Debt-Management Perspectives

USA Funds Prevents $16.7 Billion in Loan Defaults
USA Funds^® prevented more than $16.7 billion in potential defaults on loans issued under the Federal Family Education Loan Program during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007. Read more.

USA Funds Update

Mississippi Retention Conference Aims to Improve Postsecondary-Education Experience
More than 200 Mississippi higher-education professionals and policy-makers attended the recent Mississippi Higher Education Retention Conference. USA Funds sponsored the event in partnership with the Policy Center on the First Year of College, Jackson State University and the Mississippi Association of Colleges and Universities.
Learn more.

USA Funds Services Representative Cites Communication as Most-Important Service
Nina Flood is the face of USA Funds to schools throughout New England, and she identifies communication as the most-important service that she provides to her customers. She recently was named USA Funds Services representative of the year. Read more.

USA Funds Lists Top-100 Lenders
USA Funds lists the top-100 lenders of USA Funds-guaranteed loans for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2007. Read the list.

Tech Talk

More Options, Increased Security Among Recent Enhancements to USA Funds Web Services
USA Funds recently implemented security enhancements to its Web-based products, as well as a number of other upgrades to USA Funds Loan Counselor^SM and OpenNet. View a summary of the changes.

Web Services Off-Line Oct. 27-28, Due to Scheduled Maintenance
Scheduled enhancements to data networks that support many online services to USA Funds customers will result in outages of those Web services during a 10-hour period the weekend of Oct. 27-28. The following online services will not be available between 9 p.m. EDT Saturday, Oct. 27, and 7 a.m. EDT Sunday, Oct. 28: USA Funds’ Web site, OpenNet, USA Funds Connection^®, USA Funds Debt Manager^®, USA Funds Loan Counselor entrance and exit counseling, and MEDLOANS Online Loan Portfolio.

Operations Bulletin

Department Issues Summary of Federal Student Aid Handbook Changes
The U.S. Department of Education published a summary of the key policy changes included in the 2007-2008 Federal Student Aid Handbook. USA Funds’ policy staff encourages schools to access and review this summary of important and diverse changes that involve issues such as borrower and student eligibility, school eligibility, borrower notifications, and managing loan funds.