Publication Date: August 3, 2001
Author: General Manager: SFA School Channel
Summary: Reconciliation for the Federal Pell Grant Program
Posted August 3, 2001
TO: All Destination Points
FROM: Pell Grant Processing
SUBJECT: Reconciliation for the Federal Pell Grant Program
THIS MESSAGE: Announces the availability of a 2000-2001 Reconciliation
Tool for the Federal Pell Grant Program
Provides Instructions on how to use the RFMS 2000-2001 Reconciliation File
Discusses Reconciliation Options for EDExpress Users
To assist schools in their end of Award Year reconciliation, the
2000-2001 Reconciliation file is being sent to every school participating
in the Federal Pell Grant Program.
This RFMS Reconciliation file is intended to particularly aid institutions
that use "homegrown" or third party software that may have limitations in
their ability to provide reconciliation tools. EDExpress users should
follow the instructions below, under IF YOU ARE AN EDEXPRESS USER, in
order to use the enhanced functionality of the List -Processed
Disbursements- Year to Date report available in the 6.3 version of
EDExpress.
This RFMS Reconciliation file has been automatically placed in all
institutions' TIVWAN mailboxes beginning July 28 through August 1. All of
the files have now been distributed to institution mailboxes.
Follow the instructions below to use this file as you determine best to
help you reconcile. There are a number of options for using this file
including:
- Printing the file as it was received
- Importing the file into software, such as a spreadsheet or database
software package which will allow you to sort and format the data as best
suits your needs
- Importing the file into EDExpress
The RFMS Reconciliation File is produced in Attended Campus, then Student
Name order (Last, then First). The fields in the file include: Recipient
Name, Origination ID (which includes, SSN, Name Code, Year Indicator,
Attending Pell ID and Origination Sequence Number), Application
Transaction Number, Scheduled Award as calculated by RFMS, Origination
Award Amount as accepted by RFMS, and YTD Disbursement Total as accepted
by RFMS. All the information in this file is taken from information that
exists in the standard Pell Year to Date Record that can be requested
through your regular software. Please note that the file is 80 characters
long, so it may be easily printed on standard 8-1/2x11 inch paper.
The file will include a Grant Header (which can be ignored), a Title Line
which contains labels for the columns, one line for each accepted
origination record for your school, which includes the YTD disbursed
amount for that Origination, and a Grant Trailer (which contains totals
for the number of recipients, total amount for Origination Award Amount,
and total amount for accepted YTD Disbursements).
You will receive this file via Title IV WAN message class PGTX01OP (ASCII
Text File format). Download the RFMS Reconciliation file from Title IV WAN
as you would download a file of this message class through EDConnect,
mainframe-to-mainframe, or your own software. Please note that this file
is sent in compressed format, so you must decompress it just as you do any
other file received from Title IV WAN. Also, remember the name and
subdirectory under which you saved the file. If this is the first PGTX01OP
file you have received, it will have a .DAT extension, with additional
files being named .001, then .002, etc.). You may want an updated
reconciliation file in late August or September to further aid you in
reconciling. If you would like an updated reconciliation file for
2000-2001, please make your request via email to pell.systems@ed.gov.
Please use the subject line "Request for updated 2000-2001 reconciliation
file".
After download, you may print the file or import the file into a
spreadsheet using the following steps:
(1) Mainframe users may want to download the file to their PC to view it,
print it, or import the file into Microsoft Excel.
For instance, printing can be done on a PC using the WORDPAD accessory
(Start|Programs|Accessories|WordPad) that comes with any version of
Windows (use Print Preview under the FILE tab before printing to determine
if you need to change your margins - to be safe, use PAGE SETUP to set
left and right margins to 0" to allow the printing to have one recipient
per line.)
(2) For those who wish to import the file into a spreadsheet using a
program like Microsoft Excel, click File | Open after starting Excel. When
the 'Open' windows appears, type in the name that you saved the downloaded
file under and click 'Open'. Since the file is not in XLS (spreadsheet
format), the program will automatically prompt you to convert it. Follow
the directions - first, respond that the fields are fixed width, start
import at row 3, and then click on 'Next'. Continue by clicking on 'Next'
again and finally on 'Finish'. These instructions have been tested using
Microsoft Excel for Windows 97 and for Windows 2000.
Once you have imported the file into a spreadsheet, you will probably want
to increase the column width for the Recipient Name to 20 characters and
Origination ID to 23 characters (by choosing Format | Column | Width ) for
each so you may see all of the data. Also, set the format for the
Origination Award Amount and YTD Disbursement Total to numeric with two
decimal places in case any of your recipients have pennies in their award
amounts. Choose Format | Cells | Number and clicking on Number. Before
printing, use File | Print Preview to see if the report fits across a
single page. If not, click on Margins under Print Preview to change the
left and right margins to .25" each.
(3) Import the file into EDExpress by going to File | Import | Pell | ED
Comments - RFMS (last option). You will then need to select the name of
the file to import. (PGTX01OP.DAT, or the file name you entered when
downloading the file). You can print the report to your printer, the
screen, or a file.
If you have any problems, or need assistance please call the Pell Grant
Customer Hotline at 1-800-4PGRANT (1-800-474-7268) or via e-mail at
pell.systems@ed.gov.
IF YOU ARE AN EDEXPRESS USER
To reconcile your 2000-2001 EDExpress Pell information with RFMS using a
Pell Year-to-Date file (PGYR01OP), follow the procedure below:
1) You should first ensure you are running 2000-2001 EDExpress Version 6.3
If you have not upgraded to Version 6.3, you can acquire the software
install file from the Department's SFAdownload site at
<<<http://fsadownload.ed.gov/index.htm>>>. Once you are running Version 6.3, and
have received a recent PGYR01OP file, follow the steps below:
2) Resolve all pending records: You may wish to create a query for pending
origination records. For example:
-- Go to Tools | Query | Pell and click on Add. Title the query a name
recognizable to you, such as "Originations Pending Resolution" -
-- In Field, choose Origination Status. In Operator, choose "<>". In
Value, enter A. Click on Append;
Save the query. Print an Origination List. Review the records. You do not
need to delete the records with the Origination status of "N" (Not Ready),
but you may choose to do so, as this makes the Compare and Print Exception
YTD Import Edit Report easier to navigate.
You may wish to complete the cycle on all "R" (Ready) and "B" (Batched)
records to reduce differences between your database and the PGYR01OP file
data.
If the status is "E" (Rejected), review the Edit Comment codes by opening
the record and going to View | Processed Edits/Comments on the Pell Grant
tab, or by printing the Edits/Comment by Student list. If the Edit/Comment
is 302, Duplicate Origination, these records can be rebuilt to the
accepted/corrected status while importing a current PGYR01OP file by using
the "Update Selected Records" option. Resolve all other pending records.
You may also wish to create a query for pending disbursement records. For
example:
-- Go to Tools | Query | Pell. Click on Add. Title the query a name
recognizable to you, such as "Disbursements Pending Resolution";
-- In Field, choose Disbursement Status. In Operator, choose "<>". In
Value, enter A. Click on Append;
Save the query. Print a Disbursement List. Review the records. You may
wish to complete the cycle on all "R" (Ready) and "B" (Batched) records to
reduce differences between your database and the PGYR01OP file data.
If the status is "E" (Rejected), review the Edit Comment codes by opening
the record and going to View | Processed Edits/Comments on the Pell Grant
tab.
3) Order PGYR (Pell Grant Year to Date) files for all attended campuses:
PGYR files are batched by attended campus. You should request a PGYR01OP
file for each attended campus. You may do this through EDExpress if you
choose. To use your EDExpress to request a Pell YTD file, please follow
these steps:
-- Go to File | Export and choose the Pell tab;
-- For Export Type, choose Data Request;
-- Check the Year-To-Date Records checkbox, and make sure your Reporting
and
Attended Campus IDs are in the appropriate boxes;
-- Click OK to export the file;
-- Transmit the resulting PGRQ01IN file through
EDconnect;
-- RFMS will return a PGYR01OP file in response to the
Year-to-Date data request.
4) Import the PGYR01OP file(s) you receive: When you have received the
PGYR file(s) for each attended campus, go to File | Import | YTD Data.
Mark "Compare and Print Exceptions."
The Compare and Print Exceptions import edit report is divided into two
sections: the Origination Exceptions section and the Disbursement
Exceptions Section. Only records in the PGYR01OP file that are not matched
on your EDExpress database will appear on the report. After identifying
these records, you may take action to eliminate the discrepancies. You
may also wish to review the totals given at the end of the disbursement
exception section. If the Total YTD Disbursement Amount equals the Total
School Disbursement Amount, your payment totals matches those contained in
the PGYR01OP file.
5) Run YTD totals report: Print the List - Processed Disbursements
Year-to-Date report for each attended campus. Ensure the totals per
student match your other records.
If you have any questions regarding the Pell module of EDExpress, please
contact CPS/WAN Technical Support at 800/330-5947 or via e-mail at
CPSWAN@NCS.COM.