Welcome to DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC
My name is Daina Anderson Sharples and I am the creator and founder of DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC, and host of the Podcast: Let’s Talk Financial Aid for College™
I began working in Federal Student Aid in 2006 as a compliance officer and processor of college financial aid files for over 80 career and technical schools across the United States.
In 2019, I started my Podcast: Let’s Talk for Financial Aid for College™ to assist college bound students and their families understand the college financial aid process in an attempt to try and help students attend college while not accruing a life time of student loan debt.
I have also strived to provide an understanding of how the decisions of our elected officials in Washington, D.C. affect federal student aid eligibility.
So, you want to go to college, but do you know how much you can afford?
8/25/2025
Fed Announces Changes to V4 and V5 Verification via Dear Colleague released on 8/12/2025 and updated on 8/19/2025.
It is important to note that on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, the 2025/2026 FAFSA partner portal is going to be active for reporting V4 and V5 FSA confirmations.
7/18/2025
The U.S. Department of Education today released a ‘Dear Colleague Letter’ (DCL) outlining the immediate implementation of numerous higher education provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). This action comes two weeks after President Trump signed the OBBB into law – delivering historic victories that will simplify federal student aid programs and repayment options.
“President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is a historic win for students, families, and taxpayers. The OBBB delivers for student borrowers in a big way – simplifying the student loan repayment system, funding the $10.5 billion shortfall in Pell Grant funding left by the previous administration, supporting short-term career focused programs that train workers for in-demand jobs, and holding colleges accountable by eliminating student loan eligibility for programs that leave students worse off than if they had never enrolled,” said Acting Under Secretary James Bergeron. “Today’s announcement is the first step in the implementation process, and we look forward to building the President’s vision for education and training beyond high school.”
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7/10/2025
The U.S. Department of Education today announced it will end taxpayer subsidization of illegal aliens in career, technical, and adult education programs. In an interpretive rule issued today, the Department rescinded a Dear Colleague letter from the Clinton Administration that enabled non-qualified illegal aliens to access federal public benefits in contravention of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). The interpretive rule also ensures that postsecondary education programs authorized under the Higher Education Act (HEA), such as Pell Grants and student loans, continue to be inaccessible to illegal immigrants.
7/9/2025
U.S. Department of Education Continues to Improve Federal Student Loan Repayment Options, Addresses Illegal Biden Administration Actions
Loans in SAVE Plan Will Begin Accruing Interest on August 1st, Borrowers in SAVE Urged to Act
Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced it will take an additional step to bring fiscal responsibility to the federal student loan portfolio by restarting interest accrual for borrowers with loans in the illegal Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan on August 1, 2025. The Department will take this action to comply with a federal court injunction that has blocked implementation of the SAVE Plan, including the Department’s action to put SAVE borrowers in a zero percent interest rate status. The Department had the authority under the SAVE plan to prevent borrowers from going into negative amortization, which is the authority the Department relied on to put borrowers in zero percent interest rate status. Outside of that regulatory provision in SAVE (which is enjoined), the Department lacks the authority to put borrowers into a zero percent interest rate status.
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7/10/2025
The U.S. Department of Education today announced it will end taxpayer subsidization of illegal aliens in career, technical, and adult education programs. In an interpretive rule issued today, the Department rescinded a Dear Colleague letter from the Clinton Administration that enabled non-qualified illegal aliens to access federal public benefits in contravention of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). The interpretive rule also ensures that postsecondary education programs authorized under the Higher Education Act (HEA), such as Pell Grants and student loans, continue to be inaccessible to illegal immigrants.
7/9/2025
U.S. Department of Education Continues to Improve Federal Student Loan Repayment Options, Addresses Illegal Biden Administration Actions
Loans in SAVE Plan Will Begin Accruing Interest on August 1st, Borrowers in SAVE Urged to Act
Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced it will take an additional step to bring fiscal responsibility to the federal student loan portfolio by restarting interest accrual for borrowers with loans in the illegal Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan on August 1, 2025. The Department will take this action to comply with a federal court injunction that has blocked implementation of the SAVE Plan, including the Department’s action to put SAVE borrowers in a zero percent interest rate status. The Department had the authority under the SAVE plan to prevent borrowers from going into negative amortization, which is the authority the Department relied on to put borrowers in zero percent interest rate status. Outside of that regulatory provision in SAVE (which is enjoined), the Department lacks the authority to put borrowers into a zero percent interest rate status.
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7/10/2025
The U.S. Department of Education today announced it will end taxpayer subsidization of illegal aliens in career, technical, and adult education programs. In an interpretive rule issued today, the Department rescinded a Dear Colleague letter from the Clinton Administration that enabled non-qualified illegal aliens to access federal public benefits in contravention of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). The interpretive rule also ensures that postsecondary education programs authorized under the Higher Education Act (HEA), such as Pell Grants and student loans, continue to be inaccessible to illegal immigrants.
7/9/2025
U.S. Department of Education Continues to Improve Federal Student Loan Repayment Options, Addresses Illegal Biden Administration Actions
Loans in SAVE Plan Will Begin Accruing Interest on August 1st, Borrowers in SAVE Urged to Act
Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced it will take an additional step to bring fiscal responsibility to the federal student loan portfolio by restarting interest accrual for borrowers with loans in the illegal Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan on August 1, 2025. The Department will take this action to comply with a federal court injunction that has blocked implementation of the SAVE Plan, including the Department’s action to put SAVE borrowers in a zero percent interest rate status. The Department had the authority under the SAVE plan to prevent borrowers from going into negative amortization, which is the authority the Department relied on to put borrowers in zero percent interest rate status. Outside of that regulatory provision in SAVE (which is enjoined), the Department lacks the authority to put borrowers into a zero percent interest rate status.