On January 29 the Department of Education (ED) formally announced that the Pell Grant maximum award for the 2016-17 Award Year will be $5,815, an increase of just $40 from the $5,775 maximum Pell Grant award for the 2015-2016 Award Year. The budget table issued by ED last month showed a $70 increase. NASFAA has since updated its article on the $1.1 trillion spending bill and “Omnibus” spending package released in December to reflect the correct maximum Pell award for 2016-17.

The Department of Education (ED) on Monday announced it will not allow 26 campuses of two for-profit college chains to participate in federal financial aid programs after investigations found "serious violations" within several campuses of the institutions.

Reach Higher, First Lady Michelle Obama's initiative to encourage at least some education after high school, has announced that College Signing Day is scheduled for April 26 this year. College Signing Day expands the concept that has focused attention just on student-athletes, to celebrate and support all students who commit to higher education. Hop on one of the two scheduled conference calls with Reach Higher and White House officials to learn more. Read on for dial-in information.

Administrative capability is at the heart of the Title IV regulations, encompassing many of the measures of an institution’s Title IV eligibility. Demonstrating administrative capability to participate in the Title IV programs involves virtually every office within an institution, making compliance a campus-wide commitment and responsibility. Utilize this self-study guide to ensure your campus is adhering to the principles required for successful administration of Title IV aid.

Throughout the month of February, NASFAA members will help answer students' and parents' questions about financial aid, and this week, we're taking questions about the FAFSA. Help us spread the word by using the hashtag #FinAidFeb, and letting your students know about our upcoming Twitter chats on Wednesday from 7:00 - 8:00 pm ET, and Friday from 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET. If you're interested in helping answer questions during a Twitter chat this month, please send an email to [email protected].

Since the Department of Education announced it would launch a pilot program for "Second Chance Pell" during the summer, more than 200 institutions have expressed interest in participating, and many are now being tasked with submitting full proposals. To that end, the Vera Institute of Justice developed a fact sheet that presents best practices for building effective partnerships between postsecondary institutions and correctional facilities. The brief includes tips for ensuring quality and ensuring education after individuals are released. Read the full brief, and explore other resources the institute has for promoting higher education access.

In this announcement, the Department provides specific information to assist schools in reconciling the Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant) Program. Both the Financial Aid Office and Business Office should review the information provided below.

During the period of February 17-22, 2016, the Department of Education will perform extended system maintenance to its core systems, including G5. Please review the following information to determine how processing at your school will be affected.

In an effort to support borrowers who have applied for a Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Discharge, Federal Student Aid reminds Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program lenders/lender servicers and FFEL Program guaranty agencies, it is important to keep servicer contact information current in the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). This reminder may also be applicable to some Federal Perkins Loan Program schools.

The Department announces the availability of the updated 2016-2017 Federal School Code (FSC) List of Participating Schools on the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site.

Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) Formula Grant Program Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2016.

eZ-Audit is a web-based process designed to facilitate the submission of compliance and financial statement audits, expedite the review of those audits by the Department, and provide more timely and useful information to public, non-profit and proprietary institutions regarding the Department's review.

"Out on the presidential campaign trail, 2016 is shaping up to be a big year for higher education issues. But in the U.S. Congress, the prospect that lawmakers will take up, much less pass, a much-anticipated and already overdue overhaul of federal higher education policy this election year seems virtually nonexistent," Inside Higher Ed reports. "'I don’t see any real possibility of the House and Senate passing two bills, reconciling them together and sending something to the president,' said Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators."

"Recent government sanctions against predatory for-profit colleges that preyed on veterans by using inflated job promises have opened the window on the wider challenges of helping veterans transition from service to higher education," NPR reports.

"Staci Forrester is among thousands of Illinois college students who are collateral damage in the ongoing Illinois budget battle," the Herald-Whig reports.

"While much of the nation is steadily boosting state funding for higher education, several recent reports suggest the opposite is true in Wisconsin, though the governor's office argues that's not the full story," the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.

"In his State of the State address, Gov. Jerry Brown rightly stressed fiscal prudence and the financial uncertainties posed by future recessions, pension liabilities and unpredictable revenue levels. What he didn't mention was the challenge posed by a growing skills gap that threatens California's ability to compete and prosper in a changing economy," Dick Ackerman and Mel Levine write for The Sacramento Bee.

"Since the Great Recession and recovery, conventional wisdom has held that a decent share of recent college graduates are working as baristas or sales clerks instead of putting their degrees to use," MarketWatch reports.

"​The U.S. Education Department (ED) plans to change states' access to data from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) beginning in 2017. But some state leaders fear this change will make it harder for them to administer their state aid programs, which could have a trickle-down effect on community college students and the financial aid officers who serve them," according to Community College Daily.

"In a well-publicized 2012 action, the attorneys general of 20 U.S. states stopped a company called QuinStreet from using a military-branded website, GIBill.com, to steer American veterans to controversial for-profit colleges. But it turns out that marketers, including QuinStreet itself, have continued to engage in similar practices since then," David Halperin writes for The Huffington Post.

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