From the desk of...

Robert Weinerman, Director of Training

NEW! FAFSA Tax Field Guide (2026-27)!

As you may recall, NASFAA stopped publishing the much-loved Tax Transcript Decoder after the 2023-24 academic year. To fill the gap left by the loss of this important resource, Iron Bridge created a new document, the FAFSA Tax Field Guide, that covered the content of the Decoder but was specifically relevant to the FAFSA Simplification age.

The Field Guide was first released in November 2025 for the 2025-26 academic year.

About the FAFSA Tax Field Guide

The Field Guide provides information about each FAFSA data element that can be derived from, or is related to, a line on Form 1040 and its related Schedules. Like the old Tax Transcript Decoder, it includes pictures showing where in the tax return and tax return transcript each FAFSA data element can be found. 

But the Field Guide goes beyond the Decoder -- it explains how each FAFSA data element is used in the Student Aid Index formula and the Maximum and Minimum Pell Grant eligibility determination process. It also includes extensive information about each data element based on questions I received over the year through my email help desk.

NEW Field Guide is Now Available

I am excited to announce that the 2026-27 Field Guide launches today! Based on feedback I received last year, this year’s Field Guide includes new sections that cover:

• Amended Tax Returns and Form 1040-X
• Tax-related FAFSA data elements that are not V1 Verification items
• More detail on the United States Territory tax returns
• Questions and answers about Forms 1040-NR and 1040-SS.

FREE to the Financial Aid Community

As a service to the community that Iron Bridge supports through its consulting and training divisions, we continue to offer the FAFSA Tax Field Guide at no cost. Financial Aid Administrators are free to share the document with other FAAs and incorporate it into their own training programs. We simply ask that any Field Guide information used retains the Iron Bridge copyright.

Feedback Welcome!



Please let me know what you think of the year’s Field Guide! And if you have any ideas for how it can be made even better for 2027-28, please email me at robert@ironbridgeresources.com.