Financial Aid Articles
These articles cover the work of the financial aid office and the Title IV rules it administers. Topics include Pell and Workforce Pell, FAFSA and packaging, verification, compliance and audits, and how aid rule changes reach the rest of the institution.
Articles
It Takes a Campus: What Really Goes Into Gainful Employment Reporting
One federal report can depend on data maintained, produced, or validated across an entire institution.
Read More →
Workforce Pell Is Live. Is Your College Actually Ready to Administer It?
A short-term program becomes Pell-eligible only after a demanding institutional, state, and federal process. Workforce Pell is a cross-functional...
Read More →
Financial Aid Rules Changed. Did Your Systems and Procedures Change?
Regulatory implementation is complete only when current authority is reflected in systems, procedures, forms, websites, training, testing, and...
Read More →
Pell Rules Changed. Did Your Systems, Controls, and Procedures Change?
The rule changes are federal. The work required to implement them is institutional. The 2026-27 Pell changes are not merely calculation updates.
Read More →
Hey, Executive Leadership – Pay Attention to Financial Aid
Financial aid is a heavily regulated operation that touches enrollment, compliance, and student trust. Ten questions executive leadership should...
Read More →
What Happens When Your Financial Aid Director Leaves Tomorrow?
A Financial Aid Director can resign on a Friday. Title IV deadlines do not resign with them. A departure is a test of whether the operation can continue.
Read More →
The Real Compliance Risk Isn’t the Regulation. It’s Organizational Health.
Every institution follows the same Title IV rules, yet audit outcomes vary widely. The regulations are not the variable. The organization is.
Read More →
Reconciliation Isn’t Month-End Cleanup. It’s Financial Aid’s Financial Early Warning System
Reconciliation is often treated as month-end cleanup. The strongest financial aid offices build it into the operating rhythm of the office, where...
Read More →
Workforce Pell Is a Multi-Office Executive Level Decision, Not a Financial Aid Office Decision
Workforce Pell opens Pell Grant eligibility to certain short-term programs beginning with the 2026-27 award year. Eligibility depends on...
Read More →
Three Pell Grant Changes Landing July 1. Does Your Cabinet Know Who Owns the Risk?
Three Pell Grant changes for 2026-27 are not just a financial aid problem. Keith W. Cobb on why the real exposure is institutional, and the...
Read More →
