Maintained for Historical Purposes

This resource is being maintained for historical purposes only and is not currently applicable.

SFA Systems Availability over the New Year Weekend (12/30/1999 - 1/3/2000)

PublicationDate: 12/22/99
Summary: SFA Systems Availability over the New Year Weekend (12/30/1999 - 1/3/2000)
Author: PSS - Program Systems Service

SFA Systems Availability over the New Year Weekend (12/30/1999 – 1/3/2000)

EDCAPS (Department of Education Central Automated Processing System)/GAPS (Grants Administration and Payment System):

EDCAPS/GAPS Website will not be available from 7:00 PM EST December 29, 1999 to 6:00 AM EST on January 3, 2000. On Dec. 30, 1999, all payments will be transmitted to Federal Reserve Bank.

TIV WAN (Title IV wide Area Network) for electronics transfer of information:

1. TIV WAN will not be available 6 PM EST on Dec. 31, 1999 to 1 AM EST on Jan. 1, 2000.

2. The TIV WAN customer service (800-615-1189) will be open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM CST (their normal hours) on Dec. 30, 1999, closed on Dec. 31, 1999, Jan. 1 and 2, and open during normal hours on Jan. 3, 2000.

CPS (Central Processing System) for student aid applications:

1. CPS will not be available from 11:30 PM EST 12/30/1999 through 12:01 AM EST 1/3/2000.

2. The 1999-2000 Renewal Application on the Web (ROTW) and 1999-2000 Corrections on the Web will not be available from 11:30 PM EST 12/30/1999 through 12:01 AM EST 1/3/2000.

3. The 1999-2000 FAFSA on the Web (FOTW) will be available the entire weekend of 12/31/99.

4. 1999-2000 FAFSA Express will not be available for downloading from http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/express.html.

5. The PIN site will be available the entire weekend of 12/31/99.

6. The CPS customer service (800-330-5947) will be open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM CST (their normal hours) on Dec. 30, 1999, closed on Dec. 31, 1999, Jan. 1 and 2, 2000, and open during normal hours on Jan. 3, 2000.

7. FAFSA on the Web/FAFSA Express/PIN Customer Service (800-801-0576) will be closed from 10:00 p.m. December 30, 1999 until 7 a.m. January 3, 2000.

DLOS/LO (Direct Loan Origination and Consolidation) for the Federal Direct Loan Program:

1. On December 22, 1999, the DLOS/LC will run normal processing using data from the TIV WAN as of 7:00 PM EST. This data will be returned the morning of December 23, 1999.

2. All data received by the TIV WAN after 7:00 PM EST on December 22, 1999 but before 7:00 PM EST on December 24, will be processed and returned to the schools by 7:00 AM Dec. 27, 1999.

3. On December 27, 1999 normal processing will be done through December 29, 1999. All data received by TIV WAN by 7:00 PM EST on December 29, 1999 will be processed and returned the morning of Dec. 30, 1999.

4. All data received by the TIV WAN after 7:00 PM EST on Dec. 29, 1999 but before 7:00 PM EST on Dec. 30, will be processed and returned to the schools by 7:00 AM Jan. 3, 2000.

5. The Customer Service is closed 8 AM to 8 PM EST on Dec. 31, 1999, Jan. 1 and 2, but will be open 8 AM EST on Jan. 3, 2000.

The telephone numbers for the Customer Service are:

The School relations line phone number: 800-848-0978
The Applicant Services number: 800-557-7394
The fax number: 800-557-7396

DLSS (Direct Loan Servicing System) and CDS (Direct Loan Central Data Base System) for the Federal Direct Loan Program:

1. The Direct Loan Web Site will be unavailable from 6:00 PM EST Friday, December 31, 1999, through 10 am EST Saturday, January 1, 2000.

2. Customer Service Centers:

a. At Utica, New York: Is available from the Direct Loan borrowers on Dec. 31, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM EST. As normal, the center is closed on a weekend (Jan. 1 and 2). The Center will be open for business as usual on Mon. Jan 3, 2000.

b. At Bakersfield, California: Is available from the Direct Loan borrowers on Dec. 31, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM PST. As normal, the center is closed on a weekend (Jan. 1 and 2). The Center will be open for business as usual on Mon. Jan 3, 2000.

3. Voice Response Unit (VRU): VRU will not be available from 6:00 PM EST on Friday, Dec. 31, 1999 through 10:15 AM EST on Jan. 1, 2000.

a. The toll free telephone lines which borrowers call in on are always open.

b. If any borrower calls between 6:00 PM EST on December 31, and 10:15 AM EST on January 1, the callers will hear a message that the VRU is not available due to scheduled maintenance.

c. VRU will be on at 10:15 AM EST January 1, 2000. However, since the service centers are closed on weekends, a borrower trying to reach a customer service representative on the weekend of January 1 -2, would hear the normal message providing the regular business hours and asking the borrower to call back on Monday, January 3.


FFEL (Federal Family Education System) for student loan programs:

1. FFEL system production operations will close at 7 AM EST on Dec. 31, 1999.

2. FFEL system production operations will be up for production at 5 PM EST on Jan. 1, 2000.

3. The Customer Service (1-800-435-7709) will be closed 9 PM EST on Dec. 30, 1999 and reopen 8 AM EST on Jan. 3, 2000.


MDE (Multiple Data Entry System) for student aid applications:

1. The MDE will not be available from 8 AM CST on Dec. 30, 1999 to 8 AM CST on Jan. 3, 2000.

2. The Federal Student Aid Information Center will not be taking calls on Friday. December 31, 1999 (due to the holiday) but will be available during their normal hours on December 30, 1999 and January 3, 2000. This applies both the toll free number (800-433-3243) and the toll number (319-337-5665).


NSLDS (National Student Loan Database System) for student aid and loan information:

The Web and the CICS will not be available from 12 noon EST Dec. 31, 1999 through 8AM EST Jan. 3, 2000. The Customer Service Center, (800) 999-8219, will not be available from 8:00 PM EST Dec. 31, 1999 through 8:00 AM EST Jan. 3, 2000.

Pell RFMS (Pell Grant Recipient and Financial Management System):

1. On Friday, December 24, 1999, the Federal Pell Grant program's RFMS will not process any records. While the Title IV WAN will be available for sending and receiving data as usual, RFMS will not retrieve nor return any Electronic Data Exchange (EDE) data beginning December 24, 1999 through December 26, 1999. RFMS will resume retrieving, processing, and sending EDE data on Monday, December 27, 1999.

2. On January 1, 2000, RFMS will retrieve all Title IV WAN receipts from December 30, 1999 through approximately 5:00 p.m. New Year's Day (2000/01/01). RFMS expects to process these data and return results to the Title IV WAN during the evening of January 1, 2000. No RFMS processing is scheduled for Sunday, January 2. RFMS will return to its usual schedule on Monday, January 3.

3. Pell Website is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

4. The Pell Grant Customer Service (1-800-474-7268) will not be available from 9 PM EST on Dec. 30, 1999 until 8 AM EST on Jan. 3, 2000.

PEPS (Postsecondary Education Participation System) for institution participant information:

1. Both PEPS (T-600) and PEPS (EAPP Web server) will not be available from 6 PM EST Dec. 31, 1999 to 8 AM EST on Jan. 1, 2000. Users still can access the system for read only after 10 PM EST on Dec. 31, 1999 through 8 AM EST on Jan. 1, 2000.

2. The PEPS Help Desk, 877-366-3388, will not be available from 8:00 PM EST 12/31/99 through 8:00 AM EST 1/3/2000.