Global absorbs compliance complexity in new releases for 2026-2027.
By Chyrl Ayers
We’re excited to introduce software enhancements focused on reducing compliance complexity and supporting financial aid teams, including major 2026-2027 updates to SAINT Director, Global’s full-service financial aid processing solution.
Below are key enhancements and services that Global provides to support college financial aid offices.
SAINT Director now automatically calculates loan awards for students enrolled less than full-time, eliminating the need for manual calculations by your team. As updated federal regulations continue to increase administrative burden, institutions are facing more demands than ever. Instead of requiring colleges to manually calculate and monitor these scenarios, Global has built the logic directly into the software to ensure accuracy, consistency and compliance.
Our 2026-2027 new software release features:
- Enrollment-based loan proration built into SAINT Director.
- The software automatically determines whether each student is legacy or new under new provisions.
— Legacy students retain eligibility under prior rules for up to three years.
— New students are subject to updated restrictions. SAINT Director enforces these automatically. - New graduate and professional grade levels are introduced with updated annual loan limits.
- Grad PLUS and Parent PLUS eligibility restrictions are enforced automatically by the software.
- The Confirmed Financial Aid Notification is updated to show loan disbursements broken out by term/payment period.
The U.S. Department of Education’s revised guidance isn’t finalized yet (as of May 20, 2026), but our software will incorporate updated methodology once it’s available.
What’s Next
The next phase of development will extend automation even further. It will automate loan disbursements using the Schedule of Reductions methodology, allowing SAINT Director to calculate and apply the correct prorated disbursement amounts automatically when funds are moved to a check register.
The goal remains the same: Eliminate unnecessary manual intervention wherever possible.
AI-Powered Tools in the Report Server
We’re also excited to announce that our AI tools are available in a new look and feel for our SAINT Director Report Server.
These tools and insights simplify reporting:
- The Disbursement Projection Report now includes integrated AI-powered analysis.
- After generating the Disbursement Projection Report, staff click the AI Insights button to receive smarter, contextual commentary on the data, without leaving the report.
- This is the first report with AI Insights; additional reports will be added over time.
Each addition is carefully reviewed to ensure appropriate protection of students’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII) before release.
Meet the Newest Version of Gerry: Chatbot Support Built for Financial Aid Teams
Your favorite financial aid assistant just got even smarter. Gerry FAS provides client chatbot support and helps financial aid teams find answers faster and work more efficiently.
In addition to assisting with financial aid policy, procedures, hot topics and awarding guidance, Gerry can now answer student-specific questions using context-aware, real-time data from SAINT Director.
Staff can receive immediate responses tied directly to a student’s record while maintaining appropriate protections around sensitive student information.
The result supports your staff with faster access to information and fewer interruptions to daily workflows.
Financial Aid Notification Program Estimate
This brand-new feature:
- Generates a projected estimate of financial aid eligibility across the student’s full program, including academic years two, three and beyond.
- Uses current data in SAINT Director to model anticipated funding and gives students a long-range view of their financial aid outlook.
Read more: Financial Aid Notification Program Estimate
A Modernized Report Server Experience
- Report Server has been completely redesigned with cleaner visuals, contemporary interface and intuitive navigation.
- Designed to make daily financial aid work faster and easier.
Global continues improving collaboratively with clients to support the professionals serving students every day. Our 2026-2027 release is not simply about meeting regulatory requirements. It represents a broader investment in reducing manual effort, streamlining compliance management and giving schools smarter tools to better serve students.
As financial aid teams are being asked to do more with less, software should reduce complexity and not add to it. We built our new release around that reality.
For more information, contact Chesa Donovan, our Executive Director of Business Development, at cdonovan@globalfas.com, 228.523.1797 or globalfas.com.
Learn more about Financial Aid Processing for your college
Chyrl Ayers is Chief Executive Officer of Global and one of its original founders. With deep expertise in financial aid administration, she has dedicated her career to helping institutions and students navigate the complexities of funding higher education. Her leadership continues to shape Global’s mission of expanding access to education through effective financial aid solutions.
May 20, 2026