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TG Updates

Shoptalk Online 522, September 22, 2009

TG Updates

TG awards grants to 299 Texas college students

TG recently awarded $1 million in college grant money to 299 Texas college students. The money was allocated as part of the corporation's Charley Wootan Grant Program, which provides grants ranging from $1,000 up to $4,245 to qualified undergraduate students.

The first-come, first-served, need-based grants were awarded to students for the 2009-10 academic year. Since 2000, TG has awarded nearly $7.8 million through the program, named in honor of the late Dr. Charley V. Wootan, a former chairman of the TG Board of Directors.

"TG works every day to help students realize their higher education dreams," said Sue McMillin, TG president and CEO. "Through the Charley Wootan Grant Program, we are able to help cover some of the expenses for attending college, and hopefully lessen the financial burden these students may experience while in school."

TG's total allocation for the 2009-10 award year was $2 million, of which $1 million was distributed to students in other states, the District of Columbia, or U.S. territories. The grant program is open to students who:

Are high school seniors or graduates who plan to enroll — or are students already enrolled at least half time — in an undergraduate course of study at a Title IV 2- or 4-year college, university, or vocational technical school;
Demonstrate financial need; and
Are eligible to receive Title IV federal financial aid funding.

The Charley Wootan Grant Program is independently managed by Scholarship Management Services, a program of Scholarship America, the nation's largest nonprofit, private-sector scholarship and educational support organization.

About the Charley Wootan Grant Program
To find out more information about the Charley Wootan Grant Program, visit TG's Adventures In Education Web site at www.AIE.org.

There is no correlation or connection between TG's selection of recipients for grant awards and an institution's or individual's business relationship or potential business relationship with TG. Participation in TG's Charley Wootan Grant Program does not require or impose any quid pro quo condition.

Join TG for the Fall 2009 TG Users Group Meeting

The TG Users Group (TUG) offers a community of support for users of TG's products and services. As TUG members, schools and lenders can learn more about TG processes and services and share information with colleagues. The group also works as a conduit, providing suggestions to TG for improving its suite of products.

TG hosts a TUG meeting in the fall and again in the spring in conjunction with the TG Annual Training Conference. These opportunities provide a time to train TG users on new and enhanced products as well as a forum to discuss operational issues or changes in processing.

The Fall 2009 TUG Meeting will be held on November 5 at the TG Campus in Round Rock, Texas. The TUG Board and TG have outlined a tentative agenda; additional agenda suggestions can be submitted to any TUG board member or to Sheila Casey by September 30, 2009. The agenda will cover the following topics along with many others:

TG product updates and strategies
Loan program transition and service gaps discussion
School certification plans
Put processing considerations
Positive+Balance Community℠ feedback
List Assist℠ enhancements — alternative loan processing

TUG board member vote
Some TUG board members will soon be ending their terms. TG is soliciting nominations for these board positions. Keep in mind that TUG's board members must represent TG's state and national client base.

TG welcomes nominations for TUG board member candidates who ideally meet the following criteria:

Are knowledgeable about TG tools;
Can participate in 4-8 conference call meetings a year; and
Can attend the fall TUG meeting and the TG Annual Training Conference in Austin.

Please forward your nominations to a current TUG board member or to Sheila Casey by Friday, September 25, 2009. An online ballot will be sent via TG Message Central℠ in October 2009. New TUG Board members will be introduced at the Fall TUG meeting.

Register to attend the TUG meeting
School and lender customers can register for the Fall 2009 TUG Meeting online.

For more information about TUG
Any school or lender that uses TG products is automatically enrolled as a member of TUG. To learn more about TUG, its board of directors and officers, its mission and goals, and other details, refer to TG Online at www.tgslc.org/tug/index.cfm.

For questions about TUG, contact Sheila Casey at (800) 252-9743, ext. 4576, or send an e-mail message to sheila.casey@tgslc.org.

TG now offers tools to promote Positive+Balance™ training sessions

TG offers a variety of financial literacy resources and training through Positive+Balance™, an extensive financial literacy training program. To help school users promote TG's Positive+Balance training sessions, TG is now offering a variety of session flyers and e-mail banners. These promotional materials can be downloaded free from TG's Positive+Balance Community℠, a Web site that offers financial literacy presentations and other tools to educators and financial aid professionals.

Templates ready to print and use
TG provides training session flyers and e-mail banners customized for each Positive+Balance session, along with digital images that can be imported and used in electronic announcements. Printable flyers are available in Adobe Acrobat Reader^® format. Schools can add relevant information and distribute materials as needed. E-mail banners are available in graphic file formats for pasting into e-mail messages or other electronic invitations to students. Backgrounds include example text to consider when preparing announcements.

All resources are now available in the "File Library" section of the Positive+Balance Community, under the heading "TG Positive+Balance Promotional Tools."

Other resources
The Positive+Balance Community features an online library of financial literacy resources, all of which are free and easy to download. Positive+Balance presentations and training materials are available in the file library, in addition to educational resources from other reputable sources such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's (FDIC) Money Smart program. Members can also contribute their own training materials to the online file library.

"We work to provide strong resources on financial literacy through the Positive+Balance Community," said Margie Harvey, TG's financial literacy segment manager. "We encourage members to contribute and share their own resources so that other schools can benefit. We want the Positive+Balance Community to be a real community effort."

To learn more
To register with the Positive+Balance Community and learn more, visit www.PositiveBalance.org. To learn more about TG's financial literacy initiatives, contact Margie Harvey at (800) 252-9743, or send an e-mail message to margery.harvey@tgslc.org.

Product spotlight: TG Loans By Web™ makes e-sign process easier for borrowers

TG works to provide a convenient, simple process for borrowers completing a federal student loan application. Borrowers can use TG's online loan application tool, TG Loans By Web™, to complete a student loan application, complete online counseling through a third-party Web site, begin the credit check process (for PLUS loans), and e-sign a promissory note.

TG Loans By Web's e-sign feature offers a fast and easy connection to a lender's e-sign Web site or to TG's e-sign process, if a lender prefers to use TG's e-sign process. After initiating or completing a loan application, the borrower is presented with the option to e-sign a prom note. Borrowers who choose to e-sign a note will automatically be routed to the lender's Web site to complete the e-sign process.

Implementing e-sign with TG
Lenders using TG Loans By Web can offer e-sign for the pre- and/or post-guarantee processes. In addition, lenders can choose to offer e-sign by loan type or combination of loan types, including Stafford, PLUS, and Grad PLUS. For each of these choices (process and loans type), the lender must provide TG with the appropriate e-sign URL. TG stores this information and uses it for routing borrowers to the correct Web address to e-sign for a loan. TG can offer borrowers its own e-sign process, if lenders prefer.

In order to maintain a seamless routing process for borrowers, TG must have the most current e-sign information from lenders. TG can work with lenders to verify whether URL information is current and then make any necessary updates. Lenders should notify TG when their e-sign portal experiences down time. This will help TG's call centers answer borrower questions.

To learn more
If you have questions about the TG Loans By Web e-sign process or would like to update your e-sign information with TG, please contact your TG lender consultant at (800) 252-9743. You can also send an e-mail message to lender.requests@tgslc.org.