| DCLPublicationDate: 10/1/94 DCLID: GEN-94-40 AwardYear: 1995-1996 Summary: This letter describes the telecommunications services provided under the General Electronic Support (GES) system and the procedures which institutions must follow to become enrolled for 1995-96. October 1994 ACTION LETTER #5 GEN-94-40 Summary: This letter describes the telecommunications services provided under the General Electronic Support (GES) system and the procedures which institutions must follow to become enrolled for 1995-96. Dear Financial Aid Administrator: We are pleased to announce enhancements to the software products and services available through the Department of Education's General Electronic Support (GES) network. These enhancements will make it easier to manage your Federal financial aid data as well as provide you with more options and greater flexibility. Beginning with the 1995-96 award year: - EDEXPRESS. EDExpress has modules which allow schools to manage data exchanged with the Central Processing System (CPS) and Direct Loan Servicer. It also has a module that allows for the creation of student financial aid packages. EDExpress is being enhanced to offer users more flexibility when creating reports; additional printing options; a streamlined menu structure; mouse support; additional security options; and more features to help users manage their databases. We expect that the 1995-96 version of EDExpress will be distributed in December 1994 to all postsecondary institutions which subscribe to GES. The Direct Loan software will be distributed in January 1995. - APPLICANT DATA. Participating schools will continue to use the GES to submit electronic application and correction information to the Central Processing System (CPS) and receive Electronic Institutional Student Information Records, or ISIRs. (The Electronic SAR, or ESAR, is being renamed the Electronic ISIR for 1995-96.) Beginning this fall, users will be able to request renewal application data for 1995-96 by dialing directly to the CPS. Schools will have the option of requesting that the renewal application data be transmitted to Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) processor for printing and bulk mailing to the institution. Downloading renewal information for printing at the school will continue to be an option. In addition, ED will not charge destination points for the costs associated with the transmission of EDE requested renewal application records. More information about the 1995-96 renewal application system is provided in Action Letter #3. - DIRECT LOAN SYSTEM. Schools which have been notified that they have been selected to participate in the Direct Loan program will continue to use the GES to exchange information with the Direct Loan servicer and ED's Payment Management System. EDExpress will be sent to all GES subscribers, but only Direct Loan participants will be able to transmit Direct Loan data. Enhancements to the 1995-96 Direct Loan software include increased speed in performing functions such as importing and printing, and more flexibility in adding records to/exporting records from the loan databases and in printing various reports. ONLY SCHOOLS NOTIFIED OF SELECTION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM SHOULD SIGN UP FOR DIRECT LOAN SERVICE ON THE LETTER OF APPLICATION (ENCLOSURE 1). - NATIONAL STUDENT LOAN DATA SYSTEM (NSLDS). The NSLDS will go into production this fall. Schools may request authorization to use the NSLDS to access current information on their students. Schools required to provide data to NSLDS will receive a copy of the DataPrep software, an ED- provided software package to perform data verification. Schools will use the communications package provided by the GES (currently called expEDIte) to transmit their data to NSLDS. Complete the appropriate entries on the Letter of Application (Enclosure 1) to obtain the DataPrep software. A section at the conclusion of this letter describes the NSLDS service in more detail. The GES network itself will be undergoing change during the 1995- 96 award year. The contract which provides the GES telecommunications network and support services is currently under re-competition. We expect that the new network contract, titled Title IV Wide Area Network, will be awarded during the fall of 1994 and will go into operation during the spring of 1995. Current data transmission and on-line services will continue under the new contract. However, there will likely be some modifications to the fee schedule that is presented as Enclosure 2. We will keep you informed about how the new Title IV WAN network will affect your processing operations. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, HOWEVER, THAT THE CURRENT GES NETWORK WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE START-UP OF THE 1995-96 PROCESSING ACTIVITIES AND THAT WE WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT NOT TO DISRUPT CONTINUING SERVICES WITH THE SWITCH IN CONTRACTS. Instructions to Current Participants In December, all current GES participants will receive software packages for 1995-96 (EDExpress, without Direct Loan, and expEDIte), together with a new multi-volume set of User's Guides. SERVICE TO CURRENT PARTICIPANTS WILL CONTINUE AUTOMATICALLY INTO THE 1995-96 PROCESSING CYCLE. UNLIKE PRIOR YEARS, YOU DO NOT NEED TO PLACE A TELEPHONE CALL TO GO INTO OPERATION FOR THE NEW YEAR. If you receive 1994-95 Electronic SARs, you will automatically begin receiving 1995-96 Electronic ISIRs when the system goes into production in mid-January 1995. If you do not want your institution to begin receiving 1995-96 electronic ISIRs when the system goes into production for 1995-96, call NCS User Services at (800) 553-2159. If you do not call, you must be ready to receive transmissions when the system goes into production. Data not retreived will be archived after residing on the network for 30 days. Current participants should note that the GES fee schedule, as detailed in the Enclosure 2, has not changed, with the exception that ED will no longer charge schools for fees associated with providing renewal application data. However, fees will likely change later in the year upon implementation of the new Title IV WAN contract. National Student Loan Data System The NSLDS will be going into production in the fall of 1994. NSLDS is a national database of loan-level information and selected grant data on aid disbursed under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. Data in NSLDS is provided by schools, guaranty agencies, and other Department of Education Title IV systems. Schools will provide data on the following Title IV programs: - Perkins Loan Program (including National Direct Student Loans and National Defense Student Loans) - Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) overpayments Once fully implemented, NSLDS will perform the following principal functions: - Prescreen Title IV applicants for eligibility - Calculate default rates for schools, lenders, and guaranty agencies (GAs) participating in the FFEL program, and provide backup data for these calculations on request - Support research by users at ED, schools, GAs, and other organizations - Standardize Student Status Confirmation Reporting - Pre-claims Assistance/Supplemental Pre-Claims support - Borrower tracking - Central source for Financial Aid Transcript information Schools participating in the Perkins Loan program are required to provide loan-level and SEOG overpayment information to NSLDS. The GES communications software will be used to transmit data to and receive data from NSLDS. ED will provide a software package called DataPrep, to assist institutions in the preparation of their data for transmittal to NSLDS. This software is available for either an IBM or compatible PC running DOS or an IBM or compatible mainframe with a MVS/XA or MVS/ESA operating system. To receive the DataPrep software package, check the appropriate box in the NSLDS section of the Letter of Application. Be sure to indicate the specific media on which the DataPrep software is to be sent to you. If you work in a non-DOS PC or IBM mainframe environment, check the "other" box in the NSLDS section of the Letter of Application for your particular operating mode, and you will be provided with a copy of the NSLDS DataPrep PC DOS software. The software is intended to assist you in determining the record formats, and data requirements that your program must support to meet your data submission requirements to NSLDS. All schools, regardless of whether they participate in the Perkins Loan Program or not, are eligible to access data on their students that is stored in NSLDS. If you wish to access data in NSLDS, check the appropriate box in the NSLDS Section of the Letter of Application. Additional information and user participation request forms will be sent to you. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT NSLDS, YOU MAY CONTACT THE NSLDS CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AT (800) 999-8219. The remainder of this letter is directed to financial aid administrators who are considering subscribing to GES services. We first describe the services offered by the GES, which will continue under the Title IV WAN. We then discuss the sign-up procedures; the computer equipment you need to have to participate; and the billing procedures. What Services are Provided? The GES provides three basic services which allow you to: - Send and receive batches of financial aid data. This service is called Electronic Data Exchange (EDE.) - Access bulletin boards and electronic mail. This service is called OPEnet. - Access the Title IV data bases, such as the CPS, in an on-line mode. This service is called Query. EDE establishes a link between ED's Title IV databases--the CPS, NSLDS, and Direct Loan System--and participating schools and servicers. Currently, almost 6,000 institutions benefit from the speed and ease of EDE. EDE allows participants to perform one or more of the following: - Complete and send electronic initial and renewal applications - Receive electronic Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) - Make electronic corrections - Send and receive electronic payment information for Federal Pell Grant recipients - Receive electronic Statements of Account for the Federal Pell Grant program - Transmit to, and receive data from, the Direct Loan servicer to originate, drawdown, disburse, reconcile, and report student status for the Direct Loan program - Transmit to, and receive data from, the NSLDS Institutions may submit and receive data electronically using a mainframe or personal computer. The site responsible for transmitting and retrieving the data from the network is called the destination point. A school may become a destination point or acquire EDE service from existing destination points known as servicers. EDE uses batch store-and-forward data transmission for the processing functions listed above. Using software provided at no cost by ED, a destination point sends batches of formatted records to the network. The transmissions are stored there until one of the Title IV systems (CPS, NSLDS, or the Direct Loan servicer) retrieves them. The data is processed and the results are sent back to the network, from which the destination point can retrieve them. OPEnet is a menu driven system that allows access to a wealth of ED information directly from a personal computer. OPEnet includes electronic bulletin boards that contain Federal regulations, Dear Colleague letters, policy directives, and information about special initiatives of agencies and institutions. Additionally, using electronic mail, users may send messages to other OPEnet subscribers, including ED, the GES contractor, and other destination points. Query allows on-line access to Title IV data bases for GES users who have a personal computer, modem, and telecommunications software. Using Query, GES subscribers are able to: - Request 1994-95 data for printing a 1995-96 renewal application. The destination point is able to print renewal applications itself, or request that the FAFSA contractor perform the printing. - Request all ISIRs for your destination point since the beginning of the processing cycle. (PARTICIPANTS MAKING USE OF THIS SERVICE, KNOWN AS"YEAR-TO-DATE DATA," ARE CHARGED A FEE.) - Check the status of batches in the GES and at the CPS. (You can use this service to check where your EDE data is in the process.) - Receive an on-line summary of monthly and year-to-date charges. Who is Eligible to Enroll in GES? EDE is available to any postsecondary institution that participates in at least one of the Title IV programs and to organizations providing services to such institutions. OPEnet and Query are available to any organization, including state educational agencies, scholarship agencies, lenders, guarantee agencies, and need analysis servicers. How Do I Enroll? Organizations subscribing to any service--EDE, OPEnet, and Query- - must complete and sign a Letter of Application (Enclosure 1) indicating the services desired and agreeing to share the cost of the services provided by GES. To use EDE, schools must also complete and submit a signed Electronic Data Exchange Participation Agreement (Enclosure 4). EDE destination points acting as servicers to institutions must complete and sign a separate Participation Agreement for each school they service. Both documents--the Letter of Application and the EDE Participation Agreement--must be sent to: GES Customer Service PO Box 30 Iowa City, IA 52244 Address your questions regarding enrollment to GES CUSTOMER SERVICE AT (319) 339-6642. When Can I Enroll? Eligible organizations may enroll anytime during the year. There is no enrollment deadline. EDE subscribers may enroll now for the 1994-95 and/or 1995-96 processing cycles by checking the appropriate boxes on the Letter of Application. What Happens After I Enroll? Once a new GES subscriber submits the required forms, the primary contact listed on the Letter of Application will be sent, at no charge: - EDExpress and expEDIte software, along with a multi-volume User's Guide. - OPEnet User's Guide (if subscribing to OPEnet). - DataPrep software and user's guide (if subscribing to NSLDS service). A software package called GESPCS is available for purchase from the GES contractor for $50.36, and will also be sent if requested by the organization completing the Letter of Application. Most PC communication packages on the market will connect you to the network and allow you to view OPEnet bulletin boards, transmit messages and view Query screens. However, in order to transfer data from an OPEnet bulletin board to your PC, or vice versa, you will need a communications package that supports the IND$FILE protocol. GESPCS is one package that supports this protocol. Mainframe users are supported by the GES. If you indicate mainframe computer on the Letter of Application you will be sent communications software in the format of your choice which runs on an IBM or IBM-compatible mainframe with an MVS operating system. NSLDS subscribers as well have the option of requesting a mainframe version of DataPrep which operates in an IBM MVS environment. Call GES Customer Service at (319) 339-6642 if you have questions about operating in a mainframe environment. What Computer Equipment Do I Need? Software, as stated, is available for mainframe users. The RJE protocols supported are IBM 3780 and HASP using Binary Synchronous Communications at 2400 and 4800 BPI. Personal computer users must have the following equipment, at a minimum, to run expEDIte, EDExpress, and DataPrep: - IBM or fully IBM-compatible PC with at least an 80386 processor - IBM or MS-DOS version 3.3 or higher - 512 K of conventional RAM available - 4 MB of expanded memory - At least 20 MB of available hard disk space for the software with additional space required to store your information. (The amount of additional space will depend upon the number of records you process.) - 3 1/2" or 5 1/4" floppy disk drive (either high or double density) - Double sided diskettes formatted using DOS - 9600, 2400, or 1200 baud Hayes or fully-Hayes compatible asynchronous modem - Dedicated telephone line - Printer capable of printing on standard 8 1/2" X 11" paper However, we recommend the following configuration: - IBM or fully IBM-compatible PC with at least a 486DX2, 66MHz processor - IBM or MS-DOS version 5.0 or higher - 620 K of conventional memory available - 16 MB of expanded memory - 300 MB of available hard disk space for the software and data - 3 1/2" high density floppy disk drive - Double sided diskettes formatted using DOS - 9600 Hayes or fully-Hayes compatible asynchronous modem - Dedicated telephone line - High speed laser printer How Much Will It Cost? The purchase of equipment is one cost to consider when enrolling in GES. Another is the bill for network services that you will receive monthly from the GES contractor if you participate in certain functions. Once you enroll, three copies of your invoice will be sent within 10 working days after the end of each month that you had billable activity to the billing contact listed on your Letter of Application. The invoices contain charges for all services rendered for the previous month. These services are listed on the 1995 GES Fee Schedule (Enclosure 2). Please review the Fee Schedule carefully and note the following: - All first time users are charged a one-time fee of $39.72. - Most users receive a monthly fixed charge of $25.00. (You will not receive a $25.00 charge if you had no billable activity during the month.) - You will receive a $5.71 charge for each telephone call, letter, or fax. - YOU WILL RECEIVE A BILL FOR YEAR-TO-DATE DATA REQUESTS AND TRANSMISSION CHARGES IF THE DATA IS DELIVERED OVER THE NETWORK. The earlier you begin downloading ISIRs in the processing cycle, the fewer year-to-date requests you will need to make, thus saving money. The network transmission costs for most types of records are free to you (e.g., electronic ISIRs and electronic applications, including renewal applications). You pay a per kilocharacter fee for certain transmissions including electronic corrections to the CPS and Pell Grant payment information. Transmitting this type of data during non-prime time hours (7 pm to 7 am Central Time) will assure considerable cost savings. The vast majority of current GES participants have found that the cost of participating is far outweighed by the benefits that the school derives from the services provided. We are pleased to offer the GES services, and we are excited about the enhancements planned for the 1995-96 award year. We look forward to welcoming you as a participant in the GES network. Sincerely, Leo Kornfeld Deputy Assistant Secretary for Student Financial Assistance Enclosure 1:Letter of Application Enclosure 2:Fee Schedule Enclosure 3:Fee Schedule-Definition of Terms Enclosure 4:Electronic Data Exchange Participation Agreement **[The 4 Enclosures to this letter are currently unavailable on the BBS. Please reference your paper letter for additional information.]** |