DCLPublicationDate: 12/1/99 DCLID: GEN-99-41 AwardYear: Summary: Summary: This letter provides information to schools and their servicers about what can still be done to mitigate Year 2000 (Y2K) system failures in the delivery of Federal title IV aid. We have also attached an example letter to students and their families, the Department of Education's (ED) school-related contingency plans and general Y2K resources. December 1999 GEN-99-41 Summary: This letter provides information to schools and their servicers about what can still be done to mitigate Year 2000 (Y2K) system failures in the delivery of Federal title IV aid. We have also attached an example letter to students and their families, the Department of Education's (ED) school-related contingency plans and general Y2K resources. Dear Partner: This letter is one of several to our partners intended to retransmit information and suggestions that we have provided over the last several months in other ways, primarily through EDs Y2K web site. By bundling this information together, we have tried to provide a last minute checklist of helpful ideas and other resources. Also included is a summary of SFAs contingency plans to enable critical student aid business processes to continue and to ensure that the important work of putting students through school will not be disrupted. Thank you for your help in developing these plans. Sharing your suggestions and plans with your colleagues and us has been insightful and useful. We will provide shortly other letters that will include Y2K information directed to ED's other partners and information describing conditions under which schools can use ED's contingency plans to carry out critical financial aid activities without incurring program liabilities. All of these letters will be available on our web site at http://IFAP.ed.gov./a>. This letter for our school and school servicer partners and includes the following: Y2K Recommended Actions for Schools (Attachment A) Example School Letter to Students and their Families (Attachment B) ED's School-related Contingency Plans (Attachment C) General Y2K Resources (Attachment D) We understand that you may want to contact us regarding EDs status and specific information about SFA services. Beginning January 3, 2000 you can obtain information in the following ways: Access http://www.ed.gov/y2k for the Y2K status of ED's systems, including SFA. Access http://IFAP.ed.gov./a> for information about the availability of SFA services. Call 1-800-4ED SFAP (1-800-433-7327) for customer service or messages. For general information about Y2K and EDs Y2K preparations and plans, you can now call 1-800-USA-LEARN (24 hours, 7 days a week including the holiday period throughout the transition to the new year). We are committed to working with you to ensure a successful Y2K transition. If you have further questions about this letter or other SFA Y2K matters, contact our Customer Support Branch at 1-800-433-7327. I hope you will enjoy the holiday season. Thank you for your continuing work with students and their families. Yours sincerely, Greg Woods Chief Operating Officer Office of Student Financial Assistance Attachment A Attachment B Attachment C Attachment D |