Editorial Policy

Degree Sources publishes financial aid tools and educational content in a space where accuracy directly affects students' financial decisions. This page describes how we research, verify, and maintain the information on this site.

Research Hierarchy

We follow a strict source hierarchy when building tools and writing articles:

1. Primary government sources — Department of Education (ED.gov), Federal Student Aid (StudentAid.gov), IRS tax tables and publications, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs. These are the authoritative sources for financial aid formulas, eligibility rules, repayment plan structures, and benefits calculations.
2. Federal data systems — IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) for institutional data, College Scorecard for outcomes data, and the National Center for Education Statistics for enrollment and completion figures.
3. Institutional and regulatory documents — Published financial aid handbooks, Federal Register notices, and Dear Colleague Letters from the Department of Education that announce policy changes.
4. Expert commentary and analysis — Used to provide context, but never as the sole basis for a factual claim about aid amounts, eligibility, or formulas.

When sources conflict, we defer to the most recent official government documentation. If a regulation is in transition (e.g., the FAFSA Simplification Act rollout), we note both the current and upcoming rules and indicate effective dates.

Fact-Checking Process

Calculator Formulas

Every calculator formula is verified against its official source documentation before publication. The EFC/SAI Calculator implements the Federal Methodology as published by the Department of Education. The Loan Repayment Calculator uses formulas from Federal Student Aid's repayment plan documentation. The GI Bill Calculator follows the Department of Veterans Affairs' published benefit tables.

After initial verification, calculator logic is reviewed at least annually or when triggered by a government policy change. The FAFSA Simplification Act of 2024, for example, required updates to the EFC/SAI Calculator to reflect the new Student Aid Index formula, revised income protection allowances, and changes to the treatment of family size and number in college.

Article Content

Factual claims in articles (dollar amounts, eligibility thresholds, deadlines) are traced to their source. We do not publish statistics or dollar figures without identifying where they come from. When we reference aid maximums (e.g., Pell Grant limits), we cite the award year and link to the official source when available.

Data Currency

Financial aid data changes on predictable cycles. Pell Grant maximums, income protection allowances, and interest rates are updated annually. BLS occupational data is refreshed on a rolling basis. We track these cycles and update affected tools and articles accordingly. Each tool page notes when its data was last updated.

Editorial Independence

Degree Sources earns revenue through affiliate partnerships with accredited schools. These partnerships fund the site but do not influence editorial decisions.

• Tool results are formula-driven. Calculator outputs are determined by the user's inputs and the underlying formula. No advertiser can alter, weight, or influence what a tool returns.
• Article topics are chosen editorially. We cover what students need to know about financial aid. Coverage decisions are not driven by which schools are currently partners.
• Recommendations are merit-based. When we describe types of programs or funding sources, the criteria are published and consistent. We do not promote specific institutions in exchange for payment.

Affiliate relationships are disclosed on the site. For more detail on how we fund this site, see the About page.

Corrections Policy

If we publish an error — whether in an article, a tool calculation, or a data point — we correct it and note the correction. Substantive corrections (e.g., a formula error that affected calculator output) are noted on the affected page with the date of the correction and a description of what changed.

If you find an error on this site, please let us know through our contact page. We take accuracy reports seriously and investigate every submission.

Review Cycle

We conduct a full review of all tools and high-traffic articles on an annual cycle, timed to the federal financial aid award year. Additional reviews are triggered by:

• Changes to federal financial aid formulas or eligibility rules
• New legislation affecting student aid (e.g., FAFSA Simplification Act)
• Updates to BLS occupational data or College Scorecard releases
• IRS tax table changes that affect aid calculations
• User-reported errors or discrepancies

For a detailed explanation of how each tool's calculations work, including data sources and known limitations, see our Calculator Methodology page.