Federal Updates

House passes student loan access bill
On April 17, 2008, by a vote of 383-27, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5715, the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008.

Neg reg update: consensus reached!
Following up on the success of the TEACH Grant negotiated rulemaking (Neg Reg) team — which reached consensus in February — the student loan issues team concluded its fourth and final meeting last week after reaching consensus on all issues.

ED makes increase in Stafford aggregate for health professions students official
ED released Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) GEN-08-04/FP-08-04 officially announcing new Stafford aggregate loan limits for graduate and professional students preparing for the health professions.

TG Updates

TG names Anne Hopkins senior vice president of customer relations and business operations
Anne B. Hopkins, an executive with national and international business experience, has joined TG as senior vice president of customer relations and business operations.

TG unveils 16th annual training conference
This Wednesday, TG debuts the three-day 2008 TG Annual Training Conference in Austin, Texas. Hundreds of financial aid professionals from across the U.S. will attend some 67 workshops and seminars that offer a strong grounding in the essentials of managing student loans.

Give your students the tools to explore consolidation — with help from TG
As graduation approaches, your seniors are contemplating a new set of priorities beyond college, including financial obligations like student loan repayment. For these and other borrowers, reliable, easy-to-find information on consolidation is important. TG provides just such support in the form of printed materials and a comprehensive Web site.

Trends and Issues

Question of the week
Can a student who is concurrently enrolled in high school and college (sometimes referred to as dual enrollment) receive federal student aid?

Tech Report

TG Loans by Web™ offers solutions to assist schools and students during changing times
Due to ongoing challenges in the financial markets, lenders are considering their options as to how best to manage their available capital and whether to continue making FFELP loans. This uncertainty, together with new regulations about schools and their lender lists, have some TG schools questioning how these changes will affect their borrowers, and more specifically, their borrowers' TG Loans by Web (LBW) experience. Rest assured LBW will be well equipped to handle lender shifts in participation promptly and with minimal disruption to students and schools.

Legislative Update

Both the House and Senate have focused considerable attention on liquidity in the student loan industry. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) along with Rep. Rueben Hinojosa (D-Texas) and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) filed legislation that would address this issue in a variety of ways, including: reducing students' reliance on loans by increasing the annual Pell grant award for the lowest-income Pell grant recipients; increasing the annual loan limits on federal unsubsidized student loans; and increasing the annual loan limit for unsubsidized loans for graduate and professional students. Learn more by reading the full report on TG Online at www.tgslc.org/lege_report/2008/lr_080415.cfm.

This, That, and the Other...

In 1970 on this day, the environmental — then known as the ecology — movement seized national attention, when 20 million Americans observed the first official Earth Day, including thousands of college students. Former Sen. Gaylord Nelson announced plans for the event in September 1969. He envisioned the day as a protest of sorts against the deteriorating quality of U.S. natural resources, disappearing species, and largely-unregulated industry. He couldn't have guessed the event would turn into a groundswell — an experience tapping into the activist spirit of the moment.

Today, hundreds of colleges plan annual Earth Day celebrations, offering panel discussions on environmental issues, exhibits on clean energy, and even art contests using recyclable materials. Activities tend to focus on the need to be good stewards of the environment, and, as such, are generally open to the public. Watch for events on your campus or at other local community centers.