Earlier this month, we published an important Electronic Announcement that provided guidance and expectations pertaining to the treatment of federal tax information (FTI) received for the 2024–25 award year and beyond. For complete information about FTI access and use for the federal student aid programs, please refer to the May 12, 2023, Electronic Announcement available on the Knowledge Center website.
New FTI-SAIG
As explained in the May 12, 2023, Electronic Announcement, modifications to the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) related to the transmission of FTI will be necessary. Beginning with the 2024–25 award year, every partner enrolled to receive Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) will be required to enroll for a new FTI-SAIG mailbox, sign an updated SAIG enrollment agreement, and install upgraded SAIG software in order to continue receiving ISIR data.
In this Electronic Announcement, we provide preliminary information for SAIG software users related to the release of the upgraded software. In the coming months, we will provide more detailed information about the software release as well as the steps our partners will need to take to enroll for an FTI-SAIG mailbox and sign an updated SAIG enrollment agreement. Please continue to monitor the Knowledge Center website for these communications.
Preliminary Information for SAIG Software Users
The FTI-SAIG will be a new instance of the SAIG—a separate system from the existing SAIG— and it will include updated security protocols and enhanced features to ensure protection of FTI data during transmission. The FTI-SAIG will serve the purpose of transmitting ISIR data specifically containing FTI, while the existing SAIG will remain the designated platform for handling all other types of batch data.
Upgraded SAIG software must be installed to transmit to the FTI-SAIG and receive ISIR data for the 2024–25 award year and beyond. New versions of EDconnect, TDClient, and TDCommunityManager (TDCM) will be released in Fall 2023, along with updated user documentation.
We would like to highlight the following key points about the upgraded EDconnect, TDClient, and TDCM software:
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The enhanced SAIG software can be used for all award years as it will offer connectivity options to both SAIG and FTI-SAIG.
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Users will not need to wait for the launch of the 2024–25 FAFSA cycle in order to install and use the upgraded software. Users will, however, need to enroll for a new FTI-SAIG mailbox via the SAIG Enrollment website prior to using the software for 2024–25 ISIR data. We encourage SAIG users to monitor the Knowledge Center for forthcoming communications about this enrollment process.
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All upgraded SAIG software will include increased security in the authentication process to identify FTI-SAIG authorized users.
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EDconnect users will need to add an additional “FTI-SAIG user profile” in their security setup. Once the additional FTI-SAIG user profile is established, the user will select the appropriate profile from the EDconnect log-in screen. Depending on the profile type that the user selects, EDconnect will determine which SAIG instance (SAIG or FTI-SAIG) the user will connect to.
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FTI file recipients using the TDClient software to automate their transmission will need to upgrade to a new TDClient version. These users will need to update a single command parameter in their software as well as their Mailbox ID to connect to the FTI-SAIG.
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All updated SAIG software will be available for download on the Software and Other Tools page of the Knowledge Center website. We will publish an Electronic Announcement when the software is released later this year and we encourage users to download, install, and begin using the upgraded software as soon as possible.
Upcoming Communications for SAIG Software Users
We are working diligently to ensure the successful launch of the FTI-SAIG. We will provide additional communications in the coming months to keep our partners informed of the forthcoming requirements and deadlines as the launch date approaches.
We appreciate the attention of SAIG users in preparing for this important software upgrade later this year.
Contact Information
If you have questions about EDconnect, TDClient, or TDCM, please contact CPS/SAIG Technical Support at 1-800-330-5947 or by email at CPSSAIG@ed.gov.
You may review detailed information about the implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act and the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE Act) on our FAFSA Simplification Information Topics page on the Knowledge Center website.