Blog
November 13, 2026
One thing I have observed is that submitting your FVT/GE files is an important step, but it does not necessarily mean the work is complete. You also need to verify that all required information has been included and reported accurately.
The good news? There is still time to get it right. The U.S. Department of Education’s Guidance on FVT/GE Data Reporting, STATS Early Implementation, and Next Steps for Publication (Updated Oct. 8, 2026) gave institutions an extension to complete required FVT/GE reporting for the 2024, 2025, and 2026 cycles, with all required data now due by Friday, Jan. 15, 2027. Institutions may also revise or correct previously submitted FVT/GE data through January 15, 2027, and institutions that submit all required data by that deadline will not need to provide a statement to the Secretary explaining their reporting deficiencies. That is a genuine second chance, and it is worth taking seriously.
The Department has already extended the 2024 and 2025 reporting deadlines several times, so I would not count on another reprieve. Starting well before January gives your team room to validate data, resolve discrepancies, and review submission results instead of scrambling in the final weeks. And if that still feels like a lot to take on, you are not alone.
I know firsthand how much there is to manage. As an Interim Director on the front lines of a Financial Aid Office, I was the one keeping daily operations moving while making sure the institution stayed compliant with required federal reporting. Some days that meant answering student questions in the morning and working through reporting requirements in the afternoon.
Those experiences shaped the guidance in this article, which I wrote for financial aid leaders and for the colleagues in institutional research, the registrar’s office, student accounts, and IT who make FVT/GE reporting possible. My goal is simple: to help your team review its reporting, get clear on who owns what, and build a manageable process you can carry forward into future reporting cycles, so the next round feels a lot less like starting from scratch.
A First-Time Reporting Experience
I recently worked with an institution that was battling limited staff capacity and little internal support for the FVT/GE deadline. It had not been able to submit its FVT/GE data for either the 2024 or 2025 cycle, and the longer it waited, the bigger the task felt. Our Attain Partners team started where every good reporting effort should: By getting the right people in the room. Working alongside the institution’s director of financial aid, we brought the registrar’s office and IT department together for a series of working sessions. Side by side, we mapped each required reporting element to the institution’s student information system (SIS) so everyone could see exactly where the information lived. From there, we helped the institution submit its FVT/GE files and work through the errors that came back.
To lighten the data-collection load for the 2026 cycle, the institution also chose to implement the Student Tuition and Transparency System (STATS) requirements early. The result? The institution moved from overdue to caught up, and it now has a repeatable, sustainable process for FVT/GE reporting instead of a scramble every cycle.
For me, the engagement reinforced a practical lesson: effective reporting starts with cross-functional coordination and a clear line between what must be reported and where that data lives. For first-time reporters, answering those two questions gives you a solid foundation for data collection and review.
Early Implementation of STATS: Optional Reporting Fields
Early implementation of STATS can reduce an institution’s reporting burden. As described in the U.S. Department of Education’s July 2026 electronic announcement, One Big Beautiful Bill Act NSLDS Professional Access Updates (July 2026), several FVT/GE data fields are now optional for the 2026 reporting cycle, and institutions may elect to early-implement STATS by omitting those fields. Institutions must still report all required FVT/GE data elements for the 2024 and 2025 cycles, even if they elect to early-implement STATS for 2026.
Choosing to omit optional data fields signals an institution’s intent to early-implement STATS. Because this choice determines which data elements your team must gather for the 2026 cycle, decide early whether your institution will early-implement STATS, and share that decision with the offices that supply the data.
Four Checks Before You Call Reporting Complete
Rather than treating January 15 as just another date on the compliance calendar, work backward from the deadline and set internal milestones for each phase of the work.
1. Gather the required data
Confirm whether your institution will early-implement STATS, since that decision sets which fields you need. Then map each required data element to its source system and assign an office to pull it.
- Done when every required field has a confirmed data source, an owner, and data in hand.
2. Review and validate the data
Spot-check records against your student information system, and look for missing values, gaps, and inconsistent dates before anything is submitted.
- Done when the assigned reviewer has signed off, and open questions are resolved.
3. Submit the required information
Submit early enough to leave room for at least one round of corrections before January 15.
- Done when your files have been accepted, and all submission errors have been resolved.
4. Resolve errors and discrepancies
Review the submission results, assign an owner to each error, correct and resubmit as needed, and record how each issue was fixed.
- Done when no errors remain open, and every resolution is documented.
Assign an owner to each milestone and establish clear handoffs between offices. FVT/GE reporting extends beyond the Financial Aid Office, so involve colleagues from the Registrar’s Office, Institutional Research, Information Technology, and Student Accounts early in the process.
Agree on who will provide each data element, validate the information, submit the files, and follow up on errors.
A practical approach I have recommended to clients is to maintain a shared tracker that identifies each deliverable, its data source, the responsible office, the reviewer, and the target completion date. Hold brief recurring check-ins to resolve open questions, and assign each issue an owner and a next action. Build a review checkpoint into the schedule before submission so there is time to investigate discrepancies and make corrections. Before calling the work complete, review the submission results and document how any remaining issues were resolved. These steps help your team distinguish progress from completion and reduce last-minute uncertainty.
Review Your FVT/GE Reporting Status
My advice is simple: don’t wait until January.
Whether your institution has never submitted FVT/GE data or needs to revisit earlier reporting, start by identifying what remains outstanding and bringing the right people together. Build a realistic work plan, validate the underlying data, and allow time to address submission errors. January 15, 2027, is the final reporting deadline; ensure your institution identifies missing files and resolves data questions well before that date.
If you are unsure where your institution stands, start with that conversation. A focused review now can clarify what remains to be done and where additional support may be needed. Use this time intentionally to complete the reporting, document the process, and give your team a clearer path forward.
Attain Partners – Higher Education Financial Aid Compliance and Reporting Experts
Attain Partners brings firsthand financial aid leadership experience to complex federal reporting requirements. Our team can support your institution in evaluating FVT/GE data readiness, cross-functional coordination, submission review, and error resolution. Connect with our team to discuss your institution’s reporting needs and establish a manageable process for future cycles.
About the Author
Carmin Cobb is a seasoned financial aid expert at Attain Partners, bringing deep, practitioner-level experience supporting colleges and universities as they navigate the evolving financial aid landscape. With a strong background in financial aid administration, compliance, and student-centered service delivery, Carmin helps institutions strengthen operations, improve accuracy and timeliness, and adapt to regulatory and policy changes with confidence.
