SASFAA Nine News

Dear SASFAA,

I know it has been a while but, as you know, in the world of financial aid there never seems to be any down time. So, I am on spring break this week with the boys (Christy is visiting her folks in Connecticut this week and getting a much deserved break from the men in her life) and as you can imagine I decided to do a little work just to get a break myself. So what have the boys been up to…

Bartnicki Boys:

Luke got his first “C” on a report card. My father-in-law says it builds character. Christy says it builds extra homework time, less video games and more study time. Guess which one Luke has to listen to. Luke was recently hired as a swim coach on his summer swim team. We have told him that you are not allowed to throw kids when they misbehave (even your brothers). He was excited about earning money until he found out that there is a rule (at least in the Bartnicki House) that half the proceeds go to their college fund. Wait until he finds out about the car insurance tax clause.

Adam got straight As this quarter and has adjusted well to life in middle school. He is running this spring for his track team and hopes to make the State meet. I let him drive the car down the driveway and though it took about an hour (he wore my brakes out) he was on cloud nine. Hey, when mom is away, the boys will play. But Adam is far from perfect. He loves to watch Honey Boo Boo - enough said.

Ethan is trying hard to reach his reading goal at school. He is close and has been reading 2 books a week. When he finishes reading the books he has to take a test. When he first started, he did poorly on a test. We asked him what happened and he said that he was just reading the last paragraph on each page and he must have missed some important information. Ethan, Ethan, Ethan… He is also running track and can’t wait for swim team to begin.

Oh, I almost forgot. Zyke (our canine companion) has actually survived the Bartnicki Household. When you see the smiles on the boys’ faces and mom holding Zyke like a newborn, you know he is one of the family. Of course, he is a boy and gets into his share of trouble as well. He chewed up Luke’s baseball cup (not a pretty sight), peed on a bookcase right in front of us, jumped up on the table during dinner, chewed up a corner of the rug, etc. As you can see, he fits right in.

Updates:

Now this is normally where I would provide a host of valuable Title IV knowledge and guidance to assist you in your everyday administration of the Title IV programs.
I would let you know that the new NPRM for GE programs is out and you need to provide comments by May 27, 2014 or to read the new EA dated March 18, 2014 that discusses issues with schools not being allowed to require additional applications for Title IV eligibility or allowing tuition discounts for early payments. I might talk about the new Direct Loan Consolidation process or the New REACH FSA number – 1-855-FSA-4-FAA. However, I am not going to talk about those items.
The most important thing for me to tell you in this bulletin is that it will be my last as a Training Officer. Effective Monday, I will be the new Compliance Manager in the Atlanta School Participation Division. It is with excitement and sadness that I say goodbye to my old role and hello to my new challenges and opportunities.
I have loved being a Training Officer for the last 5 years in the SE region, not because of the work, but because of each and every one of you. Getting to interact with and help schools on a daily basis energized me and gave me purpose. I am happy to say that I have achieved all of my goals with training and reached a level of success beyond my wildest dreams. It is time for me to move up and out has I continue to expand my horizons within FSA.
Now, in my new role as a Compliance Manager I will be working with all TIV schools in FL, GA, AL, MS, SC, and NC. So, for some schools I may not talk to you as much as when I was a Training Officer, but for others, I may be talking to you more than ever from a slightly different perspective. Of course, I am still a part of FSA and I am still that guy you have come to trust and respect. My passion for doing things right, helping families obtain an education, assisting schools properly administer our Title IV programs and my understanding of how difficult and rewarding financial aid can be, has not, and will not change.

Some of you may be concerned with the fact that there are now no training officers in Atlanta. I promise you that management is working hard to ensure proper coverage of the SE region continues until such time that formal Training Officers have been named for Atlanta. For those in TN, KY and AL, I will actually still be presenting at your spring conferences as I transition from one job to the next. As far as FL, MS and GA, Rick Renshaw and Greg Martin (fellow TOs) will be covering for me. In the meantime, if you have general TIV questions we encourage you to reach out to our Research and Customer Care Center at 1-800-433-7327. Of course if you have eligibility, program review, audit or financial statement questions, please contact your regional school participation team and for TIV technical questions feel free to contact your IISs on those teams as well.

And so with a heavy heart, but a spring in my step I say goodbye as your Training Officer and hello as your Compliance Manager. I promise to periodically send updates of the boys to SASFAA. I may have to rename my bulletin - Dave’s Compliance Corner.

Your neighborhood FED,

DAVE

David Bartnicki

Federal Training Officer

ED/FSA/Atlanta