TG reaffirms its commitment to schools, students, and families
As H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 becomes law, TG reiterates that it will continue to guarantee and provide life-of-the-loan support for FFELP loans first disbursed before July 1, 2010.

President signs bill that overhauls federal student loan program
President Barack Obama signed into law the reconciliation bill that enacts his health care proposal and makes the federal government the originator of all federal student loans — effective for loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2010.

ED releases new guidance on loan purchase programs
Last week, ED posted three new announcements regarding the loan purchase programs authorized by the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans (ECASLA).

ED releases proposed rules for Neg Reg Team IV — Discretionary Grants
ED published a Federal Register notice of proposed rules for discretionary grant programs authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as a result of the negotiated rulemaking (Neg Reg) process conducted with Team IV from mid February to the end of April 2009.

ED resolves 2010-11 FAFSA technical website error
ED announced its resolution of a Web-based technical error that misdirected some 2010-11 applicants who attempted to access the FAFSA using an unsupported browser to the 2009-10 FAFSA instead of the 2010-11 form.

New discharge applications released
ED released Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) GEN-10-03/FP-10-01, which announced the approval of revised discharge applications. The revised forms include only minor changes from the previous versions that are currently in use.

Closed school corner
ED announced one school closing in March.

TG Annual Training Conference to feature sessions on industry shift
With the passage of H.R. 4872, the financial aid industry focuses on the transition to Direct Lending. The upcoming TG Annual Training Conference will feature a number of sessions on the industry shift, along with other important changes, including the new 3-year cohort default rate calculation.

Join the dialogue: TG conference to offer FAMS sessions
Industry focus on the transition to Direct Lending makes this year's FAMS sessions even more timely. Schools can use the FAMS sessions as a medium for discussing the shift to FDLP from an operational standpoint.

TG provides notice of Put processing in ED servicer cases
Effective March 29, TG will begin notifying schools when an ED servicer reports to TG that a loan has been Put to ED. This notification will be provided in the form of a CommonLine Refresh Record (@1M record), which will update the current holder and servicer of the loan.

TG offers help for your exit counseling needs
Your graduates are entering a tough job market and a challenging economy. TG offers some help with a printed brochure focusing on life after graduation and online training materials to support your entrance and exit counseling efforts.

TG's online calculator can help your students estimate college costs
TG offers a variety of online calculators for helping students estimate and manage their college expenses. These calculators allow students to project monthly loan payments once they graduate; gauge the expected family contribution (EFC) for students and/or families; and help determine what students can expect to take home in pay given a certain salary, for example.