Publication Date: April 05, 2004
Author: General Manager, Students Channel, FSA ASEDS
Summary: EDExpress for Windows 2004-2005, Release 2.0 Guidance for COD Web-Initiated Direct Loan Disbursements
Posted on 04-05-2004
TO: All EDExpress for Windows 2004-2005 Direct Loan Users
FROM: CPS/WAN Technical Support
RE: EDExpress for Windows 2004-2005, Release 2.0 Guidance for COD Web-Initiated Direct Loan Disbursements
The U.S. Department of Education's new EDExpress for Windows 2004-2005, Release 2.0 software, now available on the Department's Federal Student Aid (FSAdownload) Web site (located at fsadownload.ed.gov), continues to enable Direct Loan module users to exchange actual disbursement data with the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system via the COD Web site (cod.ed.gov).
We have also added functionality in Release 2.0 to support selecting the Disbursement Release Indicator (DRI) for existing anticipated disbursements via the COD Web site for 2004-2005 Direct Loan records. NOTE: This new functionality does NOT exist for 2003-2004 Direct Loan records - guidance previously posted to IFAP Electronic Announcements on 12/22/03 for EDExpress version 9.2 DL users should continue to be followed for that processing year.
If you plan to use Release 2.0 to exchange Direct Loan actual disbursement data with COD, we recommend you take steps to ensure your EDExpress 2004-2005 database is always synchronized with the COD system.
Prior to submitting any Direct Loan disbursement data using the COD Web site, you should verify via the COD Web site (cod.ed.gov) or COD School Relations that you are enrolled to receive Response data for disbursement activity performed on the Web. On the COD Web site you can see if you are setup to receive Response data by going to the school options page and confirming that the web activity response is set to Yes.
Release 2.0 provides EDExpress Direct Loan users with the option of using the COD Web site for DL disbursement data activities ONLY. EDExpress users should not originate a loan or make changes to origination data on the COD Web site if you wish to keep your database synchronized with the COD database.
Adjustments to an accepted actual disbursement can be made on the COD web site. A COD Web Response file (CRWB050P) will be generated and sent to your school's Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) mailbox.
When the response file is imported into EDExpress, it will properly update the disbursement record with processed results. All Direct Loan actual disbursement adjustments made on the Web are assigned Disbursement Sequence Numbers 66-90 by COD.
**New for 2004-2005! Setting the DRI Flag on the COD Web site**
EDExpress functionality has been updated for 2004-2005 to enable Direct Loan users to create and process anticipated disbursements with COD using EDExpress, and then select the DRI for those disbursements on the COD Web site.
When the COD Web Response file is imported, EDExpress will add the actual disbursement (with Sequence Number 01) to the EDExpress database, and make all necessary updates (date changes, amount changes) to the associated anticipated disbursement.
**Identifying Web-Initiated Direct Loan Disbursements in EDExpress**
Direct Loan schools using EDExpress to process data can easily identify and track Web-initiated disbursement records in the EDExpress software.
Web-initiated disbursements will always have a Disbursement Sequence Number of 66-90 if resulting from an actual disbursement adjustment, or 01 if the DRI was selected for an anticipated disbursement on the COD Web site.
Web-initiated disbursement records can be identified by looking for the "WB" Document Type Code in your Document Activity grid. This value can be viewed in EDExpress by going to Tools | Browse | Direct Loan, clicking on the Document Activity tab, and scrolling to the Document Type column.
We recommend that you develop an internal means of tracking results for Web disbursements to ensure your EDExpress database is kept current and synchronized with the COD system.
**Getting Help**
If you need assistance using the COD Web site, including verification of your enrollment to receive Web Response data via the SAIG, please contact COD School Relations at 800/848-0978 or via e-mail at CODSupport@acs-inc.com. You can also designate enrollment changes and other options directly via the COD Web site, located at cod.ed.gov.
If you need assistance using EDExpress, please contact CPS/SAIG Technical Support at 800/330-5947 or via e-mail at CPSSAIG@pearson.com.