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Summary: Implementation of COD System Functionality Supporting 2007-2008 Pell Grant Processing

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

Author: William Leith, Acting General Manager, Application, Operations and Delivery Services, Federal Student Aid

Summary: Implementation of COD System Functionality Supporting 2007-2008 Pell Grant Processing

Posted on 05-01-2007

As we have explained previously in a number of Electronic Announcements posted on the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site, the Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007, (P.L. 110-5) established the minimum and maximum Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant) amounts for the 2007-2008 Award Year. Most recently, in an Electronic Announcement posted on April 4, 2007, we informed schools of our plan to update the 2007-2008 Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System with the Pell Grant payment and disbursement schedules in a separate release after our April 2007 implementation of 2007-2008 COD System functionality. While this approach temporarily delays schools in the submission of 2007-2008 Pell Grant origination and anticipated disbursement records to the COD System, it does eliminate the need for resubmission of 2007-2008 Pell Grant origination and anticipated disbursement records.

During the period May 11-12, 2007, we plan to update the 2007-2008 COD System with the Pell Grant payment and disbursement schedules. This additional COD System functionality will support the processing of Pell Grant awards for the 2007-2008 Award Year.

In this announcement, we provide the following important information related to the implementation:

  • COD Batch Processing Suspension and Web Site Outage Information
  • COD System Processing Function Enhancements and Modifications
  • Information for EDExpress 2007-2008 Users
  • Contact Information

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete this important activity.

COD Batch Processing Suspension and Web Site Outage Information

In order to install the system changes that will allow the COD System to receive and process 2007-2008 Pell Grant records--

  • We will suspend COD batch processing beginning at 8:00 P.M. (ET) on Friday, May 11, 2007. Records submitted after 8:00 P.M. (ET) will be held and processed after 1:00 A.M. (ET) on Saturday, May 12, 2007.
  • The COD Web site will be unavailable from 8:00 P.M. (ET) on Friday, May 11, 2007 until 1:00 A.M. (ET) on Saturday, May 12, 2007.

Additionally, for Direct Loan participants--

  • The Direct Loan Electronic Master Promissory Note (MPN) Web site will be unavailable from 8:00 P.M. (ET) on Friday, May 11, 2007 until 1:00 A.M. (ET) on Saturday, May 12, 2007.
  • Individuals starting the process by 7:00 P.M. (ET) on May 11th will be able to complete their MPNs before the Web site becomes unavailable. Individuals attempting to access the Web site after the cutoff time will see a Web site maintenance message and will not be able to start the process or retrieve an existing MPN.

Note: The COD System will undergo routine maintenance on Sunday, May 13, 2007 from 1:30 A.M. until 8:00 A.M. (ET). The Direct Loan Electronic MPN Web site will be unavailable for an extended period from 1:30 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. (ET) while the routine maintenance is performed. Detailed information about these outage periods will be included in the "COD Processing Update" and posted as messages on the COD and Direct Loan Electronic MPN Web sites.

COD System Processing Function Enhancements and Modifications

The May 11-12, 2007 update to the 2007-2008 COD System will put functionality in place to support the processing of 2007-2008 Pell Grant awards. After completion of the update on May 12, 2007, a school will be able to complete the following 2007-2008 Pell Grant processing functions:

  • Submit award origination and disbursement records to the COD System via batch and the COD Web site.
  • Receive responses from the COD System.
  • Access award origination and disbursement data via the COD Web site.
  • Access award information in the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).

Note: When a school submits a 2007-2008 Pell Grant origination or anticipated disbursement record to the COD System on or after May 12, 2007, the record must include a Central Processing System (CPS) transaction number for a transaction that has been designated as "Pell Grant Eligible." If the record does not include a CPS transaction number for a transaction that has been designated as "Pell Grant Eligible," the COD System will reject the record.

On May 14, 2007, we plan to determine Initial Pell Grant Authorizations for the 2007-2008 Award Year for schools receiving Pell Grant funds under the advanced funding method. After we make these determinations, we will post an Electronic Announcement on the IFAP Web site informing schools that Initial Current Funding Levels (CFLs) have been established in the COD System and that an Electronic Statement of Account (ESOA) containing this information will be sent to each school's Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) mailbox.

  • As an Advanced Funded school submits actual Pell Grant disbursement records, the COD System will apply the total accepted and posted amount for each disbursement to the amount of the school's Initial CFL. Only after the Initial CFL amount has been reached will the school's CFL be increased to cover additional accepted and posted disbursements. A new ESOA will be sent to the school each time its Pell Grant CFL amount changes.
  • Schools that participate in the Just in Time pilot and schools that receive funds under the Reimbursement, Heightened Cash Monitoring 1 (HCM1), or Heightened Cash Monitoring 2 (HCM2) funding method will not receive an Initial CFL. These schools will receive a CFL once the COD System has accepted and posted actual disbursement records. A new ESOA will be sent to a school each time its Pell Grant CFL amount changes.

The COD System will accept actual disbursement records for 2007-2008 Pell Grant awards beginning June 21, 2007.

  • Prior to June 21st, the COD System will reject all actual disbursements (Disbursement Release Indicator (DRI) value equal to "True").
  • Beginning June 21st, Advanced Funded schools may submit actual disbursements for 2007-2008 Pell Grant awards. As a reminder, actual disbursements can be submitted up to 30 days before the disbursement date.

A school will be able to view and draw down 2007-2008 Pell Grant funds in the Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS) on Monday, July 2, 2007.

Information for EDExpress 2007-2008 Users

As explained in an Electronic Announcement posted on April 25, 2007, the EDExpress 2007-2008, Release 2.0 Pell module will not calculate Pell Grant awards according to the updated 2007-2008 Pell Grant payment and disbursement schedules. On May 18, 2007, we plan to post EDExpress 2007-2008, Release 3.0, an upgrade version that will incorporate the 2007-2008 Pell Grant changes into EDExpress Global, Packaging, and Pell functionality.

Until a school has upgraded to Release 3.0, the school should delay its creation and submission of Pell Grant origination (and corresponding anticipated disbursement) records in EDExpress 2007-2008. For complete information about how to better prepare for the implementation of EDExpress 2007-2008, Release 3.0, refer to the April 25th announcement.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about the update to the 2007-2008 COD System, contact the COD School Relations Center at 800/4PGRANT (800/474-7268) for ACG, National SMART Grant, and Pell Grant. You may also e-mail CODSupport@acs-inc.com.

If you have any questions about EDExpress 2007-2008, Release 3.0, contact CPS/SAIG Technical Support at 800/330-5947 (TDD/TTY 800/511-5806) or by e-mail at CPSSAIG@ed.gov.