Federal Updates

Higher Education Act extended again
Congress recently approved H.R. 5603, the latest in a series of bills to extend the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA).

New teacher loan forgiveness forms approved
Last week, ED released Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) GEN-06-13, which announced the approval of revised Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF) Application and Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forbearance form and provided guidance for the implementation of the new forms.

Revised return of Title IV funds worksheets released
On June 30, 2006, ED issued an Electronic Announcement making available new return of Title IV funds (R2T4) worksheets for clock-hour and credit-hour programs.

NSLDS Newsletter #12: Real-time data and NSLDS reporting frequency
Increasingly, guarantors, lenders, and servicers are offering real-time, Web-based tools that allow quick and easy access to borrower loan data. Recently, ED released NSLDS Newsletter #12, providing additional guidance regarding the use of these real-time, Web-based products in determining student aid eligibility.

ED provides revised addendum for the Federal Consolidation Program
Last week, ED issued Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) FP-06-12, announcing a revised addendum for the Federal Consolidation Loan Program Application and Promissory Note.

Regulations issued for new grant programs
ED has published interim final regulations, effective August 2, 2006, for the new Academic Competitiveness Grant and National SMART Grant programs.

Remaining 2006-07 interest rates released
There are two categories of interest rates that are announced at the end of June, as mentioned in Shoptalk Online edition 359.

Current Special Allowance Rates: Quarter Ending June 30, 2006
Special allowance rates for the quarter ending June 30, 2006, are now available.

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

TG Updates

Second edition of English-Spanish glossary of terms related to higher education and financial aid now available
A consortium of national organizations has released the expanded second edition of the English-Spanish glossary of standard terms related to higher education access. The latest edition evolved in its scope and includes an additional 700 entries, many of which relate to changes made to the federal student aid programs under the Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005.

Trends and Issues

Question of the week
If a graduate or professional student is denied a Grad PLUS loan based on an adverse credit history, is he or she eligible for additional unsubsidized Stafford loan funds?

Legislative Update

The June 30 issue of TG's Legislative Report includes updates on S. 3593, The Student Debt Relief Act, and the draft report from the Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education. 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...

A quarter-century after women became the majority on college campuses, men are trailing them in more than just enrollment, according to a recent New York Times article.

ED statistics show that men, whatever their race or socioeconomic group, are less likely than women to get bachelor's degrees — and among those who do, fewer complete their degrees in four or five years. Men also get worse grades than women.

And in two national studies, college men reported that they studied less and socialized more than their female classmates.

Given these statistics, it is no wonder that at elite institutions like Harvard, small liberal arts colleges like Dickinson, huge public universities like the University of Wisconsin and U.C.L.A., and smaller ones like Florida Atlantic University, women are walking off with a disproportionate share of the honors degrees.

It is not that men are in a downward spiral: They are going to college in greater numbers and are more likely to graduate than two decades ago.

Still, men now make up only 42 percent of the nation's college students. And with sex discrimination fading and their job opportunities widening, women are coming on much stronger, often leapfrogging the men to the academic finish.

To read the July 9 article, visit www.nytimes.com/2006/07/09/education/09college.html?_r=1&oref=slogin.