First published in December 1995, the Common Manual is a cooperative effort of all of the nation's guarantors that participate in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). The manual, one of a number of efforts by guarantors to simplify and streamline the FFELP for schools and lenders, provides a single, standardized set of current student loan rules and FFELP policy guidance for schools and lenders. Guarantors provide the Common Manual in a user-friendly, searchable electronic format to thousands of colleges, universities, and financial institutions nationwide via Web-based and compact disk formats. Some also provide the manual in print.

Item Name		Posted By	Date Posted
Integrated Common Manual PDF (14.08 MB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	7/24/2014
Updated: 06/2014 NCHELP and the Common Manual are pleased to provide the Integrated Common Manual to give you the most up-to-date policy information available. The Integrated Common Manual is updated with policies approved by the Governing Board from the previous month.
Electronic Common Manual PDF (14.69 MB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	8/18/2014
Updated: 08/2014 This document contains the latest version of the Electronic Common Manual in PDF format.

Item Name		Posted By	Date Posted
Brief 1 PDF (105.16 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Explains the new chart/table numbering system and how to access information quickly.
Brief 2 PDF (35.89 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Describes updates to the history appendix (appendix H) and the new content of appendix F.
Brief 3 PDF (33.19 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Explains the order and content of the restructured core chapters of the manual.
Brief 4 PDF (90.75 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Explains the Restructuring Matrices, tools to assist users of the old-format Common Manual to find what they are looking for in the restructured text.
Brief 5 PDF (109.66 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Takes the reader through the easy steps for downloading the integrated Common Manual (ICM), the monthly electronic update that includes all approved policy and text changes since the last paper-format update.
Brief 6 PDF (106.52 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Describes the features of the Integrated Common Manual (ICM).
Brief 7 PDF (112.72 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Includes efficient search "tips" for finding information in the electronic versions of the Common Manual.
Brief 8 PDF (22.64 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Provides instructions for subscribing to the Common Manual Public Listserv.
Brief 9 PDF (93.1 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Explains how an idea or concept becomes a policy proposal.
Brief 10 PDF (41.04 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Explains how a policy proposal progresses through the development process.
Brief 11 PDF (85.2 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Describes the general structure and function of the Common Manual Policy Committee.
Brief 12 PDF (87.44 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Explains the general structure and function of the Common Manual Governing Board.
Brief 13 PDF (85.77 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Describes the content of the policy proposal, the primary vehicle for developing text changes for the Common Manual.
Brief 14 PDF (38.96 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Provides a standard format for drafting and submitting a change to Common Manual policy to the Policy Committee.
Brief 14 Attachment DOC (29.5 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Policy Proposal Merge Template
Brief 15 PDF (36.75 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Explains technical edits.
Brief 16 PDF (102.8 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Demonstrates how to find answers fast using the Integrated Common Manual.
Brief 17 PDF (41.84 KB)  [ more ] [ hide ]		Administration	6/11/2011
Describes the restructure of Chapter 4.