This publication is intended to accompany the official cohort default rate notification letters sent to postsecondary schools each year and to be used by the schools in preparing materials used for appeals. The guide covers the Federal Family Education Loan Program and/or William D. Ford Direct Loan Program cohort rates and does not contain individual school cohort default rates or guaranty agency or lender cohort default rates. The report explains how the Department of Education calculates and reports fiscal year official cohort default rates; the effects these rates have on schools; schools' eligibility to request a rate adjustment; and schools' appeal rights. Following an introduction, a section provides general information on cohort default rates, sanctions, and the loan record detail report. Another section is on appeals. A subsection for schools offers guidance for the following types of appeals: request for adjustment, erroneous data appeal, improper loan servicing and collection appeal, and exceptional mitigating circumstances appeal. A subsection for guaranty agencies provides information on monthly status reports, requests for adjustment, the exceptional mitigating circumstances appeal, the erroneous data appeal, and the improper loan servicing and collection appeal. Six appendices list guaranty agency contacts, direct loan servicer contacts, Department of Education contacts, text of relevant regulations, and user comments on the guide. (DB)