Financial Aid System Release Notes - August 2025
This month, we are highlighting document enhancements, batch management improvements, funding estimate updates, and new student funding estimate PDF details. Together, these updates help institutions streamline disbursement processing, simplify batch management, strengthen compliance controls, and provide greater financial transparency for students.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Document Award Year Linking – Automated by Student Start Date
With this new feature, institutions can now ensure that student documents are automatically linked to the correct award year based on the student’s future start date in Core. This prevents delays in processing and eliminates situations where funds are held due to misaligned award year tagging.
What It Is
A new feature flag allows schools to enable automated award year assignment for documents tied to new students.
Who It's For
Financial aid teams managing document tracking and award year assignments.
Problem Solved
Removes the need for manual award year tagging, preventing funds from being incorrectly held for future years.
Why It Matters
Automation improves accuracy, speeds up processing, and ensures students’ aid is released without unnecessary delays.
Batch Management – New “Check All” Option
With this new feature, institutions can streamline batch transaction management by selecting and moving multiple transactions at once. A new “Check All” checkbox makes reassignment faster and easier.
What It Is
A “Check All” option has been added in batch transaction management, allowing users to quickly select all transactions in a batch.
Who It’s For
Financial aid and business office staff managing high volumes of batch transactions.
Problem Solved:
Users no longer need to select each transaction individually, saving time and reducing manual effort.
Why It Matters
This enhancement speeds up batch reassignment while still giving staff the flexibility to move individual transactions when needed.
Step 1
Step 2
Funding Estimate – New Signature Option
With this new feature, schools now have greater flexibility and control over how student signatures are required for funding estimates (FEs). Institutions can configure signature policies to align with their compliance needs and student communication preferences.
What It Is
A new setting that allows schools to require a student signature for every funding estimate, even if a student has previously signed one.
Who It's For
Financial aid teams responsible for managing funding estimates and ensuring compliance.
Problem Solved
Provides schools with options to ensure students explicitly confirm each new funding estimate, reducing compliance risks.
Why It Matters
Institutions can now choose from multiple signature policies:
- Always required – Students must sign every FE.
- Passive acceptance (after first FE signed) – Only the first FE requires signature.
- Passive acceptance (all FEs) – No student signatures are required.
- This enhancement ensures schools can adopt the approach that best balances compliance requirements and administrative efficiency.
Student Funding Estimate PDF – Gross Loan Amounts Added
With this new feature, students now have clearer visibility into both the gross and net loan amounts in their funding estimate PDF. This provides greater transparency and helps students better understand the true amount borrowed versus what they will actually receive after loan fees.
What It Is
The student-facing funding estimate PDF has been updated to display both gross and net loan amounts.
Who It's For
Students reviewing their financial aid packages and financial aid teams supporting loan counseling.
Problem Solved
Previously, only net amounts (after loan fees) were shown, which could lead students to believe the net amount was their total loan.
Why It Matters
- Students now see both gross and net loan values side by side.
- Improves financial literacy and helps students make more informed borrowing decisions.
This enhancement increases clarity for students and reduces confusion during the financial aid process.
We’d love to hear from you and your colleagues about product feedback or what you'd like to see next.
Sign up to participate in future product feedback sessions or early design reviews.
Was this article helpful?
That’s Great!
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry! We couldn't be helpful
Thank you for your feedback
Feedback sent
We appreciate your effort and will try to fix the article