| PublicationDate: 3/2/96 Summary: 1996-97 FASFA Processing - Announcement #1 Author: CPS - Central Processing System (CPS) Announcement #1, March 2, 1996 1996-97 FEDERAL STUDENT AID APPLICATION PROCESSING ISSUE: Delays in the processing of 1996-97 paper student aid applications. For a variety of reasons there currently exist delays in the time it takes for a paper application for Federal student aid (FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA) to be processed and the results sent to the applicant on a Student Aid Report (SAR) and to postsecondary institutions via electronic Institutional Student Information Records (ISIR). These reasons include the two federal furloughs that occurred during what would have been ED's testing of the capabilities of its new Multiple Data Entry (MDE) contractors' ability to enter applicant data into the Central Processing System (CPS). In addition, there have been unforeseen technical problems that have adversely affected the new data input imaging process being used by the MDEs. The processing problems are only in the data entry portion of the application process. Once applicant data are passed into the CPS, normal processing is occurring and students and schools are receiving output in a timely manner. In fact, those applicants that used one of ED's electronic processes for submitting FAFSA data to the CPS (FAFSA Express, EDExpress) are receiving results within a few days. It is only those applications submitted on either a paper FAFSA or paper renewal FAFSA that are being delayed. SOLUTION: Plans call for the application processing system to be current by March 30, 1996. Resolving the delay in FAFSA processing has been identified as the Department's top priority, and all ED staff, including senior management, are working daily with our contractors to quickly resolve the problems. We have taken a number of steps, as indicated below, to ensure that by the end of March, 1996-97 application processing will be current and output will be provided to applicants and to institutions according to normal processing rules. Normal processing of paper applications should produce results to students (SARs) and to schools (ISIRs) within 14 days of receipt of the paper application. Be assured that all FAFSAs will be processed in the order in which they were received by the MDE processor. Actions Taken To Date: 1. We are aggressively working with the MDEs to resolve both software and hardware problems that have contributed to the delays. 2. We have approved the addition of supplemental hardware needed by our contractors. 3. We have issued revised guidelines to the contractors that will enable them to hire additional staff and to provide overtime for current staff. 4. We will be moving previously received paper applications into alternative methods of data entry for submission to the CPS. In addition, in order to provide both applicants and their families and postsecondary educational institutions with the latest status of 1996-97 processing, we will be increasing the capabilities of the Department's SFA Bulletin Board Service (BBS) and the Public Inquiry Contractor (1-800-4FED AID). The BBS will be updated daily with information on 1996-97 processing, including the FAFSA receipt date currently being processed by the CPS. We have extended the operation of the 1-800-4FED AID toll-free number so that callers can check on the status of application processing from 8AM until 8PM (Eastern Time) daily, including Saturdays. The staff at the toll-free number will be able to provide callers with the FAFSA receipt date currently being processed by the CPS. Because of increased activity, staffing at the Department's Application Status Service (1-319-337-5665) has been doubled in order to provide callers with needed information. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Because the problem is in the data entry portion of the application process, applications received by the CPS either directly from applicants using FAFSA Express or from schools using EDExpress, have been processed and results sent within a few days. Therefore, we are encouraging applicants to use one of these automated methods of applying for aid. In support of that effort we will be mailing a copy of the FAFSA Express software to more than 25,000 high schools across the country and to more than 600 TRIO programs at postsecondary institutions. We encourage those schools to load the FAFSA Express software and to encourage their students to utilize this efficient and error minimizing method of applying for student aid. We also want to encourage institutions to use EDExpress to submit applicant data directly to the CPS. Note that there are no per transaction costs to schools for using the application features of EDExpress. Once again, the Department views the resolution of this issue as its highest priority and is committing all available resources to that end. We thank all students, families, high schools, postsecondary institutions, and our other partners for their understanding and patience. |