Federal Updates

ED approves new segment of health profession students for additional unsubsidized Stafford loan limits
ED has added a new set of programs to the list of programs eligible to award additional unsubsidized Stafford loan limits available to health profession students. Per Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) GEN-05-09, starting May 1, 2005, students enrolled in naturopathic programs of study are eligible for the additional annual and increased aggregate Stafford loan limits.

Current special allowance rates: Quarter ending June 30, 2005
Special allowance rates for the quarter June 30, 2005, are now available.

Two more volumes of the 2005-06 FSA Handbook published — one more to go
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.

Closed school corner
The Department of Education announces two new closures.

TG Updates

Skill builders: Need the recipe for motivation?
Research indicates a clear link between motivation and workplace performance. If your employees are motivated, they perform better, have better morale, and customers get better service. Yet, half of American workers surveyed said they are doing just enough at work not to get fired, and 80 percent admitted they could work harder.

Meet Bonita Peebles, TG customer assistance representative
Bonita Peebles is typical of customer assistance team members, who average over 10 years of experience in the financial aid industry. That kind of background gives Bonita — and the rest of the customer assistance team — a broad knowledge of the FFELP as well as TG. Those years of knowledge also provide a wealth of information on which customers can draw for quick, comprehensive answers. At the start of this year's peak season, Bonita sat down with Shoptalk Online to describe her work and the changes in the FFELP that keep her job challenging.

Legislative Update

The July 7 issue of TG's Legislative Report includes an update on the final five weeks of the first session of the 109th Congress, including the status of the 11 appropriations bills still to be passed. Keep up with the latest developments by reading the full report on TG Online at www.tgslc.org/lege_report/index.cfm.