Federal Updates

Call for Community Service Grows Louder
Many things have changed since September 11, 2001. Our sense of invincibility, our capacity for compassion, and our spirit of patriotism have all been affected. In President Bush's recent State of the Union address, he announced several objectives "to sustain and extend the best that has emerged in America." These include a dramatic increase in the community service requirement for schools participating in the Federal Work-Study Program, a sizeable increase in AmeriCorps participation, and the formation of the new USA Freedom Corps.

Closed School Corner
The Department of Education announces three new closures.

TG Updates

2002 Workshop Series Offers Practical Strategies to Manage Default
If you're looking for practical strategies to manage student loan default (and who isn't), then you'll want to register for TG's free, one-day default aversion workshops.

Refer-a-Friend: Spread the JobGusher™ News
In addition to the benefits of the site to jobseekers, employers, and schools, JobGusher (www.JobGusher.com) users now have an additional incentive to spread the news about the site's features.

Trends and Issues

School Certification Q&A
This question and answer (Q&A) is the first in a series that will be featured in Shoptalk Online in the coming months. Each will relate to a different topic associated with higher education. This Q&A pertains to the subject of school certification of a loan.

Legislative Update

TG’s February 4 Legislative Report includes an overview of the Administration’s proposed 2003 budget, a discussion of both sides of the budget deficit debate, and a report on a proposal from a University of California faculty committee’s recommendation to drop the SAT I admissions requirement. Read the entire issue online at http://www.tgslc.org/lege_report/
2002/lr_020204.cfm.

Common Manual

Common Manual Updates
Information on recent updates to the Common Manual.

Quick Links

• Practical Strategies for Effective Default Aversion workshops
• Common Manual Updates and the ICM
• TG's "Introduction to Deferments"

This, That, and the Other...

In today's tough economic times, it is good for borrowers to know their options if they get into a pinch and cannot make their student loan payment. For example, several different types of deferments are available to FFELP borrowers. These deferments are based on circumstances that a borrower may be facing that make it difficult for the borrower to pay his or her loan, such as:

• The borrower becomes unemployed.
• The borrower returns to school on at least a half-time basis.
• The borrower becomes temporarily totally disabled.
• The borrower is experiencing economic hardship.

These circumstances, in addition to others, may qualify a borrower for a temporary cessation of his or her payments, if the borrower meets all of the eligibility requirements.

For a complete list of deferments and their applicable forms, visit TG's "Introduction to Deferments" page at http://www.tgslc.org/
borrowers/deferments.cfm. Additional information about managing repayment and handling default is available in the "For Borrowers" section at http://www.tgslc.org/
borrowers/index.cfm. For information on other options available to borrowers who are having difficulty making their loan payments, contact TG's Default Prevention at (800) 338-4752 or send an e-mail message to prevent.default@tgslc.org.

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