TG Updates

TG moves lender training event one block north to meet strong demand
Student lending and servicing professionals traveling to Austin this week for TG's January 29 training event, "Get an edge," should note that the location has changed. Due to an overwhelming response, TG has lined up a bigger venue.

Federal Updates

President signs FY 2004 appropriations bill
Last Friday, President Bush signed the FY 2004 omnibus appropriations bill into law, setting the spending levels for a fiscal year that is almost one-third completed. Here are some high points pertaining to the bill that affect higher education funding.

ED announces new child care forgiveness application
ED recently released the 2003 Child Care Provider Loan Forgiveness (CCPLF) Application in Dear Partner Letter (DPL) GEN-04-01. The application is labeled "2003" because ED is still in the process of spending the $994,000 that Congress appropriated for new applicants to the program for FY 2003. Therefore, ED will continue to accept completed applications until the FY 2003 funds have been fully committed, but no later than September 15, 2004.

IRS announces changes to education tax benefits for 2003
Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published changes to certain tax benefits for higher education for tax year 2003 in its Publication 970 — Tax Benefits for Education.

President Bush announces Jobs for the 21st Century
In his most recent State of the Union Address, President Bush introduced a new plan called Jobs for the 21st Century. The goal of the proposal is to improve high school education and expand access to postsecondary education to better prepare upcoming entrants into the job market to compete in a fluctuating economy and to fill jobs in emerging industries.

Legislative Update

The January 22 issue of TG's Legislative Report includes updates on testimony given by several members of the Texas student financial aid community, including TG, at a public hearing of the state's Joint Committee on Higher Education. Also included is the text of a letter from Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (TASFAA), Association of Texas Lenders for Education (ATLE), and TG, endorsing HR 3613, The Student Aid Streamlined Act of 2003, introduced by Texas Congressman Sam Johnson. The letter has been sent to members and staff of the Texas Congressional Delegation. Keep up with the latest developments by reading the full report on TG Online at www.tgslc.org/lege_report/index.cfm.

This, That, and the Other...

Over the decades and even the centuries, schools across our nation have found many themes on which to compete with one another. They compete based on academic proficiency, athletic prowess, and even squirrel population. What? Squirrel population?

Yes, thanks to The Campus Squirrel Listings, schools have another outlet in which to channel their competitive nature! This website ranks higher education institutions based on "the size, health and behavior of the squirrel population on campus."

Only a handful of schools have been able to achieve the highest honor — the coveted 5-squirrel ranking — U.C. Berkeley, Mary Baldwin College, U.S. Naval Academy, Susquehanna University, Kansas State University, Lehigh University, Ursinus College, and Rice University.

Check out the website at www.gottshall.com/
squirrels/campsq.htm.
You'd be nuts not to!