TG prepared to provide support services to schools transitioning to the FDLP
Enactment of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 has been a call to action for many schools that are in the early stages of conversion to the FDLP. TG wants to be a resource for schools that may have concerns about their FDLP readiness. Toward that end, TG has engaged individual schools, their associations, and the Department of Education (ED) in discussions on how TG can assist schools in transitioning to the FDLP.

Have DL transition questions? Get your answers at the TG Annual Training Conference held this week
The 2010 TG Annual Training Conference kicks off tomorrow, April 7, at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin. This year's event features more than 40 sessions on important topics designed to help you manage some of the most dramatic changes in the financial aid industry of the last 25 years, such as the transition to the FDLP and the shift to a 3-year cohort default rate.

Updated integrated HEA available on TG Online
TG is pleased to announce the availability of updated integrated portions of the Higher Education Act (HEA) that incorporate changes from the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

Register for TG's April industry webinars on HCERA and IBR
In April, TG's policy and regulatory experts continue a free webinar series on two current issues in the financial aid industry — the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, and Income-Based Repayment (IBR).

TG's "Speaking of Financial Literacy" webinar to offer insight on financial literacy strategies
The webinar considers TG's social networking site, Positive+Balance Community℠, as well as other tools that foster dialogue among professionals developing and managing financial literacy initiatives. Focus will be placed on leveraging credible statewide and national resources in order to teach young people to manage their money wisely.

TG schedules regional trainings for April
TG's regional trainings offer a forum in which to examine regulatory and legislative changes — such as the transition to the FDLP — as well as review some of the latest industry trends in default prevention and office practice. TG has scheduled a number of trainings for the month of April at locations in Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, and Missouri.

ED releases DCL on reconciliation law
Over the next weeks and months ED will provide more details on HCERA provisions; however, this DCL discusses the provisions that affect the Federal Pell Grant Program and those that end the authority to originate new loans under the FFELP.

Loan Purchase Programs update
ED published Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans (ECASLA) announcement #83, which announces a 0.71 percent participant yield rate for the quarter ending June 30, 2010.

ED's follow-up on resolution of 2010-11 FAFSA website technical error
ED believes fewer than 5,000 students were affected by the error. In ED's follow-up announcement, ED reports that it has notified potentially affected applicants and advised them to contact ED's Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at (800) 4-FED-AID.

ED encourages schools to help promote the FSA "I'm going" outreach campaign
Federal Student Aid (FSA) launched a public service campaign, "I'm Going," available through the college.gov website. In this campaign, high school and college students talk about their dreams and goals for the future and deliver the message to other students and their families that money is available to help pay for college.

Current special allowance rates: quarter ending March 31, 2010
Rates were announced for the last quarter.

Common Manual Updates
Guarantor representatives who serve on the Common Manual Governing Board have approved several changes to the Common Manual.

Ask the Policy Expert
So, since President Obama signed the reconciliation bill into law (H.R. 4872), does that mean that all outstanding FFELP loans convert to Direct loans?