USA Funds Update

USA Funds President and CEO Describes Initiatives to Assure Higher-Education Access
USA Funds^® President and CEO Carl Dalstrom highlights recent initiatives that USA Funds supports to promote access to higher education.

Measuring Guarantor Default-Prevention Performance
USA Funds suggests some key indicators of a guarantor's default-prevention performance.

Guarantor Finances 101
If you've wondered how guarantors fund the services they deliver, read this primer.

USA Funds Helps Financial-Aid, Education-Lending Staff Prepare for Guarantee Fee
Financial-aid administrators and education-lenders can access several online resources to prepare for reinstatement of guarantee fees.

Washington Report

Senate Gives Final Approval to 2004 Student-Aid Spending
Congress has completed work on 2004 appropriations, including funding levels for major student-aid programs. Read about the results.

President Bush Proposes Funding Boost for Community Colleges, Select Pell-Grant Recipients
During his State of the Union address, President Bush proposed funding increases for workforce development through community colleges and additional Pell-grant awards to certain college freshmen and sophomores. Read more details.

Debt-Management Perspectives

African-American-Student Retention Involves Unique Challenges
A survey of student satisfaction finds large gaps between the expectations of African-American students and their levels of satisfaction with their college experience. Read about the implications for student success.

Tech Talk

OpenNet File Management System Offers Enhanced Data Mapping, Data Plugging
OpenNet File Management System provides features that allow schools and lenders to adapt their loan processing systems to fit the common file format. Find out if this feature would benefit your institution.