| PublicationDate: 5/11/99 Summary: Recipient and Financial Management System (RFMS) for 1999-2000 Author: PSS - Program Systems Service Posted on May 11, 1999 To: All Destination Points From: Jerry Russomano, Director Program Systems Service, Office of Student Financial Assistance Subject: Recipient and Financial Management System (RFMS) for 1999-2000 This message-- - Gives you the current status on our new processing system known as RFMS, for the Federal Pell Grant program, and - Announces that we will give you updates on May 17 and on May 26 WE EXPECT TO BE USING THIS NEW SYSTEM FOR AUTHORIZATION TRANSACTIONS WITH YOU ON MAY 26, 1999 We have completed the development phase and are now conducting a comprehensive test of the system and its interchanges with our trading partners. Overall testing has gone well. Next, we will conduct beta tests with ten schools, as well as validate system Y2K compliance. We had announced that the system would start up early May, but completing these tests will delay the start briefly until May 26, 1999. All of this development and testing will result in the modernization of our processing system which will : Replace the old processing system with newer technology that uses some of the most efficient data tools available today Move toward the ultimate goal of creating student centered delivery systems that will deliver aid more quickly, cheaply, and easily than current processes. The processing time for the new RFMS is 24 to 36 hours; the old system is 7 to 10 days. Take advantage of significant hardware and software upgrades that schools have made in recent years Help us move toward common Title IV processes, records and data standards WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT All schools should receive the 1999-2000 EDExpress Pell software by May 21. You will be able to send us batches of origination records by May 26. The origination record establishes a students eligibility and annual Pell Grant award in the new RFMS. On May 26, we will send your 1999-2000 Electronic Statement of Account (ESOA). You may begin drawing these funds from the Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS) beginning July 1, 1999. WE WILL SEND YOU WEEKLY STATUS REPORTS Beginning today, we will publish weekly status reports on the RFMS start up. Look for them in- - Title IV Wide Area Network (TIVWAN) - The Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) website located at http://www.ifap.ed.gov, and - Listserves: - FINAID-L - FINNET-L - MEDAID-L - BURSAR-L IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS - If you have questions, comments, or concerns about RFMS, please call Pell Customer Service at 1-800/474-7268 (select option 2) or send an e-mail to #Pell_Systems@ed.gov. - If you have questions about the 1999-2000 EDExpress Pell software, contact the Central Processing System customer service staff at 1-800/330-5947 or send an e-mail to CPS@NCS.COM. - If you have questions about RFMS message classes or problems connecting to the network, contact the TIVWAN customer service staff at 1-800/615-1189 or send an e-mail to T4WAN@NCS.COM. Reminder: Your TIVWAN EDConnect Desk Reference contains all the information you need about getting help by telephone or on the Internet. |