Federal Updates

President signs technical corrections bill to HEA
The President signed H.R. 1777 into law, making numerous changes to the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. One of the changes of most urgency to schools is the acceleration of the exclusion of federal veterans education benefits from the definition of estimated financial assistance (EFA) for the Title IV student assistance programs.

Remaining 2009-10 interest rates released
Two categories of interest rates were announced at the end of June. Interest rates for older PLUS and SLS loans are based on the weekly average of the one-year constant-maturity Treasury yield for the last calendar week ending on or before June 26. Interest rates for the HEAL portion of Federal Consolidation loans are based on the 91-day Treasury bill (T-bill) auctioned for the quarter ending June 30.

TG Updates

TG's workshops for NASFAA conference to focus on financial literacy and student retention
TG's workshops for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) Conference 2009 throw a spotlight on creating effective programs for financial literacy and student retention.

Join TG in Chicago for its second financial literacy symposium of 2009
A number of colleges provide services to help students shift from campus to career, including financial literacy programs that teach students valuable personal finance skills. This summer, TG has organized two symposiums for schools that focus on developing effective financial literacy initiatives for the college campus.

Last paper report on lender disbursements to mail this month
TG is adding more convenience to its disbursement reporting process, converting its paper-based system to a Web-based tool. The last paper Unreported Disbursement Report will be distributed the second week of July.

TG bulletin: Get the latest TG news — subscribe to TG Message Central^SM
If you're looking for a simple, online way to stay current with TG news, including processing schedule changes, conferences, workshops, and information about product enhancements, you'll find a great resource in TG Message Central^SM.

Save the date for TG's upcoming industry webinars
If you haven't registered for TG's industry training webinar scheduled for July 16, there's still time. The webinar will feature information on the latest legislative and regulatory changes.

This, That, and the Other...

Online learning enthusiasts just received some extra support for their case. The Department of Education released a meta-analysis of online learning studies conducted between 1996 and 2008. The analysis found that, on average, students of online learning performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction. The analysis also found that students of blended classes — courses which employed both fact-to-face and online learning — had an advantage over students of strictly face-to-face instruction. The Department's researchers used strict criteria to review studies, focusing on work that contrasted online to face-to-face conditions, measured student learning outcomes, used a rigorous research design, and provided adequate information to calculate an effect size. The report attributes much of the success in online learning to time and not to technology. Online learners who spent more time on task than students in the face-to-face condition generally found a greater benefit for their effort. To learn more, review the Department’s study on the Web.