TG Updates

TG training workshops coming to cities across Texas
Join your financial aid colleagues and TG for an unforgettable learning and professional development experience. You and your financial aid team are invited to participate in one of our new series of statewide regional training workshops being hosted by the TG Customer Services team. Workshops will be held in Abilene and Lubbock next week, and in several other Texas cities this spring and summer.

Federal Updates

Clarification issued on recent RT4 guidance
Jeff Baker, Policy Liaison and Implementation Director of ED's office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), recently provided clarification on one of the provisions in newly released Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) GEN-04-03 (see Shoptalk Online Edition 243). Baker provided this information during a presentation at the Region VI Advisory Council of Private Career Schools Conference in Dallas, Texas this past weekend.

Trends and Issues

Study finds that students and taxpayers would benefit from Consolidation loan reform
A new study from two noted economists concludes that taxpayers would save billions of dollars if interest rates on Federal Consolidation loans were adjusted annually like other federal student loans. Variable rates on Consolidation loans would also reduce stark inequities in the amount of interest borrowers pay depending on when they consolidate their loans, according to the report The Fiscal and Social Costs of Consolidating Student Loans at Fixed Interest Rates.

Unusual scholarships offer something for everyone
Most students usually rely on a patchwork of grants, loans, and family savings to pay their college tuition. Some students also rely on scholarship money — usually awarded for academic or athletic achievements — to foot the bill. But what about the students who aren't in the top 10 percent of their high school class or who can't run a four-minute mile or slam-dunk a basketball?

Legislative Update

The March 12 issue of TG's Legislative Report provides updates on reauthorization recommendations from the Bush Administration and The Coalition for Better Student Loans. Both sets of recommendations were recently endorsed by the Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (TASFAA), the Association of Texas Lenders for Education (ATLE), and TG in a March 12 letter to the members and staff of the Texas Congressional Delegation. Review this letter and 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...

This year, 35,000 students are expected to participate in alternative spring break programs that emphasize good works over good times. The programs match U.S. students with community service projects across North and Central America.

Under the programs, students volunteer to spend their spring breaks working on short-term projects addressing poverty, hunger, homelessness, literacy, and the environment. The commitment often extends beyond the spring break week; many students attend planning and training sessions to prepare for their trips.

The alternative spring break movement began with loosely organized, student-driven initiatives at Vanderbilt University and the University of Pennsylvania. Over the last 15 years, alternative spring break programs have spread to hundreds of public and private campuses nationwide. Many of the programs are affiliated with Break Away, a national nonprofit that trains, supports, and connects campuses with community-based service organizations. For more on alternative spring breaks, visit Break Away’s website at www.alternativebreaks.org.