Federal Updates

Taking a closer look at the final rules: Affirmative confirmation and the loan cancellation notice
Since implementation of MPNs, the Department of Education (ED) has given schools the option of using an "active" or a "passive" confirmation process prior to crediting Title IV loan proceeds to the student's school account. The final rules will change the notification timelines for schools that choose to use a passive confirmation process.

ED releases FY 2006 draft cohort default rates
FY 2006 draft electronic cohort default rate (eCDR) notification packages were transmitted via the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) to domestic Title IV-eligible schools that are enrolled in eCDR on February 11, 2008.

Latest volume of the 2008-09 FSA Handbook now online
ED has released volume 1, Student Eligibility, of the new 2008-09 Federal Student Aid Handbook (FSA Handbook). In total, three volumes of the latest FSA Handbook have been released

TG Updates

TG issues new publication to help schools increase student retention and success
TG has issued a new publication that studies the reasons for success and failure of students on campus, and makes recommendations on how to encourage student retention and persistence.

TG product trainer Lisa Felder helps customers get the most out of TG's products
To do her job well, TG product trainer Lisa Felder relies on three things: her insight about what customers need, input from TG product and support teams about product training needs, and a desire to make processes simpler for schools and lenders.

TG-supported program helps "open doors" for San Antonio parents and students interested in college
Making parents into education advocates for their children — and for their local community as well — is the premise for an outreach program founded in Texas called "Abriendo Puertas", or Opening Doors.

Correction to Shoptalk Online article on financial aid telethon
In last week's edition of Shoptalk Online, an article misstated who volunteered to answer phones for the College Access and Affordability Telethon, hosted by TG and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).

Trends and Issues

Question of the week
Can we add include the cost of a computer in a student's cost of attendance (COA)?

This, That, and the Other...

Users of TG's Real Time Access (RTA) product have an additional source of information for using the application. TG has added online help functionality to RTA to help users find more information about how to accomplish a given task step-by-step. Help may be accessed through the Help button on the top right corner of each screen. After selecting Help, you will be taken to the Main Help Page of RTA. You will find links to take you to the different topics within RTA's Help area.