• Student Loan Basics
  • Introduction to Financial Aid
  • Understanding Student Loans
• Successful Repayment
  • Rights and Responsibilities
  • Repayment Schedules and Options
  • Ensuring Financial Wellness
  • Calculators
  • Tools
• Repayment Challenges
  • Delinquency Consequences
  • Delinquency Timeline
  • Repayment Options
  • Who Is Contacting Me?
  • Deferment and Forbearance
• Managing Default
  • ASA’s Role in Your Loan
  • Default Consequences
  • Recovering From Default
  • Loan Dispute and Discharge

American Student Assistance is a nonprofit you can rely on for neutral, honest federal student loan solutions.

• Solutions for Schools
  • Private Sector Colleges and Universities
• Wellness Communication Initiatives
  • Borrower Outreach
  • Wellness Results
• Industry and Regulatory Resources
  • ECASLA
  • Higher Education Act
  • The Common Manual
• Training and Professional Services
  • Course Catalog
• College Access Professionals
  • ASA in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia
  • National Training for Counselors and Mentors
  • Helping High School Students and Adult Learners
  • Resources
• FFELP-Related Services
  • Financial Aid Administrators
  • FFELP Origination Deadlines for Schools
  • ASA Direct for Schools
  • Ask ASA Direct for Schools
  • Lenders and Servicers
  • FFELP Origination Deadlines for Lenders
  • ASA Direct for Lenders and Servicers
  • Ask ASA Direct for Lenders and Servicers

The Common Manual

• E-mail
• Print
• Share

The result of a partnership among the nation’s education loan guarantors, the Electronic Common Manual offers financial aid professionals a single authoritative source for guidance regarding Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) policies and regulations.

Below you will find copies of the Electronic Common Manual along with other resources for laws, regulations, and policy.

Manuals and Forms

• Common Manual 2010 Update (pdf, 13.57 MB)
• Common Forms (pdf, 5.16 MB) 

Laws and Regulations

• Higher Education Act (pdf, 3.68 MB) 
• Higher Education Opportunity Act (pdf, 1.11 MB) 
• Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 (ECASLA) (pdf, 0.06 MB) 
• Integrated Regulations (pdf, 7.01 MB)
• NCHELP Topical Index (pdf, 12.88 MB)

Dear Colleague Letters and Announcements

• Announcements (pdf, 6.92 MB) 
• Dear Guarantee Agency Director Letters (pdf, 27.29 MB) 
• Disaster Area Designation Letters (pdf, 1.32 MB) 
• Financial Partner Letters (pdf, 21.11 MB) 
• GEN Letters (pdf, 94.71 MB) 
• Guarantor Letters (pdf, 15.67 MB) 
• Lender Letters (pdf, 5.2 MB) 
• School Letters (pdf, 2.6 MB)

Forms

Entrance Checklist

Exit Checklist