Publication Date: April 30, 2010
| DCL ID: | ANN-10-16 |
Subject: Training Workshops - Direct Loan Training for Foreign Schools
Summary: This letter announces Federal Student Aid’s instructor-led, Direct Loan Training for Foreign Schools workshops scheduled for June 2010. These two- and three-day training workshops are designed to assist foreign schools with the transition to the Direct Loan Program.
Dear Colleague:
We are pleased to announce our instructor-led, Direct Loan Training for Foreign Schools workshops. These training workshops, offered in both a two-day format and an expanded three-day format, are designed to assist foreign schools with the transition to the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program. Each workshop will focus on key aspects of awarding and reporting loans made at foreign schools under the Direct Loan Program, and will include hands-on computer training. The workshops will be conducted at various international locations during June 2010.
As Federal Student Aid's Chief Operating Officer Bill Taggart described in his April 9, 2010 letter to foreign schools, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA), signed by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2010, makes significant changes to the federal student loan programs for eligible U.S. students attending foreign institutions. One of the provisions of the HCERA is the termination, as of July 1, 2010, of the bank-based Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program. Beginning July 1, 2010, all new Stafford, PLUS, and Consolidation loans for eligible U.S. students attending your institution can only be made under the Direct Loan Program. To ensure these students have uninterrupted access to federal student loans, all eligible participating schools operating outside of the U.S. are now allowed to participate in the Direct Loan Program.
Through the series of questions and answers below, we provide important information about the Direct Loan Training for Foreign Schools workshops.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q1: Who should attend the training workshops?
A1: Financial aid administrators at foreign institutions of higher education who are responsible for awarding, disbursing, and reconciling federal student loans for eligible U.S. students.
Q2: What will be covered in the training workshops?
A2: The Direct Loan Training for Foreign Schools workshops will be offered in both a two-day format and an expanded three-day format. Both the two- and three-day workshops will address the following topics and will include hands-on computer training on the final day of the workshop:
Overview of the Direct Loan Program
Participation Requirements
Systems for Processing Direct Loans
Requesting and Receiving Funds
Disbursing Aid
Cash Management
Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4)
Reconciliation
Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) Web Site and Direct Loan Origination Tool
Hands-On Training-FAA Access to CPS Online Web Site, R2T4 on the Web, National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)
In addition, the three-day workshop will offer expanded information about the above topics, as well as information about the following topics:
Institutional Eligibility and Participation
Title IV Policies and Procedures
Student Eligibility
Q3: Is there a cost to attend the training workshop?
A3: No, there is no cost to attend the training workshop. Participants are, however, responsible for their own travel costs, including accommodations.
Q4: When and where are the training workshops?
A4: Training workshops will be offered in June 2010 at various international locations.
The location and schedule information is as follows:
Location | 2-Day Training Dates | 3-Day Training Dates |
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland | June 8-9, 2010 | June 8-10, 2010 |
John Cabot University, Rome, Italy | June 9-10, 2010 | June 9-11, 2010 |
University of the Arts London, London College of Communication, London, England | June 14-15, 2010 | June 14-16, 2010 |
McGill University, Montreal, Canada | June 15-16, 2010 | June 15-17, 2010 |
University of Technology, Sydney, Sydney, Australia | June 15-16, 2010 | June 15-17, 2010 |
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England | June 21-22, 2010 | June 21-23, 2010 |
University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand | N/A (3-day option only) | June 22-24, 2010 |
Regional Training Facility, Bayamon, Puerto Rico | June 22-23, 2010 | June 22-24, 2010 |
Note: Information about the location for each training workshop is available through our registration system, including the site's address, Web site, and public transportation. To access the information for each location, click on the hyperlinked location name on the registration page.
Q5: How does an individual register for the training workshop?
A5: To register for either the two-day or three-day training workshop, click on this link:
http://www.fsaregistration.ed.gov/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x91904bba1&varPage=activity
Once registered, we will send an e-mail confirmation to the trainee. The trainee should retain this confirmation, as it contains important information about the training workshop, including cancellation information. If unable to attend, we request that the trainee cancel his or her registration so that individuals who wish to attend may do so.
We look forward to your participation in these instructor-led, training workshops for foreign schools. If you have questions about these training workshops, please contact the Foreign Schools Team at FSA.Foreign.Schools.Team@ed.gov or by calling (202) 377-3168.
Sincerely,
Jana Hernandes
Service Director, Operations
Federal Student Aid