Dear Colleague:
We are pleased to announce that the Learning Tracks available in the FSA Training Center have been updated with 2023–24 content as of Aug. 11, 2023. Learning Tracks offer short, focused courses on single-item subjects in categories such as Funds Management, Packaging Aid, and School Eligibility. For 2023–24, there are eight categories offering 30 different “tracks.”
Learning Tracks are award year specific. You are encouraged to complete training each year to keep your understanding of the topic current. Your Record of Learning will reflect this, and you will be able to download Certificates of Completion for completing the new year’s tracks.
Track Spotlight
We have developed several learning tracks to help you with implementation of FAFSA Simplification Act changes required for the 2023–24 award year:
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Professional Judgment and Dependency Status Determinations in the Aid Application Process category
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Understanding COA and Need Analysis in the Packaging Aid category
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Prison Education Programs in the Grants and Work Study category
We are also pleased to announce that the FSA Basic Training for New Staff training course has been updated with 2023–24 content on Aug. 11, 2023. This asynchronous, online course is designed for newly hired, entry-level financial aid administrators (FAAs) as well as school officials from outside the financial aid office who want to learn how to administer the federal student aid programs. It can also be used as a comprehensive refresher course for more experienced staff.
By completing the modules in this course, you will gain a basic understanding of the parts and pieces of federal student aid administration. You may complete the modules in any order you wish. The course is self-paced and takes 20–30 hours to complete.
Modules include:
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Federal Student Aid Overview
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FAA Resources
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The Student Aid Application Process
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Packaging Aid/Pell and Loan Concepts
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Managing the Campus-Based Programs
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Cash Management
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Student Departures
Note: We also offer FSA Coach Fundamentals, a training course that provides comprehensive instruction on the administration of the federal student aid programs. While these two courses are similar in content, they are designed for unique audiences and are also unique in course design. To ensure that you are enrolling in the course that is right for you, please view the short video titled “Fundamentals vs Basics: Which FSA Training is Right for You?” that is available from the “Start Your Training Here” icon in the center of the FSA Training Center homepage.
To access the updated content, log into the FSA Training Center with your username and password:
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To access Learning Tracks, select “Learning Tracks” from the main menu bar. From the drop-down menu, choose a category, such as “Grants and Work Study.” Choose the track you wish to complete from the list of available tracks. Select "Start Here" to launch the track.
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To access FSA Basic Training for New Staff 2023–24, select “Training Courses” from the main menu bar. From the drop-down menu, choose “FSA Basic Training for New Staff” and then select "Start Here" to launch the course.
Note: If you do not have a username and password for the FSA Training Center, scroll to the bottom of the login page and choose "Create new account." Follow the instructions to create a username and password.
We look forward to your participation in these training opportunities. If you have questions, please send an email to helpdesk.fsatraining@ed.gov.
Sincerely,
Federal Student Aid