Federal Updates

Disaster Forbearances Reminder
In Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) GEN-01-11, ED issued guidance pertaining to relief for borrowers affected by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The forbearances authorized by the letter ended on Jan. 31, 2002, but lenders are encouraged to continue to meet the needs of affected borrowers.

NSLDS Makes Changes to SSCR Process
The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) has made some changes to the Student Status Confirmation Reporting (SSCR) process.

Calendar Year Variable Interest Rate
ED announced the PLUS/SLS variable interest rate for 2002 for loans using the "91-day Treasury Bill" method.

TG Policies

TG Modifies Lender File Requirement for Electronic Signatures
In the November 6, 2001, edition of Shoptalk Online (Edition 130), TG explained how TG Loans By Web™ (LBW) supports the use of electronic signatures. Lenders should take note of a TG modification to the process.

TG Updates

Take a Look at "The Big Picture"
Now that it's on your calendar, you'd probably like a bit more detail about the TG 2002 Conference, "The Big Picture: Take a Leading Role." Why not check out the tentative agenda?

Pencil Me In
Dates to remember.

Trends and Issues

Distance Ed Conference Is Not So Distant
It'll be here before you know it. The "Distance Learning: The Future of Education Conference," co-presented by Higher Education Washington, Inc. (HEWI) and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), is set for March 11-12, 2002. The conference, sponsored by TG, promises a thorough agenda covering a variety of topics related to distance education, including financial aid, accreditation, intellectual property rights, and more.

Legislative Update

TG’s January 28 Legislative Report includes an update on issues from the second session of the 107th Congress and a report on a recent meeting of the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce. Read the entire report online at www.tgslc.org/lege_report/
2002/lr_020128.cfm.

Quick Links

• TG to Host "Applying for Financial Aid: The FAFSA Process."
• TG 2002 Conference Tentative Agenda
• Distance Ed Conference

This, That, and the Other...

In the world of distance education, there are two kinds of instruction: synchronous and asynchronous.

The traditional classroom and most varieties of distance education are characterized by synchronous instruction-where the teacher and student interact with each other simultaneously. A synchronous course might involve students watching a satellite transmission of a lecture-where the teacher and students are "in class" at the same time.

Another kind of education involves interaction between the teacher and student but not at the same time, such as when a teacher posts lessons on a web page and students log into their computers and complete the required activities at their own convenience. This is known as asynchronous instruction.

For more information about distance education concepts, visit TG's "Distance Education: Changes, Challenges, and Issues" at http://www.tgslc.org/resources/
distance.cfm.

Take a look at Adventures In Education, TG's Public Awareness website.