Five new courses cover loan programs and federal delivery system
USA Funds expands online training for financial-aid professionals
INDIANAPOLIS — USA Funds®, the nation’s leading education-loan guarantor, has enhanced its online training for financial-aid professionals. USA Funds has added five new courses to its online curriculum that helps train new financial-aid staff and helps experienced financial-aid administrators enhance their skills.
The new courses cover the following topics:
- Federal Family Education Loan Program describes the various loans offered; how to determine borrower eligibility for FFELP loans; the steps involved in the application, certification and disbursement processes; and repayment requirements and options.
- Loan Consolidation provides an in-depth review of this loan-repayment option, including borrower-eligibility guidelines, loans that may be included in a consolidation loan, the advantages and disadvantages of loan consolidation, and information to help borrowers make informed decisions about loan consolidation.
- Health-Professions Programs provides an overview of the financial-aid programs — including loan programs — offered to health-professions students through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The course describes the types of health-professions students who benefit from each program as well as the eligibility and administrative requirements for each program.
- Nursing Programs describes the financial-aid programs — including Nursing Student Loans — offered to nursing students through the Department of Health and Human Services. The course explains the characteristics of and eligibility and administrative requirements for each program.
- Federal Delivery System explains how the delivery system for financial aid has evolved, and describes the various players and the steps in the application and correction process.
“Having completed six of the courses, I find USA Funds’ online training to be an invaluable learning tool for both new and experienced financial-aid administrators,” said Cindy Wightman, director of finance, ITT Technical Institute, Warrensville Heights, Ohio. “I’ve set up online-learning accounts for all of my staff.”
Financial-aid professionals at 170 postsecondary institutions have used USA Funds’ online courses since the initial courses were offered less than a year ago. More than 80 percent of the users have demonstrated gains in knowledge after taking the courses.
USA Funds offers a total of 20 online courses, and new courses are under development. Each course offers interactive exercises, realistic case studies and pre- and post-course assessments to measure learners’ mastery of the information.
View additional information about online courses for the financial-aid profession.