| DCLPublicationDate: 8/1/99 DCLID: GEN-99-24 AwardYear: 2000-2001 Summary: Three Electronic Access Conferences that will be offered in 1999. The conferences, entitled "Power Up for 2000," will be held on November 2-4, 1999, in Miami, Florida; November 15-17, 1999, in Keystone, Colorado; and December 15-17, 1999, in San Antonio, Texas. Action Letter #3 August 1999 GEN-99-24 SUMMARY: This letter announces three Electronic Access Conferences that will be offered in 1999. The conferences, entitled Power Up for 2000, will be held on November 2-4, 1999, in Miami, Florida; November 15-17, 1999, in Keystone, Colorado; and December 15-17, 1999, in San Antonio, Texas. Dear Partner: I cordially invite you to attend one of our 1999 Electronic Access Conferences, sponsored by the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) of the U.S. Department of Education. This letter describes the conferences, explains how to register for a conference, and provides information about the conference sites and making your travel arrangements. Why Should You Attend an Electronic Access Conference? The Electronic Access Conference offers participants the opportunity to learn more about OSFAs electronic Title IV application systems and make suggestions for future changes and enhancements. During the three-day conference participants can choose from more than 50 different sessions, most of which will be offered more than once. To meet a wide range of needs and address varying levels of computer experience, special tracks will be offered for beginner, advanced, and technical users. The agenda will be identical at all three conferences and there is no registration fee. What Will the Conference Cover? We have developed an ambitious agenda for this years conferences. Conferees will learn more about OSFAs modernization blueprint and hear about our system enhancements for the 2000-2001 application processing year, including Central Processing System (CPS) Title IV Wide Area Network (TIV WAN) Direct Loan Origination Direct Loan Servicing Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS) Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) website SFA Technical Support website and SFATech e-mail listserve National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Recipient and Financial Management System (RFMS) We will also tell you about Access America for Students Internet Gateway EDE and Direct Loan Technical Specification Changes EDExpress Changes Mainframe Transmission and Processing Multi-year Functionality of the Direct Loan Master Promissory Note Digital Signature and Privacy Issues When and Where Will the Conferences Be Held? A block of rooms has been reserved at each conference location at special conference rates. Please contact the hotel directly to reserve a room under the Electronic Access Conference (EAC) room block. To secure a room at the special rate, make your reservations by September 29, 1999 for Miami; October 10, 1999 for Keystone; and November 12, 1999 for San Antonio. The first conference will be held November 2-4, 1999 at: Wyndham Hotel Miami Biscayne Bay 1601 Biscayne Boulevard Miami, Florida Sleeping room rates: $151.88 inclusive of tax ($135 + 12.5 percent tax). A deposit equal to the first night's lodging is required. Cancellations must be received 24 hours prior to arrival to receive a full refund. Name of Room Block: Electronic Access Conference (EAC). Reservation cut off date: September 29, 1999 (Room rates may increase after this date). For reservations call (305) 374-0000. The second conference will be held November 15-17, 1999 at: Keystone Resort & Conference Center Keystone, Colorado Sleeping room rates: Single Occupancy: $135 to $155 + tax* Double Occupancy: $180 to $200 + tax* *4.7% surcharge, 5.5% sales tax (approx. 10.5% total added to room rate) A deposit equal to the first night's lodging is required. Rates include continental breakfast and buffet lunch daily. Cancellations must be received 30 days prior to arrival to receive a full refund less a $25 processing fee. Name of Room Block: Electronic Access Conference (EAC). Reservation cut off date: October 10, 1999 (Room rates may increase after this date). For reservations call: (800) 258-0437, group code: CA7PUDE. The third conference will be held December 15-17, 1999 at: San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter 101 Bowie Street at Commerce Street San Antonio, Texas Sleeping room rates: $136.85 inclusive of tax ($119 + 15 percent tax) A deposit equal to the first night's lodging is required. Cancellations must be received 24 hours prior to arrival to receive a full refund. Name of room block: Electronic Access Conference (EAC). Reservation cut off date: November 12, 1999 (Room rates may increase after this date). For reservations call: (800) 648-4462. Again, be sure to make your sleeping room reservations early. Even though we have a cutoff date, it is possible that sleeping rooms will sell out before this date. If necessary, we will either secure additional rooms at the conference hotel or, if no additional rooms are available, we will find an overflow hotel and post this information on the Electronic Access Conference web site. Where Can I Find More Travel Information? Discounted travel to the conference sites has been arranged with American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines. Please see our web site at http://edeworkshop.walcoff.com for additional travel information, including information about getting to and from Denver International Airport to the Keystone Resort & Conference Center. How Do I Register for a Conference? Registration information can be found on the World Wide Web at http://edeworkshop.walcoff.com. You can register online from our EAC website or you can fax us a completed registration form. The web page contains all pertinent conference information and will be updated regularly to include the latest agenda and session listings. All registrations should be submitted by October 1, 1999. We encourage your immediate response as attendance is limited for each conference. If you have questions regarding the registration process, please call Lynn Mikelatis at (703) 218-1422 or send an email to lmikelat@walcoff.com. Where Can I Find More Information About the Conferences? Additional information about the conferences can be found on the World Wide Web at http://edeworkshop.walcoff.com If you have questions regarding session content and/or the agenda, please contact Title IV WAN Customer Service at (800) 615-1189. I hope you will join us at one of our 1999 Electronic Access Conferences. Sincerely, Greg Woods Chief Operating Officer Office of Student Financial Assistance Attachment |