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Extension of the CPS Y2K Testing Window to October 29, 1999

PublicationDate: 9/2/99
Summary: Extension of the CPS Y2K Testing Window to October 29, 1999
Author: CPS - Central Processing System (CPS)

Posted on September 2, 1999

TO: All Destination Points
FROM: CPS Customer Service
RE: Extension of the CPS Y2K Testing Window to October 29, 1999
Date: September 2, 1999

The Central Processing System and the US Department of Education are pleased to announce the extension of the second Year 2000 (Y2K) School Test Window with the Central Processing System (CPS). This test window has been extended to October 29, 1999. The Department of Education strongly urges schools using EDExpress, Third Party Software Products, or Custom Software to take advantage of this opportunity to test with the CPS. Testing will ensure that you will be able to submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data and receive Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) from CPS in the next millennium

Instructions for completing the CPS Y2K testing procedures can be found on the Internet at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocio/index.html. The Y2K test consists of entering 12 test FAFSAs. These test cases are in Adobe PDF format and may be downloaded from the internet at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocio/index.html.

STATE AGENCIES: You can request a copy of the Y2K ISIR file from CPS by calling the Customer Service number below. You can use this file to ensure your system can handle dates in the year 2000.

SCHOOLS: PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Your destination point must be operational for Electronic Applications with the Title IV WAN to participate in the CPS Y2K School Testing. To verify you are operational for Electronic Applications, please contact Title IV WAN Customer Service at 1-800-615-1189. Be prepared to provide your destination point number and Federal School Code.

2. SET YOUR SYSTEM DATE to February 29, 2000 before entering the test application data. We recommend EDExpress users create a separate testing database for Y2K testing.

3. To make your Y2K test data unique, you must enter your Federal School Code as the first six digits of the SSN on each of the 12 test application cases. (If your Federal School Code begins with a letter and your system will not accept non-numeric data in this field, enter the number 9 instead of the letter). For the last three digits of the SSN, use the sequential number between 001 and 012 written on the test case. ALL 12 RECORDS MUST BE SUBMITTED TOGETHER IN A SINGLE BATCH.

4. With your system date set to February 29, 2000, transmit the data to CPS using the input file message class YR2K00IN. CPS will retrieve and process the Y2K message class once per day.

5. CPS has simplified the Y2K school test process for this second test window. Two date fields will now be validated rather than all data on each of the 12 FAFSA test cases, as was done in the first six-week testing window. These date fields, the TRANSACTION RECEIPT DATE and APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE, must have a valid date format and a value of February 29, 2000 to pass the test. When you export your application records, the two date fields mentioned above should have the value of 02/29/2000.

6. Output files will be generated by CPS in response to your submission and transmitted to you via the Title IV WAN. You may receive an error file (message class Y2KE00OP), a Y2K discrepancy file (message class Y2KD00OP), or a Y2K ISIR file (message class Y2KA00OP).

7. You will receive the error file if your destination point is not operational for electronic applications, if you submit a file containing less than 12 FAFSAs, or if the file you submit is not in the correct Electronic Application format. (See the EDE Technical Reference, page 3-57, for the Electronic Application layout.) You will receive the discrepancy file if CPS can not validate the dates within all 12 of the test cases. You can submit test files as many times as necessary.

8. When you receive the Y2K ISIR file, you have completed the Y2K testing successfully. The Department of Education will be mailing a letter of congratulations to all schools who successfully complete the Y2K Testing with the CPS. These letters will be mailed sometime after the close of the testing window.

If you require assistance, please contact CPS Customer Service at 800-330-5947, option 2, or via email at CPS@NCS.COM. You will not be charged for CPS Y2K test-related calls or emails.