Financial aid professionals can obtain training through the Federal Student Aid program. The Training for Financial Aid Professionals, or TFAP, website (ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/training/index.html), provides various training courses in different formats. Some courses are geared towards new professionals or those who want to take refresher courses, while other courses are geared toward specific subjects within the financial aid profession.
Web-Based Training Modules
Two of the courses available for new professionals are available as self-paced Web training modules. These courses cover administer Federal Student Aid programs in schools in the United States as well as in foreign schools. Both courses are completed individually. Four specialized courses for more advanced professionals are available as training modules on the Internet. These courses cover complete the Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate, the R2T4 calculations involved in the return of Title IV funds and use the EDExpress software many financial aid professionals use.
Training Workshops
Training workshops are held in various locations across the country and can last from one hour to several days, depending on the information the course covers. The Fundamentals of Title IV Administration is a course for new professionals and is held for four and one half days. This course is required for professionals who want to become certified in financial aid. Several courses are available in specialized areas. The regulatory update workshops last for two days and cover updates in financial aid regulations. Two one-hour workshops cover Pell Grant calculations and NSLDS loan calculations.
Webinar Recorded Sessions
Most of the specialized courses TFAP offers are recorded webinar training sessions. These sessions can last for up to 70 minutes and some have PowerPoint presentations or other materials that users can download. Topics covered include default prevention, the Direct Loan Program, the Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate and loan disclosure requirements.
Downloadable Training Software
One set of courses is available as downloadable software. These courses cover the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system. The course teaches financial aid professionals use each area of the COD system and includes simulation of key processes. System requirements include the Windows 98 operating system or higher and the driver for Microsoft Access 2000.
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