We are pleased to announce that the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Handbook will be reorganized for the 2023-2024 award year. The reorganized FSA Handbook will consist of the Application and Verification Guide, nine numbered volumes, and appendices. As in the past, each volume and appendix will be posted on FSA’s Knowledge Center after it has been reviewed and approved by the appropriate offices in FSA and the Office of Postsecondary Education.
The 2023-2024 FSA Handbook will have three new volumes, each of which consolidates into a single volume guidance relevant to specific FSA programs that was previously included in two or more FSA Handbook volumes. By placing most guidance that is specific to a particular FSA program in a single volume and eliminating duplicate content, we hope to make the FSA Handbook easier for schools to use. Below we have provided a summary of how the 2022-2023 FSA Handbook will be structured for 2023-2024. These changes will be implemented as each volume of the 2023-2024 FSA Handbook is released. More information about specific changes to each volume can be found in the volume’s introduction.
Application and Verification Guide
Not affected by the reorganization.
Volume 1: Student Eligibility
Chapter 5 (Eligibility for Specific FSA Programs) will be removed, and all content of that chapter moved to Volume 6 and new Volumes 7, 8, and 9 (see below) as applicable. Volume 1 is otherwise not affected by the reorganization.
Volume 2: School Eligibility and Operations
Guidance on Direct Loan counseling and TEACH Grant counseling in Chapter 6 (Consumer Information and School Reporting) will be moved to new Volumes 8 and 9. Volume 2 is otherwise not affected by the reorganization.
Volume 3: Academic Calendars, Cost of Attendance, and Packaging
Volume 3: Academic Calendars, Cost of Attendance, and Packaging
The title of Volume 3 will be changed from “Calculating Awards and Packaging” to “Academic Calendars, Cost of Attendance, and Packaging.” For 2023-2024, Volume 3 will consist of current chapters 1 (Academic Years, Academic Calendars, Payment Periods, and Disbursements), 2 (Cost of Attendance (Budget)), and 7 (Packaging Aid), with current Chapter 7 redesignated as
Chapter 3.
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Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6 of current Volume 3 will be removed and the content placed in new volumes as indicated below.
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Chapter 3 (Calculating Pell and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant Awards): removed and all content placed in new Volume 7.
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Chapter 4 (Calculating TEACH Grants): removed and all content placed in new Volume 9.
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Chapter 5 (Direct Loan Periods and Amounts): removed and all content placed in new Volume 8.
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Chapter 6 (Awarding Campus-Based Aid): removed and all content placed in Volume 6.
Volume 4: Processing Aid and Managing FSA Funds
Not affected by the reorganization.
Volume 5: Withdrawals and the Return of Title IV Funds
Not affected by the reorganization.
Volume 6: The Campus-Based Programs
Volume 6 will be expanded to include information related to the Campus-Based Programs that was previously in Volume 1, Chapter 5 and Volume 3, Chapter 6. Volume 6 is otherwise not affected by the reorganization.
(New) Volume 7: The Federal Pell Grant Program and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants
New Volume 7 will contain all information related to Federal Pell Grants and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants that was previously in Volume 1, Chapter 5, and all guidance that was previously in Volume 3, Chapter 3.
(New) Volume 8: The Direct Loan Program
New Volume 8 will contain all information related to the Direct Loan Program that was previously in Volume 1, Chapter, 5, guidance on Direct Loan counseling that was previously in Volume 2, Chapter 6, and all guidance that was previously in Volume 3, Chapter 5.
(New) Volume 9: The TEACH Grant Program
New Volume 9 will contain all information related to the TEACH Grant Program that was previously in Volume 1, Chapter 5, guidance on TEACH Grant counseling that was previously in Volume 2, Chapter 6, and all guidance that was previously in Volume 3, Chapter 4.
Appendices
Not affected by the reorganization.
Contact Information
Questions and suggestions concerning the FSA Handbook can be sent through the Customer Support form in the FSA Partner Connect Help Center. To submit a question or suggestion, please complete the form and select “FSA Handbook” as the topic.