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PowerFAIDS User Group. Troy Davis The College Of The Elms Nicholas Zinser Northeastern University. Agenda. Welcome & Introductions Current & Upcoming Releases Direct Loans & PowerFAIDS Contacts & Support. Welcome & Introductions. Introductions Name Institution
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PowerFAIDS User Group Troy Davis The College Of The Elms Nicholas Zinser Northeastern University
Agenda • Welcome & Introductions • Current & Upcoming Releases • Direct Loans & PowerFAIDS • Contacts & Support
Welcome & Introductions • Introductions • Name • Institution • #1 question you want answered today
Current PowerFAIDS Release • The current PowerFAIDS release is 14.3A • Fixes significant problems found in the 14.3 release • Direct Loan processing issues resolved • Default Overpay Tag • No $0 disbursements included • Fixed an issue with previously disbursed funds disbursing again • Fixed Web Response files allowing them to be imported again • Any issues with 14.3A so far?
PowerFAIDS 15.0 • Scheduled to be released this month • Normal upgrades included • Parameter Roll Forward / 2010-2011 Award Year Support • PROFILE Import / IM Need Analysis • Changes to PROFILE are big this year • PROFILE files are now XML based rather than a flat file • Support for International PROFILE has been included
PowerFAIDS 15.0 • Beta testing • Client-side beta testing will begin shortly • If you can assist, it helps the PowerFAIDS staff • Contact powerfaids@collegeboard.org • Beta-testing involves the following • Upgrade your test database to 15.0 • Upgrade to 15.0 on one client PC • Perform a series of processing steps (Parm Roll, PROFILE Import, IM Need Analysis, etc.) • Report back to PowerFAIDS with your results • 48 hour turnaround
PowerFAIDS 15.0 • Beta testing is an important part of the release process • Allows for “real world” environments to show potential issues in the software • Gives the end user an idea of how the new release will perform • Northeastern has been involved in beta testing for nearly 2 years • Huge help in identifying performance issues and testing functionality • Not a large commitment of staff time • Limited to the small testing audience on staff
Direct Loan Processing • Pop Quiz! • How many users are currently using PowerFAIDS to process Direct Loans? • How many are using the flat file to EDExpress? • How many are using the COD XML file process? • How many users will transition for 2010-2011? • When would you begin that transition? • How many users are hoping that FFELP will remain in some form after Congress reviews the bill?
Direct Loan Processing • Focus on supporting DL in some for in 2009-2010 • Could give you time to work with a sample population • New students for Spring term • Part-Time students • Use this as a foundation to build best practices for the upcoming year • Coordinate G5drawdowns with your business office • Refine your selection sets for disbursements to match DL • Northeastern has gone through 5 versions! • Determine your cash management and recon- ciliation practice
Direct Loan Processing • PowerFAIDS summarized their upcoming DL plans last week in an e-mail to the forum • They will continue to support both the flat file and XML formats for the upcoming year (15.x cycle) • The goal is to eventually offer only the XML option • If you currently use the flat file, have you thought about making the transition to XML? • FDSLP response files contain a lot of data which updates PowerFAIDS • Loan information • Promissory Note data • Credit decisions
Direct Loan Processing • A new file type has been enabled for import • Credit Override (CRCO) files can now be imported • Begin the COD import process as normal • Switch to “All Files” in the browsing window to see the CRCO files • Load as a normal response file
Direct Loan Processing • PowerFAIDS 15.1 DL Release enhancements • Enhanced reconciliation tools • Load COD SAS files back to 2008-2009 • Load Reconciliation File for 2010-2011 onward • New view in the Student module to compare deposits • What you have processed with COD • SAS file data (what has returned from COD) • Disbursements from PF to the Business Office • What the Business Office has on their system • DL Net Disbursements will be fixed • Option to continue sending the gross amount will be maintained • New mnemonics to track data changes through the entire process
Direct Loan Processing • PowerFAIDS 15.2 Release enhancements • COD will upgrade their XML schema again this Spring • New version will be 3.0c • All COD files will have to be processed using 3.0c • Not just DL – Pell, ACG, SMART, etc. • Enables DL origination & disbursement for 2010-2011 and 2009-2010 using the 3.0c schema • 2010-2011 Processing will not be available prior to 15.2
Direct Loan Processing • PowerFAIDS 15.3 Release enhancements • Import COD SAS files for 2010-2011 • Standard reports to support DL reconciliation • DL Net Disbursement Anticipated Aid Extract • Can be used by the Business Office to plan for upcoming G5drawdowns • Import Booking Notice (CRBN) files • Support for DL Rebuild File (2009-2010 and later) • But wait…there’s more…
Direct Loan Processing • PowerFAIDS 15.3 Release enhancements • Support for Promissiory Note (CRPN) files! • New staging table where you can load MPNs • Load MPNs to student records – even when no loan is packaged • Matching criteria will be set to process this data • COD is changing MPN processing in mid-2010 to support borrower-initiated PLUS & Graduate PLUS loans • Limited information is available • PowerFAIDS is pushing back MPN solutions until that new process is in place
Direct Loans • Open discussion
Direct Loans • Priority List
PowerFAIDS & Direct Loan • Use the conference sessions from this year’s PowerFAIDS National User Conference as a guide • Go to the PowerFAIDS Community Site for the presentations • Training -> National User Conference
PowerFAIDS Documentation • The PowerFAIDS User Guide chapter on Direct Loans has not been updated to reflect COD XML processing • Scroll to the bottom of the document • Past all of the appendices • Keep going • Look for the “New Features & Changes” documents from the 13.2 release and onward • Contains all the setup information for DL • Make sure to check subsequent release notes for changes or other updates
Upcoming Events • FSA Conference • Wednesday, December 2, 2009 • Thursday, December 3, 2009 • Presidential North Room • Time is TBA – check the conference schedule • PowerFAIDS WebEx Training • Register at the PowerFAIDS Community site • Session on COD & DL – 1/19/2010 at 2pm EST
New England PowerFAIDS User Group • A new listserv exists for the New England PowerFAIDS User Group • Go to http://lists.neu.edu/mailman/listinfo/nepfug • Subscribe using your e-mail address • Confirm via e-mail response your subscription options • This list will be used for announcements related to the User Group
Support • PowerFAIDS Forum • pfaidsforum@cblist.org • PowerFAIDS User Guide • Press “F1” when you’re at the Welcome Screen in the PowerFAIDS Student module • PowerFAIDS User Support • 1-800-227-6734 • pfaidssupport@cblist.org
Questions? • Contact information: • Troy Davis • davist@elms.edu • 1-413-265-2249 • Nicholas Zinser • n.zinser@neu.edu • 1-617-373-5830