Publication Date: April 27, 2001
Author: General Manager: SFA School Channel
Summary: Availability of EDExpress for Windows 2000-2001, Version 6.3.1 Service Release
Posted on April 27, 2001
TO: All EDExpress Direct Loan Users
FROM: U.S. Department of Education
RE: Availability of EDExpress for Windows 2000-2001, Version 6.3.1 Service Release
DATE: April 27, 2001
The Department wishes to alert all Direct Loan participants using the EDExpress for Windows 2000-2001 to the availability of the service release Version 6.3.1, an upgrade to Version 6.3.
If you do not use the Direct Loan module of EDExpress for Windows 2000-2001, you do NOT need to install Version 6.3.1. The Direct Loan module is the only software area affected by this release.
Version 6.3.1 is available for download from the Department’s FSAdownload Web site (located at http://fsadownload.ed.gov/index.htm). The downloadable install file, called EDExpress631.exe, is self-extracting and will need to be run on ALL PC workstations that access the 2000-2001 EDExpress database. NOTE: You must have Version 6.3 installed on your system prior to loading Version 6.3.1.
As mentioned in a recent network message, Version 6.3.1 has been designed and released specifically to update the 2000-2001 EDExpress software to accept data resulting from a recent processing change by the Loan Origination Center (LOC). The LOC modification impacted schools using EDExpress to process Direct Loan data for the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 cycles. The LOC modification does not affect the 2001-2002 EDExpress Direct Loan module.
On February 20, 2001, software enhancements were implemented at the LOC for disbursement adjustment processing. These enhancements affect the valid field content for field #22 - Disbursement Actual Net Adjustment of the Disbursement Acknowledgement for message classes DIOD01OP and DIOD00OP.
As of February 20th, this amount is now being populated in field #22 of the Disbursement Acknowledgement for all disbursement adjustments. In the past, this field remained blank for accepted disbursement adjustment transactions.
The 2000-2001 EDExpress software expected this field to be blank for accepted adjustments, and hence any values in this field caused EDExpress to update the disbursement adjustment status to "E" (error) status.
After installing Version 6.3.1, disbursement adjustment records will be updated with a status of "E" (error) only if they are actually rejected by the LOC. The software will no longer assign an "E" status to these records based solely on the presence of data in field #22.
NOTE FOR 1999-2000 EDEXPRESS DIRECT LOAN USERS: Schools needing assistance with importing DIOD00OP files into EDExpress Version 5.4.2 should continue to contact CPS/WAN Technical Support for assistance with editing the acknowledgement files so the affected records update the software correctly.
To run the service release install, first download the EDExpress631.exe file from SFAdownload to a directory on your hard drive or network. Close all running applications, go to Start | Run, type in the directory location of the downloaded file, type the file name itself (I.E. C:\Windows\Temp\EDExpress631.exe), then click OK. This will extract the necessary install files and automatically launch the install program.
If you have multiple PC workstations accessing a networked EDExpress database, copy the install file from PC to PC, running the install on each as you proceed, or run the installation program from the network drive it is saved to. Be sure to reboot each PC Version 6.3.1 is installed on once the installation program is complete.
Version 6.3.1 will not perform any updates to your EDExpress database (Expres01.mdb).
If you need assistance connecting to the SFAdownload site or with the download, installation and/or use of Version 6.3.1, please contact CPS/WAN Technical Support at 800/330-5947 or via e-mail at CPSWAN@NCS.COM.
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/.