| DCLPublicationDate: 10/1/98 DCLID: GEN-98-22 AwardYear: 1998-1999 Summary: This letter announces the availability of Organization Contact Screens in the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). Action Letter #9 October 1998 GEN-98-22 SUMMARY: This letter announces the availability of Organization Contact Screens in the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). Dear Colleague: The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is pleased to introduce new online screens that will ease the workload of student aid professionals and facilitate communication among all members of the Title IV community. The Organization Contact Screens in NSLDS give you direct access to contact information about the person at another NSLDS partner organization (school, lender, guaranty agency, etc.) that you need to reach. The screens will be available to NSLDS online users on October 2, 1998. We encourage you to update your own institutions information right away. Contact screens were developed by NSLDS at the request of schools and guaranty agencies. NSLDS likes to find new and innovative ways to help student aid administrators. We view these screens as an important tool, useful in resolving problems and assisting Title IV aid applicants and recipients. It must be stressed, however, that the utility of the screens depends upon users updating and maintaining current names, phone numbers, and other contact information for their own institutions and organizations. We encourage you to maintain accurate contact information so that both you and your colleagues can benefit from this enhancement. By updating the Organization Contact Screens, your institution will inform your student aid colleagues of the appropriate individuals to contact at your institution to resolve a problem. The screens allow you to identify the contact personnel by NSLDS function. The functions already available for you to use are listed on the attached chart (Enclosure A). Your institution may not have a need to list someone for all functions. If you need to list some other function, please let us know at our Customer Service Center at (800)999-8219. For each contact person you list, you may provide a title, mailing address, phone number, fax number, and e-mail address. It is important that you remember to update the information when personnel and functions change at your institution. Any individual at your school, with on-line access to NSLDS, can update the Organization Contact Screens. Users can update information about only their own institution. Schools may identify a servicer as the contact point for specific functions. Guaranty agencies can update contacts for functions and staff in their own agency. In addition, guaranty agencies can update information for lenders. If you are designating a servicer or other third party to be contacts, please make sure they are aware of the fact that their names and contact information are being published in the NSLDS contact screens. Documentation for using these screens can be found on the Departments Web site in Chapter Eight of the NSLDS Paperless Link document. The URL for direct access to The Paperless Link is http://ifap.ed.gov/csb_html/nsguide.htm and click on "by publication date." You may also utilize a computer based training (CBT) program that demonstrates the Contact Screens. The NSLDS CBT can be found on http://ifap.ed.gov/csb_html/nsrefnc.htm and click on "NSLDS Revised Financial Aid Transcript (FAT), New Aid Overpayment and Organization Contact screens." Attached you will find a list of Questions and Answers (Enclosure B) about the new Organization Contact Screens as a further aid to help you understand their design and purpose. If you have any other questions concerning the use of the screens, please call the NSLDS Customer Service Center at (800)999-8219. Sincerely, F. Lynn Alexander, Director National Student Loan Data System Division Attachment A Attachment B |