| DCLPublicationDate: 11/1/95 DCLID: SG-95-4 AwardYear: 1996-1997 Summary: This letter describes the telecommunications services provided to State and Non-state Guaranty Agencies under the Title IV Wide Area Network (WAN) system, the receipt of Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) through EDE or the Applicant Data Service (but not both), and applicable enrollment procedures. Action Letter #5 November 1995 SG-95-4 SUMMARY: This letter describes the telecommunications services provided to State and Non-state Guaranty Agencies under the Title IV Wide Area Network (WAN) system, the receipt of Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) through EDE or the Applicant Data Service (but not both), and applicable enrollment procedures. Dear State Agency Director: The U. S. Department of Education (ED) is pleased to announce that the Title IV Wide Area Network (WAN) contract was awarded to National Computer Systems (NCS) on July 14, 1995. GE Information Services (GEIS) will be the network provider for the Title IV WAN. The Title IV WAN will soon replace the General Electronic Support (GES) network currently used to transmit and receive Title IV data. As does the current GES, the Title IV WAN will transmit Electronic Data Exchange (EDE), Direct Loan, and NSLDS data. This letter introduces you to the services of the Title IV WAN, provides enrollment information and instructions for the Title IV WAN, describes the changes in the State Agency Applicant Data Service, and gives information concerning the upcoming EDE user conferences. What Services does the Title IV WAN Provide? The Title IV WAN provides three basic services that allow you to: - Receive files of financial aid data. This service is called Electronic Data Exchange (EDE). - Access bulletin boards and electronic mail. This service is called OPEnet. Through EDE, your agency is eligible to electronically receive processed applicant data. As a participant in EDE you may receive data for 1) residents (those who indicate your state as their state of legal residence) and/or 2) non-residents (those who indicate an institution that is within your state but do not indicate your state as their state of legal residence). You may also receive data for individual students who do not meet either of these two conditions as long as you have, and maintain, a signed form whereby the students release their data to you. There are three ways for you to obtain processed student data: - Automatic ISIRs - Year-to-Date Data Requests - Federal Data Requests (FDR) With the Automatic Electronic Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) option, when students submit applications and corrections, electronic versions of the ISIR from these transactions are automatically transmitted to you on a daily basis. You may request the data from the CPS in one of two ISIR formats, full or abbreviated, described as follows: FULL This ISIR format is 1343 bytes in length and represents complete information submitted by the student as well as CPS processing results. If a student does not release data to your state, only certain demographic and processing result fields are provided in the ISIR you receive. ABBREVIATED This ISIR format is a shortened form of the full format, designed to provide a subset of key data. It is 237 bytes in length. Year-to-Date requests provide you with the ability to receive electronic ISIRs from any official transaction processed to date by the CPS. For example, if you become operational to receive ISIRs after the CPS cycle start-up, you may request ISIRs for those students who were processed since that time. Like automatic ISIR processing, you may request the data in either full or abbreviated format. Your data can be returned to you electronically, over the Title IV WAN, or via first class mail on magnetic tape or cartridge. Year-to-Date requests will only be handled using Query through the Title IV WAN. You will be billed for both processing and transmission costs. The Federal Data Request (FDR) process allows any State or Non- state Guaranty Agency to electronically request a processed record for any student on the CPS database. If the student is not a resident of the state or attending an institution in the state, the student must have signed a loan or state grant application that releases CPS data to the agency. The signed application must be maintained by the agency. To request an applicant's record, you transmit, via the Title IV WAN, the applicant's Social Security number and first two letters of his or her last name. If data is not on file for the applicant, you will receive an electronic notice informing you that it is not on file. The CPS will retain this request for 30 calendar days and either (1) forward the applicant's ISIR record to you if it is received within the 30-day period or (2) send a record back to you stating that the application has not been received within the 30-day period. EDE uses a file store-and-forward data transmission methodology. As applications and corrections are processed, the CPS transmits the applicant data to the Title IV WAN where it is stored for destination point retrieval. For FDRs, the destination point sends requests to the network from where the CPS retrieves them. The requests are processed, as described above, and the results are sent back to the network, from where the destination point can retrieve them. ED provides the software at no cost to you to perform these transmission and retrieval functions. The two packages provided by ED are: - IAM/EDconnect/NET*CONNECT This software handles the communication between you and the Title IV WAN and gives you the ability to perform Query functions. OPEnet for DOS is included in this package of software. - EDExpress Enables you to manage the Title IV applicant data provided by ED under the previously described services. The two remaining Title IV WAN services are: OPEnet, under the Title IV WAN, is a PC based Bulletin Board and E-mail system that gives schools access to one another, the Internet, and a wealth of ED information. OPEnet is available in both DOS and Windows versions. Every organization that signs up with the Title IV WAN will automatically receive the OPEnet DOS software and User's Guide. Those who request the Windows version will receive that software and User's Guide as well. The first copy of either the DOS or Windows software and User's Guide will be paid for by ED. There is no monthly service charge, but all schools will pay for the time they spend connected to the network. The E-mail part of OPEnet will enable users to send messages to other OPEnet users, including ED, and the Title IV WAN contractor. Users will also be able to send messages to and receive messages from the Internet. The Bulletin Board system of OPEnet will provide access to such things as Federal regulations, Dear Colleague letters, policy directives, and information about special initiatives of agencies and institutions. Query gives Title IV WAN users access to account information on the Title IV WAN. The On-line Query consists of a series of screens, accessed from an initial menu, that will allow users to take advantage of its interactive access. Using Query, Title IV WAN destination points will be able to: - Request Year-to-Date data. - View transmission history that is updated continuously rather than every 24 hours. - See when products were shipped to them. - Browse on-line destination information. - View their own billing information for past months and even see charges as they are added to their current month's invoice. - View destination information of destinations for which they have assumed payment responsibility, if any. Title IV WAN Highlights and Enhancements The Title IV WAN will provide improved technological advances and services in many areas that will benefit the Title IV user community. - NEW NETWORK PROVIDER - GE INFORMATION SERVICES (GEIS). GE Information Services, a recognized network leader, will team with NCS to deliver the Title IV WAN by providing the telecommunications network. - ENHANCED MAINFRAME SUPPORT. Mainframe users with SNI capability will be able to communicate with the Title IV WAN at speeds up to 56 kbps. Bisync mainframe users will be supported at speeds up to 14.4 kbps. We have also established a knowledgeable team to help mainframe users become operational on the new network. In addition, special emphasis will be given to mainframe users at the two user conferences offered this fall to our users. - HIGHER PC NETWORK ACCESS SPEEDS. PC users will be able to communicate with the Title IV WAN at higher speeds. - FILE TRANSFER CAPABILITY. The Title IV WAN supports file transfer data transmission which allows records to be transmitted at actual length. This eliminates the need to block and de-block records into 79 byte records. - INTEGRATED PC SOFTWARE. Users will be provided with an integrated PC software package that will provide access to all Title IV WAN systems, including the Bulletin Board and E-mail system and On-line Query. Users will not be required to purchase additional software to access these systems. - ENHANCED PC INTERFACE SOFTWARE. The PC interface software has been enhanced to make using the Title IV WAN easier, more flexible, and more efficient. The software can query a user's store-and-forward mailbox and receive a list of all messages waiting to be received. The user can then choose any or all of these messages to be downloaded to their PC. Restart capability has been added so that if transmission is interrupted, it can be restarted where it left off rather than at the beginning. User definable fields allow the user to specify a path for each message class to be sent from or received to, rather than always using one default path for all message classes. Of course, the option to use one default path is still available. - ENHANCED ON-LINE SYSTEMS. Users of the Title IV WAN will have greater on-line access to network transmission history and billing information. Destinations will be able to browse participation information for institutions they service. Customers will be able to view invoices for past months as well as the invoice in progress for the current month. - ENHANCED CUSTOMER SERVICE. Customer Service, under the Title IV WAN, will also be enhanced to meet the increasing demands of the financial aid community. There will be a toll free 800 number for all customers needing assistance as well as expanded hours of phone coverage and an automated voice response system that will offer help even when the Network Operations Center is closed. - NO MONTHLY SERVICE CHARGE. There will be no monthly service charge for handling invoices for those schools who are charged for services. - ARCHIVE CHARGES HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED. Data will reside in your mailbox for 180 days or until you have received it. You will no longer be charged to archive the data after 27 days. In addition, data received from your mailbox can be easily restored to your mailbox by calling Title IV WAN Customer Service. - ENHANCED BILLING FLEXIBILITY. Under the Title IV WAN, users who have more than one destination point incurring charges will be able to receive one invoice consolidating charges for all their destination points. Who is Eligible to Enroll in Title IV WAN? All State and Non-state Guaranty Agencies are eligible to use EDE, OPEnet, and Query. Non-state Guaranty Agencies are limited under EDE to the FDR service. New EDE users may enroll in EDE for the 1995-96 and1996-97 processing cycles. For those State Agencies who choose not to receive applicant data through the Electronic Data Exchange (EDE) on the Title IV WAN, the U. S. Department of Education makes applicant data available on tapes or cartridges from the CPS through the Applicant Data Service. This service is similar to what was provided for 1995-96, but with one significant change: STATE AGENCIES MUST CHOOSE WHETHER TO RECEIVE ISIRS THROUGH THIS SERVICE OR EDE. YOU WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO USE BOTH EDE AND THE APPLICANT DATA SERVICE. However, you may choose to receive your ISIRs through the Applicant Data Service and still enroll for OPEnet and Query through the Title IV WAN. How Do I Enroll? All State and Non-state Guaranty Agencies subscribing to any service--EDE, OPEnet, and Query--must complete and sign both a Customer Initiation Document (Enclosure A) and Letter of Application (Enclosure B) indicating the desired services and agreeing to share the cost of the services provided by the Title IV WAN. To use EDE, State and Non-state Guaranty Agencies must also complete and submit a signed State Agency Participation Agreement (Enclosure G). FOR 1996-97, YOU CANNOT ENROLL IN BOTH EDE AND THE STATE AGENCY APPLICANT DATA SERVICE. YOU MUST ENROLL IN ONE OR THE OTHER. All documents, including the Customer Initiation Document, Letter of Application, Participation Agreement, Mainframe Requirements Document, and Applicant Data Service Option Request Form must be mailed to: Title IV WAN Customer Service PO Box 30 Iowa City, IA 52244 NOTE: YOU SHOULD RETURN EITHER A PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT OR AN APPLICANT DATA SERVICE OPTION REQUEST FORM. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN BOTH FORMS; YOU CANNOT SIGN UP FOR BOTH EDE AND THE STATE AGENCY APPLICANT DATA SERVICE. If you have any questions regarding enrollment, please call Title IV WAN Customer Service at (800) 615-1189. When Can I Enroll? Eligible agencies may enroll anytime during the year. There is no enrollment deadline. EDE subscribers may enroll now for the 1995- 96 and/or 1996-97 processing cycles by checking the appropriate boxes on the Letter of Application. What Happens After I Enroll? Once a new Title IV WAN subscriber submits the required forms, the destination contact listed on the Letter of Application is sent, at no charge, the following: - Integrated Application Menu (IAM) software that enables the user to connect to the network, perform the Query functions, and receive batches of information. - OPEnet software. All users receive OPEnet software for DOS as a part of the IAM. Those who request Windows also receive the Windows version of OPEnet at no cost. - Title IV WAN and OPEnet User's Guide. - EDExpress software and User's Guide. In addition, your technical contact receives: - The Electronic Data Exchange Technical Reference. It is not necessary to purchase any additional software to connect to the on-line Query service or to use OPEnet. Users are only charged for any additional copies of the software that they choose to order. Mainframe Support A special feature of the Title IV WAN will be increased mainframe support. To assist ED in planning for the transition, please complete the enclosed Mainframe Requirements Document (Enclosure D) if you plan to communicate with the Title IV WAN in any way other than with a PC. Your answers will help us identify your software and support needs thus making your transition to the Title IV WAN quicker and easier. We have assembled a staff of dedicated professionals who are specifically trained to assist you in becoming operational on the Title IV WAN. They will use your responses on the document to assess your requirements and give you support throughout the transition process. If you have any questions concerning the Mainframe Requirements Document, please call us at 800-638-8730, extension 4391. This number will only be available during the transition from the GES to the Title IV WAN. Please complete the Mainframe Requirements Document and mail it along with your Customer Initiation Document, Letter of Application, and Participation Agreement. These documents, along with instructions for completing them, are attached to the end of this letter. What Computer Equipment Do I Need? Mainframe users are supported by the Title IV WAN. If you indicate mainframe computer on the Letter of Application and return a Mainframe Requirements Document, you will be sent communications software in IEBCOPY format, on tape or cassette, which runs on an IBM or IBM-compatible mainframe with an MVS operating system. You will also receive a mainframe user's guide that will address communications protocols. Personal computer users must have the following equipment to connect to the network: - IBM or fully IBM-compatible PC with at least a 80386 processor. - MS-DOS version 3.3 or higher. - 512 K of conventional RAM available. - 4 MB of expanded memory. - At least 30 MB of available hard disk space for the software with additional space required to store your information. The amount of space required will depend upon the number of records you process. - 3 1/2" floppy disk drive (high density). - 3 1/2" high-density double-sided diskettes formatted using DOS. - 9600, 2400, or 1200 baud Hayes or fully Hayes-compatible asynchronous modem. - Dedicated phone line. - Printer capable of printing on standard paper. However, we recommend the following configuration: - IBM or fully IBM-compatible PC with at least a 486DX2, 66MHz processor. - MS-DOS version 5.0 or higher. - 620 K of conventional RAM available. - 16 MB of expanded memory. - At least 300 MB of available hard disk space for the software with additional space required to store your information. The amount of space required will depend upon the number of records you process. - 3 1/2" floppy disk drive (high density). - 3 1/2" high-density double-sided diskettes formatted using DOS. - 9600 baud Hayes or fully Hayes-compatible asynchronous modem. - Dedicated phone line. - High speed laser Printer. How Much Will It Cost? The purchase of equipment is one cost to consider when enrolling in the Title IV WAN. Another is the bill for network services you will receive monthly 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 in which you had billable activity. The billable services are listed on the Fees For Title IV WAN Services schedule (Enclosure F). - There is no monthly service charge for using Title IV WAN. - First-time users, those not converting from the GES, are charged $18.61 for the processing of the Letter of Application. - Users are charged $15.65 for the processing of the Participation Agreement. - There is no monthly service charge for OPEnet. Users will only be charged for the time they spend connected to the network. - Users are charged $12.07 for each telephone call. The network transmission costs for most types of records are free to the user (e.g., electronic ISIRs and electronic applications, including renewal applications). Users 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 hours (5 p.m. to 8 a.m. your time) will assure considerable savings. With ED paying for so many of the expenses, we are convinced that Title IV WAN users will discover that the costs of participating will be far outweighed by the benefits each school will derive from the Title IV WAN. We are please to announce the beginning of the Title IV WAN and are excited about the enhancements planned for the 1995-96 award year. We look forward to welcoming you as a participant in the Title IV WAN. State Agency Applicant Data Service The Department of Education makes applicant data in the form of ISIRs available to your state agency free of charge up to 40 times during the processing for an award year. REMEMBER THAT PARTICIPATING IN THIS SERVICE PROHIBITS YOU FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE EDE SERVICE. You are provided complete applicant data on those students who indicate on their application that your state is their state of legal residence and/or that they may attend an institution in your state. This 1996-97 ISIR output is available on tape or cartridge magnetic media, and is similar to that provided for 1995-96, but with changes. Enclosure I provides more detailed information concerning the applicant data service, including the dates on which output will be produced and mailed. All state agencies requesting ISIRs under this service for the 1996-97 award year are required to submit a new OPTION REQUEST FORM (Enclosure J). State agencies which are receiving applicant data service ISIRs for the 1995-96 award year will continue to receive their 1995-96 ISIRs according to the request currently on file at CPS. YOUR FIRST 1996-97 TAPE OR CARTRIDGE WILL BE CUMULATIVE: IT WILL CONTAIN ALL APPLICANTS SPECIFYING YOUR STATE OR AN INSTITUTION IN YOUR STATE ON THEIR LATEST OFFICIAL TRANSACTION SINCE PROCESSING START UP. EACH SUBSEQUENT TAPE OR CARTRIDGE WILL NOT BE CUMULATIVE, BUT RATHER WILL PROVIDE ISIRS ONLY FOR THOSE APPLICANTS WHO INDICATED YOUR STATE (OR AN INSTITUTION IN YOUR STATE) and have submitted a transaction to the CPS since your last tape or cartridge was produced. The format of the 1996-97 ISIR is provided in Enclosure K. Additional materials to assist you in reading the tapes or cartridges and in using the data contained in the ISIR will be forwarded under separate cover. If you have any questions concerning the applicant data service, please contact the Customer Service Department for Applicant Data Service, Federal Student Aid Programs, at (319) 339-6444. User Conferences Two EDE user conferences will be offered this fall to help both PC and Mainframe customers become familiar with the Title IV Wide Area Network (WAN). These conferences will also include information on the CPS, NSLDS, Direct Loans, and Pell Payments. There is no fee to attend these conferences. The first conference will be held at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, CA, on November 28-30, 1995. The second conference will be held at the Omni Rosen Hotel in Orlando, FL, on December 11-13, 1995. ED plans to offer annual user conferences in the future. We are excited about the electronic data services we are able to offer you in the coming year and believe that all users will share our enthusiasm. If you have any questions concerning enrollment, please call 1-800-615-1189. Leo Kornfeld Senior Advisor to the Secretary Table of Contents Enclosure A: Customer Initiation Document Enclosure B: Letter of Application Enclosure C: Instructions for enrollment documents Enclosure D: Mainframe Requirements Document Enclosure E: Instructions for Mainframe Requirements Document Enclosure F: Fee Schedule for Title IV WAN Services*1* Enclosure G: Participation Agreement for State Agencies Enclosure H: Instructions for the Participation Agreement Enclosure I: State Agency Applicant Data Service Description Enclosure J: Applicant Data Service Option Request Form Enclosure K: ISIR Layout *1* Schools participating in the Direct Loan program are not charged for Title IV WAN services but will receive a bill for OPEnet connect time. |