Application Processing Update

Michele Brown, Applicant Products

and Customer Service
Jody Sears, Application Processing
Division

U.S. Department of Education

Agenda
2008-2009 Highlights
• Early Awareness • Simplification,
• Spanish Initiatives Enhancements and
• SAR Redesign Improving
• Print Distribution Accuracy of
Changes Applicant Data
• Real-Time PIN – FOTW
– Renewals
– Corrections
– FAA Access
– CPS Processing
Updates

2
Early Awareness
• Goals of FAFSA4caster
– Provide general information relative to
student financial aid
– Foster early awareness and create
familiarity with the aid application
process and form
– Serve as an early analysis tool
informing of college affordability
– Reduce the time required to submit the
“official” financial aid application in
students’ senior year and beyond

3
Early Awareness
FAFSA4caster
www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov

4
Early Awareness

5
Early Awareness

6
Early Awareness

7
Early Awareness

8
Early Awareness

9
Early Awareness

10
Spanish Initiatives
• FOTW re-designed to work as a
stand-alone Spanish language
Web site
• Spanish language outputs,
notifications and survey have
been added

11
Spanish Initiatives

12
Spanish Initiatives

13
Spanish Initiatives

14
SAR Redesign
• Goals of SAR redesign
–Streamline the text and
provide results of the
application process
–Provide EFC
–Verification selection
–Next steps, including issue
resolution

15
SAR Redesign
• Front page
simplified by
creating two main
sections
– Application
Status
– Federal Student
Aid Eligibility
• Students informed
if they have been
selected for
verification

16
SAR Redesign
• Comments on
page 3 re-
formatted to
create a
checklist
identifying tasks
that students
must complete

17
Application Processing Statistics
Through Week 44
14,000,000
For 2007-2008
12,000,000 • 96% of FAFSAs
10,000,000 were filed
8,000,000 electronically
6,000,000
• 4% of FAFSAs
4,000,000
filed on paper
2,000,000

Electronic Paper
2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008

18
FAFSA Print and Distribution
Strategy
• To date, Federal Student Aid
printed and distributed over 12
million 2007-2008 paper FAFSAs
• The strategy for 2008-2009 is to
increase the application options
for students

19
FAFSA Print and Distribution
Strategy
• FAFSA on the Web
– FOTW worksheet
– Available for order through FSAPubs
– Available for download on FOTW
• PDF FAFSA
• Paper FAFSA
– Available to students through FSAIC
• Paper FAFSA
– Available by special request to schools
and delivery partners through FSAPubs

20
Real-Time PIN

• Top issues for 1-800-4FED-AID

–I lost my PIN
–I need to get a duplicate PIN
–How do I retrieve my PIN?
–Do my parents need a PIN?

21
Real-Time PIN

• Our customers wanted-

–To receive their PIN instantly
–Ability to create a meaningful
PIN during the application
process
–Avoid delays in the application
process

22
PIN Home Page

23
FAFSA Simplification
• Enhanced skip logic
–Reduced the number of questions
and Web pages that display
• Enhanced parent data transfer
–Improved parent data transfer
function for multiple children
• Enhanced user experience
–Reordered and reworded questions
for better flow and clarity

24
FAFSA Enhancements

25
Improving the Accuracy of
Applicant Data
• CPS processing enhancements
added to improve the accuracy
of applicant data
–Edit changes
–CPS match changes
–ISIR changes
–NSLDS elements

26
 REAL-TIME PIN
APPLICATION PROCESS
Real-Time PIN
PIN Web Site

28
Real-Time PIN
PIN Web Site

29
Real-Time PIN
PIN Web Site

30
Real-Time PIN
PIN Web Site

31
Real-Time PIN
PIN Web Site
• PINs will be generated and available
to immediately sign the FAFSA
–Prior to a successful SSA match,
the PIN will have limited
functionality
–After a successful SSA match, the
PIN will have full functionality
–If SSA match fails, PIN will not be
usable until the match reject is
resolved

32
 2008-2009 FAFSA
SIMPLIFICATION,
ENHANCEMENTS AND
IMPROVING ACCURACY OF
APPLICANT DATA
FAFSA Simplification
Skip Logic

34
FAFSA Simplification
Skip Logic

35
FAFSA Simplification
Skip Logic

36
FAFSA Simplification
Improved User Experience
• Re-worded some questions and responses to
improve clarity

37
FAFSA Simplification
Improved User Experience

Now
allows
10
School
Codes

38
FAFSA Simplification
Improved User Experience

• Improved the Parental

information transfer function

FAFSA Renewal
Renewal FAFSA

39
FAFSA Simplification
Signature Process

40
FAFSA Simplification
Signature Process

41
FAFSA Simplification
Signature Process

42
FAFSA Simplification
Submission Confirmation

43
2008-2009 RENEWAL
PROCESS
Renewal Process

45
Renewal Process
• For 2008-09, the following
records will be renewal eligible:
–Records with Dependency Override
set
–Records with Professional
Judgment (FAA Adjustment) set

46
Renewal Process
• Records submitted on the web
will be checked for a
Dependency Override in the
previous year
– If dependent, message will refer the
student to the FAA
– Students who have become
independent since the previous year will
be allowed to complete FAFSA by
providing student information only

47
Renewal Process
• For 2008-09, the following values
will not be carried forward
– Means-tested federal benefits programs
– Exemptions for parent and student
• For 2008-09, the following values
will be carried forward
– Active Duty Military?
– Are you Male?
– Type of Aid Interested in Receiving?

48
Renewal Process
• Students will receive renewal
reminders to complete their pre-
filled FAFSAs in January and
February
– E-mail reminder notifications will
contain a link to the FAFSA Web site
– Paper reminder notifications will be sent
to students without valid e-mail
addresses

49
2008-2009 CORRECTION
PROCESS
Correction Process
New Old

51
Correction Process

52
FAA ACCESS TO CPS ONLINE
FAA Access to CPS Online
• Increased school code choices
and housing choices to ten
• FAAs can access another
student’s record from Application
Entry and the Verification Tool
• FAAs will be able to access
renewal applications using the
students DRN

54
FAA Access to CPS Online
Corrections
• Fourth column removed

55
FAA Access to CPS Online
Corrections
• New pop-up message

56
ISIR Analysis Tool

57
ISIR Analysis Tool-
New Feature
• Demonstration Site – NEW for
2008-09
• Enhanced report feature to
examine ISIR fields that impact
EFC and Pell Grant Eligibility
• Available February 2008

58
IMPROVING ACCURACY OF
APPLICANT DATA
Improving Accuracy
CPS Edit Changes
• New Reject 4: non-verifiable reject
(FAA-only override) if Marital Status
Date is greater than the date the
application was signed
• New Reject 20: non-verifiable reject
(FAA-only override) for non-filers
whose income exceeds the IRS
requirements for filing a federal tax
return

60
Improving Accuracy
CPS Edit Changes
• Added a warning edit for applicants
whose tax filing status is “Will File”
and they are correcting one of the
following fields:
– AGI
– Earned Income
– Taxes Paid
– Exemptions
• New edit will ask applicants to re-
answer the tax return question

61
Improving Accuracy
Match Changes
• Selective Service
–SAR C Flag and comment will be
suppressed when
•Student indicates veteran status and
•VA Match Flag equals 1 (Match) and
•Selective Service Match equals “N”
(No Match) or “T” (Match conducted,
student within 45 days of 18th
birthday)

62
ISIR Changes
• Unofficial EFC will be calculated for
records with signature only rejects (14, 15
and/or 16)
– Records will be rejected with no official EFC
calculated
– Signature Reject EFC field added to ISIR for
use by state agencies and schools
– Signature required to resolve reject
– Unofficial EFC will not display on SAR
– Unofficial EFC cannot be used to award or
disburse aid

63
ISIR NSLDS Changes

64
ISIR NSLDS Changes
• ACG and National SMART Grant Data fields
added

65
Participation Management
System Changes
• Current assignment of TG
numbers is being modified to
allow for alpha characters in the
3rd byte (e.g. TGA1234)
• Supply of existing unassigned
TG numbers is dwindling--
–Currently at number TG45988
–We will run out of numbers at
TG49999

66
Web Demo Sites
• Fafsademo.test.ed.gov
–FOTW
–FAA Access to CPS Online
–ISIR Analysis Tool (available
February, 2008)
• User Name: eddemo
• Password: fafsatest
• Available 12/2/2007

67
2008-09 Application Processing
Release Schedule
• August
–Draft ISIR Record Layout
posted to IFAP
• October
–Summary of Changes for the
Application Processing System
–CPS Test System Users Guide
–EDE Technical Reference

68
2008-09 Application Processing
Release Schedule
• November
–ISIR Guide
–SAR Comment Codes and Text
–School Electronic Process
Guide
–Student Web Application
Products Process Guide

69
2008-09 Application Processing
Release Schedule
• December
–EFC Formula Guide
• January
–FOTW available for 2008-09 (1/1)
– CPS Processing starts up for
2008-09 (1/2)
–2008-09 EDExpress Release 1
becomes available

70
Other Application Processing
Sessions of Note
• Resolving Database Match Results
(SAR-C Codes) and CPS Rejects
(Session #14)
• EDExpress (Session #15)
• Hands-on - FAA Access to CPS
Online for New Users (Session #21)
• Hands-on Tour of R2T4 on the Web
(Session #22)

71
Contact Information
We appreciate your feedback and
comments. We can be reached at:

Michele Brown
Phone: 202-377-3203
Email: Michele.Brown@ed.gov

Jody Sears
Phone: 202-377-3604
Email: Joellen.Sears@ed.gov

72