Federal updates

ED issues guidance on dependency overrides
Some students who apply for federal student aid have special circumstances not addressed on the FAFSA. These students often bring these circumstances to the attention of the financial aid office at the schools they attend. The Higher Education Act (HEA) allows financial aid administrators (FAAs) the flexibility to make adjustments to a student's file — on a case-by-case basis — that may affect the student's eligibility for federal student aid.

TG updates

TG and Council offer new guide on school-servicer partnerships to enhance default prevention efforts
TG and the Council for the Management of Educational Finance recently unveiled a new version of Servicers: Your Partners in Default Aversion – A Guide for Institutions of Higher Learning.

Trends and issues

Edufacts™ – April 2003
Although state grant aid to students in higher education has risen 161 percent in Texas since the mid-1990s, primarily as a result of establishment of the TEXAS Grant program in 1999, total state grant aid is less than half that of other large states. This is because Texas started from a lower threshold. In 1995-1996 Texas spent $45 million in need-based and non-need-based grants, less than half the $101 million spent by the next lowest comparable state, Florida. By 2000-2001, Texas was spending $116 million. But even with this increase, Texas was spending just 38 percent of the amount spent by Florida, and only 18 percent of the amount spent by New York.

This, that, and the other...

ED recently released a new version of FSA COACH, an online tutorial for financial aid administrators and other industry professionals. The tutorial is a comprehensive introductory course on school requirements for administering postsecondary federal student aid (FSA) programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act.

FSA COACH provides learners with information on FSA processes and the roles and responsibilities of the various players in student financial aid. The tutorial also provides users with lessons on determining student eligibility for federal student aid and evaluating a school's Title IV program management.

To access FSA COACH, visit www.fsacoach.ed.gov.