Publication Date: July 15, 2004
Author: General Manager, Students Channel, FSA ASEDS
Summary: Availability of Direct Loan (DL) Tools for Windows, Release 4.0
Posted on 07-15-2004
TO: All Direct Loan ParticipantsFROM: U.S. Department of Education
RE: Availability of Direct Loan (DL) Tools for Windows, Release 4.0
The Department is pleased to announce the availability of Direct Loan (DL) Tools for Windows, Release 4.0, a supplemental software product for Direct Loan participants. The software is available for download from the Department's Federal Student Aid Download (FSAdownload) Web site, located at fsadownload.ed.gov.
In addition, the DL Tools Release 4.0 Cover Letter and the DL Tools Installation Guide are available on the FSAdownload Web site. These documents contain important information regarding DL Tools functionality and enhancements that you should review.
DL Tools is a multi-year Windows based application designed to provide the following functionality related to all Direct Loan schools' software:
* Rebuild your Direct Loan origination and disbursement records in EDExpress using an automated process.
* Compare the School Account Statement (SAS) report loan/disbursement data to loans and actual disbursements recorded in EDExpress or an external file, and/or compare the SAS report cash data to the DL Tools Cash database.
* Print the SAS in a readable format.
* Track cash receipts (drawdowns), Returns of Excess Cash (2002-2003 and 2003-2004), and Refunds of Cash (2004-2005) for Direct Loan.
DL Tools processes data for multiple cycles. Release 4.0 contains Rebuild, Cash Management, and Compare functionalities for the 2002-2003, 2003-2004, and 2004-2005 cycles.
All Direct Loan schools can use the Compare and Cash Management functionalities. The Rebuild process is for schools to rebuild an EDExpress database in the Direct Loan module. Non-EDExpress users can export data from a rebuilt EDExpress database to recreate other needed non-EDExpress loans or databases.
** Important DL Tools Comparison Reports Note ** DL Tools Loan and Disbursement Comparison Reports are designed to be run using the SAS Reports with YTD detail, not monthly detail. See DLB-02-36 for information about default settings and SAS Option Selections. You can choose other options (YTD detail, for example) by contacting your COD School Relations customer service representative at 800/848-0978 or by e-mail at CODSupport@acs-inc.com or by accessing the COD Web site at cod.ed.gov.
DL Tools Release 4.0 is available on the FSAdownload Web site in two formats. You can download the entire software in one file, called DLTool40.exe, or you can download the software in eight separate "disk" installment files, which can be copied to a network drive or diskettes. Please review the download and installation instructions in the Installation Guide for further information.
** Important Installation Alert** If you use Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you must be an Administrator on your workstation to install DL Tools for Windows, Release 4.0. If you are not an Administrator, you receive a warning when you try to install DL Tools. After an Administrator has installed DL Tools, you can run DL Tools as a member of the Power Users group. If your database is on a network server, you must be a Power User or higher on the network (or "domain") as well as on your workstation. We have no workarounds for these Windows rights issues. Consult with your school's technical department if you receive a warning that an Administrator must install the DL Tools software.
You are required to have Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows ME or Windows XP as your PC workstation operating system in order to run DL Tools Release 4.0. Other system and network requirements are outlined in the Installation Guide.
Release 4.0 can be installed as an upgrade to DL Tools Version 3.1. NOTE: If you want to carry existing DL Tools data forward and you did not upgrade from DL Tools Version 3.0 to Version 3.1, you must do so before upgrading to Release 4.0. Version 3.1 is available for download from the FSAdownload Web site, located at fsadownload.ed.gov.
To upgrade your DL Tools database from Version 3.1 to Release 4.0, you must run the Full installation option (for your standalone PC, server, or workstations). Following the Full installation option of Release 4.0 and your subsequent reboot, all 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 data from your Version 3.1 database is copied into the DL Tools Release 4.0 Access 2002 database the first time you access the Release 4.0 software. This update also loads important changes and fixes to your database structure. Your Version 3.1 database is not deleted.
Special instructions for current DL Tools users who do not wish to carry forward any prior data from DL Tools versions are included in the Release 4.0 Installation Guide.
NOTE: Users installing DL Tools for the first time should also perform a Full Installation of Release 4.0. New users are not required to have Version 3.1 installed to perform a Full installation of Release 4.0.
If you are upgrading from Version 3.1 to Release 4.0, it is crucial that you ensure you have a valid, reliable back-up of your DL Tools Version 3.1 database (DLTools.mdb).
If you are running DL Tools in a network environment, you should first run the Network Server installation, then complete ALL of your Workstation Full installations on ALL relevant production PCs, rebooting each PC as you finish the install. Lastly, access the software from ONE designated workstation to allow the database update to perform successfully.
If you receive any prompt during the installation indicating an existing file was found and asking if you want to overwrite it, click "Yes."
If you need assistance connecting to the FSAdownload site, downloading DL Tools in single or multiple file format, or with the installation or use of DL Tools, please contact CPS/SAIG Technical Support at 800/330-5947 or via e-mail at CPSSAIG@pearson.com.
If you have technical questions about our FSA systems and software, you may want to subscribe to our e-mail listserv, FSATECH. For more information about FSATECH, including how to subscribe, visit the FSA Schools Portal: Listservs & Mailing Lists: FSATECH Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/offices/FSA/services/fsatechsubscribe.html.