Summary: FAA Access to CPS Online

Publication Date: March 25, 2004

Author: General Manager, Students Channel, FSA ASEDS

Summary: FAA Access to CPS Online

Posted on 03-25-2004

This message is intended to address the concerns being raised in the financial aid community about the functionality in FAA Access to CPS Online, in particular by EDExpress users who must now go to the Web to enter application and correction data. We are aware of the frustrations some of you are experiencing with this product and regret that this transition has not met the expectations of all customers.

We at the U.S. Department of Education take great pride in meeting the varied needs of our diverse customer base, while at the same time increasing efficiency of program administration and reducing risk. One of our stated objectives is to integrate FSA systems and provide new technology solutions. To accomplish this objective, we must reconcile current business demands, economics, and future business strategies with the present state of our legacy systems, technology and human resource skills sets. We must also re-deploy, re-engineer, or enhance systems and functions that have significant strategic impact, customer value, or economic impact, and streamline and simplify the electronic exchange of information in an integrated manner. The decision to move some EDExpress functionality to the online environment supports the above stated objectives, although we realize that enhancements may be necessary for the product to better meet your needs.

We assure you that we solicited and received feedback from the financial aid community prior to moving EDExpress functionality to the Web and we are committed to doing whatever we can to improve the FAA Access to CPS Online product so that it is easier to use. We have spoken to many of you who have expressed frustrations. In addition, we had a conference call with several of you on March 22, 2004, and will conduct a focus group at the Spring Conference in New York City to discuss possible short-term and long-term enhancements. Anyone wishing to provide additional information may do so by sending an e-mail to FSATECH@pearson.com.

This letter includes several Questions and Answers about EDExpress and FAA Access that address the issues you have recently brought to our attention. Please carefully review this document as it provides specific information about current concerns you or your colleagues have shared with us.

We look forward to working with the entire financial aid community and thank you for your feedback and support.

Questions and Answers About Application Entry
and Correction Functionality in
FAA Access to CPS Online

In response to recently expressed issues and concerns regarding application entry and correction functionality in FAA Access to CPS Online for the 2004-2005 award year, we have developed a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs). We hope our answers to these questions will help you understand why we made the changes and provide some helpful information for using FAA Access to CPS Online.

Q1. What are some of the advantages of moving application and correction entry functionality from EDExpress to FAA Access to CPS Online?

A. First, doing so gives financial aid administrators access to Renewal application data on the Web, which saves you time in application entry because you need only enter a few income and asset questions, and update the remaining items that have changed from the student's previous year's FAFSA.

Second, by using the Web we can alert you to those instances when a student has already submitted an application, saving you from re-entering a complete set of application data.

Third, because FAA Access is now integrated with the CPS many corrections can be processed in real-time, which means that processing results, including an official Expected Family Contribution (EFC), are immediately available for you to view and print in Student Inquiry (the only FAA Access corrections that cannot be processed in real-time are those that need to be resent to the database matches).

Fourth, using the student's Data Release Number (DRN), FAA Access gives you immediate access to a student's record in cases where your school code is not listed on the transaction. You do not need to wait for an ISIR transaction to be sent to your school in order to view and correct a student's record.

Fifth, applications and corrections submitted in FAA Access are stored to the Central Processing System (CPS) database, which eliminates the need for schools to export and transmit this data. This reduces processing burden and eliminates file management responsibilities.

These are just few of the advantages Web functionality can offer to the aid community.

Q2. If we have more than one application or correction to key, can we key one and then go to key another application without putting in our Social Security Number (SSN), Date of Birth (DOB), Last Name, and PIN again?

A. Yes. If you access FAA Access to CPS Online directly through your Browser, you can skip the reauthentication process by clicking on the "Fill out a New FAFSA" link or button on the "Confirmation of Submission" page. This link will direct you to the page where you input the student's identifying information.

Beginning April 19th, if you access FAA Access through the FAFSA tab or Student Inquiry tab in EDExpress, you can skip the authentication process by clicking on the "Fill out a New FAFSA" link or button on the Confirmation page. This link will direct you to the page where you can input another student's identifying information. However, if you navigate off the FAFSA tab or Student Inquiry tab in EDExpress, you will be required to reauthenticate (see Q4. below).

TIP: If you are entering multiple applications or corrections and you do not want to authenticate for each record, we recommend that you log into FAA Access directly through your Browser rather than through the EDExpress interface. Or, use the EDExpress interface access from the View/FAA Access main screen rather than from inside the student record.

Q3. Why am I prompted by FAA Access to enter the student's SSN, Last Name, First Name, DOB, and a Password when accessing a student's record? Last year I only had to provide the SSN, first two letters of the last name, and DOB.

A. Despite the fact that the login pages request the student's full first and last name, you need only provide the SSN, first two letters of the last name, and DOB. The login pages were modified to request the student's full first and last name for the Standard Student Identification Method (SSIM) pilot, which is a new methodology for identifying student records that Federal Student Aid (FSA) is testing with the Central Processing System.

Q4. Why am I required to authenticate with the PIN site every time I open a new student record in EDExpress and click on the FAFSA or Student Inquiry tab?

A. If you are going to enter or correct a large number of applications at one time, you may want to open FAA Access directly from your browser rather than through the EDExpress link. If you use EDExpress to access functionality within FAA Access (by selecting the FAFSA or Student Inquiry tab), and then you select one of the EDExpress tabs across the bottom of your screen, you are simultaneously returning to the EDExpress PC database and closing your FAA Access to CPS Online session. Because your FAA Access session is now closed, to log back on you are required to reauthenticate by reentering your PIN.

Note: To ensure the security of your PIN, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of the Inspector General does not permit your PIN to be stored within EDExpress.

Q5. Why didn't the demographic data I entered on the Demo tab in EDExpress pre-populate the FAFSA in FAA Access to CPS Online when I clicked on the FAFSA tab in EDExpress?

A. The link between EDExpress and FAA Access is currently not designed to move all demographic data from EDExpress to FAA Access. If you are entering an initial FAFSA for a student, we suggest that you provide only the required data elements (SSN, Name, DOB) on the Demo tab in EDExpress so you do not have to re-enter data into FAA Access. If you choose not to enter additional data on the Demo tab, the demographic fields will populate automatically during the ISIR import process. (Check "Update Demographic Data?" on the EDExpress import dialog box to update demographic information.) While EDExpress was not designed to pass demographic data from EDExpress to FAA Access in 2004-05, we are exploring ways to do this in 2005-06.

Q6. How do I indicate in FAA Access that I have made an FAA adjustment?

A. The application and correction entry pages in FAA Access include an FAA Adjustment field near the bottom of the page, following the Signed By field. The FAA Access FAA Adjustment field works the same way it worked in EDExpress.

Q7. How do I indicate in FAA Access that an unsigned application was signed by the student in my office?

A. Prior to submission, FAA Access requires that the Signed By field be updated to 'B' (Both Student and Parent) for a dependent student or 'A' (Applicant) for an independent student. Like EDExpress, FAA Access carries this field value forward from the previous transaction, so you only need to update the Signed By field if the transaction you are correcting was missing a signature or if the student's dependency status has changed from independent to dependent.

Q8. How do I view an estimated EFC in FAA Access prior to submitting an application or correction?

A. After entering application or correction data, click the "Run Final Check" button located at the bottom of the page. This will invoke the end of entry edits. Once all of the edits are resolved an estimated EFC will be displayed.

Q9. Why can't I view the estimated monthly EFC breakdown or the intermediate values prior to submitting an application or correction in FAA Access?

A. FAA Access currently only provides an estimated 9-month EFC prior to submission. However, once the application or correction is processed, the 12-month EFC breakdown and the intermediate values are provided on the FAA Information page in Student Inquiry. If the correction was processed in real-time, you will be able to see this information immediately on the FAA Information page. We are assessing the possibility of implementing a change for 2004-05 so that you can see the intermediate values and the 12-month EFC breakdown prior to submission.

Q10. Is the official EFC displayed on the FAA Access Confirmation page when a correction is processed in real-time?

A. Yes, the official EFC as calculated by CPS is displayed on the Confirmation page for all corrections that were processed in real-time. The Confirmation page for these corrections also indicates if the record was selected for verification. All processing results, including a 12-month EFC breakdown, are available in FAA Access immediately following transmission of real-time corrections.

Q11. Does the Confirmation page indicate if a real-time correction was eligible for an Automatic Zero EFC?

A. No, but that information is immediately available to you. You can link to Student Inquiry from the FAA Access Confirmation page of a real-time correction and view the Automatic Zero EFC flag on the FAA Information page.

Q12. Why do the entry fields sometimes jumble all together so that I can't tell which fields go with which questions?

A. Certain Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator browsers running on PCs with Windows 98 or ME may have issues when displaying pages that contain a large number of entry fields. The problem can be alleviated by allowing the browser to completely load the page prior to scrolling or navigating on the page or by using the Tab key to navigate the page rather than the browser's scroll bar or your mouse's scroll button. In addition, you may want to upgrade your browser. If you need assistance, call the CPS-SAIG help desk at 800-330-5947.

Q13. Why can't I access some of the records I entered and saved prior to submission?

A. In order to open an application or correction you saved in FAA Access prior to submission, you must use the same interface as when you originally entered and saved the record. For example, if you opened a record in EDExpress, clicked on the FAFSA tab, entered and saved a record, you must use the EDExpress interface to open the saved record. If you originally entered and saved an application after logging into FAA Access through your browser, you can only open the saved record by logging into FAA Access directly from your browser. Some of you have stated that this functionality is cumbersome; therefore, we will look at changing it in 2005-06.

Note: You must enter a password into the Global/Setup/FAA Access dialog box before you access FAA Access to the CPS Online in order to have the save option available in FAA Access.

Q14. Why does my FAA Access to CPS Online session expire so quickly?

A. In order to conform to industry standards, and minimize security risks, FAA Access sessions automatically expire after 30 minutes of inactivity. If you get interrupted frequently during application or correction entry, you may want to use the SAVE functionality to avoid losing information you have entered.

Q15. In EDExpress why did I only have to hit the letter "P" once to access Pennsylvania in the State fields, but in FAA Access I have to hit the letter "P" twice?

EDExpress utilized the standard two character state abbreviation in the state fields while FAA Access spells out the full state/country name in the state fields. As a result, Pennsylvania (PA) was the first state beginning with 'P' in EDExpress, while Palau is the first state value in FAA Access that begins with a 'P.'

TIP: You can hit the 'P' twice and it will bring up Pennsylvania. This functionality works for many of the dropdown boxes, such as Grade Level, where you can hit the '1' key twice and get to 'First Year, attended college before.' You can also hit '2' for 'Second Year,' and so on.

Q16. Why isn't Worksheet C included on the Verification Worksheet in FAA Access?

A. Worksheet C was not included in the fields displayed on the Verification Worksheet because none of the items included in Worksheet C are required to be verified.

Q17. What fields must be populated in FAA Access before the verification tolerance is calculated?

A. The fields that must be populated depend upon whether or not the student or parent has filed a tax return, will file a tax return, or will not file a tax return.

a. If a student has already filed a tax return, or will file a tax return, you must enter values for the student's AGI, Taxes Paid, and Worksheets A and B.
b. If a student will not file a tax return, you must enter values for the Student's Income from Work, Spouse's Income from Work, and Worksheets A and B.
c. If the parent(s) have already filed a tax return, or will file a tax return, you must enter values for the parent's AGI, Taxes Paid, and Worksheets A and B.
d. If the parent(s) will not file a tax return, you must enter values for the Father's Income from Work, Mother's Income from Work, and Worksheets A and B.

The Number in Household, Number in College, Type of Tax Form, and Eligible to file 1040A/EZ fields are never required.

Q18. Why can't I access certain Renewal Applications records in FAA Access to CPS Online?

A. Most likely the answer is because your school code is not listed on the student's Renewal FAFSA. To protect a students' privacy, you are only allowed access to Renewal Application records in FAA Access that contain your school code.

Q19. When do I need to submit an application or correction for it to be processed by the CPS that day? When do my records need to be submitted for them to be included in the next compute?

A. Applications and corrections that are not processed in real-time need to be submitted by 2:00AM CT to be included in that day's compute. Real-time corrections need to be submitted/processed by the time the current day's compute finishes for the resulting ISIR to be included with the rest of the day's ISIRs. The processing results (i.e. all information included in the ISIR) are available in Student Inquiry immediately after a record is processed.

Q20. Why doesn't FAA Access to CPS Online contain ISIR Compare functionality?

A. The ISIR Compare/Review functionality remains in EDExpress in 2004-2005. This EDExpress functionality was not migrated to FAA Access because it is integrated into the Active Transaction feature, which is tied to the Packaging, Direct Loan and Pell modules of EDExpress.

Q21. Why do I still have to wait for an ISIR to be transmitted to my mailbox for corrections that are processed in real-time? Is there a way I can view the ISIR immediately after the correction is processed?

A. We provide links to Student Inquiry on the Confirmation page for records processed in real-time. If you select the link, the results of the processed record are immediately displayed and can easily be printed. Although the format of the Print Summary in Student Inquiry is different than the ISIR printed from EDExpress, it contains the same data elements. The ISIRs for all processed records, including those processed in real-time, are sent to your mailbox once a day.

We are evaluating the feedback and suggested changes we have received recently and are determining which of them can be addressed in the current 2004-05 cycle and which can be addressed in the 2005-06 software. Please be assured that our goal is to design products that serve the business needs of the financial aid community. Your comments and recommendations are critical to our ability to achieve that goal.

If you have any questions regarding the information contained in this message, please contact CPS/WAN Technical Support at 1-800-330-5947 or via e-mail at CPSSAIG@pearson.com. We also encourage you to continue to communicate with FSA and CPS/SAIG Technical Support through the FSATech Listserv or by sending comments via email to FSATECH@pearson.com. Please provide as much detail as possible in order for us to adequately address any concerns.