FEDERAL STUDENT AID
On August 7, the Department announced that the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form will be launched through a new process. Starting on October 1, the Department will release the 2025-26 FAFSA form for testing with a limited set of students and postsecondary institutions. The agency will make the FAFSA form available to all students on or before December 1.
This new process was informed by conversations and feedback from students, institutions, and other stakeholders and is consistent with software industry best practices.
The Department will invite volunteers to participate in the testing period, and, over time, make the form available to an increasing number of participants, starting with hundreds and expanding to tens of thousands of applicants. This process will allow the agency to test and resolve issues before making the form available to all students and contributors. Using this approach, the Department will implement full functionality — submission, processing, and corrections — at the same time.
A phased rollout will also allow the Department to incorporate user feedback to ensure the form’s instructions are clear and easy-to-use and provide resources for the community that support students and families.
Throughout the testing period, the agency will share regular updates with students, institutions, and stakeholders to make sure they clearly understand progress. This will also boost confidence among students and families, institutions, state agencies, and other partners.
Furthermore, the Department will continue to seek feedback from stakeholders via listening sessions and a new formal request for information (comments due by September 13). The agency will publish about what it has learned through these engagements, including releasing a new roadmap with additional tools for those planning for a successful 2025-26 FAFSA season.
The top priority is ensuring students have access to the maximum possible federal financial aid to reach their education goals.
Notably, as a result of investments through the FAFSA Student Support Strategy and the partnership of community and stakeholders, 2024-25 FAFSA submission rates significantly increased the past six months, with the submission gap from the prior year falling from roughly 40% in March to under 4% today.
REMINDER: STUDENT DEBT RELIEF
The Biden Administration emailed all borrowers with at least one outstanding federally held student loan to provide updates on potential student debt relief. The Department expects that all proposed forms of relief would be provided to eligible borrowers without requiring any action from them (no application required). Otherwise, they have until August 30 to call their servicer to opt out. The rules that would provide such relief are not yet finalized, and receiving the message does not guarantee specific borrowers will be eligible. The Department will provide additional information to borrowers once these rules are settled this fall.
HBCU SCHOLARS
The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) announced its latest cohort of HBCU Scholars, honoring 110 outstanding undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from 77 HBCUs across the country.
Since its inception in 2014, the HBCU Scholars program has been committed to recognizing and supporting the brightest and service-oriented minds from HBCUs. Over the past decade, the program has empowered more than 500 students, providing them with invaluable opportunities for personal and professional growth, mentorship, and networking.
Representing 23 states and 11 countries, this year’s HBCU Scholars were selected from a pool of over 350 applicants. The cohort includes students from an array of disciplines, including science, technology, engineering, mathematics, humanities, social services, and the arts. These students have also demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership in their communities (see introduction videos).
A critical component of the program is a partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to help foster innovation and opportunity. HBCU Scholars will team with one another to develop strategies to commercialize technology derived from NASA intellectual property that may improve their campus and surrounding communities.
HBCU Scholars will also be invited to the 2024 Annual HBCU Week National Conference, September 15-19 in Philadelphia.
ADVANCING EDUCATION PROFESSIONS
Among Secretary Cardona’s Raise the Bar priorities, the Department has been focused on eliminating educator shortages. To do so, state action is critical. That is why, in May and June, the agency hosted three Regional Convenings to Support State Action to Advance the Education Professions.
In partnership with The Hunt Institute and TEACH.org, these convenings — hosted in Albuquerque, Chicago, and Jackson, Mississippi — brought together leaders from 25 states, the District of Columbia, and American Samoa to galvanize and share bold efforts and leadership underway across states to increase educator compensation, expand access to high-quality and affordable pathways into the profession, and increase educator diversity. National experts, state officials, and others shared strategies for addressing these three issues, including goals and objectives behind their efforts, working with key partners to advance their plans, and lessons learned along the way. Cross-sector state teams, including elected state officials, state education leaders, K-12 and higher education officials, education and labor leaders, and others, developed plans for further action.
A new Homeroom blog (complete with photos and infographics) recaps the convenings and spotlights states leading the way — Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, and Tennessee.
CTE MOMENTUM CHALLENGE
The Department recently launched the Power Your Future Challenge, the second challenge in its annual CTE Momentum series to increase access to career and technical education and prepare high school students for rewarding careers. The agency invites student teams to submit action plans that will advance the use of clean energy in their schools and communities.
CTE programs are uniquely positioned to support students in their early exploration of career opportunities. CTE students gain skills in construction, manufacturing, engineering, and other trades that align with clean energy careers.
To get started, teachers and community partners may explore available resources to learn more about clean energy and how teams develop action plans, and entrants may preview the submission form. Submissions are due by November 19. Up to 10 winning teams will receive an equal share of the $50,000 pool prize. Winners may also receive in-kind prizes donated by sponsors. (Note: Register to attend the September 10 virtual information session, and sign up to receive the latest challenge information.)
ODDS AND ENDS
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shared new findings from the School Pulse Panel, focused on learning strategies and recovery, student attendance/absences, and learning modes during the 2023-24 school year.
- On August 12, the Biden Administration launched “Time is Money,” a new, government-wide effort to crack down on all the ways that corporations — through excessive paperwork, hold times, and general aggravation — add headaches and hassles to people’s days and degrade their quality of life. For example, the Department will issue new guidance to schools on how they can help make school-parent communication less time-consuming and build family engagement through two-way communication.
- One year after the devastating wildfires on Maui, Hawaii, the Administration is continuing to pursue a comprehensive and coordinated federal response, working side-by-side with state and local partners, to ensure the long-term recovery of survivors and impacted communities.
- Don’t miss these excellent recaps of the Seal of Biliteracy Summit and
- On August 14, the Department announced $40 million in grant awards to seven recipients to improve college completion rates for underserved students, as part of the Postsecondary Student Success Grant program.
- The agency is inviting applications under the Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth. This authority allows pilot sites to blend federal funds and obtain waivers of program requirements to test innovative strategies to achieve significant improvements in educational, employment, and other key outcomes for disconnected youth. The deadline for applications is October 11.
- SchoolSafety.gov launched its 2024 Back to School Campaign to support K-12 school leaders, educators, staff, and parents and caregivers in preparing for the safe return to school.
- The latest “Lessons from the Field” webinar session underscored youth leadership in substance use prevention.
- The Department of Energy announced 21 selections for the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant, the second round of funding for the program.
- The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a memo clarifying postsecondary institutions’ responsibilities under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in cases involving the duty to furnish information where both statues may be implicated
QUOTE TO NOTE
“Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court to vacate the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals’ injunction of the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan. This injunction, if allowed to stand, would harm borrowers who have dutifully repaid their loans for up to 25 years, by denying forgiveness that has been available under law for three decades. We remain committed to supporting borrowers and fighting for the most affordable repayment options possible for millions of people across the country. Already, we’ve approved $169 billion in relief for nearly 4.8 million Americans entitled to relief under various programs, including teachers, veterans, and other public servants; students who were cheated by their colleges; borrowers with disabilities, and more. President Biden, Vice President Harris, and I are committed to fighting for college affordability for all.”
— Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona (8/14/24), in a statement on the Justice Department’s filing with the Supreme Court on the SAVE Plan
UPCOMING EVENTS
On August 19, at 2 p.m. Eastern Time, join senior Department officials and state business executives for “The Path(way) Forward,” a discussion on career readiness initiatives and ways to boost student success.
Please also join the agency’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) for Smart Beginnings 2024, August 27-29 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. ET each day. Each session, with a specific audience and resources for those participants, has a different registration link: August 27 — educators and administrators; August 28 — parents and families; and August 29 — early childhood.
The 2024 Federal Student Aid (FSA) Training Conference for Financial Aid Professionals, scheduled for December 3-6, will again be delivered virtually. FSA is pleased to provide additional program information, including detailed session descriptions, to review before registration opens in October. There will be keynote addresses from Department leadership, five general sessions, 19 breakout sessions, and seven Virtual Exhibit Hall stations.