oversees federal government relations, legislative, policy and regulatory matters impacting the AACRAO membership. In this role, he provides information and strategic advice regarding developments in education policy and regulations relating to college admissions, records, student privacy, financial aid and other issues impacting higher education at the federal, state and local levels.