Federal Updates

NSLDS Newsletter #14 announces changes due to HERA and new enhancements
Last week, ED released NSLDS Newsletter #14, which provides guidance on changes to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) due to provisions enacted by the Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 (HERA).

Economic hardship deferment form updated with latest poverty guidelines
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has updated the U.S. federal poverty guidelines in the Federal Register dated January 24, 2007.

ED announces the release date for FY 2005 draft cohort default rates
FY 2005 draft electronic cohort default rate (eCDR) notification packages will be transmitted to Title IV-eligible schools within the U.S. on February 12, 2007.

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

TG Updates

TG kicks off Financial Aid Awareness Month with workshops and trainings
Personal interaction can be the key to helping students and families understand financial aid. Offering that guidance in a variety of forums is one of TG's priorities for Financial Aid Awareness Month.

AIE™ makes sharing awareness information easier with new features
TG added a versatile set of page controls to Adventures In Education (AIE) to make sharing and using its content even easier.

Daylight Saving Time change coming
A new law sets a new time period for observing Daylight Saving Time (DST).

Trends and Issues

Question of the week
When a parent completes the PLUS Master Promissory Note (PLUS MPN), one of the authorizations on the form states, "I authorize the school to transfer loan proceeds received by electronic funds transfer (EFT) or master check to my dependent student's account at the school." Does this authorization signify that the school may directly deposit the parent's PLUS loan funds into the dependent student's bank account?

Common Manual

Common Manual Updates
Information on recent updates to the Common Manual.

This, That, and the Other...

Looking for a readymade way to raise financial aid awareness? Try TG's FAFSA Made Easy program. The program, which is available in Spanish and English, is a guide to completing both the paper and online FAFSA. Schools can order a DVD of the program to show as part of any event promoting financial aid awareness and FAFSA completion. To help you advertise the FAFSA Made Easy, TG will supply an assortment of collateral, including posters, flyers, fact sheets, and student evaluation forms. As a bonus, returned student evaluations received by March 12 will be entered into a random drawing for scholarships and a grand prize. Complete the registration form at www.aie.org/FAFSAMadeEasy/index.cfm to receive these materials along with the DVD. For more information about the FAFSA Made Easy program, or other TG outreach services, please contact Richard Sapp at (800) 252-9743, ext. 2865, or send an message to richard.sapp@tgslc.org.