Publication Date: September 15, 2003
| DCL ID: | GEN-03-11 |
Subject: Inclusion of School Information on FSA’s Student Aid on the Web (previously known as the Students Portal)
Summary: This letter offers postsecondary schools options for participation in the “College Choice” processes of Student Aid on the Web.
September 2003
GEN-03-11
Subject: Inclusion of School Information on FSA’s Student Aid on the Web (previously known as the
Students Portal)
Summary: This letter offers postsecondary schools options for participation in the “College Choice”
processes of Student Aid on the Web.
Dear Colleague:
We at the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) office have launched a new version of our Students Portal –Student Aid on the Web. Although the web site address remains the same, www.studentaid.ed.gov, there are significant improvements. One of the features of the new version is the option for a student to take a “campus tour” and, if appropriate, begin the college admissions process directly from Student Aid on the Web. Under the “campus tour” feature, a student selects one or more schools or is directed to a list of schools based upon a match between the school profile and interests and preferences provided by the student. The “campus tour” includes information about the school and links to the school’s web site.
To take full advantage of the new features of Student Aid on the Web, there is information you need to provide: (1) how will your school be represented in theStudent Aid on the Web school profile and (2) how will your school’s admissions application process be featured on the site.
First, we teamed with ‘XAP’ (pronounced “zap”), a company that provides StudentAid on the Web with school information that is based on data contained in Peterson’s Guides. If your school has provided information to Peterson’s, it will be included in the Student Aid on the Web school profile database. You can delete or modify the information that XAP obtained from Peterson’s, or if your school is not included in Peterson’s, you can add your school’s profile to the XAP database.
Deletions, modifications, and additions are made on-line into the XAP database by the school at no charge. For detailed information you should contact XAP directly at studentaid@xap.com through the Internet.
Second, your school must choose one of the following online admissions application options. A student using the site and interested in applying to your school can --
Have access to the school’s profile pages where general information about the school’s admissions process is contained. If the student is interested, he or she can, using web links included on the profile pages, connect directly to the school’s general or specific websites.
- Complete a “generic” XAP-produced on-line admissions application. Based upon information previously submitted by the student to Student Aid on the Web, several of the admissions applications questions would be pre-filled as the student is directed to the application. The student would be instructed to complete the remaining questions on the application. Upon submission by the student, the admissions application data would be sent to the school under a separate agreement between XAP and the school. This generic admissions application process is offered free of charge to schools.
- Complete a “customized” XAP-produced on-line admissions application. This option, allows a school to customize the admissions application with its logo, addresses, and specific admissions questions beyond those of the XAP generic admissions application. As above, after completion and submission by the student, the admissions application data would be sent to the school under a separate agreement between XAP and the school. Note that there is an additional cost to the school, to be paid directly to XAP, for this option.
Some schools have already reached agreement with XAP regarding which of the on-line admissions application options it wishes the Student Aid on the Web site to use. For all other schools, the Student Aid on the Web default option will be the first described above, where interested applicants will be directed to the school’s on-line profile pages. If you are interested in learning about either of the other two options, you should contact XAP directly at studentaid@xap.com through the Internet.
Again, you may contact XAP at studentaid@xap.com for information about deleting, modifying, or adding to your school profile “campus tour” information and for more information about your admissions applications options.
For other questions related to Student Aid on the Web, you may contact Mary K. Muncie of our FSA staff at mary.k.muncie@ed.gov.
We want to thank you in advance for your cooperation in this effort to provide timely, accurate, and useful information for our students and families. We look forward to your comments regarding the new features of Student Aid on the Web. Comments or suggestions are welcome at http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/survey/survey.jsp -- available after September 26, 2003.
Sincerely,
Terri Shaw
Chief Operating Officer
Federal Student Aid
U.S. Department of Education