Federal Updates

House education committee passes reauthorization bill
On July 22, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved HR 609, the College Access and Opportunity Act, a comprehensive bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA). The approval came after several days of hearings during which many amendments to the bill were proposed by various members of the committee.

TG Updates

Skill builders: Closing the generation gap in your workplace
Baby boomers are all workaholics. Generation X is a bunch of slackers, and everyone in Generation Y is spoiled. Have you heard people use these stereotypes about the people in your office? Do you believe some of them yourself? If so, TG's professional development training session The Multi-Generational Workforce may be just what your office needs to bridge the generation gap and promote understanding among your staff.

Question of the week
Shoptalk Online is introducing a new weekly feature. Each week, Shoptalk Online will feature a question and answer from Ask TG™, TG's online query tool for borrowers, schools, and lenders. Ask TG includes a database of frequently asked questions about financial aid, student loan processing, and TG's products and services.

Trends and Issues

TG co-sponsors online chat event on applying to college and admissions tests
Navigating the college admissions process and standardized tests will be the topics of an upcoming Mapping Your Future™ online chat event scheduled for Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 2 p.m. (CDT). The event is sponsored by TG and hosted on the Mapping Your Future website, www.mapping-your-future.org.

Legislative Update

The July 25 issue of TG's Legislative Report includes updates on the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act; Health and Human Services, Labor, and Education FY 2006 Budget Reconciliation; and Appropriations bills advances. 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...

Students living at home with their parents while attending college face both advantages and disadvantages, according to an Associated Press news article. At least 37 percent of single undergraduates continue to live with their families while attending college, according to 2004 government figures provided by the American Council on Education. Challenges students and families face include establishing a new, more "adult" relationship, curfews, household rules, and chores. Research also has found that students who live at home are less engaged in extracurricular activities than students who live on campus. To read the article, visit www.cnn.com/2005/
EDUCATION/07/19/
back.to.school.living.ap/
index.html.