This spring saw the beginning of our annual calling campaign, aimed at reaching all T.H.E. borrowers who are slated to graduate. The goal of the calling campaign is to work with graduates in setting up a personalized repayment strategy other than the standard repayment term and helping them take advantage of other options that will save them money.

Since the beginning of this year, our Corporate Presenters Joe Pruden and Erin Adams have spanned the country giving 38 presentations at 24 schools. From California to Maine, they have provided borrower education on such topics as the Roadmap to Repayment, Gauge Your Debt, Credit, Student Loan Industry Updates and others.

Transitioning into repayment can be a challenging task for many students. Although graduates have a variety of repayment options available, we often hear that students don’t take advantage of options other than the standard repayment plan. Usually, it’s because they’re overwhelmed with the choices or simply don’t know their options.

Customer service is the foundation of a quality student loan program. But what do you look for in a lender’s customer service program? We put together a brief guide to help you ask the right questions about each potential lender’s customer service capabilities.

Setting up a customized T.H.E. jump page for your school is a great way to simplify the loan application process for your students. Depending on your processing preferences, you determine which loan type(s) appear on the jump page.

Students who default on a loan will face a challenging financial situation for many years to come – from applying for a car loan to a home mortgage, a delinquency will prevent them from getting good rates or even qualifying at all. Potential employers, landlords and insurance companies also run credit checks, so the repercussions of a default can be staggering.

In less than a year, the student loan industry and financial aid offices across the country were shaken up by big changes. In uncertain times, it’s nice to know you can still count on consistency that T.H.E. offers with superior service.

Join us for informational calls on student loan finance news from Jamie Wolfe, industry veteran and CFO of NorthStar, the provider of T.H.E. Loan Programs. Jamie will share the latest insights affecting the financing of student loans in light of the mortgage crunch and recent legislative updates.

Last month, we introduced a new presentation, Student loan update: understand the details behind the headlines. Hosted in a number of schools and recently presented as a webinar, the material has generated very positive reviews. Addressing how recent legislation and the current economy affect student loans, it helps students understand what’s at stake and what steps they should take when it comes to their loans.

We thank you for working with us in financing higher education for so many deserving students this past year. It has been an honor, and on behalf of T.H.E., we wish you a happy and safe holiday season.

A grant by Northstar Education Finance/Total Higher Education helped launch I Make It Happen.org, a website that helps Minnesota students get into college. Minnesota has one of the worst guidance-counselor-to-student ratios in the nation, says the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The goal of I Make It Happen.org is to reach students in grades seven to nine who otherwise wouldn’t have access to a guidance counselor and educate them about the steps they need to take to get into college. The site includes an online counselor feature that allows students to submit questions to a guidance counselor.

Since its launch in April, the site has received about 14,000 visits and 130 questions from students, states the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Other sponsors of the project include The University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Education.