Federal Updates

Remaining 2005-2006 interest rates released
There are two categories of interest rates that are announced at the end of June, as mentioned in Shoptalk Online 308. Interest rates for older PLUS and SLS loans are based on the weekly average of the one-year constant maturity Treasury yield for the last calendar week ending on or before June 26. Interest rates for the HEAL portion of Federal Consolidation loans are based on the 91-day Treasury bill (T-bill) auctioned for the quarter ending June 30.

Latest volume of the 2005-06 FSA Handbook now online
ED has released Volume 4 of the 2005-06 Federal Student Aid Handbook (FSA Handbook). This is the fourth volume that has been released so far for the upcoming award year.

TG Updates

TG names Steve Flores as national account representative for Arizona
Steve R. Flores is the newest addition to TG's national sales team, serving as the national account representative for student financial aid professionals in Arizona.

TG Resources: Student and Parent Loan Inquiry assists borrowers with loan management
Schools and lenders can help students manage their loans with TG's Student/Parent Loan Inquiry. Borrowers, schools, and lenders can view the current status and balance of student loans by simply logging into Student/Parent Loan Inquiry located on the For Borrowers page of TG Online at www.tgslc.org.

Skill builders: The dreaded meeting — ways to keep gatherings productive
It's something that people sometimes dread — the notice for an upcoming meeting. Although a necessary activity in the workplace, meetings often become unpopular for a variety of reasons. Here are a few points to keep in mind when planning your own meetings.

Legislative Update

The June 28 issue of TG's Legislative Report includes a Congressional update, including the HEA proposals to be considered in the last few weeks of the first session of the 109th Congress. 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...

The last minute rush last Thursday by borrowers to consolidate prior to the adjustment of interest rates created a significant challenge for lenders and the Department of Education. Although many industry partners anticipated the demand and prepared appropriately by extending servicing hours and increasing staffing, CNN reports that many financial aid veterans were still surprised by the sheer volume of calls in the final hours prior to the deadline. Read more about the rush to consolidate at http://www.cnn.com/2005/
EDUCATION/06/30/
student.loans.ap/index.html.