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Shoptalk Online Contents

Trends and Issues

Shoptalk Online 409, June 12, 2007

Trends and Issues

Sticky situations: Monkeying with multiple enrollment

The paths that students take in pursuing their educational dreams are as diverse as the student aid programs that help them to get there. Some students seek consistency in their higher education experience and invest their time and loyalty in a single school, while others may attend multiple schools to complete their degree requirements. A growing number of students are finding their educational goals are best met through multiple enrollment — concurrent enrollment at more than one school.

Students may enroll concurrently at multiple schools for a variety of reasons: to be able to select from a greater variety and flexibility of courses; to incur less expensive tuition costs; to take specialized courses; or to expedite the completion of their program of study. Although multiple enrollment may be a good choice for some students, it can prove challenging for the financial aid office. Establishing and maintaining policies and procedures, and facilitating communication among all schools and with the student, are essential to making multiple enrollment work.

This article is another installment in our series on sticky situations that come up occasionally in the Title IV programs — see previous articles in editions 384, 390, 394, and 402 — and addresses some common issues that arise with multiple enrollment.

Note: This article does not address multiple enrollment due to a consortium agreement between two or more eligible schools. Consortium agreements have their own set of rules, as described in the 2006-07 Federal Student Aid Handbook, starting on page 2-128.

Applying for financial aid and completing verification
Although a student is unable to receive a Pell grant at more than one school, according to the 2006-07 Federal Student Aid Handbook, page 3-66, it is possible for a student to receive a Stafford loan and/or PLUS loan at more than one school for the same period of enrollment. Each school must have a current and valid Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) on file for the student before moving forward with the awarding process — except in the case when a student is pursuing a parent PLUS loan only at each school.

In the case of verification, if the applicant has completed the verification process at one school, the other schools are not required to repeat the process. However, they must document the student's file by obtaining a letter from the school that performed the verification that includes:

a statement that the student's application has been verified,
the transaction number of the verified application, and
if relevant, the reason why the school was not required to recalculate the student's EFC.

Determining cost of attendance
According to the 2006-07 Federal Student Aid Handbook, page 3-66, only one of the schools may include the student's noninstitutional expenses — such as room and board — in the cost of attendance formula. However, depending on the student's situation, it may be possible to adjust some components of the cost of attendance — for example, transportation costs for travel to multiple campuses — to reflect unusual expenses.

Accounting for estimated financial assistance
In order to determine the amount and type of FFELP loan funds the school may award the student, the school must determine the student's estimated financial assistance (EFA) — the amount of financial assistance that a student, or parent on behalf of the student, will receive for the period of enrollment. The EFA includes aid from federal, state, institutional, and other sources.

However, the EFA should not include aid used to replace the student's expected family contribution (EFC). In addition, according to the 2006-07 Federal Student Aid Handbook, page 3-66, loan funds awarded at one school are not to be included as estimated financial assistance by any other school the student is attending when determining the student's loan eligibility for the same period.

Student enrollment status
Remember that for a student to receive a Stafford or PLUS loan, the student must be enrolled at least half time at each school at which the student is requesting loan funds. If a student is enrolled half time at school A, and less than half time at school B, the student can receive loan funds at school A only.

Handling overlapping academic years and overawards
When awarding loan funds to a student who is enrolled in multiple schools, all schools that the student is attending are responsible for coordinating to make sure that the total amount of the loans the student receives does not exceed the applicable annual loan limit. In addition, if the academic years at each of the schools overlap, it may impact when the student will gain eligibility for a new annual loan limit. To determine the impact of overlapping academic years (either scheduled or borrower-based academic years or a combination of the two), consult the 2006-07 Federal Student Aid Handbook pages 3-66 to 3-71.

More information
For more information on awarding aid to students enrolled at multiple schools, call TG customer assistance at (800) 845-6267 or send an message to cust.assist@tgslc.org.

Ten ways to maximize your training experience

With the NASFAA conference on the horizon, you may be wondering about how you can get the most out of the training sessions and workshops you attend. Here are some general tips to consider in preparing for NASFAA — or for any training or conference. This general guide should help you ensure long-term rewards for yourself and even benefit those with whom you share your new knowledge and information.

Set training objectives: Create a brief list of things you want to learn at the event. Include people you want to meet, organizations you want to learn more about, 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 with coworkers where you're going and why: Your office mates, even those in related function areas, may have specific requests for information or provide you with the names of contacts that could be helpful. If possible, share a brief agenda of the topics to be covered, in case someone needs information slated to be covered at the conference.
Plan to network: 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.
Prioritize your sessions: After you register, spend 15 to 30 minutes reviewing conference materials to plan your agenda. Highlight those sessions you will attend. If there are two events that conflict, label one "A" for attend, and the other "H" for handouts. This will remind you to ask for copies of the materials provided at the session you will not attend.
Be a selective note-taker: Avoid taking down notes on everything discussed - you may miss important points. Instead, listen closely. Take down quick notes only on those items that need clarification. Also, ask questions. If you need clarification, others may need it as well. At the very least, presenters can use the opportunity to reinforce their points.
Maximize your contacts: Foster relationships. Prepare a quick two- or three-sentence introduction, and use it when an opportunity arises to greet new acquaintances. If you want to exchange information at a later date, offer your business card and commit to a quick or phone call after the event.
Organize your materials for sharing: Every piece of information you collect will probably benefit someone in your office. As you receive materials, note colleague names who may benefit from the information on a corner of the document, and store materials in your "survival kit" (described in the previous installment of this series). When you return, you can quickly route materials.
Preserve what you learn: Identify three to five of the most important ideas or concepts you learned at the conference. Summarize them in an or one- or two-page "idea log." Explain how these ideas could be implemented in your office and share it with your supervisor. If appropriate, distribute this document to your other colleagues — it may start discussions for future improvements in your office.
Enjoy the conference: There are other rewards beyond the obvious for an enjoyable conference experience. You're more likely to remember information and follow up on colleague contacts, if you've liked and enjoyed the event. You're more likely to put to use what you've learned. Also, in the end, if you found you spent your time profitably at a financial aid conference, you're more likely to feel more committed, interested, and ultimately happier about working in the industry. This, of course, has long-term benefits for you and for those who work with you.

To learn more
Would you like to learn more about the many training opportunities TG offers through its Speakers Bureau? Visit www.tgslc.org/speakers/index.cfm to read the training catalog. Keep in mind that TG can tailor training to meet the needs of your financial aid office. To find out how, contact the TG Speakers Bureau at (800) 252-9743, ext. 4650, or send an message to businesspartner.services@tgslc.org.

Question of the week

Q.: I know that a school can make a dependent student independent in certain circumstances and on a case-by-case basis by using a dependency override, but is it possible to make an independent student dependent if the student lives at home with parents and has no income of his or her own?

A.: No, according to the 2007-08 Federal Student Aid Handbook, Application and Verification Guide (AVG), page AVG-24, a financial aid administrator may override only from dependent to independent. However, if an independent student receives substantial support from others, a school may use professional judgment to adjust the cost of attendance or FAFSA data items such as untaxed income.

The 2007-08 AVG volume of the Federal Student Aid Handbook is available for download on TG Online at www.tgslc.org/policy/fsa_handbook.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. It 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 tgslc.custhelp.com.