The USA Funds^® Education Access Report will not be published on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30, due to the holiday season. Publication will resume on Jan. 6, 2004. We look forward to providing you the latest updates about education-access and higher-education-finance issues in 2004.

USA Funds Update

USA Funds offers new entrance- and exit-counseling forms
USA Funds has posted revised entrance- and exit-counseling forms on its online order form. Both forms now are formatted as letter-size forms. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view a sample of each form.

Brochures Highlight Expanded Higher-Education Tax Benefits
To help students, parents and education-loan borrowers take advantage of tax deductions and credits for higher-education expenses when they file their 2003 federal income-tax returns, USA Funds has revised its brochure "Higher-Education Tax Benefits — Expanded Taxpayer Savings." In addition to the standard brochure, USA Funds offers smaller-size version to fit the standard 1098-T envelope. Read more.

USA Funds' Student-Loan Boot Camp scheduled for January
The dates for USA Funds' Student-Loan Boot Camp for education lenders are Jan. 28–29, 2004, in Austin, Texas. The workshop serves as a comprehensive overview of the student-loan process for new education-lending staff or as a refresher course of the basics for seasoned student-loan professionals. Read more about Student-Loan Boot Camp and enroll online.

Operations Bulletin

Frequently asked questions: Unemployment-deferment guidance
USA Funds' policy department provides guidance to lenders and servicers for processing the "initial deferment period" for unemployment deferments and the backdating of these deferments. Read more.

Debt-Management Perspectives

Tips to Help Your Students Avoid Credit-Card Fraud
Learn ways that your students can avoid credit-card fraud and how to access resources that can help them maintain good credit.

Tech Talk

Guarantee-fee billing options outlined
To help education lenders prepare for reinstatement of guarantee fees, USA Funds offers new resources that include a checklist of issues that lenders should consider as well as descriptions of the various fee-billing options.

Washington Report

House Approves 2004 Spending Bill That Includes Student-Aid Funding
The U.S. House of Representatives approved 2004 spending levels for major federal student-aid programs. Read more.