Shoptalk 525, October 13, 2009

TG Report

TG redesigns its signature industry newsletter, Shoptalk

Today, TG unveils a retooled Shoptalk, TG's long-time industry e-newsletter read by thousands of financial aid professionals across the U.S. Each week, Shoptalk delivers clear, concise information on the latest industry developments, including regulatory changes, new legislation, and trends in financial aid. The e-newsletter also functions as a resource for financial aid professionals looking for information on default prevention, financial literacy, and outreach to families and students.

The redesigned Shoptalk continues to focus on these important topics but does so under the lens of a fresh, revitalized look. With this edition, Shoptalk introduces graphics into its masthead, reorganizes content to reflect a changing industry, and retitles sections to make locating information easier.

Here's a short key to relevant changes:

"Policy Potpourri" has been renamed "Ask the Policy Expert."
"Tip of the Week" has been renamed "Smart Solutions."
"This, That, and the Other" has been renamed "News Briefs."
A navigation bar to relevant TG resources has been added.
"Online" has been removed from Shoptalk's title. The newsletter was christened Shoptalk Online to differentiate it from a former print publication. The title also emphasized the Web, at the time a relatively novel method of communicating with readers in the financial aid industry.

Shoptalk bio
TG launched Shoptalk in August 1990 as a monthly print publication. Shoptalk helped "deformalize" the regulatory guidance that TG offered to schools and lenders in Executive Director Memorandums and the TGSLC Newsletter. It also provided a regular channel of communication on a growing array of topics, including financial aid training, tips on navigating the intricacies of regulatory requirements, and news about TG's services and products.

Despite its expanded coverage, Shoptalk has remained firmly fixed on industry issues relevant to schools, lenders, secondary markets, and servicers. Early this decade, Shoptalk underwent various changes to take advantage of the speed and ease of e-mail delivery. TG inaugurated an electronic newsletter called TG NetWorks in 2000, which supplemented the monthly coverage of Shoptalk. The two publications merged in early 2001. With the electronic Shoptalk, TG provided schools and lenders a more current picture of regulatory and legislative shifts. It also offered a database of regulatory information through its archive. The redesigned Shoptalk offers these same benefits but focuses on issues of growing importance to the financial aid industry, such as regulatory change, default prevention, and financial literacy — all in the framework of a new look.

Tell us what you think
Your comments are important to TG as we enhance and shape our publications to meet your needs. TG wants to know your thoughts on the new look and layout. Please contact us with your comments and feedback after reviewing the issue.

Enhanced List Assist℠ to offer help with alternative loan lender surveys

TG's List Assist℠ provides schools and lenders with an online tool for managing surveys used in creating a lender list. For schools, List Assist simplifies information-gathering and helps document lender list creation. For lenders, it streamlines the survey response process. On October 30, TG will launch an enhanced version of List Assist that will help schools and lenders administer surveys for alternative, also known as private, student loans.

Features for schools
Whether the survey request is for FFELP or alternative student loans, schools will be able to create customized surveys, send and re-send survey requests, evaluate lender responses, and run reports. The latest release of List Assist is also designed to provide a simple way to create and send surveys for alternative loans. Particular enhancements allow users to:

Identify the type of loan survey to be distributed: FFELP or alternative.
Include additional information such as education level and graduate program.
Access a library of survey questions — created with help from financial aid professionals — specific to FFELP or alternative loan types.

Features for lenders
The enhanced version of List Assist offers a similar response process for both FFELP and alternative loan surveys. Lenders will continue to be able to save responses as often as needed, view character counts for free-text boxes, and print and download copies of survey responses. Additional enhancements allow lender users to view key information on every page of the survey response, such as education level and graduate program.

Upcoming training webinars
TG will provide training webinars on List Assist enhancements to both schools and lenders prior to, and following, the implementation date.

To learn more about the latest enhancements, schools and lenders can register for one of the following training sessions.

Thursday, October 29, 2009; 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Central Time (for current users)
Thursday, October 29, 2009; 2 p.m.-3 p.m. Central Time (for current users)
Monday, November 2, 2009; 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Central Time (for non-users; overview of FFELP and alternative features)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009; 2 p.m.-3 p.m. Central Time (for non-users; overview of FFELP and alternative features)

User Guide and online help
Information on the latest enhancements will also be provided through List Assist's User Guide and online help. Users will be able to access this information via List Assist after the October 30 release date. The User Guide is located on the List Assist Main Menu under the Resources section.

To learn more
If you have questions about the latest changes, or would like to register to use List Assist, please contact your TG account executive at (800) 252-9743. You can also send an e-mail message to relationship.management@tgslc.org.

TG adds online payment feature to myTG℠

TG recently introduced a number of enhancements to its loan account management tool, myTG℠. The myTG portal offers TG borrowers an easy, online way to track their payment history, download repayment forms, and update details of their personal information. In September, TG added new features that allow defaulted borrowers to make loan payments through myTG.

More convenience, better resource
These enhancements can help defaulted borrowers resume repayment on their student loans and begin financial recovery. In fact, to-date, TG has received more than 400 online payments through this new feature of myTG. Online payment methods include: credit card (Discover, MasterCard, or Visa), debit card, and single or recurring autodraft from a checking or savings account. Defaulted borrowers who are eligible for repayment can even negotiate their down payment and set up a repayment schedule based on information provided.

A varied set of services
The myTG portal offers secure online access to important loan information for borrowers and co-borrowers, including:

A summary of TG-guaranteed loans, no matter the status
School, lender, and servicer information for each loan
Detailed account information for delinquent or defaulted loans
Information on deferment, forbearance, loan discharge and forgiveness as well as the corresponding forms to help borrowers manage their student loans
Links to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)

Accessible through TG Online at www.tgslc.org/borrowers, or at www.mytg.tgslc.org, myTG requires registration. Once registered, a borrower can access a myTG account as well as TG Loans By Web™, TG's online loan application software. Borrowers or co-borrowers can access either site, using the same user ID and password. The myTG portal is available at any time, day or night.

Share your thoughts
TG welcomes your feedback on myTG as well as your ideas for future enhancements. To share your comments or suggestions, visit www.tgslc.org/contact/customerideas.cfm.

To learn more
For more information about myTG, please contact TG customer assistance team at (800) 845-6267, or send an e-mail message to cust.assist@tgslc.org.

Register now for TG's "Getting Familiar With Electronic Resources" webinar

Registration is still open for the next in TG's series of webinar training events that focus on various issues in the financial aid industry.

In this webinar, "Getting Familiar With Electronic Resources," participants will discover how to access and use several legislative-, regulatory-, and policy-related resources available to the financial aid community, including electronic publications, industry Web sites, and other electronic tools.

More information
The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, 2 p.m.-3 p.m. Central Time. Registration is available online. If you are unable to attend the scheduled webinar, a recording will be available for viewing shortly after the event in TG's archived webinars.