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Summary: Summary of 2003-04 Application Processing System Changes

Publication Date: November 29, 2002

Author: CPS | Central Processing System

Summary: Summary of 2003-04 Application Processing System Changes


Posted on 11-29-2002


TO: All Destination Points
FROM: U.S. Department of Education
RE: Summary of 2003-04 Application Processing System Changes
DATE: November 29, 2002

The U.S. Department of Education is pleased to announce that a summary of all 2003-04 Application Processing System changes has been posted on the Department's Federal Student Aid (FSA) Download (FSAdownload) Web site at http://FSAdownload.ed.gov, (http://fsadownload.ed.gov/AppProcSys0304.htm) and on FSA's Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site at http://ifap.ed.gov
(http://ifap.ed.gov/fafsa-and-sar-materials/11-06-2002-summary-changes-2003-04-application-processing-system).

The summary provides information about the changes and enhancements FSA is making to the 2003-04 Application Processing System, including changes to the:

  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Renewal FAFSA
  • Central Processing System (CPS), including edits, database matches, and need analysis
  • Student Aid Report (SAR)
  • Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR)
  • Federal School Code List
  • CPS Mainframe Test System

Many of the enhancements we are making were based on suggestions from you and your colleagues, as well as from students and parents. As we continue our efforts to simplify and automate the application process, and respond to the needs of student aid applicants and the financial aid community, we encourage you to share with us your ideas and suggestions for further enhancements.

Watch for Other Notices of 2003-04 Changes

This is the third in a series of announcements about changes we are making to the application processing system for the 2003-04 award year.

In August and September 2002, we posted electronic announcements on FSA's Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site, summarizing the changes we are making to the 2003-04 Renewal Application Process (RAPP). At the same time, we posted a comprehensive Renewal Application Data Process Guide on FSAdownload, which provides information and instructions for participating in the RAPP process.

In October 2002, we posted an announcement on IFAP that describes changes we are making to the EDESuite/EDExpress software for 2003-04.
Watch for a fourth announcement later this month describing changes we are making to our student and school Web application products for 2003-04, including the streamlined FAFSA on the Web application for students who qualify for an Automatic Zero Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and the redesigned FAA Access to the CPS Online.

If you have any questions regarding the info" size="2">If you have any questions regarding the information contained in this document, please contact CPS/t cpswan@ncs.com.