January 2026 Releases

  • Updated

Consumer Verification: Enhanced Organization Search Experience

We are excited to roll out our updated Organization Search UX, now live for all student and educator programs on the latest library version. This update streamlines how users find their institutions, making the verification process faster and more accurate.

Impact

Our latest data shows significant improvements in the user experience:

  • Higher accuracy: 3% increase in successful "True" verifications
  • Faster conversion: 3% faster time-to-submit and an 11% reduction in user "reworks"
  • Better search results: Users are finding their schools with 6% fewer characters typed
  • Reduced support: A sharp decline in Add School Requests, as users can now find their institutions more easily

What's changed?

If you are on the latest version of our library, no action is required. Your users now benefit from a more intuitive search interface that reduces friction and ensures they reach the finish line faster.

Consumer Verification: Regional Compliance Updates

When requesting to add a school in Ukraine, a new notification will clarify that we cannot support institutions located in Crimea, Donetsk, or Luhansk due to compliance requirements.

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Consumer Verification: Military Program Updates

Gold Star Family Support: To better support Gold Star family members on US Military programs, the document upload page now includes a list of suggested documents. These suggestions align with our Help Center guidelines to help ensure verification is successful on the first try.

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Instant Verification: Updated Eligibility Standards Low Income

Our instant approval logic now uses the latest HHS data (US Department of Health and Human Services). This ensures that users falling below the 130% income threshold are verified accurately for the new year.

Alaska and Hawaii Localization: We now automatically apply the specific, higher income thresholds for Alaska and Hawaii. This accounts for the higher cost of living in these states, ensuring more inclusive and equitable eligibility for residents.

Some updates may not apply to every program. Contact the Product Support Team if you have questions about how these updates may apply to your specific programs.

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