We are pleased to announce we have posted EDExpress for Windows 2026–27, Release 2.0, in the Software and Other Tools area of the Knowledge Center website.
Release 2.0 adds full Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant), William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan), and Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant functionality for the 2026–27 award cycle. This release also adds functionality enabling you to report student Federal Work-Study (FWS) data using the Campus-Based common record schema. The Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System will begin processing FWS data separately during summer 2026.
In addition, you can find the following EDExpress 2026–27 documents on the Knowledge Center website:
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EDExpress 2026–27, Installation Guide (provides technical and installation guidance)
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EDExpress 2026–27, Release 2.0 Cover Letter (provides critical information regarding enhancements and other updates in Release 2.0)
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EDExpress 2026–27, Release 2.0 Desk Reference (includes step-by-step guidance regarding EDExpress Pell Grant and Direct Loan functionality in Release 2.0)
We also posted an updated version of the EDExpress for Windows 2026-2027 Packaging Technical Reference, which includes revisions related to updated legislative functionality in Release 2.0.
Note: Volume 3 of the 2026–27 COD Technical Reference, which provides technical guidance and record layouts for use with the EDExpress 2026–27 Pell Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant modules, will be available in the near future for download from the Knowledge Center website.
EDExpress 2026–27, Release 2.0 features several major enhancements related to the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). This includes updates to the Application Processing module to enable the user to import the revised 2026–27 Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR), which includes new and revised fields. The FAFSA Processing System (FPS) began generating ISIRs according to the updated record layout on April 27, 2026.
Additional legislative changes to the Packaging, Pell Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant modules in EDExpress 2026–27, Release 2.0 are tied to implementation of Workforce Pell or revised Direct Loan lending limits. For more information on these specific changes, see the EDExpress 2026–27, Release 2.0 Cover Letter.
The U.S. Department of Education is currently engaged in rulemaking on numerous OBBBA provisions. While final regulations are forthcoming, we are providing this technical guidance to support institutions, states, and vendors in preparing their systems to implement these changes. If the forthcoming regulations result in changes to these technical updates, we will provide additional guidance at that time.
We have continued to modernize the EDExpress user interface in 2026–27 by enhancing print functionality for reports, lists, letters, and other documents to improve readability, standardize reports across programs, and provide additional formatting options for user-defined text.
We also redesigned the installation and initial setup process for EDExpress 2026–27 as described below.
Due to the redesigned installation process for EDExpress 2026–27, you’re now only required to confirm the location on your workstation where you want EDExpress 2026–27 program files installed. All other options that were previously part of the installation process, including selecting the location of your EDExpress database, are now steps you complete as part of the “Get Started” process when you start the software for the first time following installation.
During the installation of EDExpress 2026–27, Release 2.0, you may be prompted to install additional software components to your workstation that are required for EDExpress. These components include:
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Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016
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Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime 8.0
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Microsoft Visual C++ 2022 Redistributable Package
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Web View 2
If EDExpress prompts you to install any of these software components, we recommend allowing the installation to proceed.
For more information on EDExpress software and hardware recommendations and requirements, see the EDExpress 2026–27 Installation Guide.
When you first access EDExpress 2026–27 after installation, select “Get Started” on the initial screen to initiate a “wizard” feature that assists you with the following:
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Selecting EDExpress functionality to install or omit from the workstation’s iteration of the software. If you’re running this process after installing Release 2.0, you must select the modules you want to add (Pell, Direct Loan, TEACH, and/or Campus Based).
Note: Global and application processing functionality is installed automatically and cannot be excluded. If you previously installed the College Financing Plan and Packaging modules and you want to continue using these modules in Release 2.0, be sure to select the checkboxes for each module.
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Entering the user ID and password for the system administrator or a primary user if upgrading from Release 1.0 to Release 2.0.
If you’re upgrading from Release 1.0 to Release 2.0, the system will prompt you to run a database update process after the “Get Started” process completes. We recommend you allow the system to complete this quick process to ensure critical software updates are installed.
For more detailed information and guidance on EDExpress 2026–27 installation and initial setup screens, see the EDExpress 2026–27 Installation Guide.
If you have questions regarding this message, please contact the FPS Help Desk at 1-800-330-5947 or by email at support@fps.ed.gov. The FPS Help Desk provides customer service for the FPS, the Student Aid Internet Gateway, and the EDExpress for Windows software.