Top Six September 2026 Announcements for Higher Education Institutions

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

Upcoming Title IV Requirements & Other Notifications

1. ED Publishes Updated GE/FVT Submission Status Data for Prior Years; 2026 Cycle Reporting Due October 1 – ED has updated gainful employment/financial value transparency (GE/FVT) submission status data for prior reporting cycles and continues to monitor institutions with outstanding reporting requirements. As this NASFAA article emphasizes, higher education institutions should review their submission status and ensure all required GE/FVT data for the 2024 and 2025 reporting cycles is submitted by January 15, 2027, as no extensions will be granted. The 2026 reporting cycle is due October 1, 2026.
   
2. FSA Electronic Announcement CB-26-15, Reminder – FISAP Due Oct. 1, 2026 – Submissions for the Fiscal Operations Report for 2025–26 and the Application to Participate for 2027–28 (FISAP) are due October 1, 2026. Institutions participating in Campus-Based Programs should ensure final reviews and submission activities are completed immediately. Failure to meet the deadline may impact future allocations of Federal Work-Study and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant funding.
   
3. FSA Electronic Announcement GRANTS-26-05, Pell Grant 2025–26 Award Year Processing Deadline – September 30, 2026, is the final deadline to submit and reconcile 2025–26 Pell Grant records through the COD System and complete closeout activities. Institutions should verify that all origination, disbursement, and adjustment records have been accepted prior to the deadline and evaluate whether extended processing relief may be needed for qualifying circumstances.
   
4. FSA Electronic Announcement GRANTS-26-04, Reminder of TEACH Grant Closeout Information for 25–26 Award Year – The 2025–26 TEACH Grant closeout deadline is September 30, 2026. Institutions should complete all reconciliation activities and ensure a zero ending cash balance to successfully close out the award year.
   
5. FSA Electronic Announcement GENERAL-26-58, Federal Perkins Loan Servicer Change – School Transition Information – Federally held Perkins Loan servicing is transitioning from ECSI to GCR Servicing, with completion expected by December 1, 2026. Institutions should note that new Perkins Loan assignment submissions will pause beginning October 1, 2026, and plan accordingly for any pending or future assignments.
   
6. Schools Reporting Unusually Large Batches of Reprocessed UEH-Flagged ISIRs – NASFAA reports that institutions nationwide are receiving unusually large volumes of reprocessed Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) with Unusual Enrollment History (UEH) flags for the 2025–26 and 2026–27 award years. Institutions should review affected records and ensure required UEH reviews are completed before making additional Title IV disbursements when applicable.

Additional Resources

1. FSA Dear Colleague Letter ANN-26-23, FSA Partner Connect Training – Borrower Defense to Repayment for Administrators – ED has released training resources for the new borrower defense to repayment functionality that will be available in FSA Partner Connect beginning in October 2026. Institutions should log into the FSA Training Center to review the webinar recording and related materials to prepare staff for managing borrower defense notifications, case reviews, and evidence submissions through the new portal.
   
2. FSA Dear Colleague Letter ANN-26-22, Online Training Course – New Learning Tracks for OBBBA Implementation – Online, self-paced training materials are available for Workforce Pell, the first in a new training series about topics impacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). These can be accessed by logging into the FSA Training Center.
   
3. FSA Dear Colleague Letter ANN-26-24, Training Course – EDExpress 2027–28, Release 1.0: Connecting EDExpress to SQL Server – A new training course on connecting EDExpress 2027–28, Release 1.0 to Microsoft SQL Server is now available. Institutions using EDExpress should review the training materials to prepare for the required SQL Server transition beginning with the 2027–28 cycle.
   
4. Policy and Research Pulse: August 18 – September 14 – This NACUBO update highlights recent federal legislative, regulatory, and policy developments affecting higher education institutions, including student aid, tax, research, and compliance issues. Institutions should review the update to monitor emerging policy changes and assess potential operational and compliance impacts.
   
5. Cohort Default Rates Expected to Rise for First Time Since Pre-Pandemic Era – NASFAA reports that the fiscal year 2023 national cohort default rate is expected to increase as borrowers enter default again following the end of pandemic-related repayment protections. Institutions can review ED’s Live Webinars – Default Prevention recordings and resources here to strengthen default management strategies and prepare for increased repayment risk.

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