Publication Date: August 26, 2003
Author: General Manager: FSA Students Channel
Summary: Change to 2004-2005 Central Processing System (CPS) Message Classes
Posted on 08-26-2003
TO: All Destination Points
FROM: General Manager, FSA Students Channel
SUBJECT: Change to 2004-2005 Central Processing System (CPS) Message Classes
Federal Student Aid (FSA) would like to notify users of Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) data that we are making changes to 2004-2005 ISIR message classes. CPS will continue to post processed data files to your Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) mailboxes, but the message classes we use for the 2004-2005 processing cycle will be different than those being used in 2003-2004.
** Background **
We are making changes to the 2004-2005 message classes in order to implement an ISIR datamart on January 1, 2004. The message class changes will affect 2004-2005 ISIRs and beyond, but will not affect the message class system for 2003-2004 ISIRs.
When implemented, the new ISIR Datamart will store all 2004-2005 ISIR transaction data generated by the CPS for distribution to and retrieval by schools, state agencies, and other authorized users. Users of ISIR data will have the option to continue to receive ISIRs through SAIG as they currently do, or they can elect to go to FAA Access to CPS Online and request ISIRs from the datamart based on query criteria. Users who elect to continue to receive SAIG daily ISIRs also have the option to request ISIRs from the datamart if they wish.
In addition to daily and requested ISIRs, some ISIRs will be distributed (or “pushed”) to schools whether they were requested or not. If your school code is listed on a “pushed” transaction, you will receive an ISIR for the student under the separate message. This separate message class will include: (1) transactions where the EFC has changed from the previous transaction, (2) transactions where the SAR C Flag has changed between transactions, and (3) all System-Generated transactions (NSLDS postscreening, DHS Secondary Confirmation, and reprocessed ISIRs). You must review all ISIRs received under this message class and assess any potential impact to the students’ aid eligibility.
** New Message Classes **
In 2004-2005, we will distribute ISIR data to your SAIG mailboxes using the following four message classes:
1) ISDF05OP: Daily ISIRs will be deposited in your SAIG mailbox under message class ISDF05OP. These files will contain processed ISIRs that are currently sent in the EAPS, CORR, and SARA message classes. Processed ISIRs resulting from the different input message classes will no longer be differentiated following CPS processing and output in 2004-2005.
2) ISRF05OP: ISIRs requested directly from the ISIR Datamart will be sent under message class ISRF05OP.
3) ISGF05OP: All “pushed” ISIRs will be sent to your SAIG mailbox under this message class. These will include ISIR data currently sent under the message classes of CORR, SARA, and SYSG.
4) ERRF05OP: This file will contain any error records generated by the CPS as a result of initial FAFSA and/or ISIR correction data you submit for 2004-2005.
** Identifying 2004-2005 ISIR Data Sources **
Many schools use the current EAPS, CORR, and SARA message classes to help them categorize and organize processed ISIR data posted to their SAIG mailbox.
While we have consolidated all ISIR data under these four new message classes, we recognize that some schools will still need a means to differentiate ISIR data created by initial FAFSAs versus ISIR corrections, and so on.
The following 2004-2005 ISIR field positions can be analyzed to identify the original source and background on the ISIR data you have received:
1) Positions 535 and 536 (Transaction Data Source/Type) provide codes for who generated the transaction and what type of data was processed. For example, a value of “1A” in positions 535 and 536 will indicate that the ISIR transaction resulted from an electronically filed FAFSA (a value of “1” indicates an electronic filing and a value of “A” indicates an initial application).
2) Position 1730 (Electronic Federal School Code Indicator) tells which position of the 6 school codes listed initiated the transaction. For example, if your school is the first school code listed on the ISIR transaction, but the Electronic Federal School Code Indicator has a value of “2”, you will know the second school code listed on the transaction initiated the transaction.
3) Position 1731 provides a value for the ISIR Electronic Transaction Indicator (ETI), and is a new field for 2004-2005. This new field has 9 possible values and can be used to determine if the school receiving the ISIR submitted input to generate the ISIR transaction, or did not generate the transaction but was listed on the record. It also indicates whether the type of ISIR received is a daily, requested, or “pushed” ISIR. An ETI value of “0,” for example, indicates that your school originated the transaction and is receiving the transaction as a daily ISIR (message class ISDF05OOP), whereas a value of “1” indicates another school was the originator and you are receiving the transaction as a daily ISIR because your school was listed on the transaction in one of the six school code positions.
4) Positions 1732-1737 indicate Multi-School Flags. The use of these fields has changed for 2004-2005. These fields will now indicate the school codes being serviced by the same destination point that will receive this ISIR transaction and identify which school originated the transaction. The appropriate ETI flag will be listed in your school code’s position.
5) Positions 455-460 (Federal School Code #1), 462-467 (Federal School Code #2), 469-474 (Federal School Code #3), 476-481 (Federal School Code #4), 483-488 (Federal School Code #5), and 490-495 (Federal School Code #6) list the school code(s) on a student’s record.
Listed below are two examples of how these various 2004-2005 ISIR fields would appear on an ISIR transaction:
A) A school that is enrolled to receive daily ISIRs files an Electronic Application for a student, listing their school code (001002) as the originator of the application. The following data will be returned:
Transaction Data Source/Type Code = “1A”
Electronic Federal School Code Indicator = “1”
ISIR ETI = “0”
Multi School Code Flags = blank
Federal School Code #1 = “001002”
B) Two schools (001002 and 007889) are listed in the first and second school code positions, respectively, on a student’s ISIR. Both schools are serviced by destination point TG50001. The second school (007889) submits an ISIR correction for the student, and requests the resulting ISIR transaction in a specific request to the ISIR Datamart. The following data will be returned to the second school:
Transaction Data Source/Type Code = “1C”
Electronic Federal School Code Indicator = “2”
ISIR ETI = blank
Multi School Code Flags = “3” (for first school code position), “2” (for second school code position), blank (for third, fourth, fifth and sixth school code positions)
Federal School Code #1 = “001002”
Federal School Code #2 = “007889”
The use of these fields on the 2004-2005 ISIR will affect the position of other ISIR fields previously included in the ISIR record layout. A revised draft record layout will be posted to IFAP in September 2003 and in the next draft of the 2004-2005 EDE Technical Reference, due for release on the Department’s Federal Student Aid Download (FSAdownload) and IFAP Web sites, located at http://FSAdownload.ed.gov and http://ifap.ed.gov, respectively, in early November, 2003.
** Future Updates **
We are alerting you to the major message class changes explained in this message in advance so you can begin to make any necessary changes to your systems and procedures well in advance of the start of 2004-2005 application processing cycle.
Later this fall, we will provide more details on IFAP and FSADownload about the new ISIR Datamart, including instructions for enrolling through the Participation Management System to request ISIRs from the datamart.
If you have any questions, please contact CPS/WAN Technical Support at 800/330-5947 or via e-mail at CPSWAN@NCS.COM.