Publication Date: August 28, 2006 Author: G. Kay Jacks, General Manager, Application, Operations and Delivery Services, Federal Student Aid Summary: HERA Operational Implementation Guidance (CPS, COD System, and EDExpress Suite) - Correction Alert: 2006-2007 COD Technical Reference Includes Incorrect "Data Type" for New ACG Common Record Field 81 Posted on 08-28-2006 We have discovered an error in the 2006-2007 Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) Technical Reference that requires the immediate attention of schools and third party software providers who are coding their software for submission of Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) records to the COD System beginning December 16, 2006. The ACG Program is one of two new grant programs established by the Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 (the HERA), Pub. L. 109-171. In short, we included an incorrect "Data Type" for Field 81, <EligibilityPaymentReasonCode>, of the COD Common Record. This field provides the reason why a student is eligible to receive an ACG. On page II-3-34 in Volume II, "Common Record Full Participant Technical Reference, " the "Data Type" for Field 81, <EligibilityPaymentReasonCode>, is defined as "integer." However, the correct "Data Type" for Field 81, <EligibilityPaymentReasonCode>, is "string," as defined in the COD Common Record Extensible Markup Language (XML) Schema Version 2.0e. It is important that schools and third party software providers code Field 81, <EligibilityPaymentReasonCode>, as a string value. As illustrated in the "Format and Valid Field Values" for this tag, a two-character (string) value of 01, 02, or 03 is required for acceptance of the record by the COD System. The COD System will reject records that contain a single-character value or any two-character value other than 01, 02, or 03 for this tag. We will correct the incorrect information in the 2006-2007 COD Technical Reference and post an update within the first two weeks of September 2006. Per our normal procedure, we will post the updated technical reference to the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) and Federal Student Aid Download (FSAdownload) Web sites. We regret any inconvenience this error may have caused schools and third party software providers. If you have any questions about this announcement, contact the COD School Relations Center at 800/4PGRANT. You may also mail CODSupport@acs-inc.com. |