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3.31.26 | |

Top Six March 2026 Announcements for Higher Education Institutions

Here is a summary of the top six March 2026 U.S. Department of Education (ED) announcements, plus updated appendices, webinar recordings, and other helpful resources for higher education institutions:

Upcoming Title IV Requirements
  1. FSA Electronic Announcement LOANS-26-03, Distribution of FY 2023 Draft Cohort Default Rates and Appeal Timeline – ED provided information about the distribution of and the beginning dates for appealing draft rates. The appeal period opens on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. This electronic announcement provides information about how to submit challenges and appeals.
  2. FSA Electronic Announcement GENERAL-26-20, Implementation of Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) Regulations Effective July 1, 2026 – On January 3, 2025, ED published final regulations on the return of Title IV, HEA funds (R2T4), making several changes to the R2T4 requirements. The revised provisions are effective July 1, 2026. This announcement provides additional information about the requirements for implementing the new R2T4 provisions.
  3. FSA Electronic Announcement DL-26-01, Direct Loan Closeout Information for 2024–25 Award Year – The Direct Loan Program data submission (closeout) deadline for the 2024–25 award year is July 31, 2026. To be considered successfully closed out, the institution must have an ending cash balance of $0 and total net unbooked disbursements of $0, both internally and as reflected on the School Account Statement, and complete the School Balance Confirmation form on the COD website.
  4. FSA Electronic Announcement GENERAL-26-18, Enforcement priorities related to audited financial statement requirements under §668.23(d)(1) – This announcement is a reminder that ED is providing notice regarding its enforcement priorities under 34 CFR 668.23(d)(1), which covers audited financial statements that, in collaboration with other regulatory requirements, enable ED to make a determination of an institution’s financial responsibility. These regulatory requirements will be a priority for fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2027.
  5. U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of the Treasury Announce Historic Federal Student Assistance Partnership – ED and Treasury entered into an interagency agreement as ED continues transitioning certain functions to other agencies. Treasury will handle defaulted federal student loan collections and support efforts to move defaulted borrowers into repayment. In subsequent phases, Treasury will also provide operational support for non-defaulted loans and other Federal Student Aid (FSA) functions. This fact sheet provides additional details.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Simplification Announcements
  1. FSA Electronic Announcement APP-26-02, One Big Beautiful Bill Act FAFSA Processing Updates – FSA updated several of its systems and FAFSA processing in response to changes introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), including the new lifetime maximum loan limit, limits on Direct PLUS loans for parent borrowers, and the elimination of eligibility for Direct PLUS loans for graduate and professional students.
Additional Resources
  1. FSA Electronic Announcement GENERAL-26-19, 2026 Federal Student Aid Training Conference – Session Recordings Now Available – You can now access session recordings from the 2026 Federal Student Aid Training Conference on the FSATC 2026 playlist on the FSA Communications YouTube channel. The presentation materials are available on the FSA Training Conference website.
  2. Negotiated Rulemaking Continues on New Federal Accountability Framework Under OBBBA – Updates on the AHEAD Committee – This Higher Education Assistance Group article reviews how the new legislative mandates in the OBBBA will translate into federal regulations governing institutional accountability, program eligibility, and student access to federal financial aid. Topics include the transition from gainful employment/financial value transparency (GE/FVT) to a new accountability model, how earnings will be measured, cohort construction and data reliability, and the projected impact and areas of concern related to these changes.
  3. House Education Committee Advances Student Aid Fraud Prevention Bills – This National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) article covers the status of three bills focused on preventing fraud in federal student aid programs.
  4. FSA Electronic Announcement GENERAL-26-17, Appendices Now Available [2025–26 Federal Student Aid Handbook] – FSA announced that the appendices of the 2025–26 Federal Student Aid Handbook are now available.

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

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