FSA has announced that a new service release is available for EDExpress for Windows 2026–27, Release 2.0 to align Direct Loan Program award calculations more closely with the COD System and resolve several software issues reported to the FPS Help Desk.
EDExpress Direct Loan Award Calculation Update
This service release updates the Direct Loan module to remove the Loan Limit Exception flag from the calculation process for the maximum value of the Loan Amount Approved field. The COD System assigns the flag at a person level based on loan data on file at the time of assignment but re-evaluates a student’s eligibility every time new or updated loans are received. Loan amount values are subject to change by the COD System, which may have more recent information on the student. FSA is implementing this change to improve flexibility and help users avoid required adjustments in EDExpress when the software calculates loan award amounts differently than the COD System due to the selection of this flag.
FSA has retained the SOR (Schedule of Reduction) Annual Loan Limit field, which displays the maximum loan amount based on the information in EDExpress, including the Loan Limit Exception flag, for reference purposes only.
EDExpress now calculates maximum loan amounts based solely on loan type, dependency status, college grade level, and other loan-specific fields such as the Additional Unsub, Prep Loan, and HEAL Loan flags. EDExpress determines maximum loan amounts according to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act legislative changes effective for loans with a first disbursement on or after July, 1, 2026.
FSA also adjusted Direct Loan end-of-entry edits related to Loan Amount Approved values in external import origination add or change files (DIEA27OP or DIEC27OP, respectively) to accommodate this change. For more information on edit updates, see Volume 3 of the 2026-27 COD Technical Reference.
Additional Issues Resolved
The service release also addresses several software issues reported to and confirmed by the FPS Help Desk, including the following:
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- resolves errors in packaging when awarding Pell Grant funds using Pell Formula 4 in the Academic Year Profile associated with the record
- resolves error generated when changing the Budget Code on a Packaging record created manually or by importing Institutional Student Information Record data
- resolves issue with halted import process if a Pell Grant External Origination Add/Change (PGEO27OP) file includes records with blank demographic information
- resolves error message generated when importing a Credit Status Response (CRCS27OP) file for PLUS loan records
- resolves error occurring when running Direct Loan Multiple Entry if a student record meets end-of-entry edit 2010 conditions (Loan Amount Approved is non-blank and Dependency Status or College Grade Level are blank)
- updates the Direct Loan export process to send a blank value for the Country Code field if the student’s address is located in a U.S. territory
- resolves error generated when using the Direct Loan version of the predefined Disbursement Status query
Downloading and Running the EDExpress 2026–27 Service Release File
You must have EDExpress 2026–27, Release 2.0 installed on your PC before running the 2026–27 service release file. You can download Release 2.0 from the Software and Other Tools area of the Knowledge Center website and also via this link: EDExpress 2026-27, Release 2.0 Service Release
To download the EDExpress 2026–27, Release 2.0 service release installation file (EDE27_Oct2026_ReleaseV1.exe), open the service release in the “Software” section of the EDExpress 2026–2027 page. The software file will begin downloading when you click on the link under “Attachments.”
During the installation process, you are only required to confirm the location on your workstation where you want EDExpress 2026–27 program files stored. You should run the service release installation on all workstations that you use for EDExpress processing.
When you first access EDExpress 2026–27 following service release installation, the software will run a quick database update process. When this process is complete, you can resume normal use of the software.
For more detailed information and guidance on EDExpress 2026–27 installation and initial setup, see the EDExpress 2026–27 Installation Guide, which is available for download from the Knowledge Center website.