TG makes $7 million available for students to help pay for college
TG has designated an additional $5 million to its Charley Wootan Grant Program to assist more students in paying for higher education during the 2010-11 academic year. The additional allocation, made on a one-time basis, will be added to the $2 million already funded by the TG Board for the upcoming academic year.

TG posts ED's FDLP transition presentation and video from TG conference on resources page
Department of Education (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). TG has posted the handout provided to attendees, as well as the video of the session, to its FDLP resources page.

In observance of National Financial Literacy Month, TG offers resources and training
When President Obama recently declared April as National Financial Literacy Month, he made an explicit connection between preventing future recessions with the need to educate the young in money management skills and concepts. TG joins with the president in his message of empowerment, offering workshops and a variety of resources to help teach young adults the fundamentals of smart money management.

TG offers timely topics for April and May online and teleconference training sessions
Register now for TG's free trainings that focus on financial aid industry trends and issues. Registration is available for remaining April sessions as well as May events.

TG hosts forum on college persistence and completion
Too many minority students do not complete their programs of study, with potential consequences for them in the form of reduced job prospects, debt, and a vulnerability to default. To help address this issue, TG sponsored a recent forum that focused on current retention research and policy trends, effective retention programs, and tips for building alliances with other like-minded institutions.

Bankruptcy Claim Reminder
For purposes of bankruptcy claim submittal, TG claims requires that all Proofs of Claim (POC) filed on TG's behalf include the correct mailing address as listed below. Additionally, claims from trading partners that do not file a POC on TG's behalf must include a properly completed original Assignment of Proof of Claim (APOC) as well as a copy of the POC.

ED posts Q&A about servicing federally owned loans
ED's recent announcement, "Questions and Answers About Servicing Federally-Owned Loans," provides an up-to-date overview of current servicing practices. ED's announcement also includes four resource documents, which detail the delinquency and default prevention services that each of the servicers provides.

ED announces release of new exit counseling tool
ED introduced a new exit counseling tool that is available for borrowers with FFELP loans, FDLP loans, or combinations of both.

ED corrects Pell payment calculation in 2009-10 Federal Student Aid Handbook
ED posted an additional item to its errata and updates for the 2009-10 Federal Student Aid Handbook (FSA Handbook).

ED announces FSA Assessments podcast series
In a recent Dear Colleague Letter, ED announced the launch of a series of five podcasts on the FSA Assessments. The podcasts are modules designed to help Title IV schools evaluate and enhance their operations and services by completing self-evaluations on selected areas.

Ask the Policy Expert
I understand from Shoptalk's special edition (546) regarding the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA), that "[i]f the loan's first disbursement occurs before July 1, 2010, the first disbursement and all subsequent disbursements may be made under the FFELP. If a loan's first disbursement occurs on or after July 1, 2010, the loan must be originated and fully disbursed under the FDLP." But what is a "first disbursement"?