FSA intends to launch a FSA Payment Card (“FSA Payment Card Program”) to facilitate FSA loan refunds, along with other funds, originated by participating schools. Currently, FSA loan money is received directly by the Institutions of Higher Learning whereby schools apply those funds to student accounts for tuition and fees. The Institutions of Higher Learning …
June 28, 2016: Sigma Systems is pleased to announce the addition of a Senior Project Manager. For those clients who have been with Sigma for some time, you will recognize the name Harriet Downer! Harriet is a former Executive Vice President at Sigma. She will be taking over for Kevin Christian. Kevin is moving on …
May 31, 2016: Sigma is pleased to announce a second client to migrate to the ProSAM Solution Suite in recent weeks! Also a long-time user of Sigma System’s, Student Aid Management system (SAM), University of California San Diego, has selected Sigma’s, best in class, Financial Aid solution, ProSAM, to succeed SAM and administer their student …
April 30, 2016: Long-time user of Sigma System’s Student Aid Management system (SAM), Michigan State University (MSU), has selected Sigma’s premier Financial Aid solution, ProSAM, to succeed SAM and administer their complex student aid needs. ProSAM is expected to take over primary production processing for financial aid commencing with the 2018-19 academic year. Congratulations, MSU …
February 18, 2016: Early FAFSA Electronic Announcement #2 – Preparing for 2017-2018 Early FAFSA and Prior-Prior Year Author: Jeff Baker, Director, Policy Liaison and Implementation, Federal Student Aid This Electronic Announcement is the second in what will be a series of announcements providing the community with important information about the development and implementation of the …
October 20, 2015: Beginning with the 2017-2018 academic year, the Department of Education will move to Prior-Prior-Year (PPY) tax data. This move is being made in order to allow students to fill out the FAFSA in October for the following school year. Students will then have reliable and available tax data when they file the …
November 4, 2014: The newly released Gainful Employment regulations affect both public and private colleges and universities, in addition to for-profit vocational training institutions. It’s estimated that implementation will cost institutions an average of $51.55 per student per year and will place a substantial burden on campus IT departments.
February 11, 2014: Campus executives are likely unaware of what needs to be accomplished and when to comply. CIOs may want to begin that discussion now.
December 18, 2013: Gainful Employment: A bookmarked copy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) User Guide is now available at this link in the Read More tab. The supplementary materials, that includes the structure of the code and 249 pages of SOC Definitions, is available at this link in the Read More …
December 17, 2013: Gainful Employment: Two print formatted PDFS of the Department’s Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code mapping to and from the Bureau of Labor Statistic Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes are available by selection at this link in the Read More button dated 16 and 17 December. A workbook including the two original data files is available at …
December 16, 2013: Gainful Employment: Five PDF print files of the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes used in GE calculations and reporting are available from instructional media + magic inc. by selection from this link in the Read More button. A an Excel workbook of the original NCES data and the five reports is available from …
December 13, 2013: Negotiated Rulemaking Committee fails to reach consensus; the Department of Education no longer required to follow suggestions or recommendations of the Committee. Excellent EdCentral reporting and comment by New America Foundation’s Ben Miller, former Senior Policy Advisor in the U.S. Department of Education.
November 18, 2013: Today begins the second negotiation session around employment at the U.S. Department of Education offices on K Street. Negotiators will meet for at least three full days from Monday to Wednesday.
November 8, 2013: Gainful Employment draft regulations were released November 8, 2013. The Negotiated Rule-making Meeting began November 18. Excellent EdCentral reporting and comment by Ben Miller.