Federal Updates

Neg Reg on General Provisions continues
In last week's Shoptalk Online (Edition 397), we reported on the progress of Negotiated Rulemaking (Neg Reg) in the Student Loan, Accreditation, and Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) and National Science and Mathematics to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant teams. This week, we will provide an update on the General Provisions team, which concluded its second meeting on March 16.

TG Updates

Training spotlight: The 2007 TG Annual Conference
This year's conference promises training on some of the most talked-about issues in student aid today: the barriers to higher education, latest developments in the reauthorization process, the potential threat of identity theft, and the role of ethics in financial aid are just a few of the topics.

TG sponsors chat event on managing college and career
TG will sponsor a chat event through Mapping Your Future™ (MYF) on college and career management. MYF will offer the live chat event on April 10, 2007 at 7 p.m., Eastern; 6 p.m., Central; 5 p.m., Mountain; and 4 p.m., Pacific. The event is interactive, allowing students and families to ask questions about careers, college, financial aid, and money management — all from the privacy and convenience of a computer.

TG announces a call for papers for a new publication on enrollment management
TG, in partnership with the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will publish a refereed journal on enrollment management, titled Enrollment Management Journal: Student Access, Finance, and Success in Higher Education. The first issue will be published in December 2007.

TG Annual Report for FY 2006 now available
TG has released its annual report for fiscal year 2006. Typically, annual reports offer a window onto a corporation's business and culture. The 2006 TG Annual Report presents a picture of a thriving organization working diligently to promote higher education. It also describes a TG milestone: in FY 2006, TG marked 25 years guaranteeing student loans.

Trends and Issues

Question of the week
I've had a student withdraw; however, the registrar's office gave the student a partial tuition refund. What amount do I use in the "institutional charges" portion of the calculation?

This, That, and the Other...

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today unveiled a new online tool to help students and families financially prepare and plan for college before a student's senior year of high school. Called the FAFSA4caster, it provides students with an early estimate of their eligibility for federal financial aid.

According to ED, the FAFSA4caster will instantly calculate a student's eligibility for federal student aid, including grants; reduce the time it will take to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); and simplify the financial aid process for students and families.

In addition to helping families make informed decisions as they plan for college, the FAFSA4caster will also reduce the application time when students file their FAFSA in their senior year in high school. The FAFSA4caster pre-populates 51 of the 102 questions on the FAFSA, significantly reducing the time it takes for the student to complete the FAFSA.

If you'd like to learn more about this new ED tool, read the complete press release on the topic at www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/03/03212007.html.