FSA has announced the availability of the updated NSLDS Transfer Student Monitoring & Financial Aid History User Guide and Record Layouts. The user guide provides step-by-step instructions for using Transfer Student Monitoring (TSM) online, describes how to request Financial Aid History (FAH), and includes detailed information about the TSM/FAH batch process.
This March 2026 update provides important updates to the TSM/FAH processes that will become available in late April 2026, to support changes required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
Updates to the TSM and FAH batch and web file layouts (both report and extract formats) include new fields, new values within existing fields, and changes to field names, lengths, and positions. The updated file layouts include an “Add/Modify” column to help identify the changes.
In addition, FSA has created a new TSM alert to notify schools when the loan limit exception status changes for a transfer student.
These updates will not be implemented before April 26, 2026.
If you have questions about this information, contact the NSLDS Customer Support Center at 1-800-999-8219 or nslds@ed.gov.
Note: The 2025 OBBBA makes numerous amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), some of which became effective upon enactment of OBBBA while others will become effective on July 1, 2026, and beyond. To ensure that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) can implement those provisions that are effective now or will become effective on July 1, 2026, ED is drafting presentations and documents in advance of publication of a final rule on these topics. These presentations and documents are intended to ensure that vendors, servicers, partners and stakeholders have the requisite time to prepare for the implementation of the OBBBA. However, the information is subject to change depending upon ED’s rulemaking process. ED has not prejudged the outcome of that negotiated rulemaking process. This information provides a structure for vendors, servicers, partners and stakeholders to begin building these systems, but it does not impair, prevent, or control policy decisions that may be made by ED. The information is preliminary, and ED, including its vendors and servicers, will not launch any new systems or make final system changes that are public facing until ED publishes a final rule on these topics. ED will provide additional information if any changes are made during the rulemaking process.
SOURCE: NSLDS Transfer Student Monitoring & Financial Aid History User Guide and Record Layouts (March 2026)