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Availability of Return of Title IV Funds Version 1.1, Target Release Date - July 13, 2000

PublicationDate: 7/7/2000
Summary: Availability of Return of Title IV Funds Version 1.1, Target Release Date - July 13, 2000
Author: General Manager: SFA Student Channel

Posted on July 7, 2000

TO: All Destination Points
FROM: U.S. Department of Education
RE: Availability of Return of Title IV Funds Version 1.1, Target Release Date - July 13, 2000

We are pleased to announce the release of Version 1.1 of Return of Title IV Funds, a new U.S. Department of Education software product. The Return of Title IV Funds software is designed to assist schools in calculating and managing the return of Title IV aid-related funds when a student withdraws from school, and can be used to process and analyze information for multiple processing years.

This new version incorporates several changes in functionality that were made as a direct result of school feedback regarding the pre-release release, Version 1.0. Several software issues have also been resolved. The Department thanks all schools who took the time to assess Version 1.0 and provide comments and suggestions, all of which were reviewed and taken into consideration for this release and future releases.

Version 1.1 is available for download from the Department’s SFAdownload Web site, located at http://fsadownload.ed.gov/index.htm. The Return of Title IV Funds Installation Guide and the Version 1.1 Cover Letter contain important information you should review and must also be downloaded from the SFAdownload Web site. The SFAdownload site also contains a helpful Quick Reference sheet with information on commonly-used functionality and processes.

Version 1.1 is an upgrade to Version 1.0. However, if you did not install Version 1.0 on your system, you should perform a FULL installation of Version 1.1 on your system. You do not need to install Version 1.0 first.

If you did install Version 1.0, you can upgrade from Version 1.0 to Version 1.1 by selecting the Custom install option during your stand-alone or workstation installation. The option “Return of Title IV Funds for Windows v1” will already be marked, and will load the Version 1.1 program files. You should mark the “Help” checkbox if you wish to load the most recent help file (this checkbox is not automatically selected).

Do NOT mark the “Database” checkbox unless you are performing a first-time installation or want to overwrite your Version 1.0 database. Remember, if you choose to overwrite your database, all setup and data previously entered will be lost.

If you receive any prompts during the installation indicating an existing file was found and asking if you want to overwrite, click “Yes.” After you upgrade from Version 1.0 to 1.1, be sure to reboot your PC.

If you are running Version 1.0 in a network environment, you should complete ALL of your workstation installations on all relevant production PCs, rebooting each PC as you finish the install, before accessing the software again.

NOTE: If you need to run the Uninstall utility on Version 1.0 or Version 1.1 for any reason, please create a back-up copy of your Return of Title IV Funds database (R2T4.mdb) first. This file will be located in the PC or network drive you originally directed the standalone or network server installation to.

Return of Title IV Funds is a 32-bit software program and will run only in Windows 95, Windows NT, or Windows 98 environments. For further system requirements, please consult the Installation Guide.

Version 1.1 is available on the SFAdownload Web site in two formats. You can download the entire software in one file, called R2T4V11.exe, or you can download the software in five separate installments, which can then be copied to a hard drive, network drive or diskettes. Please review the download and installation instructions contained in the Installation Guide for more detail.

The following five software fixes have been implemented in Version 1.1:

1) CM #2782: When printing the Post-Withdrawal Worksheet from the R2T4 tab, the software now correctly references Boxes L and N in Section Q.

2) CM #2795: The Retrieve function on the Program Institutional Charges setup screen correctly displays all data specific to the code selected when the code is assigned to student records.

3) CM #2810: For credit hour institutions, if the calculation on Step 2 equals exactly 60%, the software displayed 100% incorrectly. This has been corrected in Version 1.1.

4) CM #2833: The software will retain resizing of the software window by users who wish to view other program windows more easily. In Version 1.0, the software re-maximized the software window every time a new student record was opened.

5) CM #2909: Four column headings on the Student Data tab under Tools | Browse Student have been updated.

In addition to the changes listed above, the following new features and upgrades are available in Version 1.1:

1) The School Calendar setup screen displays five open grid slots for entering break periods. Version 1.0 only displayed one slot, and required pressing “Enter” on the last column of the row to add another row.

2) An edit message on the field “Date of an Institution’s Determination that the Student Withdrew” on the R2T4 tab now states “Date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew should not be prior to 11/01/1999 or later than current date.” The message previously led to some confusion among schools due to its reference to dates “prior to 1900.”

3) A warning message has been added to the software start-up screen to remind new users they must complete the School Calendar Profile and Program Institutional Charges setup screens before student withdrawal record entry can be performed.

4) The School Calendar Profile setup screen will not be accessible until the user has created and saved at least one Program Institutional Charges profile in setup.

5) All entry fields on the Demo tab have been added to the Tools | Browse grid to allow for sorting and exporting data to an external system.

6) A new Default Date function has been added to the Student Overpayment screen (via View | Return Arrangements) to allow users to populate the Date Student Notified field en masse, similar to Multiple Entry in other EDE products.

7) The software help text has been expanded to provide more detail on specific data fields and processes, as well as examples of different software use scenarios depending on school type.

8) The field Student ID has been added to the File | Open grid for schools who identify student records based on internal identifiers (entered in the Student ID field on the Demo tab) rather than SSN.

9) A new User Data tab has been added to the Tools |Browse grid to allow sorting and exporting of user database fields to an external system. User database fields created PRIOR to installing Version 1.1 will be displayed under their field name. User database fields created AFTER installing Version 1.1 will be displayed under their field description.

If you need any assistance connecting to the SFAdownload site or downloading Return of Title IV Funds Version 1.1 (in single or multiple file format), please contact Title IV WAN Customer Service at 800/615-1189 or via email at T4WAN@NCS.COM.

If you need assistance with the installation or encounter technical problems in your use of the Return of Title IV Funds Version 1.1 (once downloaded from the SFAdownload Web site), please contact CPS Customer Service at 800/330-5947, option 9, or via email at CPS@NCS.COM.

If you have questions regarding policy or regulations on the return of Title IV funds to the Department, including the calculation methodologies used in Version 1.1, please contact the Department’s Customer Support Branch at 800/433-7327 or via email at osfap_csb@ed.gov.

If you have technical questions about our SFA systems and software, you may want to subscribe to our email list serve, SFATECH. For more information about SFATECH, including how to subscribe, look online at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/sfatech/.