Federal Updates

Technical corrections bill hodgepodge

In recent weeks, Shoptalk Online has reported on various changes made to the Higher Education Act by H.R. 1777, which was signed into law on July 1 (see Shoptalk Online editions 510 and 511). Many of the changes are related to provisions found in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA). Following are additional H.R. 1777 changes not previously discussed in Shoptalk Online:

• For a student whose parent died as a result of military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, if the student was under 24 years of age or enrolled in an institution of higher education at the time of the parent's death:
  • Clarifies that the HEOA provision (effective July 1, 2009) that allows an automatic-zero EFC only applies to a student who is already Pell-eligible. The U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are charged with providing relevant student eligibility information to the Department of Education.
  • Creates a non-need-based "Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant" (effective July 1, 2010).
• Makes certain HEOA changes to the definition of Institution of Higher Education effective retroactively to August 14, 2008, rather than July 1, 2010.
• Clarifies that nursing schools outside the U.S. that were eligible to participate in FFELP as of August 13, 2008, are not required to comply with new eligibility rules established by the HEOA until July 1, 2012.
• Revises the Self-Certification Form for Private Education Loans mandated by the HEOA to exclude the borrower's Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
• Extends the operation of experimental sites that have not been deemed "successful" from June 30, 2009, to June 30, 2010.

For more information
To access the text of H.R. 1777, go to THOMAS, the U.S. Congress Web site, at http://thomas.loc.gov. In the space for "Search Bill Summary & Status" enter "H.R. 1777," click on "Bill Number," and then "Search." On the resulting table, click on "Text of Legislation," then choose the link after item 4: "To make technical corrections to the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes. (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)[H.R. 1777.ENR]."

Shoptalk Online will keep readers informed as ED releases further guidance on the implementation of H.R. 1777.

For questions, contact TG customer assistance at (800) 845-6267, or send an e-mail message to cust.assist@tgslc.org.

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ED releases Volume 1 of the 2009-10 Federal Student Aid Handbook

ED has published Volume 1: Student Eligibility, of the 2009-10 Federal Student Aid Handbook (FSA Handbook). TG will make Volume 1 available on TG Online. Other volumes will be posted as they are released. Once all the volumes of the 2009-10 FSA Handbook have been released, TG will provide a single downloadable file encompassing all of the volumes.

For more information
Watch future editions of Shoptalk Online for details. Volume 1 is also available on the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site at http://ifap.ed.gov/fsahandbook/0910FSAHbkVolume1.html.

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Closed school corner

The following table provides a list of newly reported school closures and corrections from the Postsecondary Educational Participants System (PEPS) and from the July 2009 Closed School Monthly Report supplied by ED. Schools listed are those with which TG has done business or to which TG has otherwise provided services.

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