Session One—Introduction to the Workshop and Training Materials

SESSION Instructor’s Notes

Introduction to the Workshop
1 and its Materials Time Estimate:
Lecture 30 minutes
Icebreakers 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
PREPARATION
» You will need to refer to your reference-material training kit.

» You already should have gone through the Instructor’s Checklist of

preparations.

» All registration procedures must be completed before you begin this

session.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• recognize the main features of the workshop and

• use the workshop materials effectively.

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Precertification Workshop for institutions
hoping to participate in federal student aid programs.
This workshop will be very important to you. It will cover
the basic concepts that you’ll need to know to properly
manage federal student financial aid programs.
■ In this session, we’ll discuss how best to use the
training materials we give you, so you can get the most
benefit from this workshop and have helpful reference
materials afterward.
■ We’ll outline the main features of the workshop as
well.
■ A final point we’ll cover is the use of financial aid
consultants.
But before we begin, we need to tell you who we are and
explain some of the ground rules for the workshop.

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 Session One—Introduction to the Workshop and Training Materials

Instructor’s Notes
Let’s start by introducing the team of instructors…
» Introduce yourself. Tell them your name, job, city, financial aid
experience, and so on.

» Then introduce the other instructors or allow them to introduce

themselves.

» Depending on the size of the group, have the participants introduce Icebreakers
themselves or use other icebreakers to make the introductions—see
page 13 of this session for ideas. Take 15 minutes for this exercise.

Now let’s turn to the ground rules and helpful information

for the workshop.
■ The smoking policy is…

■ Restrooms are located…

■ Telephones are located…

■ After breaks and lunch, it’s very important to be back

here on time for the beginning of the next session.
The sessions will begin on time.
■ For certification purposes, your attendance must be
properly documented. This will help assure favorable
processing of your school’s application to participate
in federal student financial aid programs.
• Therefore, you must follow these sign-in
procedures…
» Explain the sign-in procedures at your workshop.

USING THE WORKSHOP MATERIALS

You should have these materials for this workshop:
■ The Participant’s Workbook,

■ The 1998-99 Federal Student Financial Aid Handbook,

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 Session One—Introduction to the Workshop and Training Materials

Instructor’s Notes
■ The 1998-99 Student Guide, and

■ The 1998-99 Free Application For Federal Student Aid

(FAFSA)

You will use these publications often during the workshop.

The Participant’s Workbook is designed to help you actively
participate in this workshop. There is a section of the
Workbook devoted to each workshop session. Please turn to
Session 1, page 1, of your Workbook now. Each session PW 1
follows this same format:
■ The first page of each session has a gray box that
shows the main objective or objectives in the session.
■ In the “Resources” section, for each main topic in a
session, your Workbook usually contains references to
the current Federal Student Financial Aid Handbook,
which we’ll usually just refer to as the Handbook. It
also might list other publications to use as resources.
■ Under “Session Contents,” there is a brief outline of
what the session covers.

• The Workbook does contain lecture notes on many

topics, but not on everything we will discuss.
• That’s because a lot of the material we’ll cover is in
the Handbook.
• In many cases, the Handbook will have far more
details than we can cover, even in this five-day
workshop.

• So, after this workshop is over, you will need to

continue developing your knowledge and skills by
reading the Handbook and other manuals.
Now turn to page 2 in your Workbook. Following the PW 2-4
session contents, there’s a “Need to Know” section that
details specific information discussed in the session.

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 Session One—Introduction to the Workshop and Training Materials

Instructor’s Notes
Normally following “Need to Know” is “Practice,” which
contains hands-on activities. Following “Practice” is “Back
at the Office,” which gives suggestions for what to do when
returning to work. This is on page 5. Then would come the PW 5
“Answer Key” to the “Practice” exercises. Finally, each
session ends with that session’s overheads reproduced for
your convenience.
Remember, your Participant’s Workbook was designed to help
you get the most out of this workshop and to point out
places in the Handbook to read for more in-depth
information.
■ The Workbook was not designed to cover “everything
you ever wanted to know” about federal financial aid
management, nor was it meant to be used as a
reference manual.
• The Participant’s Workbook is designed to reinforce
concepts presented in each session. It includes
useful charts, exercises, case studies, and examples.
The Workbook has several appendices that you’ll probably
use frequently during this workshop:
■ Appendix A—an acronym listing—writes out the full
meanings of acronyms, of which there are many in
financial aid administration.
■ Appendix B—a glossary—defines financial-aid-related
terms and concepts.
■ Appendix D—a source and citation listing—provides a
listing of Title IV references.

Be sure to look up any unfamiliar terms or acronyms in these

appendices. Or ask us about them.
Let’s look next at The 1998-99 Federal Student Financial Aid
Handbook. As we noted, we’ll usually just refer to it as the
Handbook.
Take a moment and flip through the Handbook.

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 Session One—Introduction to the Workshop and Training Materials

Instructor’s Notes
■ You’ll find that the Handbook is divided into chapters,
with each chapter dealing with a major topic in
financial aid.
■ For example, Chapter 4 is on the Federal Pell Grant
Program, while Chapter 10 is on the Federal Family
Education Loan Program.
For anyone with responsibilities in student financial aid, the
Handbook becomes an indispensable source of help,
information, and guidance.
■ If you are new to financial aid administration, you
might find the Handbook hard to use at first.
■ Hang in there—as you become more experienced,
you’ll find the Handbook getting easier and easier to
use.
■ One of the goals of this workshop is to give you a
running start in using the Handbook effectively.
If you want to take notes during the workshop, we’ve found
that a good technique is to write your notes directly in your
Handbook rather than in your Workbook.
The third source you’ll be using often is The 1998-99 Student
Guide. This is a basic compilation of student aid materials
designed to help high school students, their parents, and
secondary school personnel understand financial aid.
■ It also serves as a great reference for some vital facts,
such as loan limits and deferment provisions.
■ Students at your school can also read this to get a basic
understanding of student financial aid.
■ The U.S. Department of Education—ED, as we’ll call
it—has numerous specialized reference publications
for your use. A few that you should be aware of are
listed on page 2 in your Workbook. PW 2

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 Session One—Introduction to the Workshop and Training Materials

Instructor’s Notes
They are:
» Hold up each publication as you name it.

■ the Verification Guide;* *This publication is updated

and distributed yearly.

■ the Title IV School Code List;

■ the Current Regulation Compilation;

■ the Blue Book (July 1995);

■ the Audit Guide (December 1996);

■ the 1998-99 EFC Formula Book;

■ the 1998-99 Counselor’s Handbook (high school edition);

■ the A Guide to 1998-99 SARs and ISIRs;

■ Ayuda Federal Para Estudiantes (Federal Aid for

Students); and
■ the Spanish FAFSA.

Useful information on these and other resources is in

Appendix C of your Workbook.

If you would like to order a copy of these or other ED

publications/resources, you should contact ED directly. 1

You’ll find this ordering information in your Participant’s PW 2

Workbook, too, at the bottom of page 2. (OH 1)

All this week, we’ll be leaving a wide range of ED

publications on our “library” table.
■ You can take time during breaks or lunch hours to look
over these publications.
■ Give everyone a chance to see them; please don’t
remove the publications from this room.

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 Session One—Introduction to the Workshop and Training Materials

Instructor’s Notes
WORKSHOP AGENDA, GOALS, MAIN OBJECTIVES,
AND TARGET AUDIENCE
The workshop agenda is divided into 28 sessions over five Workshop agenda
days.
The first two days of the workshop, which include the first
11 sessions, are designed for the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) or President along with the financial aid
administrator (FAA).
■ These sessions offer an overview of financial
responsibilities and eligibility criteria so attending the
first 11 sessions is mandatory for both the chief
administrator and the financial aid administrator at a
school going through the certification process.
Sessions 12 through 28 , which will last the rest of the week,
include the details of each program, along with the
calculation of awards, refunds, and repayments.
■ The financial aid administrator at every school seeking
certification to participate in federal student aid
programs must attend all 28 sessions.

In its entirety, this workshop has two goals: Workshop goals

■ to introduce you to the basic procedures, requirements,

and responsibilities for properly administering Title IV
programs, and
■ to make you an informed self-starter, able to use ED’s
publications to find whatever information you need
after the workshop is over.

To achieve these goals, each of you should keep these two

important questions in mind during the workshop: (OH 2) 2

■ What issues will have the greatest impact on my

school?

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 Session One—Introduction to the Workshop and Training Materials

Instructor’s Notes
■ What do I need to do to be ready to manage student
financial aid when my school is fully eligible and
certified?
The main objectives of the workshop are to help schools: Workshop objectives

■ identify basic Title IV program requirements and

responsibilities;
■ demonstrate a working knowledge of the Title IV
delivery process;
■ identify and use Title IV reference materials and
resources;
■ devote adequate resources to administrative systems
and personnel for Title IV programs;
■ recognize the responsibilities a school accepts when
participating in Title␣ IV pr
ograms;
■ recognize the importance of ensuring proper
administrative coordination and control; and
■ identify effective financial aid management procedures
to avoid potential problems and resulting liabilities.
Let’s take a moment right now to explain exactly what is
meant by “Title IV.” “Title␣ IV” efers
r to the federal student
aid programs that are legally authorized by Congress (that
is, established under law) in the Higher Education Act of
1965, as amended (HEA). These programs are for students
enrolled in postsecondary schools.
“Title IV” is one of 15 “titles” in the HEA; it creates most of
the federal student aid programs. Each title is divided into
“chapters,” “parts,” “subparts,” and “sections.”

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 Session One—Introduction to the Workshop and Training Materials

Instructor’s Notes
Look now on page 3 of your Workbook. We will be PW 3
discussing the following Title IV, HEA-authorized financial
aid programs in this workshop (along with reg sections):
■ the Federal Pell Grant Program (690);

■ the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity

Grant Program, or FSEOG (676);
■ the Federal Work-Study Program, or FWS (675) ;

■ the Federal Perkins Loan Program (674);

■ the subsidized Federal Stafford Loan Program (682);

■ the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan Program (682);

■ the Federal PLUS Loan Program (682);

■ the Federal Direct Subsidized Loan Program (685);

■ the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program (685);

and
■ the Federal Direct PLUS Loan Program (685).

In addition to the HEA, which contains nearly all the

relevant law that governs federal student aid programs, the
U.S. Secretary of Education (hereafter, referred to as the
Secretary) has the authority to issue regulations that set out
rules schools must follow in administering these programs.
The law and the regulations are generally divided into a
section for each student aid program. There is also a broad
section called “General Provisions,” which contains rules
that apply to all Title IV programs.

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Instructor’s Notes
Section 668.13 of the Title IV Student Assistance General
Provisions’ regulations requires that a school’s chief
administrator—or in the case of a not-for-profit school,
another designated administrative official—and the financial
aid administrator must complete this workshop prior to the
Secretary certifying the school to participate in any of the
Title IV programs.
Thus, the target audience for this workshop is personnel Target audience
from postsecondary schools that have been determined
“eligible” to apply for certification to participate in one or
more Title IV student aid programs and have submitted or
plan to submit an application for certification.
The workshop concentrates on basic procedures and
requirements, so it will be especially helpful for school
personnel with little or no experience in Title IV aid
administration.
» Take 5 minutes to find out from the participants what programs their
institutions have applied for or plan to apply for, as well as the
number of years the financial aid administrators have administered
Title IV student aid. Do any of the chief administrators have strong
Title IV backgrounds?

Administering Title IV programs is a complex and

time-consuming process.
■ Even though this workshop lasts approximately two
days for chief administrators and five days for
financial aid administrators, the training covers only
basic information.
■ Therefore, additional study and on-going training are
necessary to ensure proper program administration.
Are there any questions about the workshop?
We are now at page 4 of your Workbook. PW 4

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 Session One—Introduction to the Workshop and Training Materials

Instructor’s Notes
USING FINANCIAL AID CONSULTANTS AND
SERVICERS
Are there any financial aid consultants or servicers here
today?
ED neither encourages nor discourages the use of financial
aid consultants or servicers.
However, you must remember that the school and its
officers have the ultimate responsibility for administering
Title IV programs in accordance with laws and regulations.
Any financial liabilities resulting from administering Title␣ IV
programs are solely the institution’s.
Recent regulations outline the responsibilities of third-party
servicers and the possible liabilities servicers can incur. If
you are planning to use a servicer in connection with your
federal student aid programs, you should be familiar with
the requirements in parts 668, 682, and 690 of the federal
regulations. As you will have to report information to ED, it
also will be necessary for you to read “Dear Colleague”
Letter GEN-95-13, published in February␣ 1995.

ED’s experience in routinely auditing large numbers of

schools that participate in Title IV programs is that some
schools do not have qualified on-site financial aid personnel
who fully understand the responsibilities and obligations of
administrating these programs. As a consequence, these
schools have suffered financial liabilities and have been
required to return large sums of Title IV program funds.
■ Therefore, if any of the chief administrators here today
designated a financial aid consultant as the only
financial aid representative to attend the training, it is
strongly recommended that an on-site financial aid
employee from your institution also attend a future
training workshop.

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 Session One—Introduction to the Workshop and Training Materials

Instructor’s Notes
Please note: Because this workshop is primarily designed to
be a learning experience for school personnel, consultants
should not use this setting to market their services or to ask
advanced or detailed technical questions that are beyond the
scope of this workshop. Please ask any detailed questions in
a private conference with one of us during a break.
NASFAA—the National Association of Student Financial
Aid Administrators—has a pamphlet called “On Choosing,
Using, and Appraising a Student Financial Aid Consultant.”
If you plan to use a financial aid consultant or servicer, and
you’d like a copy of the pamphlet, contact NASFAA. You’ll
find the information from this overhead on page 4 of your 3 PW 4
Workbook. (OH 3)

BACK AT THE OFFICE

“Back at the Office” appears at the end of each session in
your Workbook. Here it’s on page 5 of your Workbook. It is PW 5
designed to serve as a reminder checklist once you’re back in
the office. The checklist includes blank lines for you to jot
down additional ideas of what you need to do when you get
back.
Take a minute to look at the “Back at the Office” checklist for
our introduction session.
Before we move on to the next session, are there any
questions?

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