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1.30.26 | |

Top Four January 2026 Announcements for Higher Education Institutions

Here is a summary of the top four January 2026 U.S. Department of Education (ED) and other announcements that apply to higher education institutions, along with information about a training course, webinar series, and more:

Upcoming Title IV Requirements
  1. FSA Electronic Announcement GENERAL-26-01, Reminder To Use New Section 117 Reporting Portal To Meet Upcoming Jan. 31, 2026, Reporting Deadline – As previously noted, institutions must report foreign gifts and contract information. The new Section 117 reporting portal is live and available for submission. The next date by which institutions must submit Section 117 disclosure reports is Monday, February 2, 2026. 
  2. FSA Electronic Announcement (CB-26-01), Deadline for 2026–27 Underuse Penalty Waiver for the Campus-Based Programs Is Feb. 2, 2026 – The deadline to request a waiver of the 2026–27 underuse penalty for Federal Work-Study (FWS) and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) programs is February 2, 2026. Schools that returned more than 10% of their 2024–25 FWS or FSEOG allocation may avoid a 2026–27 funding reduction by submitting a waiver explaining circumstances beyond their control. Institutions can determine whether a penalty applies by reviewing their 2026–27 FISAP or their Campus-Based Tentative Funding Worksheet.
  3. FSA Electronic Announcement GENERAL-26-04, Program Participation Agreement Signature Requirements – Following a legal challenge, ED will no longer generally enforce the requirement that an owner-entity sign a Program Participation Agreement, though the Secretary may still require such signatures on a case-by-case basis to protect federal financial interests.
  4. FSA Electronic Announcement GENERAL-26-02, Title IV Aid Disbursement Reporting, Excess Cash, and Reconciliation Requirements – This announcement reminds institutions of the general disbursement reporting, excess cash, and reconciliation requirements for all Title IV programs. It recommends that both the financial aid office and business office review this announcement. As a follow up, FSA Electronic Announcement (GENERAL-26-06), Reconciliation Information for the Direct Loan, Federal Pell Grant, and TEACH Grant Programs provides updated guidance to help institutions reconcile their records for the Direct Loan, Federal Pell Grant, and TEACH Grants Program by comparing internal data with information in ED systems, identifying and resolving discrepancies, and meeting monthly and annual reconciliation and reporting requirements.
Additional Resources
  1. FSA Electronic Announcement ANN-26-01, Online Training Course – One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) Overview – You can access an online, self-paced training course offering an overview of the OBBBA as it relates to the federal student aid programs. The course covers current requirements and explains how the new law affects those requirements, including lessons on student eligibility, loan origination and disbursement, loan repayment and servicing, and school eligibility and accountability. It also provides a brief recap of the negotiated rulemaking process and timeline.
  2. FSA Electronic Announcement ANN-26-02, Live Internet Webinars – Wednesday Webinar Series, Winter 2026 – An additional set of webinars is now available in the Wednesday Webinar Series. This series of live webinars covers a variety of topics related to Title IV programs.
  3. Preparing Students to Navigate Private Student Loan Decisions – This article from the Higher Education Assistance Group (HEAG) discusses the role higher education institutions have in ensuring the decisions made by students involving private student loans are made with a complete understanding of the long-term implications.
  4. What Students, Advisors, and Higher Education Professionals Should Know About the Changing Federal Accountability Rules – This HEAG article summarizes the changes made by ED’s AHEAD negotiated rulemaking committee and the new framework on whether academic programs lead to earnings outcomes that justify their cost or fail these benchmarks and risk losing access to federal financial aid. These rules are anticipated to become effective on July 1, 2026.
  5. Southern Grants Forum – Join Carr, Riggs & Ingram in Nashville, TN, from July 13–16, 2026, for the Southern Grants Forum. This in-depth conference is open to all grant-funded organizations regardless of program, funding source, location, or type, including nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions. Learn more and register here.

Please contact us if you have questions or would like to discuss how these announcements apply to your institution.

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