USA Funds Update

‘USA Funds Countdown to College’ Helps Families Plan and Pay for College
USA Funds^® sponsored the distribution of nearly 3 million copies of "USA Funds Countdown to College^TM" in eight states. The publication offers information about the process of applying for financial and planning for college. Learn more.

USA Funds Helps McDonald’s Honor Black History Makers of Tomorrow
Twenty Indiana high school students received scholarships Feb. 14 at the Indiana Statehouse as part of McDonald’s Restaurants of Central Indiana’s Black History Makers of Tomorrow program. For each of the past five years, USA Funds awarded $10,000 in support of the program. Read more.

USA Funds Loan Counseling Tool Gives Student Confidence
Whitney Dale, a student at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, has confidence that she can successfully manage her student loans, based on her use of USA Funds Loan Counselor^®. Read more.

Debt-Management Perspectives

Take Key Steps in Reviewing and Appealing Cohort Default Rate Information
USA Funds suggests that schools compare their own records with the recently released U.S. Department of Education 2006 draft cohort default rate information for their schools. Schools are advised to take nine key steps in reviewing the data and, if appropriate, to submit an incorrect data challenge. Read more.

USA Funds Debt Manager Basics Course Available
USA Funds University recently released a new online course about the USA Funds Debt Manager^® communication tool. The USA Funds Debt Manager Basics course is intended for schools that are using the Web-based product and working with USA Funds to manage their schools’ cohort default rates. Learn more.