Trends and Issues

JobGusher™ to Host Online Job Fair Featuring Part-Time Jobs for Students

While most students are sharpening their pencils for the beginning of the school year, others plan on sharpening their skills by working part-time. Students looking for part-time work during the fall can turn to JobGusher™ for assistance. JobGusher will host an online job fair featuring part-time jobs for students on September 9-22, 2002.

JobGusher is a student-focused online job recruitment service dedicated to connecting students and recent graduates with full-time and part-time entry level positions, internships, seasonal employment, and other career opportunities.

At the Online Job Fair, students can view all participating employers and available positions by visiting www.JobGusher.com and clicking on the ticket in the upper right-hand corner. Jobseekers can decide which positions to apply for on the spot, and apply immediately electronically. For employers, participation in the Online Job Fair improves exposure and access to job seekers without the high costs usually associated with traditional job fairs.

After visiting the Online Job Fair, students can return to the JobGusher home page, click on "Find a Job," and conduct an expanded search for other opportunities in their area, such as full-time positions and internships.

There is no cost for job seekers to attend the Online Job Fair. To participate, they simply need to visit www.JobGusher.com anytime from September 9 through September 22.

Employers wishing to participate must be registered JobGusher employers. For more information on exhibiting, contact customercare@jobgusher.com.

More Information
For more information on JobGusher, visit www.JobGusher.com or call 1-866-JOB-GUSH. JobGusher is a service of Education Assistance Services Inc., a subsidiary of Texas Guaranteed (TG).

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Determining Cost of Attendance (COA): Questions and Answers

The following questions and answers pertain to a school's determination of a student's cost of attendance (COA).

Q: Does a school include a student's or parent's loan fees in the COA?

A: Yes. According to the Common Manual, subsection 5.7.E, "The COA must include origination and guarantee fees associated with each Stafford or PLUS loan for which the student or parent borrower has applied." A school may also include the fees required for nonfederal student loans (that is, loans that must be considered resources for the student when packaging aid).

Q: May a school treat the COA of a student who is taking courses via telecommunications differently from that of other students?

A: No. According to the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, for a student receiving all or part of his or her instruction by means of telecommunications technology, the school must not make any distinction with respect to the mode of instruction in determining the student's cost of attendance (Section 472). However, the law also allows a financial aid officer (FAO) to use professional judgment on a case-by-case basis to reduce a student's financial aid if the FAO determines that telecommunications instruction results in a substantially reduced cost of attendance (Section 484).

Q: Can a school include the cost of a computer in a student's COA?

A: Yes. According to the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, a school may include "a reasonable allowance for the documented rental or purchase of a personal computer." (Section 472) The "reasonable allowance" is determined by the school.

Q: What are the COA components for an incarcerated student?

A: An incarcerated student's COA, according to the Student Financial Aid Handbook, Volume 1 (Student Eligibility), Chapter 7, "is limited to tuition and fees and required books and supplies." Incarcerated students are eligible for Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and Federal Work-Study, but are not eligible for any federal loans. In addition, a student can't receive a Pell Grant if he or she is incarcerated in any federal or state penal institution.

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