Recently, we have been receiving questions from institutions whether electronic signatures are acceptable for the Statement of Educational Purpose (SEP). Under normal circumstances, students sign this document at an institution’s financial aid office or in front of a notary public, making a “wet,” or physical, signature. However, with pandemic measures meaning...
If your financial aid department had a New Year’s resolution a year ago, it’s possible you tossed it out the window not all that long into a 2020 that veered wildly off-course. We can’t blame you for it, but from an institutional standpoint, it’s important to stay on track during...
This article was originally published in the March 2021 issue of Career Education Review and reproduced here with permission. Article originally posted at careereducationreview.net. If you’re getting a sense of déjà vu, you’re probably not alone, as more coronavirus relief programs with some familiar names are top of mind for higher...
During 2020, the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), included as part of the wide-ranging CARES Act, provided a lifeline to institutions of higher education and their students. As the policy and requirements for both the student and institutional grants evolved over the year, schools were required to post regular...
If you had any personal New Year’s resolutions a year ago, it’s possible you tossed them out the window not all that long into a 2020 that veered wildly off-course. We can’t blame you for it, but from an institutional standpoint, it’s important to stay on track during a challenging...
On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2021 (Act) was signed into law which includes relief funds for the COVID-19 pandemic. This Act is hopefully going to provide continued relief to individuals and our economy. The Act’s relief provisions included $81.88 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund and $23...
Just in time for the holidays, Congress passed a new $900 billion stimulus bill in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Of particular note is the $284 billion set aside for a second round of funding for the popular Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provided forgivable Small Business Administration (SBA)...
On December 11, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued a Federal Register notice updating waivers and modifications of statutory and regulatory provisions governing the Federal student financial aid programs. We have reviewed these provisions and identified the items that will have the greatest impact on our audit procedures. Read on...