Federal Updates

ED expects FAAs to be tax "prepared"
In the 2004-2005 Federal Student Aid Handbook (FSA Handbook), ED has published guidance for schools regarding the level of knowledge ED expects financial aid administrators (FAAs) to have regarding a FAFSA applicant's tax-filing status.

The elusive RT4: untimely return of funds
Return of Title IV funds (RT4) is one of the areas of Title IV administration that is most frequently cited in a school program review. One common finding related to RT4 concerns the untimely return of funds — that is, a return of funds that is later than 30 days after the date the school determined that the student withdrew.

ED issues ombudsman reminder
The ED Student Loan Ombudsman's Office has recently issued Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) GEN-04-07 to ensure that schools and lenders have the most recent contact information for the office.

Trends and Issues

Mapping Your Future announces chat schedule for 2004-2005
Mapping Your Future (MYF) chat events offer families and students online access to experienced counselors who can help them plan for college admissions, seek financial aid, or manage student loan repayment. MYF recently announced a new series of 10 chats that will run from October 2004 through September 2005.

This, That, and the Other...

Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools has risen continually over the past decade. In 2002, public school enrollment in kindergarten through eighth grade grew 13 percent to 33.8 million students, and enrollment in public high schools rose 23 percent to 13.9 million. In fact, enrollment in public schools is projected to set new records every year until 2005.

At the same time, the proportion of students in private elementary and secondary schools has changed little over the past 10 years, remaining at about 11 percent. In 2002, about 6 million students were enrolled in private schools at the elementary and secondary levels.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2003). Digest of Education Statistics, 2002 (NCES 2003-060), Chapter 1.