Cool Tool:

1. Cool Tool:

2. Agenda • Introductions • Common Manual Facts • e-Collection Overview • ICM • Tips and Tricks • Going Paperless • Exercising Our New Skills

3. Collaborative effort of every FFELP guarantor Policies come from federal rules or may be designed to protect the federal fiscal interest Policies developed with community participation The Common Manual

4. Stats • Since 1996: • Over 800 policy issues presented to the community for comment • More than 260 policy issues “considered” and not developed

5. Common Manual“Versions” • Paper • Electronic Common Manual (ECM) CD ROM • Integrated Common Manual (ICM) Download Monthly

6. ’04 Paper Version • 652 Pages, including Summary of Changes • New Content in Appendix F • Reminder Appendix H: Comprehensive History with Topical Index

7. e-Collection in Brief • Produced/Distributed by FFELP Guarantors • CD Format • Read-only • Searchable

8. e-CollectionSystem Requirements • Can be installed or used right from CD • Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000 or XP • Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader (version 4.0 or higher) • 32 megabytes RAM • 172 MB of available hard-disk space • CD-ROM drive

9. e-Collection - Contents • The Electronic Common Manual (ECM) • Higher Education Act • Regulations • Dear Colleague Letters

10. ECM • Housed & Distributed on CM e-Collection • Static • Intrinsic “Magic” • Hyperlinks • Search capability

12. Quick ECM Access • Click on + to expand menu items • Click on - to compress menu items

14. e-Collection – Magic • Brings you to related text instantly • Find: • Chapter titles (A) • Index (B) • Any green text (C) • Blue text will take you to glossary definitions (D)

15. A C B D

16. e-Collection – Icons(Adobe 4.0 & 5.0) • Goes to the next or previous page • Adjusts your view of the current page

17. e-Collection – Icons(Adobe 4.0 & 5.0) Use to find a specific term • Click on icon • Type word • Click search • Search will begin on page you are viewing in document

19. e-Collection – Icons(Adobe 6.0) • Goes to the next or previous page • Adjusts your view of the current page

20. e-Collection – Icons(Adobe 6.0) Use to find a specific term • Click on icon • Type word • Click search • Search will begin on page you are viewing in document

22. Reference Links • CM References Linked to Source Documents on the Web • NOT linked within the CD to documents on CD

23. Reference Links Cursor over citation indicates hyperlink. Click to activate

25. “Integrated” Resources • “Integrated” Regulations • “Integrated” HEA • Shows amendments to text in underline/strike-out format

27. ICM • Housed on Guarantor websites • Also on NCHELP website in their “e-Library” • Updated monthly with policy change and text enhancements • Same Intrinsic “Magic” as the ECM • Hyperlinks within text and to source documents • Search capability

28. ICM Download • Access/Use Directly from Web • Large file • Searches are very slow • More Efficient to Download Monthly • Speeds access • Move “old” file to recycle bin

29. ICM Download-PC Users • Right click on the "Integrated Common Manual" or “PDF. • Choose "Save Target As.“ • Choose “Desktop” and click on "Save.“ • Complete when the message "Download Complete“ appears.

30. ICM Download-Mac Users • Simultaneously hold the Control key and click on the "Integrated Common Manual" PDF • Click on “Download to Disk” • Save the document to your desktop

36. Click to link to revised text.

37. Changes indicated by underline and strikeout.

38. Tips and Tricks • CM organized in “Life of the Loan” chronology

39. Tips and Tricks • Highlighted terms link to Glossary definitions To get this! Click

40. Tips and Tricks • Contents of Appendix H • Documents the history of FFELP in date order • Details substantive changes in policy • Notes publication of statutes, regulations and letters

41. Tips and Tricks:Using the History • Topical Index Leads to General Topics • Program Changes Sorted 1st by Year • Topics in Each Year Sorted Alphabetically

43. Tips and Tricks:History Example • Question: When were the “delayed delivery” rules first implemented? • First, what “topic?”

45. Tips and Tricks:History Example • Search either e-version for “delivering loan funds” (start at the beginning of appendix H!): • First “hit” for delayed delivery---12-19-89 delaying delivery of SLS loans • Second---1-1-91 delaying delivery of Stafford loan funds • NEXT---10-1-98, exemptions for low-default schools

47. Exercising our New Skills

48. Disbursement Rules: How to define “days”??? • Recent QUESTION from a Listserve: We do EFT disbursements at my school and we know that monies can’t be disbursed more than 10 days before the beginning of the semester. But is that 10 working days [business days] or calendar days?

49. Disbursement Rules: How to define “days”??? • Where do we start to find the answer? • Look to Common Manual first? Why??? • Written in simple English • Organized “in order” of the loan process • Has regulatory/statutory/other cool cites & references

50. Disbursement Rules: How to define “days”??? • Let’s try it . . . ! • Open the Common Manual (ECM or ICM) • Where to start? • Q. What are we doing? • A. Delivering loan funds