September 10, 2026
Dear Colleague:
Starting in October 2026, schools will use FSA Partner Connect to respond to notifications from FSA regarding borrower defense to repayment applications filed by their former or current student borrowers. Schools will use the new Borrower Defense portal—available from the FSA Partner Connect home page—to review cases, understand applicable regulation years, and upload evidence. We will update FSA Partner Connect to offer
-
a new summary page for borrower defense cases,
-
robust search and filter tools,
-
improved functionality to review case details, and
-
a modernized approach to manage evidence.
To assist FSA Partner Connect users in understanding the new functionality, we are pleased to offer a live, instructor-led webinar and self-paced training materials. Refer to the sections below for more information.