Getting Ready for Fall College Nights:
Helpful Resources for Families and Students
by Richard Sapp, TG

Do you know how to fold a 12-foot tablecloth without letting it touch the ground? Can you scale a staircase while balancing a tabletop display and a two-wheeled cart? Do you know how to open 15 cardboard boxes using only a mailbox key and sheer willpower?

If you answered an enthusiastic yes to any of these questions, then you're probably an expert at handling the challenges of financial aid fairs and college planning conferences!

As you hit the trail this fall, remember to take along the latest TG resources for families and students. All of these materials are available in English and Spanish.

Preparing students through early awareness
Adventures In Education (www.AIE.org) is a helpful, free Web site that provides information about college selection, financial aid, and career resources. Available for middle school, high school, and college students, as well as for parents, counselors, and educators, AIE offers English and Spanish information that can help all audiences.

To inform students and families about the free site, TG offers free posters, brochures, and bookmarks for you to distribute at college and career planning events.

The Great College Mystery and Facing Your Future, two colorful brochures that provide early education on college preparation and college financing for middle school and high school students, are now available for distribution. Both publications are produced by TG and the Council for the Management of Educational Finance.

For those who prefer to seek personal assistance, TG has posters and bookmarks available that inform students and families about the Texas Financial Aid Information Center (TFAIC). The TFAIC provides a toll-free call center for families and students, and is staffed by TG's customer assistance team. Callers can phone the Center at (888) 311-8881 to get answers to questions about the college admissions and financial aid processes.

Educating future borrowers
To prepare students who are approaching their final year of high school, TG offers two publications that can give them a head start on personal finance and student financial aid awareness.

Your Future — A Guide to Financing Higher Education is a booklet that features information about careers, higher education, financial aid, financial responsibility, the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), and much more.

FFELP: Federal Family Education Loan Program is a brochure that offers an overview of the FFELP, including information about subsidized Federal Stafford Loans, unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, and Federal PLUS (parent) Loans.

Order your supplies today
To order your supplies of these helpful materials, visit TG Online at www.tgslc.org/forms/forms.cfm and Adventures In Education (AIE) at www.aie.org/tools/.

Best of luck with this year's financial aid and college planning events!

Richard Sapp is TG’s director of awareness programs. You can reach Richard at (800) 252-9743, ext. 2865, or by e-mail at richard.sapp@tgslc.org. Additional information about TG can be found online at www.tgslc.org.