Maintained for Historical Purposes

This resource is being maintained for historical purposes only and is not currently applicable.

(GEN-96-16) (GEN-96-16) This letter gives information and schedules for institutions that wish to have their students receive the 1997-98 Renewal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (Renewal FAFSA).

DCLPublicationDate: 9/1/96
DCLID: GEN-96-16
AwardYear: 1997-1998
Summary: This letter gives information and schedules for institutions that wish to have their students receive the 1997-98 Renewal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (Renewal FAFSA).



Action Letter #1

September 1996
GEN-96-16

SUMMARY: This letter gives information and schedules for
institutions that wish to have their students receive
the 1997-98 Renewal Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (Renewal FAFSA).

Dear Colleague:

For the 1997-98 application year, institutions that participate in the
Electronic Data Exchange (EDE) may request either electronic or
paper Renewal FAFSAs for their students using procedures similar
to those used for the 1996-97 application year. The Renewal
Application process pre-prints data from a student's 1996-97
FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA, and requires the student to provide
only annual financial data and to update other information only if it
has changed. Your school will have access to all eligible (see
discussion below for description of eligible renewal applicant)
renewal applicants who listed your school on their 1996-97 FAFSA
or Renewal FAFSA.

OPTIONS

Your institution has several options it may choose from for
participation in the renewal application process for 1997-98. These
options allow you to select all of your eligible applicants or only
selected groups of applicants (see Enclosure C for more information
on selecting groups of applicants). For the 1997-98 Renewal
Application process you may:

1. Request that electronic Renewal FAFSAs for all, or selected
groups of, eligible applicants who included your school on
their 1996-97 application be sent to your school or destination
point, to be printed and distributed by you. This process is
called Electronic Renewal Applications. When a school
receives an electronic renewal application for a student, it
must (1) print out the Renewal FAFSA using capabilities
contained in the EDExpress software, (2) mail or otherwise
distribute the Renewal FAFSA and instructions, and (3)
electronically input into EDExpress and transmit to the CPS
the application information provided by the student upon
completion of the school printed Renewal FAFSA.

2. Choose all, or selected groups of eligible students, and request
that paper Renewal FAFSAs be printed for them by the
Department's Central Processing System (CPS). These
applications will be packaged and mailed in bulk, along with
instructions and return mail envelopes, to your institution for
distribution to the students. Your school will also receive an
electronic file containing Renewal Applications for the
students selected that may be used to transmit completed
1997-98 applicant information back to the CPS. Schools that
request paper Renewal Applications in bulk mailings are
obligated to distribute these applications to the students.

3. Allow the CPS to print Renewal Applications for eligible
students not selected by a school. The CPS will then mail the
Renewal FAFSA directly to the student's home address.

If your school, using options #1 or #2, does not select all of its
eligible renewal applicants, the CPS will print and mail renewal
applications to all non-selected applicants as described in option #3.

Even if you request Renewal Applications, either for electronic
applications (Option #1) or for bulk mailing (Option #2) for
students who are not enrolled at your school, you still have the
obligation to deliver the applications to them. If your institution
does not meet this obligation, your ability to participate in the
Renewal Application process may be suspended and you may be
subject to Title IV non-compliance findings.

ENCLOSURES

See Enclosure A for the schedule of important dates for the
Renewal Application process. Enclosure B provides information
about connecting to the Title IV Wide Area Network (TIV-WAN) if
your school is not already connected and for using the TIV-WAN.
Enclosure C provides information on procedures for submitting
institutional RAD requests. Enclosure D answers some frequently-
asked questions about the Renewal Application process.

SELECTION, SORTING, AND TIMEFRAMES

For 1997-98, we streamlined the options that allow you to request
Renewal Applications, based on the number of schools that actually
used each request option. Although the options are fewer, they
allow the same flexibility in selecting students, e.g., rather than
choosing the "graduate students" option, an institution can select its
graduate students by using the "grade level" option. As in 1996-97,
bulk mailings of paper Renewal Applications can be ordered in
several sort orders, and you may choose one of two time windows
for receiving bulk mailings. We are also allowing a longer period
for making RAD requests, and will begin the first bulk mailing and
the individual student mailings nine days earlier than in 1996-97.

Each complete student package that is sent to the applicant by the
CPS, or sent in bulk to a school as a result of the school's request,
will include the Renewal FAFSA, an instruction book, and a return
envelope that the student may use to send the application to a
FAFSA Processor for data entry. The Department will include a
FAFSA Processor's return address in each Renewal Application.
Any FAFSA Processor, however, will accept Renewal Applications
for any other FAFSA Processor so you need not be concerned about
which return address is assigned.

Schools that request an electronic file (Electronic Renewal
Applications) for all or some of their renewal applicants may access
the instructions through the SFA BBS, or can request a quantity of
instruction books from Title IV WAN Customer Service for
distribution to applicants with the school-printed Renewal FAFSA.
As a reminder, any renewal application received by a school
electronically can only be submitted to the CPS electronically by
the school using EDE.

RENEWAL APPLICATION REQUEST DEADLINES

You may begin requesting Renewal Applications using EDE on
September 16, 1996, and may continue to transmit requests through
October 31, 1996. Renewal Application records not selected by a
school for either electronic downloading or bulk mailing during this
period will be printed and mailed by the CPS directly to students
beginning November 18, 1996 and ending on January 3, 1997.

You may continue to request electronic Renewal Applications after
October 31, although the paper printing option will no longer be
available and the CPS will continue to process and mail Renewal
FAFSAs even though a school may have requested an electronic
Renewal Application.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS FOR REQUESTING STUDENT
RECORDS

We have continued the options that allow you to receive bulk-
mailed Renewal Applications in alphabetical order, SSN order, or
ZIP code order. You may request students individually using SSN
and name, or you may request groups of students by institution,
destination point, or grade level (See Enclosure C). A problem in
1996-97 that apparently caused some records to be provided to
schools in reverse alphabetical order has been corrected.

DELIVERY OF BULK-MAILED RENEWAL APPLICATIONS

Schools may request bulk mailings of paper Renewal Applications
to be mailed out to them either between November 8 and
November 17, 1996 or on a later schedule between January 13 and
January 26, 1997. You must specify one of these delivery schedules
at the time you transmit your request for bulk student records. See
the schedule in Enclosure A.

RENEWAL APPLICATION ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The eligibility criteria for including students in the Renewal
Application database are the same as those used in previous years.
We do not include in the database Renewal Applications for
students whose 1996-97 record was, and remains, rejected, those
who show a default of a Title IV student loan, and those for whom
the only valid transaction was the result of professional judgement
or dependency override. In addition, we will not automatically print
Renewal Applications for certain groups of students unless they are
requested by an institution. These include students who indicated
on their 1996-97 applications that (1) their grade level in college
was 4th year/senior or beyond, and (2) that they expected to
complete their program by September 1996.

CREATION OF THE RENEWAL APPLICATION FILE.

We plan to create the renewal applicant database twice, once on
October 14-15, and again in late January or early February. The
second database will add students whose 1996-97 applications were
processed after October 14, or whose status changed from rejected
to non-rejected after that date. For these students, the CPS will not
print paper applications, either individually or via a bulk mailing
request, but their Renewal records will be added to the database and
can be drawn down and printed by an institution using the EDE
process.

We hope that more and more schools will use either the electronic
or bulk mailing process for Renewal Applications for their students.
We also hope that schools encourage their students to use the
Renewal Application rather than a new FAFSA. Since the paper
Renewal Application was introduced in 1994-95, approximately
40% of total financial aid applicants have chosen to use this
streamlined method of re-applying for student aid, rather than file a
regular FAFSA.

If you have questions about the Renewal Application process,
please call CPS Customer Service at 1-800-330-5947. Enclosure B
gives information on the customer service numbers to use for
specific types of inquiries relating to this process.


Sincerely,

Elizabeth M. Hicks
Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Student Financial Assistance


Enclosure A (Schedule)
Enclosure B (Participating in Renewal Applications)
Enclosure C (Requesting a RAD File)
Enclosure D (Q&As)


Enclosure A

1997-98 RENEWAL APPLICATION SCHEDULE


ACTIVITY 1997-98


Begin transmission of RAD Requests September 16, 1996
by schools using EDE.


Cutoff RAD Requests for bulk mailing October 31, 1996
Schools may continue to request
electronic renewal applications
after this date.


CPS processes RAD Requests November 1, 1996 to
November 8, 1996


CPS prints and mails bulk mail November 8, 1996 to
requests to schools that requested November 17, 1996
early mailing.


CPS prints and mails non-RAD November 18, 1996 to
requested paper Renewal FAFSAs January 3, 1997
to students.

CPS prints and mails bulk mail January 13, 1997 to -
requests to schools that requested January 26, 1997
later mailing.


Enclosure B

PARTICIPATING IN RENEWAL APPLICATIONS

There are two ways for EDE-participating institutions to request the
Renewal Application Data (RAD) file for the 1997-98 processing
cycle:

(A) Institutions can create a file of SSNs which can be transmitted
to the CPS via the Department of Education's Title IV Wide
Area Network (TIV-WAN). If you choose this method to make
your RAD request, you should follow the "Type 2 Request
Individual RAD Records" file layout. The use of any other file
format type will cause your request to be rejected. Once your
RAD Request file is created, you will transmit it to the CPS
using the TIV-WAN. Please note:

- EDConnect, Title IV WAN's transmission software, does not
check for correct file formatting, so you will need to double
check your created file to ensure it is in the correct format.

- You MUST include the Transmitted Message Header and
Trailer records within the file you build.

- If you want the CPS to print and bulk mail your Renewal
applications to your school or destination point, you will also
need to include the RAD Request Address 1 and Address 2
header records.

- To obtain a copy of the "Type 2 Request Individual RAD
Records" file layout, you will need to contact the CPS
Automated Customer Service Center at 1-800-330-5947,
option 1, then option 3 (for faxable materials), then option 8
(for the file layout). You will need to enter your fax number
when prompted. Once this request is received, CPS
Customer Service will fax you a copy of the file layout.

(B) Institutions can access On-Line Query to create a customized
RAD request file. TIV-WAN Customer Service can assist users
with accessing On-Line Query via NETCONNECT, a module
of TIV-WAN's Integrated Assistance Menu (IAM) software.
Please refer to your TIV-WAN User's Guide, Section 6, for
directions on how to log onto On-Line Query. Once logged on
and at the Main screen, please refer to the directions in
Enclosure C for making your request.

You will designate within your request which printing option you
want: CPS print or institution print. If you choose the CPS print
option, your Renewal applications will be printed and bulk mailed to
you, along with return envelopes and instruction books. If you
choose the institution print, you will print your Renewal FAFSAs
onsite using the data in the RAD file.

If you chose the CPS print option, you will have two choices as to
when you want your printed Renewal Applications and other
materials mailed to you. If you designate "Before 12/1/96," the CPS
will bulk mail your requested materials to you between 11/8/96 and
11/17/96. If you designate "After 12/1/96," the CPS will bulk mail
your requested materials to you between 1/13/97 and 1/26/97.

Remember, with either the CPS print or the institution print option,
you MUST distribute your printed Renewal Applications to your
students. Also, if you choose the institution print option, you have an
obligation to enter and submit to the CPS data from all completed
electronic Renewal Applications that students complete and return to
you. Failure to comply with these responsibilities could result in the
Department suspending your Renewal Application participation.

CPS will process your RAD request file and return your processed
RAD file and/or RAD request error file(s) to your destination point
via the TIV-WAN. The message class for the RAD file will be
RADD98OP, and the message class for any RAD errors will be
EREP98OP.

CPS and TIV-WAN will distribute needed software and instructions
to you later this fall explaining how to download, import, and print
out information from your RADD and EREP data files. This
information will be provided using either a network message or mass
software distribution.

Throughout the RAD request process, you may need to contact either
TIV-WAN Customer Service or CPS Customer Service for
assistance. The following list of services will explain which
Customer Service unit you need to call for assistance:

TITLE IV WAN CUSTOMER SERVICE (1-800-615-1189)
CAN HELP YOU WITH:

- Logging on to On-Line Query via NETCONNECT, or
compatible communications software

- Distribution and technical support of IAM software, including
EDConnect

- Updates or status checks on EDE production status

- Downloading the RADD and EREP data files from the WAN
network

CPS CUSTOMER SERVICE (1-800-330-5947, OPTION 8)
CAN ASSIST YOU WITH:

- Making your RAD request once logged on to On-Line Query

- Questions on the Type 2 layouts

- Status checks on requests

- General inquiries on RAD request process

- Technical support for EDExpress

- Correction and resubmission of rejected RAD requests

CPS AUTOMATED CUSTOMER SERVICE
(1-800-330-5947, OPTIONS 1, THEN 3, THEN 8)
CAN ASSIST YOU WITH:

- Faxing you a copy of the "Type 2 Request Individual RAD
Records" file layout


NOTE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RENEWAL APPLICATION
PROCESS VIA EDE, YOU MUST BE PRODUCTIONAL
FOR ELECTRONIC ISIRS OR RENEWAL
APPLICATIONS FOR THE 1996-97 OR 1997-98
ACADEMIC YEARS. INSTITUTIONS WHO RECEIVE
APPLICANT DATA VIA CPS'S ELECTRONIC TAPE
SERVICE AND WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RAD
PROCESS SHOULD TAKE PARTICULAR NOTE OF
THIS REQUIREMENT, AND SHOULD ONTACT TIV-
WAN CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-615-1189 IF
THEY WISH TO VERIFY OR UPDATE
PRODUCTIONAL STATUS FOR AUTOMATIC ISIRS.
IN SOME CASES, CERTIFICATION TESTING WITH
THE CPS MAY BE NECESSARY.


Enclosure C

REQUESTING A RAD FILE

The following instructions apply to requesting your RAD file once
you have successfully logged on to On-Line Query via
NETCONNECT:

1) At the NCS screen, type P8CP in the upper left-hand corner,
and press ENTER.

NOTE: Because of the different ways computer keyboards can
be mapped, you may need to use the Right Cntrl key or the
Enter key on your number keypad where these instructions
direct you to press ENTER. Also, where these instructions
direct you to press the PF3, PF4, PF5, PF7 or PF8 keys, you
may need to press the F3, F4, F5, F7 or F8 keys. Alternately,
you may need to hold down ESC and press the corresponding
number to get the command accepted; for example, for PF5
you might need to hold down ESC and hit 5 on your
keyboard. If you make any errors during this process, follow
the instructions at the bottom of your screen. All error
messages are preceded by the word "Message."

2) At the CPS Main Menu, enter 10 to select RAD Requests;
press ENTER.

3) At the RAD Request Main Menu:

- Verify your destination ID (this field will fill in
automatically based on your user logon).

- Type "Y" at the CPS Print field if you want the CPS to print
and mail your Renewal Applications. If you want to print
your Renewal Applications onsite, leave this field blank.

- If you chose "Y" for CPS Print, you will need to designate
when you want your applications mailed to you. Your
options are "Before 12/1/96" or "After 12/1/96." Place a
"Y" next to the option you want.

- Select a sort order for your Renewal Applications. You
have the options of SSN, Alpha (by last name) or ZIP
Code.

Press ENTER when done or PF3 to go back to CPS Main
Menu.

4) If you choose the CPS Print option, you will see the
Destination RAD Address Select Screen. You will need to
select the address where you want your printed Renewal
Applications mailed. Select the address you want by typing an
"S" in the field to the left of that address, then press PF4 twice
to continue. If you need to create a new address, press PF5.
This will take you to the Destination RAD Address Create
screen. Type in the preferred destination representative, school
name and address in the appropriate fields, then press PF4
when finished to continue. (NOTE: ALTHOUGH THESE
DIRECTIONS WILL OFTEN PROMPT YOU TO "PRESS
PF4 TWICE," YOU SHOULD ACTUALLY PAUSE AFTER
HITTING PF4 THE FIRST TIME AND REVIEW THE
DATA YOU'VE ENTERED FOR ACCURACY. IF YOU
FIND SOMETHING YOU WANT TO CORRECT, HIT PF3
OR CLEAR TO RETURN TO THE SCREEN AND
MAKE YOUR MODIFICATIONS, THEN HIT PF4 AGAIN.
THE SECOND TIME YOU HIT PF4, YOU WILL PROCEED
TO THE NEXT APPROPRIATE REQUEST SCREEN.)

5) At the Destination RAD Request Options menu, you can
specify four different types of electronic and/or printed RAD
records you will receive. To select an option, enter the number
of the option you want at the Enter an Option prompt. If you
choose option 1, press PF4 twice. If you choose options 2 or 3,
another screen will be displayed; enter the appropriate data,
then press PF4 twice. If you choose option 4, enter the
appropriate data on this screen, then press PF4 twice.

The Request options are as follows:

1) All records for destination: Use this option if you wish to
receive RAD records and/or printed Renewal Applications for
all eligible student applicants who listed your institution code
on their most recent, valid ISIR transaction for the 1996-97
academic year. To complete your request, press PF4 twice.

2) Institution SSN Requests: Use this option to select particular
Title IV applicants by Social Security Number and name
identifier (first two letters of student's last name). Upon
selecting this option, you will be prompted to enter your
institution's Title IV code number, then the SSN's and name
identifiers of the specific students you wish to receive RAD data
on. If you need additional lines, press PF8. To complete your
request, press PF4 twice. (NOTE: IF YOU ARE PLANNING
TO REQUEST A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS USING
THIS METHOD, YOU MAY WANT TO BREAK UP YOUR
REQUEST INTO MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS IN ORDER TO
PREVENT LOSING DATA YOU'VE ENTERED IN THE
EVENT OF A PROBLEM. THERE IS NO SAVE FEATURE
IN ON-LINE QUERY.)

3) All records for particular institutions: Use this option to
receive all eligible student applicants' RAD records for selected
institutions for whom your destination point does Renewal
Application processing. Upon selecting this option, you will be
prompted to enter the Title IV code number(s) for the
institutions you are requesting data for. If you need additional
lines to enter code numbers, press PF8. To complete your
request, press PF4 twice. (NOTE: IF YOU CHOSE THE CPS
PRINT OPTION, AND ARE REQUESTING PRINTED
RENEWAL APPLICATIONS FOR MULTIPLE
INSTITUTIONS, PLEASE BE AWARE YOUR PRINTED
MATERIALS WILL ALL BE BULK MAILED TO THE
ADDRESS YOU DESIGNATED ON THE DESTINATION
RAD ADDRESS SELECT SCREEN. IF YOU WANT THESE
APPLICATIONS TO BE MAILED TO THE RESPECTIVE
INSTITUTIONS OR BRANCH CAMPUSES YOU ARE
MAKING THE REQUEST FOR, YOU SHOULD DO THOSE
REQUESTS INDIVIDUALLY AND USE THE
DESTINATION RAD ADDRESS CREATE SCREEN TO
DESIGNATE THAT PARTICULAR INSTITUTION'S
MAILING CONTACT AND ADDRESS.)

4) All records for a destination point by grade level: Use this
option to request RAD records for eligible applicants by
academic grade level. Place an "S" next to the grade level
option you prefer. You may select more than one grade level if
you wish, by placing an additional "S" next to the grade levels
you want your RAD records selected by. You will receive a
sorted batch for each grade level option you choose. To
complete your request, press PF4 twice.

6) When your request has been successfully processed, the
message "RAD Request Received" will display in large type on
your screen. Press PF10 to return to the Destination RAD
Request Option screen. At this point, you can create another
request. If you are done and wish to exit, press the PF3 key until
you are back at the CPS Main Menu, then type "99" to log off
the on-line query system. You may also need to hold down the
ALT key and press the letter "Q" to log off On-Line Query.


Enclosure D

RENEWAL APPLICATION Q & As

1. Q To successfully request and receive RAD data, what EDE
services does my school or destination point need to
participate in?

A The school or destination point must be operational for EDE
Renewal application or electronic ISIR processing for
1996-97 or 1997-98 to be eligible to submit RAD requests.

2. Q If the CPS prints and mails the Renewal Applications to me,
will I also get an electronic file?

A Yes. You will still receive the electronic RAD file if you
request the bulk print option.

3. Q When can I submit a RAD request for 1997-98 and when
will I receive the data?

A Starting 9/16/96 through 10/31/96, your destination point
can submit EDE RAD requests. Processing of these requests
starts on 11/01/96. Printing and mailing of EDE bulk
print/mail requests for receipt prior to 12/01/96 will be done
first, followed by the printing and mailing of all non-EDE
requested Renewal Applications. Finally, all EDE bulk
print/mail requests for receipt after 12/01/96 will be
processed.

4. Q If I submit a RAD request prior to the 10/31/96 cutoff for
bulk print/mail requests BUT my request is rejected, do I
have an opportunity to resubmit the rejected request?

A ONLY if you submit the initial request prior to 10/31/96.
Requests will be processed on 11/01/96 and rejects returned
to you. Your revised request must be received by 11/07/96.

5. Q The schedule says the RAD request cutoff is 10/31/96. Can I
still request a RAD file after this date?

A Yes, but the students will receive paper Renewal
Applications mailed directly by the CPS. After this date no
print options will be available.

6. Q Can Type 2 RAD requests, can I have the CPS sort the
Renewal Applications by the order in which I enter the SSNs
through on-line query? Through the network?

A Yes. For both methods of requesting Type 2 RAD data
(network and on-line), CPS will create the Renewal
Applications using the same order in which the SSNs are
entered on-line or received in the Type 2 file via the network.

7 Q My destination point submits requests on behalf of several
institutions for CPS to print during the EDE RAD Request
timeframe ( 9/16/96-10/31/96). How will these records be
returned to me?

A If a destination point makes one request for all institutions,
ALL Renewal Applications will be mailed to the destination
point address. If a destination point wishes to have the
Renewal applications sent to each institution or branch
campus, separate requests for each institution should be
made.

8. Q Will the Renewal Applications mailed directly by the CPS to
the student be mailed like SARs are, i.e., via first class mail
with forwarding authorized?

A Yes.

9. Q Can a completed CPS-printed paper Renewal Application be
returned to any FAFSA Processor or EDE school for entry?

A Yes. However, if an EDE school wishes to enter the Renewal
Application, the school will need to draw down the RAD file
or process as an original application.

10. Q If I draw down and print the Renewal Applications myself,
can I or my students send them to a FAFSA Processor for
key entry?

A No. If you print your own Renewal Applications, you must
enter and transmit the data to the CPS via EDExpress.

11. Q Will schools have access to a supply of instruction booklets
should they choose to print electronic Renewal applications
and do the mailing themselves?

A Yes, upon request by the institution. You may call Title IV
WAN Customer Service at 1-800-615-1189 to request a
supply of instructions booklets.

12. Q If I don't want to mail or enter Renewal Applications, can I
get a list of students who received the CPS Renewal
Applications?

A Schools not wanting to print, distribute or enter Renewal
Applications can make a RAD request after 11/07/96 and
receive an electronic file of students who received Renewal
Applications. The school can then print a list of students
from the electronic file.

13. Q I don't want to be responsible for printing and/or mailing the
Renewal Applications but would like to enter Renewal
Applications for some students. Can I still make a RAD
request?

A Yes, but you must wait to make the RAD request until after
11/07/96. Renewal Applications requested prior to this date
must be distributed to the students.