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TG Updates
National initiative enhances English-Spanish glossary
The fourth edition of the English-Spanish glossary of terms relating to access to higher education is now available in portable document format (PDF) and as a searchable online database. The glossary — which aims to promote greater consistency in the vocabulary used in Spanish-language materials about higher education — now includes approximately 2,500 terms.
Name change to expand scope of glossary
To more accurately reflect the contents of the glossary, this year the title of the glossary was revised to "English-Spanish Glossary of Student Financial Aid and Postsecondary Education." The glossary primarily contains terms related to ED's federal student aid programs. However, the goal is to expand the glossary to include all terms relating to access to higher education.
Helpful resource for working with Spanish speakers
The English-Spanish glossary and database provide a consistent and easy-to-use resource for those who create Spanish-language materials and website content about higher education and student financial aid. The glossary is also intended to be used as a common reference by secondary school administrators, postsecondary admissions advisors, financial aid and outreach professionals, and others providing Spanish-speaking families and students with information about going to college. Use of the glossary is entirely voluntary.
Glossary addresses growing need
Most studies indicate that, when compared to other major ethnic groups, Hispanics are less likely to continue their education beyond high school. Factors cited as causes of this trend include a lack of awareness in Hispanic communities about the financial aid resources available to help pay for college, and the need or preference among Hispanic parents and students for information in Spanish.
First developed in 2004, the glossary originally consisted of an alphabetical listing of English terms translated into Spanish. Last year, users gained the additional option of accessing a website and typing in an English term to instantly obtain the Spanish translation.
A collaborative effort
Along with TG, other organizations assist in producing the glossary by providing staff, resources, or promotional support. These include the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the National College Access Network, the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships, the National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs, and ED.
Accessing the glossary
The glossary is free and available at www.tgslc.org/pdf/Spanish_glossary.pdf in an easily searchable PDF. The link to the searchable database is www.tgslc.org/spanish/glossary.
To learn more
To learn more about the English-Spanish Glossary initiative, contact TG's director of educational finance initiative Maria Luna-Torres at (800) 252-9743, ext. 4632, or send an message to maria.luna-torres@tgslc.org.
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Product manager Teresa Bobadilla helps design TG services to meet school and lender needs
Lending markets are changing almost daily, affecting some of the most important decisions that a consumer can make, from taking out a mortgage to borrowing for college. At times like these, financial aid officers (FAOs) play an even more critical role in guiding students and parents through the student loan process. To educate borrowers on their loan options, FAOs often rely on a variety of resources, including a preferred lender list (PLL). PLLs offer a number of benefits to borrowers — they provide a list of lenders that currently offer student loans and that meet standards set by the school. They also supply a basis for comparing lenders and making a more informed decision in taking out a loan.
One of TG's newest products, List AssistSM, will help schools generate lender lists with more flexibility and ease. List Assist provides an automated, online process for creating surveys, or Request For Information (RFI) documents, with which to gather lender data. Among other things, List Assist lets schools query lenders and compare information electronically; tailor surveys to better meet the information needs of students; and even print reports to review lender responses and document list creation.
A person pivotal to the process of designing and producing List Assist is TG product manager Teresa Bobadilla. "I've worked closely with the whole List Assist team, from the developers who designed the product to the training coordinator who will train users on the product to the team members working to spread the word about List Assist," said Bobadilla. "Bottom line is — as product manager, I've become the champion of the product, and am very excited to see it become a reality."
Wearing many hats
Bobadilla didn't originally intend to become a product manager. In fact, Bobadilla initially set out to be a graphic designer. Born and raised in Iowa, she majored in graphic design and minored in Spanish at the University of Iowa. She moved with her family to Austin in November 1995.
While looking for a job as a graphic designer, Bobadilla took a "temporary" position with a temp agency — TG was her first placement. Three months later, TG made her position permanent, and, since then, Bobadilla has worked in various roles to help create and manage TG's suite of products and services.
Once on board, Bobadilla showed a strong aptitude for translating customer needs into business requirements. She helped brainstorm key features of many TG products, managing production teams and timelines at the same time. She's even made use of her design background when it came to the layout and development of screens for products such as List Assist.
Her dedication led to her most recent appointment — product manager. As a member of the product management team, Bobadilla is part of the driving force leading TG's product development.
The product management team gathers ideas, suggestions, and requests, and formalizes them into business requirements. They also function as customer advocates, pushing forward ideas they feel would most benefit schools and lenders.
The team works with the development team to create products that meet business requirements, test the end result for usability, identify and coordinate business implementation steps, help produce and deliver product training, and serve as long-term subject matter experts for TG's support staff. It is challenging work that requires cross-departmental coordination and negotiation.
According to Bobadilla, her work is never boring. "In a single day I could be involved in initiating a new product offering, testing a product before it goes to production, answering questions from our support staff, or discussing the roll-out process," she said. "It is a challenge to wear so many different hats and maintain your focus, but it certainly keeps things interesting."
To learn more
To view an online demo of List Assist, visit TG Online at www.tgslc.org/products/index.cfm?ref=school and click "TG List Assist Demo" in the right column. For questions about List Assist, please contact your account executive at (800) 252-9743, or send an message to relationship.management@tgslc.org.
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TG's Frequently Asked Questions brochure provides quick answers to many federal student loan questions
Student loans can be confusing to first-time borrowers. You can anticipate many of the questions that your students and parents may have and provide quick answers with TG's updated brochure, Frequently Asked Questions.
For example: What does default mean? Is consolidation right for me? You've probably heard these questions many times. Still you want to ensure your students get comprehensive information each and every time they ask a question.
TG offers one source of help with this informative brochure. The Frequently Asked Questions brochure is an easy-to-mail pamphlet that provides detailed answers to perennial questions such as "What is forbearance"? The brochure also provides instructions on what students should do if they begin receiving bills while still in school, or if they can no longer make payments on a student loan.
If you're looking to supplement any materials you provide to students on educational loans, order TG's brochure. You can offer the publication to students, or stock it in your office lobby.
Inside in the brochure
The Frequently Asked Questions contains an extensive amount of information in a compact, tri-fold form. Here's a summary:
- Looking for help? This section introduces student borrowers to TG's role, outlining our work in the student loan industry and describing the help we provide to schools, lenders, and students.
- Various questions: This section lists a variety of important questions your students may encounter at some point during the life of the loan. Questions such as — What is forbearance? What should I do if my lender or servicer did not receive a payment? What is interest capitalization? Who handles credit bureau reporting? What does "claim pending" mean? Answers to all these questions go a long way toward demystifying issues that can seem complex to your students. Information provided also helps to clearly spell out borrower obligations and offer the "next step" for borrowers in case they default.
- Questions about preventing default: Sometimes students need to speak directly with someone who understands their situation and can help. TG provides its contact information in this case and offers a link to its Ask TG™ online database of frequently asked questions.
To order the brochure
You can order the Frequently Asked Questions brochure in English or Spanish by visiting TG Online at www.tgslc.org/forms/index.cfm. Note that this brochure replaces any previous Frequently Asked Questions brochure. If you stock a previous version of this brochure, be sure to order its replacement.
To find out more
If you have questions about information available in this brochure, please call TG customer assistance at (800) 845-6267, or send an message to cust.assist@tgslc.org.
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