USA Funds Update

USA Funds-Sponsored California Community-Colleges Conference Tackles Key Issues
More than 200 people from California community colleges attended the conference “Bridges to the Heart of Student Success” in San Francisco on March 21-23. USA Funds^® was a co-sponsor of the conference. Learn more.

USA Funds Hosts May Education-Lender Forums
USA Funds is hosting three Education-Lender Forums in early May. The one-day events will help keep USA Funds’ lender-customers abreast of the latest ways to navigate the ever-changing education-finance marketplace. Read more.

Debt-Management Perspectives

‘Relentless Curiosity’ Recommended in Evaluating Student-Retention Efforts
Student-retention expert Lana Low urged representatives of minority-serving institutions who attended a recent USA Funds symposium to view student retention as a journey during which college and university administrators must ask many questions. Learn more.

Tech Talk

2Futuro Offers Online Application for Spanish-Speaking Students, Parents
USA Funds offers a new online tool to schools with growing Hispanic populations. A joint initiative of USA Funds and Sallie Mae, 2Futuro is the only Spanish-first, bilingual loan program with dedicated customer-service support to students, parents and financial-aid administrators. Read more.

Operations Bulletin

March-2007 Integrated Common Manual Available
The March-2007 Integrated Common Manual is available on the USA Funds Web site. View and print the Integrated Common Manual, including the summary of changes approved March 15, 2007, by the Common Manual Governing Board. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the documents.

Department Issues Reminder to Schools Regarding Borrower Choice of Lender
The U.S. Department of Education recently issued a reminder to schools that a borrower under the Federal Family Education Loan Program has the right to choose a lender and guarantor. The Dear Colleague Letter, GEN-07-01, cites applicable law, the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and regulations that prohibit the school from refusing to certify any loan based on a FFELP borrower’s choice of lender or guarantor. The Department also notes that these provisions apply to all schools participating in the FFELP, including those in a school-as-lender scenario.