Publication Date: April 6, 2004
Author: General Manager, Students Channel, FSA ASEDS
Summary: EDExpress for Windows 2004-2005, Release 2.0 Guidance for COD Web-Initiated Pell Origination and Disbursement Activity
Posted on 04-06-2004
TO: All EDExpress for Windows 2004-2005 Pell users
FROM: CPS/WAN Technical Support
RE: EDExpress for Windows 2004-2005, Release 2.0 Guidance for COD Web-Initiated Pell Origination and Disbursement Activity
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 Pell module users to exchange origination and actual disbursement data with the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system via the COD Web site (cod.ed.gov).
If you plan to use Release 2.0 to exchange Pell 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 Pell 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 origination and 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 Pell users with the option of using the COD Web site for the following activities:
1) Pell origination record changes ONLY: You should not originate a Pell record on the COD Web site if you wish to keep your EDExpress database synchronized with the COD database. You can, however, make changes to origination records already submitted via EDExpress and accepted by COD. This includes modifications to anticipated disbursement dates or amounts.
2) Disbursement Release Indicator updates: You can change the Disbursement Release Indicator (DRI) for anticipated disbursements on the COD Web site.
3) Adjustments to accepted actual disbursements.
When Pell origination or disbursement activity is performed 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 Pell records with processed results. All Pell actual disbursement adjustments made on the Web are assigned Disbursement Sequence Numbers 66-90 by COD.
**Identifying Web-Initiated Pell Records in EDExpress**
Pell schools using EDExpress to process data with COD 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 also 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 | Pell, 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 800/4PGRANT 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.