| DCLPublicationDate: 11/1/98 DCLID: GEN-98-24 AwardYear: 1999-2000 Summary: This letter describes the new procedures for enrolling and updating enrollment information for the Title IV Wide Area Network (Title IV WAN) that will be implemented during November 1998 Action Letter #4 November 1998 GEN-98-24 Summary: This letter describes the new procedures for enrolling and updating enrollment information for the Title IV Wide Area Network (Title IV WAN) that will be implemented during November 1998. These procedures are to be used by postsecondary institutions, third-party servicers, software providers, lenders, guaranty agencies, and state scholarship programs that use the Title IV WAN to transmit and receive data. The new enrollment document can be used immediately and should be used to enroll for the first time or update enrollment information that has not been previously submitted. Dear Colleague: The Title IV Wide Area Network (Title IV WAN) is the U.S. Department of Educations (EDs) vehicle for electronically transmitting and receiving data on financial aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. The following Student Financial Aid (SFA) Programs systems use Title IV WAN for data transmission: * Central Processing System (CPS) * Federal Direct Loan Program * National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) * Campus-based Title IV programs for FISAP * Pell Grant Recipient Financial Management System (RFMS) More information on how Title IV WAN supports the data transmission functions can be found in the attached Title IV WAN Enrollment document. Beginning in November 1998 ED will begin using the attached enrollment document for all new participants on the Title IV WAN. Current Title IV WAN users should use this document to update information about their enrollment on the Title IV WAN. Enrollment on the Title IV WAN is a separate process from the one that establishes a schools eligibility to participate in the Federal Title IV student financial aid programs. The enclosed enrollment document replaces three forms: the customer identification document, the letter of application, and the participation agreement. The document also includes additional useful information such as a brief description of services delivered via the Title IV WAN and a glossary of technical terms. Who can use this enrollment document? This enrollment document can be used by postsecondary institutions, third-party servicers, software providers, lenders, guaranty agencies, and state scholarship programs. Others must have approval from the U.S. Department of Education to enroll on the Title IV WAN. How has the enrollment process changed? Under the prior enrollment process, individuals working at schools, servicers, software providers, and agencies were identified as contacts for the Title IV WAN destination points (mailboxes with TG numbers for addresses) assigned to their organizations. This new enrollment process operates on the premise that these contacts are the administrators (destination point administrators) of the Title IV WAN destination points and are responsible for maintaining a Title IV WAN User Statement (Attachment B of enrollment document) for each person given access to a destination point. Current Title IV WAN contacts will be treated as destination point administrators and must collect and maintain Title IV WAN User Statements (Attachment B of enrollment document) from all individuals who have access to Title IV WAN destination points. In addition to processing and maintaining the user statements, the destination point administrator (DPA) must enter a profile for each user in the EDconnect software (see EDconnect Help Text). Please read and carefully follow the instruction for the enrollment document. Even if you have no new enrollment information to submit to Title IV WAN at this time, user statements and profiles must be created and maintained. How many destination point administrators with destination points should a school have? In general, each organization is limited to one destination point (DP) for each of the functions that can be accessed over the Title IV WAN (such as submitting correction transactions to the CPS, receipt of ISIRs, Pell Grant payment reporting, and so on), but there are some exceptions. For example, two destination points can transmit initial student application data and schools may have an unlimited number of destination point administrators with their own destination points to access NSLDS data on-line. You must make the determination of the appropriate number of destination points that will meet your needs. You should review the introductory language of the attached enrollment document for an explanation of how enrollment on the Title IV WAN works and the number of destination points allowed for each function. When will this new process be implemented? This new enrollment document will be implemented during November 1998. Do not use this form to resubmit any information already sent to Title IV WAN. Title IV WAN will complete the processing of any old documents received. The new enrollment document can be used immediately and should be used to enroll for the first time or update enrollment information that has not been previously submitted. Effective immediately, all Title IV WAN destination point administrators must complete and maintain Title IV WAN User statements (Attachment B) and set-up user profiles using the EDconnect software (see EDconnect Help Text) for each person given access to a destination point on the Title IV WAN. When can an institution or third-party servicer enroll in Title IV WAN? Eligible institutions and organizations may enroll in Title IV WAN or update information at any time. However, new institutions or organizations seeking access to services for 1999-2000 that they do not currently access should complete the form as soon as possible so that all Title IV student applicant files are received. For example, institutional enrollment in Central Processing System (CPS) is automatically continued each award year. However, institutions not currently enrolled to receive financial aid application data services through the CPS should enroll by January 14, 1999 to capture all 1999-2000 student records. When should Title IV WAN enrollment information be updated? An enrollment document should be submitted with corrected or new information whenever the services accessed need to be amended (see General Information section of enrollment document). The enrollment document should also be used to update information about any of the destination point administrators (formerly called contacts). For example, ED recently changed the process of submitting the fiscal report and application for the campus-based financial aid programs so that schools transmitted their reports via the Title IV WAN (instead of on diskettes). All school participants were sent an enrollment form to modify their WAN enrollment to include this new service. Third-party servicers and software providers that require access over the Title IV WAN for this service must submit an update to their enrollment to receive a copy of the software. Similarly, if a school becomes newly eligible to participate in the Federal Direct Loan Program or an organization wants to change the individual who is the destination point administrator for a Title IV WAN mailbox, the enclosed enrollment document should be used. When the enrollment document is used to submit changes or updates, all parts must be completed of each question being answered. Even if your organization has no new enrollment information to submit at this time, all Title IV WAN contacts (now called DPAs) and users should read this entire package carefully. Is there an electronic version of the enrollment document? Currently the new enrollment document is only available as a document that can be downloaded and printed from EDs Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) web site found at http:\ED is developing a new web site that will support electronic completion and submission of Title IV WAN enrollment data. The availability of this special purpose web site will be announced on EDs IFAP web site. We are pleased to provide this simplified enrollment document. If you have any questions concerning Title IV WAN enrollment, call Title IV WAN customer service at 800-615-1189. Sincerely, Diane E. Rogers Acting Chief Operating Officer Office of Student Financial Assistance Programs Attachment |