Forward progress continues on StudentAid.gov, our single front door on the web for students, parents, and borrowers. On May 16, 2021, we made additional updates to features designed to improve the information and self-service tools available to our customers. These updates continue to provide students, parents, and borrowers with clear, actionable information about the aid they have received and personalized guidance on the loan repayment process.
This announcement summarizes new and updated features that are now available.
Updated Features on StudentAid.gov and the myStudentAid Mobile App
Several features were updated with this release.
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Aidan® Virtual Assistant – Aidan is a virtual assistant that can answer common questions about federal student aid by using advanced technology to evaluate customers’ requests and guide them to the correct information and resources. When Aidan launched in December 2019, the tool was only available to 10% of visitors who were logged in to StudentAid.gov. With this release, Aidan is now available to all visitors to StudentAid.gov, including those who are not logged in. This increased availability expands customer self-service and improves access to federal student aid support.
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myStudentAid Mobile App Updates – We have added a few features to the myStudentAid mobile app. Users can now complete a Master Promissory Note or the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment directly in the app, rather than being linked to a mobile browser. The Aidan Virtual Assistant has also been added to the mobile app.
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Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment Updates – The Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment has been updated to:
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Give customers the ability to select a role (undergraduate student, graduate student, parent) allowing for a more personalized experience
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Break out the content from a single, long page to a format consisting of shorter and easier-to-digest modules
Note: While there have been minor updates to the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment, there is no operational impact to schools; information received by schools from the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System is unchanged in responses, on the COD website and on reports.
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Loan Simulator Updates – Loan Simulator has been updated to include CARES Act flexibilities, including the pause of loan payments and the temporary 0% interest rate.
Additional Tools and Features Launching in 2021
Throughout 2021, additional tools and features will be introduced to improve our customers’ understanding of and interactions with the Title IV aid programs. Details about new tools and features will be provided in forthcoming Electronic Announcements posted on the FSA Partner Connect Knowledge Center.
We will also share information about FSA’s modernization efforts through partner emails, social media posts, and targeted outreach campaigns to ensure everyone knows what to expect going forward. Additional information about these efforts, including fact sheets and image walk-throughs on various resources, can be found on the FSA Data Center.
We appreciate your interest and support of FSA’s modernization efforts.