Federal Updates

Role of the lender and servicer in optimizing repayment success
As we approach the month of December and the upcoming wave of mid-year graduates, it is important to consider the many parties involved in this process and their respective roles and responsibilities.

Final rules 101: Income-based repayment, Part 1
Shoptalk Online resurrects a series first begun in 2007 with the release of the November 1, 2007, final rules — except this time around, we focus on regulations published by ED in the October 23, 2008, Federal Register.

TG Updates

TG to host webinar on developing financial literacy initiatives
TG is hosting a free webinar for schools seeking financial literacy information and resources. The webinar, titled "Building a Successful Financial Literacy Program," will be presented on Thursday, December 11, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Lender solutions: TG's List Assist^SM adds efficiency to RFI process for lenders
Offered at no cost to schools and lenders, List Assist helps schools gather and compare data in a completely paperless way. For lenders, it offers a convenient system for responding to surveys and downloading responses for reuse in other RFIs.

Mark your calendar for the 2009 TG Annual Training Conference
TG has scheduled the 2009 TG Annual Training Conference, its three-day workshop on regulatory developments and industry issues, for April 22-24 at the Renaissance Hotel in northwest Austin.

Training watch: TG to offer lender workshops on TG products and services
TG will present two day-long Lender Workshops designed to give lenders a close-up view of TG's products and services, including assorted financial literacy tools and default management strategies.

Notice of scheduled power outage: TG applications and facility will be off-line this Sunday
TG customers should be aware that TG will experience a total building power shutdown this Sunday, November 23, 2008, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

TG's hours for Thanksgiving holiday
TG offices will be closing at noon on Wednesday, November 26, and will remain closed for the remainder of the week. The TG team will be back to serve you on Monday, December 1.

Legislative Update

The November 4 election has changed the political landscape in which the FFELP will operate for the next two years. With the election, Democrats have increased their majority in both Houses of Congress as well as taking the White House. The overriding issue for the 111th Congress will be the impact of a growing national debt and a record annual budget deficit on a myriad of issues, including the economy, fiscal policy, employment, and more. This issue alone will cause policy considerations to be driven by the annual budget debate, probably beyond the 111th Congress. Learn more about the latest legislative developments by reading the full report on TG Online at www.tgslc.org/lege_report/2008/lr_081114.cfm.

This, That, and the Other...

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that higher levels of education are closely associated with higher average earnings for workers aged 25 to 64. TG offers a poster, called "Learn more. You'll earn more!," illustrating the 2007 median income by educational attainment. The poster displays a dollar bill graph that compares the average annual earnings for workers with different levels of education. For instance, a person with a bachelor's degree earns $18,950 more per year than a person with only a high school diploma.

To order the poster for your financial aid office, visit TG Online at www.tgslc.org/order/index.cfm.