Publication Date: April 14, 2003
Author: General Manager: FSA Schools Channel
Summary: Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System Available for the 2003-2004
Posted on 04-14-2003
TO: All Destination Points
FROM: Common Origination and Disbursement
RE: Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System Update for the 2003-2004 Processing Year - April 2003
Since April 2002, Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) has been the financial aid delivery system for the Federal Pell Grant and Direct Loan programs. This announcement contains important information on key features available for the 2003-2004 Award Year release of the COD System. These features are described in detail below.
I. COD System Processing Functions Enhanced for 2003-2004�
§ Phase-In Message Classes for the Pell Grant and Direct Loan programs have been updated. The message classes will be updated to accommodate the "04" ending Award Year cycle indicator, located in positions 5&6 of the message class ID. A complete list of message classes is available in the 2003-2004 COD Technical Reference at: http://fsadownload.ed.gov/index.htm.
§ Pell Grant and Direct Loan data for multiple award years will be processed at the same time. The COD web site has been updated to accommodate this functionality. Award Year 2003-2004 is now available in the drop down boxes on the COD web site, www.cod.ed.gov. Using the drop down functionality will allow you to view award year specific information.
§ The Master Promissory Note for Direct PLUS Loans will be implemented. More detailed information can be found in Direct Loan Bulletin DLB 03-07 at: http://www.ifap.ed.gov/dlbulletins/DLB0307.html.
§ COD will print the new Subsidized/Unsubsidized MPN and Borrower Rights and Responsibilities for all award years.
§ New expiration dates for MPN apply to MPNs where first loan linked occurs after 2003-2004 release.
§ The eMPN for PLUS will be implemented April 14, 2003.
§ When a student has multiple promissory notes, the Promissory Note Search Screen on the COD web site will now display the student or PLUS borrower's name, DOB and SSN in the blue Search Result bar. The student-identifying elements link directly to the person screen. This information was previously displayed only when the student had one note on file and was not displayed when multiple promissory notes were present for a student.
§ For the 2003-2004 Award Year you are able to choose by program type the format in which you will submit your records to COD. This means you can send your Pell Grant records in the XML format, and your Direct Loan records in the fixed-length format. If you plan on becoming a Full Participant for the 2003-2004 Award Year, you must complete a Full Participant Request Letter. Detailed instructions are available on IFAP at: http://www.ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/0226CODSignUpforFP0304.html.
§ For the 2003-2004 Award Year the Department of Education's EDExpress software will transmit records in the XML format. If you use the EDExpress software, you must be signed up as a Full Participant in order for your records to process correctly. To confirm your Full Participant status, please contact the COD School Relations Center.
II. Common Record XML Schema Changes
Note: All 2003-2004 Award Year Common Record documents must conform to the latest Common Record XML Schema v 2.0 at: http://www.ifap.ed.gov.
COD will support the 2002-2003 (v1.0) and the 2003-2004 (v2.0) XML schema concurrently. All Full Participants must use XML Schema v2.0 for 2003-2004 Award Year data. However, Full Participants for 2002-2003 Award Year may use either the XML Schema v1.0 or v2.0 for 2002-2003 Award Year data. COD responses are based on the XML schema version in which they are submitted. All XML tag names in the 2003-2004 (v2.0) XML schema have been updated for 2003-2004 Award Year processing. These include eliminating non-standard abbreviations and updating field names for clarity.
Tags will be added to the 2003-2004 (v2.0) XML schema. These are:
§ The Name Space Attribute on the Common Record tag: This attribute identifies which schema version is being used. COD assumes the 2002-2003 XML Schema v1.0g if the names space is not present on the common record submission. If you plan to submit records using the v2.0 XML schema, you must use this attribute.
§ Negative Pending Amount: This tag indicates the amount of a Pell award that has been overpaid. This tag is returned when a change to an award amount results in the sum of actual disbursements being greater than the award amount.
§ Endorser Amount: This tag has been added on the PLUS Credit Decision response and Endorser Addendum. It indicates the total amount of the PLUS loan for which the endorser has agreed to co-sign.
§ Previous Sequence Number: This tag has been added in the disbursement block of the Common Record response to indicate the previous disbursement sequence number processed by COD. This tag will be returned on all disbursement responses, including system generated responses.
§ Total Financial Award Accepted: This tag has been added in the response document and indicates the total dollar award amount accepted in the Common Record document.
§ Total Funded Disbursement Accepted: This tag has been added in the response document, and indicates the total net disbursement amount accepted in this document, with Disbursement Release Indicator (DRI) equal true.
§ Total Non-Funded Disbursement Accepted: This tag has been added in the response document and indicates the total net disbursement amount accepted in the document with a Disbursement Release Indicator equal false.
Tags will be modified on the 2003-2004 (v2.0) XML Schema. These are:
- Disclosure Statement Print Code: The value of 'S' has been added. This value indicates that a school printed and provided a disclosure statement to the borrower.
- Promissory Note Print Code: The values of 'V' and 'O' have been added. 'V' indicates COD reprints and sends to the school, and 'O' indicates the school prints onsite and sends.
- MPN ID: The value of 'N' has been added. This value indicates a PLUS MPN.
- Award Amount Requested: This tag has been removed, and will no longer be returned on Direct Loan MPN responses.
- Verification Status Code: The valid values for the Verification Status Code will be 'V', 'W', 'S', and 'BLANK'. Verification code 'S' has been added and should be used for "Selected, but Not Verified".
Additional information regarding updated Common Record tag names and XML Schema is available in the 2003-2004 COD Technical Reference at: http://fsadownload.ed.gov/index.htm.
III. Phase-In Record Layout Changes
Updates will be made to the Phase-In fixed length record layout. The complete record layouts for the Pell Grant and Direct Loan programs are available in the 2003-2004 COD Technical Reference at: http://fsadownload.ed.gov/index.htm.
Pell Grant Program Modifications
- New Pell Grant verification status codes: The valid values for the Verification Status Code will be 'V', 'W', 'S', and 'BLANK'. Verification code 'S' has been added and should be used for "Selected, but Not Verified".
Direct Loan Program Modifications
- Promissory Note Print Indicator in the 2003-2004 Full Loan Origination Record and Change Transmit #S083: The indicators of 'V' (COD reprints and sends to school) and 'Z' (COD reprints and sends to borrower) have been added. The indicator 'O' (onsite) has been removed.
- Full Loan Origination Record and Change transmit #S115: Indicator 'Z' has been added to indicate COD reprints the promissory note.
- Endorser Amount Field: This is a new field and is returned to schools on the Credit Decision Override Acknowledgements. The amount in the Endorser Amount field will not increase once an endorser addendum has been accepted. Additionally, the actual disbursements cannot exceed the endorser amount.
- PLUS Borrower SSN Field: This is a new field and it is returned to schools on the MPN Acknowledgement. This field will contain the SSN of the PLUS borrower that signed the MPN. This field will be blank on responses for Subsidized and Unsubsidized MPN's.
IV. Edit Modifications
A complete list of all Full Participant and Phase-In edits is available in the 2003-2004 COD Technical Reference at: http://fsadownload.ed.gov/index.htm.
Rejection edits will be modified for the 2003-2004 Award Year. These are:
- Full Participant Edit 107 (Phase-In Schools Cannot Submit Common Record documents for this program and award year): This edit replaces Full Participant Edit 010 for the 2003-2004 Award Year and forward. This edit is returned when a school submits a Common Record that contains award data for a program and/or award year for which the school is not a Full Participant.
- Phase-In Edit 301 (Invalid Origination ID): This edit is now equivalent to Full Participant Edit 033 (Duplicate Award ID). Previously, for the 2002-2003 Award Year it was equivalent to Full Participant Edit 826. This modification allows Phase-In Edit 301 to be returned if the origination ID is considered invalid or is a duplicate.
- Full Participant Edit 113 (Total Disbursed Amount cannot be greater than the lesser of the Award Amount or the Endorser Amount): This edit applies to PLUS awards for the 2003-2004 Award Year and forward. This edit compares the Total Disbursement Amount (Disbursement Release Indicator equal true) to the lesser of the Award or the Endorser Amount received on the Endorser Addendum.
- Full Participant Edit 001/Phase-In Edit 04 (Invalid Destination Mailbox ID): The response of this edit has been modified. The way the edit is reflected in the response will vary depending on the entity level at which the edit failed.
- If the edit is identified at the Reporting School, COD will return the Reporting School tags. The attending and student tags will not be returned with the response.
- If the edit is identified at the Attending School level, COD will return both the Reporting and Attending School tags. COD will not return any student tags because COD does not process the student record within a batch if the Attending School information is rejected.
Warning edits will be added.
§ Full Participant Edit 110 (School must print/provide the disclosure statement unless it sends disbursement data to COD at least 5-days before the first disbursement date): Full Participant schools will receive this edit if they submit a Direct Loan award without anticipated disbursement data and do not indicate that school will print the disclosure statement or if they submit a Direct Loan award with anticipated disbursement data, but it is within 5 days of the earliest anticipated disbursement date, and do not indicate that the school will print the disclosure statement.
§ Full Participant Edit 111 (First actual disbursement was submitted 5-days or less prior to the first disbursement date without indication that the school printed/provided a disclosure statement): Full Participant schools will receive Edit 111 when they submit actual disbursement within 5 days of the disbursement date AND they have not previously provided anticipated disbursement data AND there is no indication they had/will provide the Disclosure statement.
V. Pell Grant Limitation at This Time
Pell disbursement processing for the 2003-2004 award year will not begin until June 21, 2003:,
§ Phase-In schools may submit origination records only at this time. Phase-In schools submitting disbursement records prior to June 21 will receive reject edit 408 (Disbursement Date is Not Valid for Processing Date, not in Valid Range, or not a valid Date format).
§ Full Participant schools may submit common records that contain disbursement information at this time as long as the Disbursement Release Indicator (DRI) value is false. If the DRI value is equal to true before June 21, the disbursement will be rejected and Edit 996 (Invalid Value) will be sent. Beginning June 21, the DRI may be changed to true and disbursements will be processed.
§ Initial Pell Grant Authorizations for 2003-2004 will be determined in May. Current Funding Levels (CFL) will be established in COD at that time and Electronic Statements of Account (ESOA) will be sent to SAIG mailboxes. Funds for the Pell Grant program will not available in GAPS until July 1, 2003.
COD currently plans to implement additional functionality later this summer. More information will be provided closer to that time.
If you have any questions about COD, please contact the COD School Relations Center at: 1-800-4PGRANT for Pell Grants, or 1-800-848-0978 for Direct Loans. You may also email COD Customer Service at: CODSupport@acs-inc.com. Thank you for your continued support of the COD System.