Two of the courses available for new professionals are available as self-paced Web training modules. These courses cover how to 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 how to complete the Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate, the R2T4 calculations involved in the return of Title IV funds and how to use the EDExpress software many financial aid professionals use.
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.
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.
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 how to 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.