| Publication Date: January 2006 DCL ID: ANN-06-01 Summary: This letter announces a series of one-day workshops on Fiscal Officer Training (FOT) for 2006. It also provides a link to the Federal Student Aid's registration system, where all workshops and locations are listed. Posted on 01-24-2006 Dear Colleague: We are pleased to announce Federal Student Aid's upcoming training series entitled Fiscal Officer Training. The course materials for these one-day workshops will be presented using a combination of lecture, short exercises, and examples. Who should attend the training? The workshops are primarily designed for fiscal officers and business officers at postsecondary institutions that participate in the federal student aid programs. Financial aid administrators and representatives from third-party servicers are also encouraged to attend these workshops. The workshop is not for beginners. It is targeted to those who are fairly familiar with the Title IV aid programs. What will the workshops cover? Each workshop consists of five Modules. They are: Module 1: Role of the Business Officer in Title IV Program Administration, Module 2: Overpayments and Withdrawal Issues, Module 3: Cash Needs, Disbursement Rules, and Reporting, Module 4: Reconciliation of Title IV Funds, and Module 5: Issues in Campus-based Program Management and Accounting. A more detailed listing of the topics to be covered is provided in Attachment A. When, where and how long are the workshops? The nationwide workshops will be presented from February 21 through April 27, 2006. Eighteen workshops will be held at the ED Regional Training Facilities (RTFs). Thirty-six additional workshops will be held in training facilities at post-secondary institutions. All workshops will begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude no later than 5:00 p.m. the same day. Do I need to bring anything to the workshop? We will give you a Participant's Guide and the new Blue Book published in 2005. You will need to bring with you one, 1-1/2-inch, 3-ring binder to hold the Participant's Guide and one, 2-inch, 3-ring binder to hold the Blue Book. How do I register for a workshop? Can I get directions and travel information to my workshop site? Each RTF workshop will be limited to 50 persons. Registration for these workshops is on a first-come, first-served basis. If you register, but later find you cannot attend, please cancel your space so that someone else may attend in your place. If Federal Student Aid changes the date or location of a workshop or cancels a workshop, we will notify you by e-mail. To view the schedule of workshops, and to register, go to http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/training/index.html. The same website includes directions and other travel information pertaining to each workshop location. We hope you will find Fiscal Officer Training for 2006 a useful learning experience. Sincerely, Kay Jacks |