In a $1.1 trillion spending bill released late Tuesday night, congressional leaders have reached a compromise for government funding for federal fiscal year (FY) 2016. Coupled with the “Omnibus” spending package, a bill to extend several major tax breaks is also expected to move through the House and Senate before members depart for their holiday recess. For more information, click here.

Congratulations! You submitted your 2016–17 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)! Wondering what happens next? Find out about a few things to look out for here.

The National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 ended REAP on November 25, 2015. Some individuals will remain eligible for REAP benefits until November 25, 2019, while others are no longer eligible for REAP benefits. This change affects beneficiaries differently. Please see the VA website for more information. 

As part the Obama Administration’s continued effort to give borrowers more and better options to manage their student debt, today, the U.S. Department of Education announced that all Direct Loan borrowers may enroll in the Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) Plan. For more information, click here.

Texas A&M issued an infographic on November 12th which illustrates the impact Scholarships & Financial Aid has on college affordability through financial assistance and the services it provides. The infographic also provides important information regarding students’ indebtedness and their investment in a college degree at Texas A&M. Click here to view the infographic.

Priceonomics.com ranks Texas A&M as the top institution of higher education in the nation for the success of low-income students. Based on data obtained from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, Priceonomics editors created a list of schools that are "relatively accessible to low-income students given the strength of their outcomes." The ranking defines "low-income" as students from families with less than $30,000 in annual income.

Please visit Texas A&M Today for the full article.

As part of a continued effort to protect student loan borrowers and in response to President Obama's Student Aid Bill of Rights, the U.S. Department of Education today released a new report outlining a series of statutory, regulatory, and administrative recommendations to safeguard student borrowers.

To view the full article, please visit the U.S. Department of Education.

The U.S. Department of Education announced today that the official three-year federal student loan cohort default rate has declined to 11.8 percent for students who entered repayment in FY 2012. That drop was across all sectors of higher education—public, private and for-profit institutions.

To view the full article, visit www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/cohort-default-rate-continues-drop-across-all-higher-ed-sectors.

President Barack Obama took executive action on Sunday, September 13 to allow the use of prior-prior year (PPY) tax information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – a move long called for by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and others in the higher education community.

To view the full article, visit www.nasfaa.org/ppy_nasfaa_press_release.

Texas A&M University ranks second in the nation for providing services to veterans in transitioning into civilian careers after their military service, according to College Factual, an online service that helps prospective students make the best choices in selecting institutions of higher learning. The rankings were reported by the USA Today College Partner Network.
Editor’s Note: College Factual has recently updated its rankings algorithm. This article has been updated with the most recent data available for the 2015-2016 academic year.

To read the full article, visit http://college.usatoday.com/2015/11/11/best-colleges-for-veterans/