2008 NYSFAAA Conference Lender Lists: 10 Things You Need to Know Now

1. 2008 NYSFAAA Conference Lender Lists: 10 Things You Need to Know Now This presentation does not constitute formal policy or legal advice and should not be relied upon as such.

2. 2008 NYSFAAA Conference Lender Lists: 10 Things You Need to Know Now • While FFEL market has stabilized, the private student loan market is on life support • Having a lender list for your students matters • All lenders are not created equal • Find savings for your students where you can • HEOA creates new requirements for lender lists • Financial strength of lenders MUST be part of your evaluation process • You cannot measure customer service through an RFI • Lender selection is not a once a year event but requires continuous evaluation • Start focusing on default prevention NOW • Your lender list can be a competitive advantage!

3. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferenceFFEL Market Has Stabilized… • ECASLA: Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act • Department of Education provides liquidity to the market • Loan participation • Loan purchases • Extended through 2009-10 academic year • Loans can have the following benefits to be eligible for the program • Upfront benefits (origination fee/default fee waiver) • .25% interest rate reduction for auto-debit • Issues • Split servicing of loans may be an issue • Department has awarded servicing to ACS; Sallie Mae protesting • Bridge financing for initial disbursement • Pre-May 2008 loans

4. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferencePrivate Student Loan Markets Blinking Red • Availability of private loans declining rapidly… • Over 30% of private loan market has departed in 2008 • Credit line pulled: College Loan Corp., Education Finance Partners • Parent company afflicted by sub-prime issues: Wachovia, CampusDoor • Inability to access ABS market: Key Bank, Bank of America (TERI) • Rising delinquencies overall have limited investor appetite for securities • Other lenders curtailing lender activities due to account profitability or concerns over default rates • Sallie Mae increased underwriting standards will further crimp supply • 43% of private loan market in 2007, based on SLA estimates • Last private loan securitization occurred in March 2007

5. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferencePricing on Private Student Loans Rising • Loans tied to LIBOR have seen dramatic increase • September 15th: One month LIBOR: 2.49% • September 25th: One month LIBOR: 3.70% • Lenders passing along their higher cost of capital to borrowers • Analyst report indicating that large student lender pricing loans at LIBOR + 9.8% • Loans tied to Prime and T-bill rates have benefited from declines in these indices recently

6. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferenceGovernment Intervention in Private Loan Market • Senator Schumer (NY-DEM) most vocal at highlighting problem • “Build a wall around the student loan market” • Offers no specifics on how this will be achieved • Assurances from Secy. Spelling that issue will be addressed shortly • What might a private student loan rescue plan look like? • Liquidity plan akin to ECASLA for private student loans • Purchase loans or participation rights directly from private student lenders • Capital infusion to lenders used to lend back to students • Issues: Pricing of ABS/Servicing/Loan Guarantees/Interest Rates • Purchase of equity stake in major student lenders akin to recent plan to inject $250 billion in 9 large U.S. banks • FDIC is guaranteeing senior unsecured debt issued by banks with three year term or less • Downside is duration of liability doesn’t match asset term

7. SLA Flash Survey: Alternative Loan Availability Strategies for Dealing with Alt. Loan Issues (Overall) Source: SLA Flash Survey on Alternative Loan Availability Survey question #2: What are your current strategies to help students find ALTERNATIVE loans for the 2008-09 school year?

8. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferenceHaving a Lender List Matters • GMAC Bank, NextStudent, Xanthus Financial Services, EduCap, Graduate Loan Associates • Recently settled probe into “deceptive marketing practices” • Google “private student loans” and find over 900,000 results • First page of search results • Alternativestudentloan.com • No Fafsa, instant decisions online, $40,000/year, Funds Direct to You • Estudentloan.com • Studentfinancialgroup.com • Quick application. Quick response. The Quick-To-Learn loan • Collegeloanstoday.com • Fast and Easy Approval,Up to $40,000 per year. • Other popular reference sites list hundreds of lenders • Headline anxiety leads to search for experts

9. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferenceChoosing Best Lenders Matters MORE not Less • To students, lender performance seen as extension of financial aid office • Student satisfaction survey comments link financial aid office directly with lenders • Departure of lenders has wide-ranging impact on operations • Communicate change directly to affected students and parents • Serial borrowers need help selecting new lender and sign new promissory notes • Change all marketing collateral with lender list printed on it • Change on-line lender list • Front-line team members stressed by volume of calls • Business office must be notified that payments may be delayed • Even with diminished set of lenders, recognize that all lenders are NOT the same

10. SLA Flash Survey: Lender Customer Service Loan Processing Ratings Source: SLA 2008 Lender Customer Service Survey Survey statement #1: This lender processes transactions (cash & non-cash) in a timely manner after loans are certified.

11. SLA Flash Survey: Lender Customer Service Customer Service Rep. Ratings Source: SLA 2008 Lender Customer Service Survey Survey statement #2: This lender's representatives are prompt and responsive in addressing questions and problems.

12. SLA Flash Survey: Lender Customer Service Best Service to Students Survey question #7: In your opinion, which of the lenders you interact with provides the best customer service to your students?

13. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferenceFind Savings for Students Where You Can • ECASLA has diminished opportunity for borrower benefits with FFEL loans • Most offering just 0.25% interest rate reduction for auto-debit in order to be eligible for sale to Department of Education • Still one lender out there with no-fee Stafford loan • The 1% opportunity • Ask lenders to partner with guarantors that are offering to waive the federal default fee • Guarantors typically announce their policies in December • Global fee waiver policy • Selective fee waiver policy • Analyze guarantor financial position to ensure long-term viability of fee waiver • Saving 1% of $10 million FFEL loan portfolio equates to $100,000

14. 2008 NYSFAAA Conference HEOA Creates New Requirements for Lender Lists • FFEL Lender Lists • Justify why each lender on your list was selected • Annual reporting requirement to Department of Education • Conform to model disclosure of loan terms and borrower choice • Private Lender Lists • Low threshold • An educational institution that provides “information regarding a private education loan from a lender to a prospective borrower” • Significantly enhanced disclosures to be provided by lenders at every stage of process • Borrowers to certify loans • Code of Conduct • Dear Colleague Letter forthcoming from Department of Education

15. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferenceFinancial Strength of Lenders MUST be Evaluated • Source of financing • Internal • External • Participation in Dept. of Education’s liquidity plan • Even with ECASLA, bridge financing critical to survival in FFEL • External bond ratings provide clue to cost of capital • Moody’s, Fitch, S&P • Loan growth over 3-5 year period • Default and delinquency rates • Stock price • Performance relative to other student lenders • Trends • Performance of other consumer credit portfolios

16. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferenceRFI Necessary But Not Sufficient In Measuring Customer Service • Student/Parent Surveys • Time as close to disbursement as possible • Measure performance of lender during each stage of process and each touch point • Determine criteria that are most important to them in selecting lenders • Financial Aid Team Members • Gauge quality of loan processing and responsive of lender representatives • Good source for student issues also • Call Center quality • Measure quality of interaction with customer service representatives • Develop standardized situations to ensure “apples to apples” comparison • Website reviews • Assess user-friendliness and ability of borrowers to self-service • Assess transparency of lender’s disclosures

17. SLA Flash Survey: Customer Service Include Customer Service in Lender Selection Process Survey question #1: Do you currently include customer service as a criterion in your lender selection process? Note: Only includes schools who had FFEL and/or Alternative Lender List

18. SLA Flash Survey: Customer Service Measuring Customer Service Survey question #4: Indicate ALL of the methods that you utilize to measure lender customer service.

19. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferenceLender Management Not a Once Per Year Event • Selecting lenders is the beginning of the process not the end • Keys to effectively managing lender relationship • Information shared by lenders • Approval rates • Tiering distribution • Changes to loan terms/eligibility requirements • Information shared by schools • Feedback from students/parents/financial aid staff • Identify systemic issues early • Establish service expectations in the RFI to avoid misunderstandings • Can’t manage it if you do not measure it • Adjust lender list based on new developments • Importance of casting a wide net

20. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferenceStart Focusing on Default Prevention NOW • Recessions drive default rates higher • Lenders determine attractiveness of schools based on default rates • SLA provides list of financial literacy/default prevention resources on the Student Lending Analytics Blog • Financial Literacy Resource List • Campus-Based Literacy Programs • Ask lenders in RFI about their default prevention activities • Guarantors can be useful source for training and educating students on financial literacy topics

21. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferenceThe Process Matters • Receive confirmation from lenders that they are able to respond • Identify most important criteria and determine their weightings • Craft RFI based on criteria you determine is most important • Develop comprehensive list of lenders to invite • Ask lenders to confirm their interest after RFI sent out • Analyze lender responses in objective, analytical fashion • Develop scorecard for lender responses • Select lenders based on scorecard • Draft methodology document which describes your process • Appoint scribe at outset of process

22. The Student Lending Analytics ProcessRFI Management

23. 2008 NYSFAAA ConferenceLender List Can Be a Competitive Advantage • Parents and students appreciate it • Time savings • Positive customer service experience affects opinion of financial aid • Increased confidence about the choices they made • Provides confidence that they will have access to loans • Financial aid team members appreciate it • Streamlined operations • Minimize time spent helping borrowers “find the best lender” • Opportunity to provide input to process • Recognize value of lender list to students

24. Student Lending AnalyticsBackground • Founded in 2007 • Independent Research and Advisory Service with NO lender affiliations • Mission: Find best lenders for students through an analytically rigorous and comprehensive process • Services • RFI Management of FFEL and Private Loans • Research • Successes to Date • Managed RFI process at institutions with over $850 million in loan volume • Inside Student Lending, our monthly newsletter, reaches over 5,000 financial aid administrators • Student Lending Analytics Blog has become the go-to source for breaking developments and analysis on the student lending industry • SLA Flash Surveys have included the insights from over 1,500 financial aid professionals on a variety of timely topics • Private Loan Options and the SLA’s 2008 Alternative Loan Guide provides students and financial aid offices with an objective and focused list of private lenders

25. Student Lending AnalyticsResearch Services • Inform financial aid offices on industry developments (implications for their lender lists and relationships) • Student Lending Analytics Blog • Timely insights to developments in student lending industry • Alerts • Legislation, lender exits, earnings calls, industry insight • Monthly newsletter • August – Tips for Lender Lists • Webinars • April – Lessons Learned in Trenches of Lender Selection Process • September – HEOA and Lender Lists • Surveys (summaries available on our website) • FFEL vs. Direct Lending • RFI Practices • Implementing increased Federal Stafford loan limits • Alternative Loans • Legislative and regulatory updates • White papers • Help Line to answer questions/resolve issues throughout the year

26. For more information about SLA and our RFI+ services, please contact us at: Tim Ranzetta Student Lending Analytics LLC 1000 Elwell Court, Suite 203 Palo Alto, CA 94303 (650) 858-2724 X10 tranzetta@studentlendinganalytics.com www.studentlendinganalytics.com Student Lending AnalyticsContact Information

27. NYSFAAA Conference SLATE • Detailed in Subpart 145-10 effective July 17, 2008 • Definition of Preferred Lender List • “a list of one or more suggested or recommended lending institutions that a covered institution makes available for consideration by borrowers, potential borrowers or others, in print or any other medium or form” • Prohibitions of Gifts • Required loan disclosures • Inform borrowers about Title IV loans before providing private loan • No quid pro quo with opportunity loans • Preferred lender list standards • Disclosures required for each available type of loan • Lending institutions disclosures to schools

28. NYSFAAA Conference Preferred Lender List Standards • Disclose process including method and criteria • Borrowers can select lender of their choice • Determined solely by consideration of best interests of students • Lenders may not utilize name, emblem, mascot or logo • If not in alphabetical order, must explain rationale for ordering • Reviewed and updated no less than annually • Lenders must commit that benefits will continue to inure even if loan is sold • Must indicate if lender intends to sell loans • Each loan program must be treated separately; can’t link placement • Disclosure requirements

29. NYSFAAA Conference Disclosure Requirements • Interest rate of loan and APR • Any fees associated with loan • Repayment terms • Borrower benefits with utilization rates by institution • Opportunity for deferment or forbearance • Definition of loan consolidation; early repayment penalty • Borrower’s estimated monthly payment; min/max rates • Average amount borrowed by students for preceding year • Intent to sell loans • Late payment fees • Early repayment • Statement that borrowers not required to select from the list

30. NYSFAAA Conference Disclosure Requirements (Lenders) • Private loan data • Default rates at institution • Rates of interest charged borrowers at school • Percentage of borrowers obtaining each rate of interest • If loan is sold, then loan purchaser needs to provide private loan data • School needs to periodically review preferred lender list at least once every three years