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Trends and Issues

Shoptalk Online 369, August 22, 2006

Trends and Issues

Reminder: TG offers free telephone conferences on the interim final rules

Don't forget to participate in one of TG's free teleconferences coming up over the next several business days. Titled "A look at the new interim final rules," the teleconference is designed to provide TG's school and lender partners with a summary of the interim final rules, released on August 9, 2006. In an effort to provide flexibility to your already busy schedules, TG has scheduled two presentations to be held on:

Thursday, August 24, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CDT).
Tuesday, August 29, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. (CDT).

A brief question-and-answer session will follow each telephone conference. Participants may submit questions in advance of the events to viola.perez@tgslc.org.

To register
To participate in Thursday's teleconference, participants must pre-register with AT&T online by visiting www.att-rsvp.com or by telephone at (877) 471-4350.

When pre-registering for the August 24 telephone conference, please reference Conference ID number 839849.

When pre-registering for the August 29 telephone conference, please reference Conference ID number 839852.

The telephone conference is free of charge and open to participants from any institution.

Learn more
For more information about the event, visit www.tgslc.org/custfocus/teleconf.cfm or contact Viola Perez at (800) 252-9743, ext. 4507, or send an e-mail message to viola.perez@tgslc.org.

Tips to prepare for the 2006-07 conference season (Part 1 in a series)

It's that time of year again when school financial aid offices gear up for the fall conference season. Whether you are attending a local conference or your state or regional association conference, you may be wondering what you can do to prepare for and gain the most value from a conference. With budgets only allowing for one or two people from your office to attend, you may want to know how to collect information to bring back to the office so that your entire staff benefits from your attendance.

Like you, TG team members are looking forward to spending time with colleagues and brushing up on the latest industry trends and developments. To help you get a step up on your participation at these conferences, Shoptalk Online is offering a three-part series on valuable tips to make the most of your attendance. In this first installment, we focus on planning before you attend.

If you haven't yet started planning for an upcoming conference, visit TG's Events Calendar on TG Online at www.tgslc.org/abouttg/calendar.cfm to find when your state or regional association is meeting or learn more about another conference you may be interested in attending. First up on TG's Events Calendar is next month's conference of the Florida Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (FASFAA) in Bonita Springs.

Prepare an outline of attendance objectives
Create a brief list of things you want to learn or objectives you want to achieve at the event. This list should include people you want to meet, organizations you want to understand, or processes or policies about which you need guidance. If a particular event does not cover a topic of interest, ask around. Association conferences offer a rare opportunity to have one-on-one contact with a wide variety of industry experts.

Share your plans with colleagues
Tell all of your office mates, even those in related function areas, that you will be attending the event. They may have specific requests for information or provide you with the names of contacts that could be beneficial. If possible, share a brief agenda of the topics to be covered, in case someone needs information that will be provided at the conference.

Make appointments early
Chances are that the people you most need to talk to will have time to meet with you, but ask early. If a person's time is in high demand, consider scheduling a "group" lunch with colleagues who may have other topics to discuss. This way, your contact may be more willing to join you, meet your colleagues, and focus on your topics or needs.

Prepare a "conference survival" kit
Buy or obtain a sturdy, multi-pocket organizer folder. To assemble your kit, include your itineraries, event mailings, maps, travel confirmations, a supply of business cards, and other items that you will need for your attendance. Keep this folder handy on your desk before the event, and drop in notes as you think about your tasks and to-do items. When it's time to go, grab your folder, secure it in your portfolio or briefcase, and you're ready for travel!

Upcoming event information
For a listing of association conference dates around the nation, visit the Events Calendar on TG Online at www.tgslc.org/abouttg/calendar.cfm.

Question of the week

Q: Is a Grad PLUS loan borrower subject to entrance counseling?

A: No. Currently, the regulations in 34 CFR 682.604(f)(1) stipulate that only a first-time Stafford loan borrower is subject to entrance counseling prior to the first disbursement of the loan. To find out more information regarding entrance counseling, see the Common Manual subsection 4.4.B.

The latest Integrated Common Manual is available for download at http://www.tgslc.org/resources/integrated_online_manual.cfm.

Do you have a question?
If you have a question that needs an answer, feel free to Ask TG™. Ask TG is 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. To submit a question to Ask TG, visit http://tgslc.custhelp.com.