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TG Updates

Shoptalk Online 518, August 25, 2009

TG Updates

TG releases redesigned corporate website TG Online

TG has launched an enhanced version of its corporate website, TG Online. The site has been crafted to provide financial aid information in a more efficient way.

TG Online answers college finance questions for students and provides timely regulatory information for schools and lenders. The new site features more user-friendly navigation tools such as:

Streamlined format — Content is grouped by topic and user needs.
Integrated Web tools — Visitors can more easily share information online. TG Online offers links to various social media sites.
Prominent help links — Highlighted sections help visitors find answers online and offer easy access to phone and email information.

"When we started the TG Online redesign, we thought a lot about the needs of our school, lender, and borrower customers," said Art Martinez, TG's webmaster for corporate websites. "The site has all the features that our customers have come to rely on in a format that is simpler and faster to navigate."

The enhanced TG Online maintains the full inventory of TG tools and publications, including School Fact Sheets, Shoptalk Online, and financial literacy services. The site also helps families and students learn more about federal student loan programs, including how to apply for federal student financial aid and how to manage student loan debt.

Explore the site
Find out more about TG Online at www.tgslc.org. Tell us what you think of the site by sending an email message to communications@tgslc.org.

Watch TG's 2009 Financial Literacy Symposiums online

This summer, TG offered two symposiums on developing and implementing an effective financial literacy program for college students. Speaker presentations from TG's 2009 Financial Literacy Symposiums as well as taped recordings of the events are now available online through the Positive+Balance Community℠, TG's online resource for educators and financial aid professionals seeking financial literacy solutions and support.

Symposium details
The first symposium, held in Houston on June 29, offered a roundtable format which allowed participants to share ideas and gather feedback from financial literacy professionals. The second symposium, held in Chicago on July 21, focused on a variety of issues related to implementing financial literacy campaigns, including increasing student awareness of and participation in financial literacy events.

According to TG's financial literacy segment manager Margie Harvey, the symposiums provided unique opportunities for financial aid professionals. "In addition to learning about other schools' financial literacy initiatives, attendees got to collaborate and share creative ideas on how to teach students about personal finances," she said.

Online symposium resources
Presentation materials and recordings of the symposiums are available through the Positive+Balance Community. Members of the Positive+Balance Community can download free financial literacy materials, including Positive+Balance™ presentations, as well as share information and materials. They can also create profile pages, connect with other members, post blog entries, start discussion groups, and participate in forums. To sign up for a free membership, visit www.PositiveBalance.org.

To learn more
To find out more about TG's financial literacy products and services, contact Margie Harvey at (800) 252-9743, or send an email message to margery.harvey@tgslc.org.

TG offers online and phone resources to help students complete a loan application through TG Loans By Web™

Thousands of students are preparing to embark on a new year in college. Many are looking to finance their education with the help of federal student loans. For these students, applying online can make the loan process easier and more convenient. TG Loans By Web™ (LBW), TG's online loan application tool, provides a Web-based, efficient process for completing a loan application. To help borrowers use LBW more effectively, TG provides a variety of resources.

TG's LBW resources
Along with customer assistance by phone, TG provides printable flyers and online support for borrowers using LBW. Here is a short description of each.

Borrower instructional flyers — Schools can print and distribute these flyers which describe how to use LBW. They can also offer students the online link to TG's LBW instructional flyers, available at www.tgslc.org/products/lbw/process.cfm. Tip sheets are provided for each type of borrower (student or parent) and for each processing option (school certification or borrower request).
LBW registration support — Borrowers can register for LBW through the myTG℠ portal, available at lbw.tgslc.org. TG offers an online myTG registration guide to help borrowers in accessing and registering through myTG.
Phone support — TG's LBW support team answers borrower questions and guides users through the LBW process. LBW users can reach TG's support team at (800) 530-1449.

To learn more
For more information about LBW, schools can contact TG's customer assistance team at (800) 845-6267, or send an email message to cust.assist@tgslc.org.

For schools and lenders needing technical support with LBW or myTG, contact TG product support at (800) 332-1455, or send an email message to product.support@tgslc.org.

Product spotlight: Using AdvanTG Web™ to create mass hold/release change requests

AdvanTG Web™ provides schools and lenders with a simple way to create a mass hold or release of student loan disbursements — the "Mass Hold/Release" change request. Schools can create mass hold/release change requests for any loan records existing in AdvanTG Web's database. The request can be created quickly and easily from one screen in AdvanTG Web. Below is an outline of the mass hold/release change request procedure.

From the Applications/Loans Main Menu, click "Mass Hold/Release Change."

The Mass Hold/Release Change screen appears.

Select the disbursement date range and loan type. Choose the disbursement numbers or choose "ALL" disbursements. Set the new hold/release indicator value: Hold or Release. The guarantor ID field is not required unless the changes are meant for a specific guarantor.
Click the "Create Change Request" button. The request is created and ready to be submitted to TG for processing.

A Mass Hold/Release Change Status screen appears from which you can run a report of all records that are ready to be submitted.
The Applications/Loans Main Menu reappears. Select "Change Transactions" from the list of records and click "Submit," which submits the change request immediately to TG. Once the request is processed, you will receive results from TG through the normal batch process. Hold/release changes will be reflected on TG's mainframe, as well as the school's AdvanTG Web database.

To learn more
For more information about AdvanTG Web's mass hold/release change request, or for any technical questions on TG's products, contact TG product support at (800) 332-1455, or send an email message to product.support@tgslc.org.