USA Funds^® Education Access Report will not be published on Dec. 27 and Jan. 3, due to the holiday season. Publication will resume on Jan. 10, 2006. We look forward to providing you the latest updates about education-access and higher-education-finance issues in 2006.

Washington Report

U.S. House Approves Combined Deficit-Reduction/Reauthorization Measure
The U.S. House early in the morning of Dec. 19, 2005, approved legislation that both cuts $40 billion from government entitlement programs during the next five years and reauthorizes portions of the Higher Education Act. Learn more.

On Second Try, U.S. House Approves 2006 Student-Aid Funding
The U.S. House has narrowly approved a fiscal-2006 appropriations bill that maintains 2005 funding levels for most major federal student-aid programs. Read more.

USA Funds Update

Register for USA Funds Lender Forum in Indianapolis
A USA Funds Education-Lender Forum is set for Indianapolis on Jan. 19. The lender forum alerts lender-customers of the latest developments in the ever-changing education-finance marketplace. Learn more and register online.

USA Funds Helps Gifted Students Excel at Kansas Academic Decathlon
For the second-consecutive year, USA Funds will serve as primary sponsor of the Kansas Academic Decathlon. Kansas State University will host the 2006 event, set for Jan. 20-21. Read more.

USA Funds Lists Top-100 Lenders
USA Funds lists the top-100 lenders of USA Funds-guaranteed loans for November. Read the list.

Debt-Management Perspectives

Dental Students First to Experience USA Funds Life Skills at UMDNJ
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey piloted the USA Funds Life Skills^® financial-literacy program with its first-year dental students at the end of November. Learn more.

Operations Bulletin

November-2005 Integrated Common Manual Available
The November-2005 Integrated Common Manual is available on the USA Funds Web site. View and print the Integrated Common Manual, including the summary of changes approved Nov. 17, 2005, by the Common Manual Governing Board. You’ll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the documents.