April 13, 2010 - Edition 549 TG
Shoptalk

TG Report

2010 TG Annual Training Conference offers support to an industry in transition
More than 200 financial aid professionals from across the country gave an enthusiastic reception to the 2010 TG Annual Training Conference. The conference, which was themed "A New Horizon — Sharing the Journey," focused on the evolving legislative and regulatory landscape for student financial aid and the work of industry participants to prepare for change.

ED speakers discuss HCERA and the FDLP transition at TG Annual Training Conference
ED representatives David Bergeron and Patrick Kennedy opened the second day of the TG Annual Training Conference with a federal update and a high-level summary of the steps involved in transitioning to the Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP).

ED speaker discusses Pell program changes during conference session
ED senior policy analyst Fred Sellers led an interactive video session titled "Two Pells In One Award Year." The session focused in particular on helping participants understand the responsibilities of handling crossover payment periods.

Conference sessions focus on school experiences in transitioning to the FDLP
To help schools as they transition to the FDLP, TG offered two conference sessions featuring representatives from schools that have completed or are in the process of completing the transition. Panelists shared their experiences and suggested resources and tips for making an efficient and effective transition.

Session offers dialogue with FDLP servicers
Representatives from loan servicers for the FDLP discussed how their organizations will support the needs of schools and borrowers with Direct loans. Panelists delivered a short introduction, answered a few prepared questions, and took questions from the audience.

Conference spotlight: creating an effective default aversion program in times of change
Attendees of the default aversion sessions at the 2010 TG Annual Training Conference had one issue top-of-mind — how to implement and manage an effective default aversion program in the midst of rapid industry change. Conference sessions offered information to help, including strategies suggested by TG experts and insight provided by peers during group discussion.

Industry expert leads discussion on financial literacy research
Dr. Kim Davis of the Consumer Science Department at Texas State University made the case that more and better research is necessary in the area of financial literacy. In her view, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable teacher should deliver standards-based financial literacy training. However, the financial literacy field is in need of some guidance in terms of standard-setting.

TG adds more tools to its Federal Direct Loan Program resources page
TG developed the FDLP resources page for schools. Recent postings to the page include ED's electronic announcement urging schools to make the transition. In addition, TG has developed templates that a school can use to communicate with students, parents, and the general public about its transition to the FDLP.

Industry Update

Closed school corner
ED announced one school closing in its April report.

Smart Solutions
Incoming freshmen admitted for fall semester 2010 are busy securing funds for their first semester on campus. To help, TG offers a scholarship search engine through its Adventures In Education (AIE™) website. AIE's Scholarship Search contains information on more than 10,000 scholarships with a combined value of more than $7 billion. The Quick Search feature gathers a large amount of scholarship information. The Advanced Search focuses on finding scholarships that fit specific needs.
News Briefs

A new government report shows a dramatically shifting picture of higher education. According to the latest edition of the Digest of Education Statistics, published annually by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), enrollment in degree-granting institutions increased 32 percent over the last decade. Perhaps keeping pace with this number, the average amount of financial aid awarded to full-time undergraduates has grown by one-third. Hispanic students attending college rose from 3 to 12 percent. And online education has grown significantly in popularity; in 2007, the University of Phoenix enrolled well over 200,000 students. According to the NCES, the Digest provides summary information on all phases of American education — prekindergarten through graduate school. The Digest offers data on the number of schools and colleges, teachers, enrollments, and graduates, in addition to educational attainment, finances, and federal funds for education. Learn more about the latest Digest of Education Statistics online.