Shoptalk

TG Conference panel explores gainful employment rules

2012-05-16T03:05:33Z

At the TG Conference last month, experts Tom Babel (DeVry University, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs), Kathleen Pustejovsky (Hill College, Senior Advisor), and David Garza (TG, Senior Policy and Legislative Liaison) reviewed the origin, purpose, and function of Gainful Employment (GE) rules with an audience of financial aid professionals. The panel reviewed the GE measures including aspects of the loan repayment rate, and the elements of the debt-to-earnings ratios. The session consisted largely of discussion, and attendees were given handouts with the specifics of the regulatory requirements. The handouts included separate one-page summaries on the loan repayment rate, the debt-to-earnings ratios; and two charts — one covered the GE time periods and the other focused on the GE implementation timeframes.

Brief review
In June 2011, the Department of Education (ED) released final regulations defining certain measures to determine whether a program does an adequate job of preparing students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation. The measures, respectively known as the loan repayment rate and debt-to-earnings ratios, focus on evaluating students' recent success in paying down Title IV loan debt, and comparing a program completers' typical educational debt against income levels. A program satisfying the minimum standards for at least one of these measures is considered successful. If the program fails to meet the minimum standards, over time, it may lose access to federal student aid.

Panelists discussed the high-level objectives of the rules, noting that ED reviewed over 90,000 comments on the proposed rules, and then held a number of public meetings with some of the entities and individuals who submitted comments earlier this year.

A focus on the GE measures
The panelists shared the actual formula that ED will use each year to calculate the loan repayment rate The rate is the Original Outstanding Principal Balance (OOPB) of Loans Paid in Full (LPF) + the OOPB of the Payment Made Loans), divided by the OOPB of all FFELP and FDLP loans obtained by students enrolled in the program.

Specific to the loan repayment rate, the panel noted that while there are certain exclusions from the formula, generally, a loan is successfully being repaid if:

The principal balance is reduced during the measuring period or paid in full, or
It is on track to being forgiven due to public service employment, or
It is being repaid under an interest-only, income-based, or income-contingent repayment plan; it was noted that this is limited to no more than 3 percent of the OOPB, and
For a post-baccalaureate program and consolidation loan, all interest accrued must be paid over the course of a year.

Additionally, the panelists explained the debt-to-earnings ratios which include both the annual earnings ratio and the discretionary income ratio. The earnings rate is the annual loan payment for program completers, divided by the mean or median annual earnings of the program completers. The discretionary income rate is also the annual loan payment for program completers, but it is divided by the difference between the mean or median annual earnings and 150 percent of the poverty guideline.

The panelists reemphasized that a program adequately prepares students for GE if it meets at least one of the minimum standards:

A loan repayment rate of 35 percent or greater,
An earnings rate of 12 percent or less, or
A discretionary income rate of 30 percent or less.

Strategies to meet GE measures
Overall, the panel and participants agreed that schools will need to deploy multiple strategies to meet the program measures. The strategies shared include, but are not limited to:

Increasing institutional scholarships to help reduce borrowing;
Lowering institutional costs;
Utilizing research to analyze programs from top to bottom;
Counseling on making prepayments in school that at least cover interest;
Providing support and coaching services to students on searching for jobs and negotiating wages;
Increasing opportunities after program completion to help students retool and gain additional credentials; and
Continuing a focus on financial literacy, loan, and academic counseling.

More information
For more information, you can download a copy of the PDF handout of this presentation, call TG Customer Assistance at (800) 845-6267, or send an email to cust.assist@tgslc.org.

A holistic approach to student completion succeeds at the University of the Incarnate Word

2012-05-14T08:05:00Z

As a small, Hispanic-Serving Institution enrolling a high percentage of first-generation students, the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio has faced many challenges when it comes to increasing student retention and success. Like many such schools, their students often arrive on campus with challenges of their own: a lack of adequate preparation for postsecondary education, a lack of role models at home or in the community with college experience, financial problems that compound academic problems, and problems engaging with the culture of learning on campus.

What UIW has not lacked is the desire to try to overcome these obstacles. Sandy McMakin, Dean of Student Success at the university, recently participated in a workshop at this year's TG Annual Training Conference on "Degree Completion: A Holistic Approach." As McMakin related, a variety of programs across campus sought to address student success, but these efforts operated in silos, as individuals, offices, and academic departments across campus each tried to attack the problem from their own vantage point.

Engaging students — and faculty — in student success
In 2004, the university decided on a radically different approach. They created the UIW Office of Student Success to coordinate all the school's efforts at helping students persist to graduation. Since student engagement in learning forms the foundation for college success, one of the school's first steps was to create a shared, student-focused definition of what student engagement means. And rather than burying this definition in a catalog or handbook, the school sought to make it a living document by passing out copies to all students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Doing so signaled to the entire school community that engagement was a primary goal, and that everyone on campus played a part in achieving it.

To that end, UIW focused its retention efforts as much on faculty members as on students. At a school where 66% of the student body is made up of commuter students, getting students engaged means reaching them in the classroom. The school encouraged faculty members to integrate on-campus and community projects into course curricula, to great effect. One program encouraged students to spend one day each year volunteering with an off-campus service organization; one year later, about a third of those students reported that they were still engaged with the same organization. Another strategy for promoting student engagement through the faculty included integrating the goals of a first-year experience type course (study skills, financial literacy) into first-year courses across departments on campus. Also, faculty who taught first-year students (and, later, second-year students) were organized into cohorts that met on a regular basis to share best practices and suggest solutions to common challenges.

UIW's student-centered strategies focused on addressing the academic and cultural challenges students bring with them to campus. To help improve students' chances of succeeding in first-year coursework, the school expanded its summer bridge programs and provided more funding to help students afford to attend. The school also began encouraging parents to attend information sessions on how to support students during college; for those who can't attend, the school sends them the information. Finally, the school updated its mentoring, academic coaching, and peer tutoring programs, in some cases having faculty available to drop by the latter to answer any questions that may come up. While these sessions aren't mandatory, professors have been known to include quiz questions referencing topics covered in tutoring sessions, providing a strong incentive for students to attend.

Delivering positive results
The result of these efforts? The first- to second-year retention rate has improved from 63 percent to 78 percent since the 04-05 academic year. UIW is pleased to have accomplished this without tweaking the incoming student profile away from its mission of improving access for first-generation students. In fact, the school has consciously increased the percentage of first-generation students it enrolls, because, as McMakin relates, with these new programs "we feel we have even more resources to serve them."

For more information
Access materials from the 2012 TG Annual Training Conference sessions, as well as view videos of recorded sessions.

A few key lessons on using social media in higher education

2012-05-11T08:05:00Z

The use of social media formed a central thread woven throughout the 2012 TG Annual Training Conference. Speakers featured information on strategies for using social media to communicate with students, discussed lessons learned, and described how the use of social media has had a positive impact on student communication. In addition, TG's Twitter feed kept attendees and other followers up to date on conference happenings, and TG posted pictures of the event on its Facebook page.

Key lessons on communicating with social media
For student services professionals who have not yet done so, the time to jump on the social media bandwagon is now. While larger four-year universities lead the list of 25 Most-Buzzed Universities on the Internet, there are strategies even smaller institutions can employ to become social media savvy.

Don't jump in with both feet. Social media outlets come in many categories — photo and video sharing, networking, news, bookmarking, and more — and trying to initiate them all at once can be overwhelming. Instead, start small. Implement just one social media tool at a time — most likely Facebook or Twitter. This will allow you to integrate the new medium into existing processes, and to monitor which types of communications are effective and which ones aren't.
Use graduate or work-study students to implement and manage the social media process. These students will need to work with the professionals in your office and follow regular processes, but they can do so most effectively if you can get their commitment for an extended amount of time (ideally a few semesters). Then have them train their replacements and hand off responsibility before they go.
Determine which social media platform may be most popular with your students. You can solicit this information, and students' addresses for their social media site of choice, by using existing communications tools. Then get started by integrating existing processes into your new social media outlet.
Set up a financial aid Twitter account and publicize it within your office and institution. Since Twitter is perhaps best used for many-to-many lines of communication, students could use the financial aid Twitter account for public questions that your social media person can relay to your in-house experts. Responding to the question using Twitter amounts to sharing information that other students may need also. This Twitter account could also be used to share general information that the financial aid office may want to communicate to students across campus.

Join the conversation
For greater access to timely and helpful information for students, families, and educational professionals, visit TG's Social Media Resources page on TG Online. From there, you can connect with TG's social media channels to ask questions, share stories, and communicate with fellow students, families, and professionals.

Common Manual updates for April 19, 2012

2012-05-09T08:05:00Z

Guarantor representatives who serve on the Common Manual Governing Board have approved several changes to the Common Manual. Details on these changes have been added as a PDF available on TG Online. Click the "Common Manual Updates" link in the right column to view the changes. An new Integrated Common Manual incorporating the changes is currently available.

Questions
Please note the effective date of each policy change. If you have questions about any of the changes, contact TG's Customer Assistance team at (800) 845-6267, or send an e-mail message to cust.assist@tgslc.org.

Monthly Milt G. Wright Scholarship drawing continues

2012-05-07T08:05:00Z

College bound students often don't have all the resources they need to begin, or to continue pursuing, their higher education. Often they need a helping hand to achieve their academic goals.

The Milton G. Wright Scholarship awards thousands of dollars each year to students through TG events and special promotions on TG's Adventures In Education website. TG allows students to enter online to receive one of twelve (12) monthly $500 scholarship awards.

Students who enter the drawing have the option to subscribe to AIEmail, a weekly electronic newsletter for students, parents, and educators.

Please encourage both enrolled and college-bound students to visit the Milton G. Wright Scholarship Drawing web page on Adventures In Education and apply if eligible.

The 3-year cohort default rate comes with a silver lining — loan rehabilitation

2012-05-04T08:05:00Z

Draft rates for the first 3-year cohort default rates (CDRs) — which are for fiscal year (FY) 2009 — were just released this past February. Official rates won't be available until September. And the first set of three 3-year rates on which sanctions could be based won't be released until September 2014. However, many schools are already worried about the increase in their CDRs, and for good reason. Trial 3-year data provided by the Department of Education (ED) indicates that all school sectors will experience a surge in rates, with some schools seeing up to a 90 percent hike. That kind of increase could expose some schools to various consequences, including a loss of eligibility for federal student aid.

The 3-year CDR doesn't mean all bad news, however. With the longer monitoring period, schools have more time to help borrowers through loan rehabilitation. A borrower can rehabilitate or bring a loan out of default by making nine, on-time, monthly payments during a period of 10 consecutive months. The loan is then sold to a lender, and the default is removed from the borrower's credit history.

How does this help a school's CDR? If the borrower rehabilitates the loan before the end of the cohort default period, the borrower is not in default anymore and so not included in the school's CDR calculation. Even better, the borrower once again becomes eligible for federal aid after the sixth consecutive payment, meaning he or she could potentially return to school to complete a degree or certificate. Keep in mind that borrowers can renew eligibility only once.

Helping borrowers and cutting default
Until the 3-year CDR was introduced, loan rehabilitation wasn't something that could feasibly affect a school's rate. Now, borrowers have time to meet rehabilitation requirements within the three-year window, if they default in the first year after entering repayment.

How can schools use loan rehabilitation to help their borrowers and mitigate default? Here are some tips for integrating loan rehabilitation with your school's default prevention plan.

Identify borrowers with defaulted loans — With each CDR notification, ED provides schools with the Loan Record Detail Report, or LRDR, an itemized listing of borrowers, including borrowers with defaulted loans. Download and use this information electronically.
Develop a communication campaign — Use LRDR information to create a communication campaign for defaulted borrowers that outlines the benefits and process of loan rehabilitation. Consider contacting borrowers via mail, email, and phone, with messages that reinforce each other. Some things to cover in your communications:
- Borrowers will need to establish a loan rehabilitation agreement with the guarantor or collection agency that holds the loans in default. Borrowers with TG-held loans can do that online through myTG^SM, a self-service portal that takes online payments.
- Borrowers will need to stay in touch with their guarantor or collector throughout repayment, especially if they change their mailing address.
- It's a good idea to emphasize the benefits of loan rehabilitation, including the importance of establishing a healthy repayment habit. Also, the removal of default from the credit history can be invaluable. A clean credit record means easier access to credit later on if borrowers wish to borrow for a car or house mortgage.

You can use LRDR information to help your default prevention efforts in other ways. For example, analyze the data on your defaulted borrowers, looking for common factors which may have predisposed borrowers to default. Are there a majority of borrowers in default from one major? Did many withdraw without giving notice? How was their academic performance? You may be able to use this information to help your current students who share such characteristics. How? By offering more career support to certain majors or intervening earlier with low academic performers.

Have questions?
Contact your TG account executive at (800) 252-9743, or send an email message to relationship.management@tgslc.org.

ED issues updated GE guidance for preparatory coursework

2012-05-02T01:05:50Z

On April 27, 2012, ED issued Gainful Employment (GE) Electronic Announcement #34 which significantly changes previous guidance regarding the Title IV eligibility and GE status of preparatory courses of study.

Under current guidance as found in GE Electronic Announcement #19 issued on August 31, 2011, ED stated that "Regardless of whether the preparatory course of study leads to a certificate awarded by the institution or is simply a set of courses, the preparatory course of study is not a gainful employment program, since it does not prepare a student for employment in a recognized occupation."

ED's updated policy guidance provides that if the preparatory course of study leads to a credential awarded by the school, it is a GE program, even if the coursework is preparatory for admission into a program leading to a degree or certificate.

GE reporting and disclosures for preparatory programs that lead to a credential
As a result of this updated policy guidance, a school should review the GE information it reported to ED in November 2011 to ensure that preparatory courses are correctly reported. If the school did not include a preparatory program that leads to a credential awarded by the school, it must report for that program no later than October 15, 2012. That reporting must include all students who were enrolled in the program during awards years 2006-2007 through 2011-2012.

In addition to updating its GE reporting data, the school also must update its disclosures as soon as possible to include information for any preparatory program that leads to a credential awarded by the school. Finally, schools are encouraged to review their policies and procedures and update, as appropriate, to comply with ED's new policy guidance.

Loan limits for preparatory courses of study that do not lead to a credential
Schools are reminded that under the HEA, a student enrolled in preparatory coursework that does not lead to a credential is eligible for Direct Loan program funds for a maximum of 12 consecutive months. If the student is enrolled in preparatory coursework that exceeds this timeframe, the student ceases to be eligible for Direct Loans after the 12-month period.

The April 27th announcement clarifies that a preparatory course of study that does not lead to a credential is considered to be at the undergraduate level, even if the coursework is at the graduate level. The announcement also corrects annual loan limit information that was provided in Electronic Announcement #19:

For both dependent and independent students, the "base" Direct subsidized/unsubsidized annual loan limit of $2,625 for these students is not the same as the $3,500 "base" annual loan limit for students who are in the first year of any undergraduate program that leads to a degree or certificate awarded by the school.
A dependent student may receive a maximum of $2,625 in combined Direct subsidized/unsubsidized loans. However, the student is not eligible to receive the additional $2,000 in Direct unsubsidized loan funds that is available to dependent students enrolled in an undergraduate degree or certificate program.

For more information
For more details, review GE Electronic Announcement #34. For questions about preparatory coursework and GE programs, please contact TG Customer Assistance at (800) 845-6267, or send an email message to cust.assist@tgslc.org.

ED issues notice announcing negotiated rulemaking and upcoming hearings

2012-05-02T01:05:51Z

On May 1, 2012, ED issued a notice in the Federal Register announcing its intent to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee to develop proposed regulations. The notice also states that ED will hold public hearings in advance of the rulemaking sessions and is soliciting written comments so that interested parties can suggest additional issues to be considered for the rulemaking agenda. This article provides a general overview of the areas that ED is seeking to regulate and the methods that can be used to provide public comment.

Regulatory areas of interest
As part of the negotiated rulemaking process, ED is seeking to develop proposed rules that:

Prevent fraud and ensure that Title IV funds are properly used, especially in the context of current technologies and distance education.
Address the use of debit cards and other banking methods that are used to disburse and deliver Title IV funds to students.
Update and streamline regulations that govern campus-based federal student aid programs.

Public Hearings
The first public hearing will take place on May 23, 2012, and the second is scheduled for May 31, 2012. Each hearing will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time. More details about the hearing locations can be found in the notice. Directions and additional logistics can be accessed through ED's Negotiated Rulemaking webpage.

Individuals may submit a request to provide verbal comments at the hearings by registering via email at negreg2012@ed.gov. ED's goal is to accommodate general time slots requested, but will schedule requests on a first-come first-served basis. Presentations will be limited to 5 minutes, and individuals may only make one presentation at the public hearings. Individuals interested in providing verbal comments should carefully review the notice for additional details.

Submitting written comments to ED and deadline
The notice indicates that the public can submit written comments to ED using the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Comments may also be provided by postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. Persons interested in providing written comments should carefully review the notice for additional details. The deadline for submitting written comments is May 31, 2012.

Schedule for negotiations and general questions
After analyzing the feedback provided by the public, ED will announce the specific subject areas that will be negotiated and will request nominations for negotiators. ED anticipates that negotiations will occur in September 2012, and expects that the committee will meet over the course of three sessions (for approximately 3 days per session) in the Washington, DC area. Additional details will be provided in the near future and published on ED's website and in the Federal Register. For general questions about negotiated rulemaking, individuals are encouraged to review the frequently asked questions on the negotiated rulemaking webpage.

Closed school corner, May 2012

2012-05-02T01:05:53Z

The following table provides a list of newly reported school closures and corrections from the May 2012 Closed School Monthly Report supplied by ED. Schools listed are those with which TG has done business or to which TG has otherwise provided services.

Newly reported closures
OPE School ID	School Name/Address	Unofficial Closure Date	ED's Official Closure Date
03003201	Everest Institute — Ft Lauderdale 1040 Bayview Dr Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304-2522	N/A	03/30/12

Webinar on employee motivation and recognition

2012-05-01T01:05:15Z

Every employee is motivated — often times for reasons that differ from our own. As managers and leaders in our organizations, one of our primary roles in developing people is to find out what motivates each individual on our team. Decades of research, as well as our own experience, has hopefully convinced us by now that we cannot motivate people. We can, however, create the kind of work environment that allows team members to motivate themselves.

There are numerous ways to approach employee motivation, from removing existing "de-motivators" in our offices to relying less on extrinsic rewards to supporting intrinsic motivators like greater autonomy, more meaningful work, and strengthening competence. When we can help team members to tap into their own motivators rather than relying on the traditional "carrots and sticks" approach, their motivation will be more self-sustainable and longer lasting.

Join us for a fast-paced, interactive webinar — Employee Motivation and Recognition — offered Thursday, May 17, 10 a.m.-11 a.m., and a repeat presentation from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Central Time. During the webinar, we will address how managers and supervisors can support intrinsic motivation while still maintaining the use of extrinsic motivators like praise and recognition, but using them more effectively. Using research from recognized experts in the field of motivation, like Edward Deci, Alfie Kohn, and Daniel Pink, we will explore ideas for transforming theory into practical application with the goal of enhancing team member performance and self-motivation.

Presenter
The presenter for this webinar is Darron Grussendorf, senior trainer in Human Resources and Organizational Development at TG. Darron has 18 years of experience in student financial aid, having worked as both a school financial aid director as well as in TG's policy and regulatory affairs department before joining TG's training department in 2001. He is a graduate of TG's Leadership Development Program, a program he now facilitates for TG.

Darron received his undergraduate degree in Organizational Communication from St. Edward's University, and he is currently working on a Master of Arts in Teaching degree. In 2009, he received his Certified Professional in Learning and Performance designation from the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD).

To register
Register for this TG training online. Click the session link to begin the registration process. Schedules for additional webinars and trainings are published regularly and announced in Shoptalk. In addition, completed webinar recordings are posted in an online archive within a day or two of the broadcast. View the recorded webinars at your convenience!

Join TG for an upcoming webinar on debt-to-income ratio in choice of major

2012-04-30T04:04:55Z

With the cost of higher education continuing to climb amid a challenging economy, today's students need to consider their earning potential when making decisions about borrowing for college. Of course, these decisions affect colleges as well, since students' choice of degree can seriously impact their ability to repay their loans.

TG will address these issues in an upcoming webinar, Income by Major and Student Loan Debt: Implications for Counseling Students about Choice of Major, Debt Burden, and Career Choice. Originally presented as part of the 2012 TG Annual Training Conference, the session generated high interest. In order to provide this timely information to a wider audience, TG is presenting the session as a webinar on Thursday, May 3 from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Central Time, with a repeat presentation from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. the same day.

To register
Register for this TG training online. Click the session link to begin the registration process. Schedules for additional webinars and trainings are published regularly and announced in Shoptalk. In addition, prior webinars are posted in an online archive within a day or two of the broadcast. View the recorded webinars at your convenience!

TG training resources now available - May 2012

2012-04-30T11:04:37Z

TG regularly posts recordings, handouts, and other electronic resources for trainings offered to customers. Resources for the following training program was recently posted:

College Students, Social Learning, and Risky Credit Card Behavior (Webinar presented on April 19, 2012)

View TG's full catalog of archived training resources
To view a full listing of TG's archived training resources available, visit the Archived Training Modules, Recordings, and Materials page on TG Online. From this page you can click through to specific event information and activities, and register for upcoming in-person training programs or for online webinars.

Please be aware also that selected presentations and recordings from the 2012 TG Annual Training Conference have also been posted on TG Online, and they are available for viewing and downloading.

You can also contact your TG account executive for more information or assistance.

TG offers several training opportunities in May

2012-04-27T08:04:00Z

The temperature is getting hotter, and everyone is looking towards the upcoming summer, which officially begins late in June. And May also brings many TG training opportunities for you to explore.

Here are just some of the training opportunities to explore for the month of May:

May 2 — TG Webinar (Online) — Strategies for Improving Transfer
May 3 — TG Webinar (Online) — Income by Major and Student Loan Debt: Implications for Counseling Students and Choice of Major, Debt Burden, and Career Choice
May 8 — TG Webinar (Online) — Financial Literacy, Session 3: "Needs and Wants" and "Setting Goals"
May 9 — Round Rock, Texas — TG Lender and School Advisory Committee Meeting
May 16-18 — Atlanta, Georgia — TG exhibits at the GASFAA Spring
May 17 — TG Webinar (Online) — Employee Motivation and Recognition
May 20-23 — Baltimore, Maryland — TG exhibits at the EASFAA Annual Conference
May 22 — TG Webinar (Online) — Financial Literacy, Session 4: "Solving Debt Problems" and "Saving and Investing"
May 29-June 1 — Orlando, Florida — TG exhibits at the FASFAA Annual Conference

Register for your training today
To view all of TG's ongoing events and activities, visit the Events Calendar on TG Online. From this calendar you can click through to specific event information and activities, and register for in-person training programs or for online webinars.

You can also contact your TG account executive for more information or assistance.

Optimism despite deficits and gridlock

2012-04-25T10:04:59Z

Attendees of the TG Annual Training Conference earlier this month were treated to an interesting perspective on the changes that the federal student aid programs have withstood over the last several years. President of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) Justin Draeger, who gave a general session at the conference, shared his take on how the programs have gotten where they are today — with cuts in other areas of Title IV necessitated by growing demand for Pell grant funding by an ever-increasing population of eligible students.

Draeger illustrated — literally — on a flip chart, how small a piece of the federal budgetary pie constitutes the Department of Education (ED) budget. However, he marveled at how, given its small size — relative to mandatory spending, national debt interest payments, and defense spending — the federal student aid program budget continues to be vulnerable to congressional scrutiny. He says that the simple answer is that the sheer size of the Federal Pell Grant Program keeps Title IV squarely in view. Draeger stated that there is generally bipartisan agreement that Pell is a valuable program, so it is safe (for now) but that other federal student aid programs will continue to be tapped to offset Pell shortfalls and possibly contribute to deficit reduction efforts.

In the session, Draeger discussed several elements of the Obama Administration's recent proposals for higher education, including retention of the current 3.4% interest rate for Direct subsidized loans for undergraduate students, and increases to and expansion of the Federal Perkins Loan Program (which would reportedly create additional revenue to expand the Federal Work-Study Program). Draeger also mentioned the Administration's initiative to offer additional campus-based aid to colleges that offer affordability and value, while still serving low-income students, which he said had a similar tone to the gainful employment regulations about to take effect. However, Draeger acknowledged that partisan gridlock, the impending presidential election, and the costs of such proposals would hamper their potential success.

Due in part to NASFAA’s increasing numbers, Draeger stated that there is optimism in unification — working together for the benefit of students. He encouraged financial aid administrators to stay informed on the issues, vigilant in looking for solutions, and vocal within the community, to continue to advocate on behalf of those we serve.

For more information
Access materials from the 2012 TG Annual Training Conference sessions, as well as view videos of recorded sessions.

TG and San Antonio PBS station promote financial literacy to help families plan and pay for college

2012-04-23T10:04:18Z

Parents often find talking to their students about finances and college costs to be a challenge. To help jumpstart the conversation, TG and San Antonio's KLRN-PBS station created "College Costs: When to talk about planning for college." This special program encourages the use of practical financial literacy skills to plan and pay for college.

The family and community-focused discussion features Lisa Blazer, assistant vice president for financial aid at University of Texas San Antonio, Sharon Cabeen, director of the TG Financial Literacy Program, Mark Kantrowitz, creator of finaid.org and fastweb.com, and Eyra Perez, executive director for the San Antonio Education Partnership.

The panelists stress the importance for parents to discuss money management topics openly with their children, which can lead to better financial health for students as they grow older. The members of the panel also lend their expertise on money and college topics, such as:

Determining the true price of a college education
Managing college costs responsibly
Understanding the financial aid process

The program was created as part of TG's ongoing efforts to promote college access and success. Encouraging parents to talk to students about finances can help instill practical money management skills and prepare students to make smarter financial decisions before, during, and after college.

"We want viewers to walk away understanding the need for honest and open communication about college costs, as well as the general importance of financial literacy to a family and community's educational attainment and economic health," said Sharon Cabeen, director of financial literacy operations for TG.

View the program
To view the program in its entirety, visit College Costs: When to talk about planning for college on TG Online.