Note
Dec. 11, 2023, Update: The additional training resources (video tutorials and job aids) described in this announcement are available now. See the “Additional Training Resources” section below for more information.
Dear Colleague:
We are pleased to announce a series of four webinars about the new features and functionality coming soon to FSA Partner Connect. In several recent Electronic Announcements (Oct. 20, 2023 and Nov. 17, 2023), we provided important information about the December 2023 implementation of the new Application for Approval to Participate in the Federal Student Financial Assistance Programs (E-App) in FSA Partner Connect. These webinars will describe the E-App’s new tools and resources and are designed to ease users’ transition to the new system.
We will present this webinar series in December 2023–January 2024. Each of the four one-hour sessions will be offered three different times to accommodate most schedules. Participants are encouraged to ask questions by typing them into the chat during the webinar and a live Q&A session follows each presentation.
Additional Training Resources
Self-paced learning resources are also available, including video tutorials and job aids to walk you through various step-by-step processes. See the "Additional Training Resources" section below for more information.
Refer to the information below for more details about each webinar, including instructions to add reminders to your calendar for the sessions that you would like to attend. You do not need to register for these webinars.
FSA Partner Connect Webinar Series Schedule and Links, December 2023–January 2024
The four live webinars in this series will be offered on four consecutive days, on three separate occasions. The only difference between each week of training is the webinar starting time:
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Week of Dec. 18, 2023: Webinars begin at 10 a.m. Eastern time (ET).
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Week of Jan. 16, 2024: Webinars begin at 1 p.m. ET.
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Week of Jan. 29, 2024: Webinars begin at 2 p.m. ET.
We encourage participants to mix and match webinars from any of the three weeks of training to best fit their schedule.
See below for complete details about each webinar, including the link to join on the day of the event.
Note: All session times in the schedule below are in Eastern time (ET). There may be a difference between your local time and Eastern time. To determine local time and its Eastern time zone equivalent, go to time.gov.
FSA Partner Connect Overview
This webinar will offer an introduction to new functionality and provide a summary of key features on FSA Partner Connect.
Date/Time/Link to Join Webinar:
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Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, 10–11 a.m. ET,
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Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, 1–2 p.m. ET, or
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Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, 2–3 p.m. ET.
Title IV Eligibility Applications
A new version of the E-App will be available in FSA Partner Connect for partners to submit new applications for school eligibility, recertifications of school eligibility, and other program participation changes. This webinar will provide an overview of these processes and demonstrate how to complete the new E-App.
Date/Time/Link to Join Webinar:
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Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, 10–11 a.m. ET,
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Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, 1–2 p.m. ET, or
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Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024, 2–3 p.m. ET.
Administrator Overview
The Eligibility & Oversight Administrator will facilitate account management and grant access to those who will edit and update the E-App and view specific eligibility and oversight-related cases. This webinar provides an overview of the Administrator role and how it manages user access to FSA Partner Connect for an organization.
Date/Time/Link to Join Webinar:
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Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, 10–11 a.m. ET,
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Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, 1–2 p.m. ET, or
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Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, 2–3 p.m. ET.
TPS Inquiry Form From A–Z
This webinar will guide third-party servicers in filling out the web-based Third-Party Servicer Inquiry Form, used to report information by third-party servicers who administer one or more aspects of the Title IV, HEA programs on an institution’s behalf. All third-party servicers will be required to electronically submit the form after implementation on FSA Partner Connect and keep it up to date going forward.
Date/Time/Link to Join Webinar:
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Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, 10–11 a.m. ET,
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Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, 1–2 p.m. ET, or
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Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, 2–3 p.m. ET.
Adding a Webinar Invitation to Your Calendar
To add an iCalendar invitation to your calendar now, to remind you of the webinar details, follow the instructions below:
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Log into the FSA Training Center (fsatraining.ed.gov).
Note: If you do not have a username and password for the FSA Training Center, select "Create new account" at the bottom of the login page and follow the instructions to create a username and password.
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Select “Systems Training” from the main menu bar. From the drop-down menu that appears, choose “FSA Partner Connect Training.”
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Select the “Partner” icon in the middle of the page. Scroll to the “Live Webinar Calendar.”
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Locate a webinar in the table and select the iCalendar file to download and save the invitation to your calendar. The invitation includes the webinar link. If Outlook is not your default calendar, you may download the iCalendar (.ics) file and then upload it to your system calendar. The table on the Upcoming Webinars page also includes a link to the webinar.
Additional Training Resources: Tutorials, Job Aids, and Recordings
In addition to the live webinars, self-paced training materials are available, including video tutorials and job aids to walk you through various step-by-step processes. A recorded version of each webinar will also be available, after conclusion of the first week of live sessions.
To view these additional resources, log in to the FSA Training Center as described above and once again select “Systems Training” from the main menu bar. From the drop-down menu that appears, choose “FSA Partner Connect Training” and then select the “Partner” icon in the middle of the page.
We look forward to your participation in this webinar series. If you have questions, please contact us at helpdesk.fsatraining@ed.gov.
Sincerely,
Federal Student Aid