| PublicationDate: 3/14/96 Summary: 1996-97 FAFSA Processing - Announcement #10 Author: ODAS - Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary - SFA Announcement # 10 -- March 14, 1996 1996-97 FAFSA Processing Status Report In keeping with our commitment to keep you informed about the status of application processing for the 1996-97 award year, we are providing this daily announcement. This announcement is number ten in the series. A. 1995-96 Processing The Department has been informed that there is concern that the current delays being experienced in the 1996-97 processing system are also occuring for 1995-96 processing. The 1995-96 application processing system is separate from the 1996-97 system. The current delays are for 1996-97 only and we are processing on schedule for 1995-96. While the Department's primary focus has recently been on the delays occuring with the 1996-97 processing system, schools should note there were some 1995-96 processing delays that occurred during the previous furloughs in November and December/January. During the previous furloughs, the CPS was shut down for several days and was not computing applicant records. This was because the Department was unable to perform the data matches with other Federal agencies that were also shut down as a result of the furlough. During the furlough in January, the Office of Management and Budget enabled some of these agencies to begin performing data matches with the Department again and subsequently the CPS was able to resume normal processing. When this processing resumed, some 1995-96 FAFSA Express applications received a reject 16. As explained in Announcements 7 and 9, FAFSA Express applications (where the CPS expects a signature page to be printed by the student at the time of transmission) are held by the CPS for 21 days while the CPS awaits the receipt of the signed signature page. Because of the CPS shutdown during the furlough, there were some applications that were held longer than the 21 days without having a signature page processed and thus received a reject 16. The Department does not expect there to be another furlough. B. MacIntosh versions of EDExpress and FAFSA Express The Department has received several requests for Mac versions of EDExpress and FAFSA Express. While the Department would like to support this platform, unfortunately there are not enough monetary or human resources to support this effort at this time. The Department will continue to pursue this as a possibility for the future. C. Comment Text and Title IV Institution Codes The Department has made files of the 1996-97 comment text and Title IV Institution Codes available for downloading on the SFA BBS. The 1996-97 SAR/ISIR Comment Text can be found under SFA Publications and the Title IV Institution Codes can be found under SFA Publications/Action Letters/1996-97 Award Year Action Letters/Action Letter #3. For more information about joining the SFA BBS, please contact Customer Support at 800-433-7327. |