New Features

This set of notes provides a summary of updates delivered across multiple recent releases. These changes focus on improving stability, streamlining partner workflows, and addressing key issues raised by partners. Updates related to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) are not included in this summary; partners can find information about training on the recent changes to the E-App for certain workforce programs (Workforce Pell) in our June 25, 2026, Training Announcement.

1. Financial Aid Director (FAD) Copied on DocuSign Envelopes

The system will now automatically copy FADs on DocuSign envelopes associated with the institutional eligibility process, including eligibility PDFs and third-party servicer (TPS) inquires sent to presidents for signature. This enhancement improves visibility and ensures FADs can track signature requests for eligibility PDFs and TPS inquiries throughout the approval process. Enrollment-related Docusign processes are not impacted by this change.

What this means for you:

• FADs receive automatic notifications; no action required.
• FADs are better able to coordinate during eligibility-related signature workflows.

2. Manage Administrators Without a Primary SAIG Mailbox

Primary and Secondary Administrators can now add or replace each other even when an organization does not have a primary SAIG mailbox on file.

What this means for you:

• Missing SAIG mailbox data no long blocks administrator role updates.
• The Manage User Accounts area offers new functionality to manage administrators.

3. Individual and Batch Mailboxes Now Display in Access Tables

Access tables in My Account and the Account Access Management Center (AAMC) now show all mailbox types tied to a user’s access including individual mailboxes and batch mailboxes.

What this means for you:

• Users will see the correct mailbox next to each service or access entry.
• Users will experience reduced log-in confusion and improved visibility into mailbox associations.

4. Automatic Removal of FAFSA Partner Portal (FPP) Access

When a user removes FAFSA Processing System batch access from a batch mailbox (for nonstate organizations), the system will automatically remove FPP access from the mailbox owner.

What this means for you:

• User access remains accurate and aligned with mailbox updates.
• No manual cleanup is needed.

5. Access and Identity Management System (AIMS) Status Now Visible in Access Tables and User Reports

Partners can now view each user’s AIMS status directly in access tables and user-level reports. Statuses include:

• active
• risk of being disabled
• risk of being deactivated
• disabled

What this means for you:

• You can quickly identify users at your institution who may lose access soon.
• Administrators can proactively manage accounts, supported by updated CSV reporting.

6. Batch Service Enrollment Conflicts

When organizations attempt to enroll in batch services already assigned to a different SAIG mailbox, FSA Partner Connect will now display a popup warning. The window will:

• identify the organization and SAIG mailbox number currently associated,
• list the batch services that would be removed if the new selection is approved, and
• appear when a TPS or district-servicing organization is receiving batch services on behalf of the school.

What this means for you:

• The system provides clearer messaging to prevent accidental overrides.
• Users can make better decisions before confirming batch service changes.

7. Search for Existing Users on the E-App

Partners can now search and select existing contacts when assigning Eligibility and Oversight Administrator roles within the AAMC.

What this means for you:

• Users don’t need to recreate contacts already in the system.
• Search excludes users in access removed or disabled statuses.
• The system returns all official roles, including Application Administrators, in the results.

8. New Search Bar on the Services and Accesses Table

Administrators can now search the Services and Accesses table by organization code or organization name.

What this means for you:

• Users can quickly navigate long lists of services tied to each SAIG mailbox without excessive paging through hundreds of associations.
• Organizations with complex configurations can be much more efficient.

9. eZ-Audit Access Management

Primary and Secondary Administrators are now empowered to manage all eZ-Audit access, a responsibility previously limited to Eligibility and Oversight Administrators.

What this means for you:

• All Administrators can now add eZ-Audit access.
• All eZ-Audit workflows are now accessible directly in the AAMC.

10. Automatic Transfer of School User Access After a Change of Affiliation (COA) or Merger

When an institution undergoes a COA or a merger, FSA Partner Connect will now automatically transfer users to the new OPEID.

What this means for you:

• User access will follow the new organization automatically.
• Users can access the old OPEID for 120 days for transition purposes; then the system will remove the old OPEID.
• Fewer log-in issues and case escalations compared with previous affiliation changes.

FSA Partner Connect now includes integrated SAIG Enrollment functionality. This enhancement allows institutions, state agencies, guaranty agencies, and third-party servicers to initiate and manage SAIG enrollment directly within the platform. Users can submit participation changes, track request statuses in real time, and benefit from a more secure and streamlined workflow—all without leaving FSA Partner Connect. This update supports our ongoing commitment to simplify processes and improve transparency across the federal student aid ecosystem.

The second major release of Partner Connect features the redesigned Pre-Eligibility Application and E-App! Postsecondary institutions use the Pre-Eligibility Application and/or E-App to apply for designation as an eligible institution for initial participation and to request recertification, reinstatement, change in ownership, to update a current approval, or report information.

The new online Third-Party Servicers Inquiry form gathers third-party servicer information and is used to validate information reported by higher education institutions regarding third party servicers that administer any aspect of the institution’s participation in the Title IV programs.

The second iteration of the FSA Partner Connect Dashboard provides 6 distinct dashboard types based on the user's organization: School User Dashboard, Third Party Servicer (TPS) User Dashboard (new), Federal Loan Servicer User Dashboard, FSA User Dashboard, Guarantor & Lender User Dashboard(new), and a General User Dashboard. School Users and TPS Users benefit from the addition of Eligibility & Oversight notifications and new case management capabilities. Guarantor & Lender users will also be presented with a case module showing their most recent cases.

The reports feature on the FSA Partner Connect Website contains the Weekly School File, Weekly Institutional Updates, Weekly Closed School Search File, and Monthly Closed School Reports. The Weekly School File contains school demographic and eligibility related data. You can subscribe to receive notifications when a new weekly school file is posted.

The Weekly Institutional Update Report is a weekly summary of all actions affecting institutional participation in the Title IV, FSA programs. The Weekly Closed School Search File is a weekly update of all the Closed Schools with the cumulative list of all closed schools. The Monthly Closed Schools Report includes two sections: Section I and Section II. Section I Closed School Report includes the summary of all closed schools for the past month. Section II Closed School Report lists updates to closed schools or to school closure data reported in error.

Partner Search provides the ability to search and view information about a partner organization. With Release 2.0, FSA has launched the School Third-Party Servicer Search and Profile. The Partner Search - Third-Party Servicer Search is organized to provide a user-friendly navigation through the different sections of servicer information. The Partner Search – School Third-Party Servicer Profile also includes contact information and publicly available demographic information about the school, as well as information on the services they provide and relationships with schools. Depending on the user role, there are varying levels of access to the School Third-Party Servicer Profile.

Federal Student Aid (FSA) recognizes the importance of strong data security. FSA collaborates with partners to protect personally identifiable information (PII), prevent data breaches, and provide robust methods to ensure proper cybersecurity is in place. FSA created a new intake form for submitting Cybersecurity breaches.

The Knowledge Center organizes the Federal Student Aid (FSA) resources and information articles about Title IV federal student aid from the former Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) website in a modernized look and feel with an improved user experience.

• Library – Within the Knowledge Center, publications continue to be organized in the “Library” by Resource Type, Program, Functional Area, and System.
• What’s New – All publications from the last 14 days will continue to appear on the What’s New page.
• Topics – A newly-named “Topics” area is where you will access informational pages from IFAP.
• Featured Information and Quick Links – In these two areas of Knowledge Center Home, you will be able to access links and resources that are most often needed, including Electronic Announcements and the Federal Student Aid Handbook.
• FAQs – All the frequently asked questions (FAQs) that were located on the former IFAP website are now organized in one location.
• Advanced Search – The Advanced Search feature helps you quickly and easily find the information you are looking for by filtering by Resource Type, Calendar Year, and/or Publication Date.
• Subscription – You can stay current on the most recent publications to the Knowledge Center by subscribing for updates, offered in a daily or weekly format.

The redesigned Federal Student Aid Handbook and Foreign Schools Handbook were enhanced with a series of features to improve the user experience. The new web versions of the Federal Student Aid Handbook and Foreign Schools Handbook introduces an interactive table of contents and search features within the current handbooks that allow you to access the information accurately and efficiently. The new PDF Handbook consolidates the PDF documents for each Federal Student Aid Handbook year onto one page. Also included is the Federal Student Aid Handbook Glossary, which provides a list of terms and their definitions found throughout both handbooks.

The FSA Partner Connect Dashboard provides a quick, top-level overview of an organization’s current operational status with call outs for the most important information. This information includes a personalized header with the user’s role, tenure, and a picture as well as the date the user last logged in; Quick Links to frequently used sites; and a listing of upcoming Scheduled System Outages, Important Dates, What’s New, and FSA Twitter. School Users, School Third-Party Servicer Users, and ED Employee Users will also be presented notifications regarding important items and Summary Financials and Operations information.

The Student, Parent, Borrower Accounts searches provide a simplified search functionality to easily access information about a student, parent, or borrower. There are three streamlined searches, including Account Search, Date Range Search, and Record ID Search. Depending on the user role, there are varying levels of access to the Student, Parent, Borrower Accounts area.

Partner Search provides the ability to search and view information about a partner organization. With Release 1.0, FSA has launched the School Search and Profile, with additional profile types to come in future releases. The School Profile is organized to provide a user-friendly navigation through the different sections of school information. The School Profile also includes contact information and publicly available demographic information about the school, as well as eligibility, financial, and relationships information for a school. Depending on the user role, there are varying levels of access to a school’s profile.