Federal Updates

Neg Reg update
Since our last update in Edition 392 of Shoptalk Online, representatives from the financial aid and higher education communities have continued to participate in negotiated rulemaking (Neg Reg) sessions.

TG Updates

Tune in! TG to hold teleconference on barriers to financial aid study
A Texas A&M University study, sponsored through a TG grant, looks closer at particular barriers to higher education. TG will hold a teleconference on March 21 about the study. Geared to student financial aid professionals, the teleconference will present specific findings of the study and then provide time for listeners to pose questions.

TG Annual Conference update: keynote speaker to tie workplace success to humor and well-being
Every year, the TG Annual Conference offers a varied menu of trainings and workshops to the hundreds of financial aid professionals who attend. The agenda varies but generally gives participants a strong grounding in the latest changes in student aid and some great training in professional development. This year's keynote address focuses on some key skills necessary to many in financial aid: using fun to enhance motivation and build job satisfaction.

TG to hold information forums on Public Benefit Grant Program
Starting this week, TG will begin accepting proposals for grant funding through its Public Benefit Grant Program. To help interested institutions understand TG's guidelines and prepare a proposal, TG is holding workshops throughout the U.S.

Meet Cecilia Ortiz, policy specialist on TG's policy and regulatory affairs team
Ever been stumped by an especially dense section of federal regulations? You wouldn't be the first. Financial aid regulations are written in legalistic-sounding language that can be hard to parse let alone understand. To ensure they're applying a rule correctly, financial aid professionals sometimes look for clarification from other sources — colleagues, written interpretation, or policy specialists like those at TG.

Trends and Issues

Question of the week
If a student receives a bankruptcy C-Flag on his or her Student Aid Report (SAR), does the school need to obtain any paperwork to clear the flag, or is it the lender's responsibility to do this?

Legislative Update

A slate of Higher Education Act reauthorization bills have been introduced into both Houses of Congress, including HR 5/S 282 — College Student Relief Act, HR 990/S 707 — Pell Grant Equity Act of 2007, and S 359 — Student Debt Relief Act. These pieces of legislation make some important changes to the Pell program, federal interest rates on subsidized student loans, and other higher education initiatives. The House and Senate may take up their respective bills as they work through the FY 2008 budget and appropriations process. To learn more about the various education bills under consideration, read the full Legislative Report on TG Online at www.tgslc.org/lege_report/index.cfm.

This, That, and the Other...

Looking for a statistical profile of the average freshman enrolled at four-year colleges? Recently, the Chronicle of Higher Education published findings from a survey conducted by the University of California at Los Angeles Higher Education Research Institute. The survey, titled "The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 2006," reflects student data for AY 2006-07. Among other things, the survey shows that the average first-year student at a four-year college lives within five-hundred miles of his or her permanent home, applied to two to four colleges in order to attend school, and chose a college based on academic reputation rather than the prospects of a good job or other factors. Not surprisingly, a majority of freshmen are 18 to 19 and were accepted at the college of their first choice. Whites from middle- to upper-class families continue to make up the largest portion of first-year students.

The survey used the responses of over 271,000 first-time, full-time students attending 393 of the nation's baccalaureate colleges and universities. This is the 41st year for the study.

The source for this week's "This, that, and the other" is located at http://chronicle.com/stats/freshmen.htm.

Note that the Chronicle of Higher Education requires a paid subscription to review some content.