Financial Aid Compliance Solutions - Let’s Talk Financial Aid for College™

Welcome to another episode of the Let’s Talk Financial Aid for College Podcast.

Today, on Columbus Day, we celebrate America’s history.

First and foremost, if it weren’t for Christopher Columbus sailing the blue oceans in 1492 with the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, and landing in the Americas on a quest for an easier route to Asia on behalf of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, we wouldn’t be here.

Several years ago, I found out through a genealogy research project that I am Italian on my mother’s paternal side. It was the coolest feeling to discover that my family has roots in the Schlern-Sciliar Mountain, a mountain in the Dolomite range in South Tyrol, Italy.

So, I found it pretty interesting that Christopher Columbus, who was born in Genoa, Italy, was technically only a little over 5 hours away from where my ancestors lived.

Christopher Columbus was an explorer and an excellent seaman. Back then, navigation relied exclusively on maps and the stars. Still, it’s no wonder he ended up off course and landed on an island in the Bahamas, now known as San Salvador.

The moon and stars were the Google Maps of the 1400s, and I imagine that if the high seas went completely dark (technology turned off - unavailable), the world’s military and seamen still use them today.

For a moment, try to imagine what you’d feel as a member of his crew, or even put yourself in Christopher’s shoes, knowing that’s all he and his crew had to navigate across the Atlantic in search of a shorter route to Asia so Europe could trade with Asia—keeping in mind that you probably know folks today who cannot navigate using the in-car device to go 10 miles down the road.

After considering both, I’m happy to celebrate a man who dared to explore. To take on the unknown while probably riddled with anxiety and fear of failure. His emotions offer a lesson for us all as he took on such an enormous undertaking. We all can relate to how he must have felt.

So, to all of us who are explorers at heart, Happy Columbus Day! It’s a great day in history, and we should celebrate it to the fullest.

~Daina Anderson Sharples

Welcome to a new season of Let’s Talk Financial Aid for College™.

Where I share all the news about Federal Student Aid and how the happenings in Washington, D.C., the policies, rules, and regulations funded with U.S. taxpayer money affect college financial aid.

Today’s episode features the announcement of new payment plans from Federal Student Aid to replace the illegal SAVE Plan. Click on the link for Repayment Plans.

Thank you for tuning in!

This episode features updates to the illegal SAVE Plan Settlement and what students enrolled in the illegal SAVE Plan must do to enroll in the Income-Driven Repayment Plan, the latest compliance audit findings, announcement of the annual in-person Federal Student Aid Training Conference, USDE announces release of tax forms 1098-E for student loan interest deductions on 2025 federal tax returns, and much more. 

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This episode highlights updates from USDE on the proposed settlement for the SAVE plan, and the impacts of the Somali fraud scandal in Minnesota extend to Federal Student Aid being robbed with ghost students, and much more. 

©2025 - DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC - All Rights Reserved

Friday's episode provides updates from Federal Student Aid on how the government shutdown is affecting students' and their families' lives and their livelihoods. 

©2025 - DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC - All Rights Reserved

Today's episode features the release of the 2026/2027 FAFSA® and what you need to do to complete it. 

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Friday's episode was dedicated to Charlie Kirk. 

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This episode provides information on how the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) affects student loan repayment and the USDE's announcement that interest accrual on the Biden-Harris administration's illegal SAVE plan will begin on Friday, August 1, 2025. 

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This episode provides updates on the USDE's loan repayment process, 2025/2026 FAFSA tips, and what students need to know before accepting award offers from their prospective schools, as well as updates on antisemitism investigations from the Committee on Education and the Workforce. 

©Copyrights 2025 - DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC - All Rights Reserved