| PublicationDate: 10/23/97 Summary: 1998-99 FASFA Printing Update Author: PTAS - Policy / Training / And Analysis Service October 23, 1997 1998-99 FAFSA Printing Update The following information is provided as an update to the printing of the 1998-99 FAFSAs. On the first shipments of FAFSAs that ED received and distributed, the gray- shaded areas were slightly darker than we requested. This difference is insignificant to the eye and presents no difficulty to the user. Institutions can distribute these forms with the assurance that they will present no processing problem for students, and no delay for students. The shading does affect the amount of memory utilized within our system when the forms are imaged, and ED has worked with the Government Printing Office and its printing contractor to lighten the gray-shaded areas on the FAFSAs we are currently printing so as to better accommodate our imaging equipment. As has been the process for the past two years, data from some forms are captured by manual key entry, while others are captured automatically by using such technology as Intelligent Character Recognition or Optical Mark Readers. Regardless of which forms are distributed and used, all FAFSAs--those with lighter gray-shaded areas and those with darker gray-shaded areas--will be processed meeting ED's processing schedules. By the end of the current (1997-98) award year, we will have distributed nearly 35 million 1997-98 FAFSAs. The Central Processor will have processed approximately 10 million initial transactions. BUT--only fifty percent, or approximately five million, of these initial transactions will be the result of a student filing a paper FAFSA. The rest will be the result of the Renewal Application (paper and electronic), as well as FAFSA Express, EDExpress, and FAFSA on the Web. As usual, we ask your help in reducing the use of the paper FAFSA by encouraging students to use the Renewal Application and the various means of electronic application that are available. Students can apply on-line using FAFSA on the Web (www.fafsa.ed.gov) or by downloading and using the FAFSA Express software (www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/express.html). William. J. Ryan Director, Training and Program Information Division |