THECB staff announces trainings, program guidance and a new student loan management system

Leah Smallley, director of resource development and policy for the Higher Education Coordinating Board, briefed the advisory committee on near‑term operational items and outreach plans that will affect financial aid officers and institutions.

Smallley announced the departure of longtime staffer DeSaye Reid and directed institutions to the GAP portal and the board’s contact channels for questions during the transition. She said regional trainings and a March 12 webinar have covered proposed rule changes and that a new aid‑officer workshop will be held in April in Grapevine. Smallley said staff plan a three‑part summer webinar series covering Texas Grant guarantees, the FAST funding model, and the Texas Armed Services Scholarship.

Operational notices released in January included updated maximum award amounts for scholarships and grants and the FAST tuition rate. The board released a TEOG 10‑day data review for two‑year institutions; Smallley urged institutions to review allocations during that window and submit discrepancies through the portal. She also described a forthcoming consolidation of program guidelines intended for publication in May.

On loan operations, Smallley described a planned modernization of the agency’s student loan management system (replacing an internal system staff called “Helms” and the vendor-facing HelmNet). The new platform will feature a borrower portal, online document repository, real‑time application status updates, a 60‑second credit decision feature and a dedicated data warehouse. Smallley said staff are targeting an October go‑live and will provide training and a communications plan for institutions.

Smallley closed by reminding members of deadlines (nomination process for the advisory committee closes April 10; authority‑to‑transfer requests are due June 15) and urged institutions to certify loans and request funds under the current system before the migration.