Washington Report

Education Department Ready to Address Potential Student Loan Access Issues
Representatives of the U.S. Department of Education told members of a U.S. House committee last week that the department would be ready to cope with any potential gap in access to student loans brought on by the credit crunch.
Read more.

Congress Approves One-Month Extension of Higher Education Act
The U.S. Congress has approved a one-month extension of the authority for major federal student aid programs, to give House and Senate negotiators time to work out compromise reauthorization legislation. The measure extends until April 30 the authority for programs under the Higher Education Act. House and Senate conferees hope to square differences between separate versions of reauthorization legislation passed by the two chambers.

USA Funds Update

Officials Gather for Presentation of Grant to Arizona School District’s Dollars for Scholars
USA Funds^®’ board of trustees, representatives of the Sunnyside School District, and Sunnyside alumni gathered March 7 in Tucson, Ariz. for the presentation of a $100,000 grant from USA Funds to the Sunnyside School District Alumni Association Dollars for Scholars chapter.
Learn more.

Lenders Invited to USA Funds Life Skills Train-the-Trainer Workshop
On April 22 USA Funds will host a USA Funds Life Skills^® Train-the-Trainer Workshop for lenders. The lender workshop about the financial literacy program will be conducted in Grapevine, Texas. Learn more.

USA Funds Lists Top 100 Lenders
USA Funds lists the top 100 lenders of USA Funds-guaranteed loans through February 2008. Read the list.

Operations Bulletin

FSA Handbook Revisions Address Campus-Based Programs
The U.S. Department of Education announced recent changes to Chapter 6 of the 2008-2009 Federal Student Aid Handbook. The updates apply to campus-based programs such as the Federal Perkins Loan Program, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program and the Federal Work-Study Program.