Among our most important values at McClintock & Associates is maintaining close working relationships with clients. We base these connections on trust, transparency and, of course, a deep understanding of the financial aid system that comes from personal experience. We’re rewarded in our work simply by discovering solutions to our…
As we frequently say in our office, “Don’t ask questions that you don’t want the answer to” — and the issuance of the Guide for Compliance Attestation Engagements of Proprietary Schools Expending Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (Guide) by the Office of Inspector General might fall into that category. We…
Along with wide-ranging overhauls and easy-to-implement changes to regulations surrounding Title IV programs, the Department of Education (ED) annually makes more subtle changes or additions that can pass under the radar. Big or small, any alteration to the Federal Student Aid Handbook matters. To that end, recently while we were…
Recently, we have been receiving questions from institutions whether electronic signatures are acceptable for the Statement of Educational Purpose (SEP). Under normal circumstances, students sign this document at an institution’s financial aid office or in front of a notary public, making a “wet,” or physical, signature. However, with pandemic measures…
If your financial aid department had a New Year’s resolution a year ago, it’s possible you tossed it out the window not all that long into a 2020 that veered wildly off-course. We can’t blame you for it, but from an institutional standpoint, it’s important to stay on track during…
This article was original published in the March 2021 issue of Career Education Review and reproduced here with permission. Article originally posted at careereducationreview.net. If you’re getting a sense of déjà vu, you’re probably not alone, as more coronavirus relief programs with some familiar names are top of mind for…
During 2020, the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), included as part of the wide-ranging CARES Act, provided a lifeline to institutions of higher education and their students. As the policy and requirements for both the student and institutional grants evolved over the year, schools were required to post regular…
On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2021 (Act) was signed into law which includes relief funds for the COVID-19 pandemic. This Act is hopefully going to provide continued relief to individuals and our economy. The Act’s relief provisions included $81.88 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund and $23…