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Summary: Overlapping Service Outages Planned for October 11-13, 2008

Publication Date: October 3, 2008

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

Summary: Overlapping Service Outages Planned for October 11-13, 2008

Posted on 10-03-2008

During the period October 11-12, 2008, we need to execute extended maintenance activities in addition to our routine system and Web site maintenance that occurs each weekend. There will also be an impact on certain processing and funding functions on Monday, October 13, 2008, the Columbus Day Federal holiday.

This announcement consolidates information about the affected systems, Web sites, and processing/funding functions into one communication. We present this information in the following order:

  • Unavailability of SAIG Enrollment Web Site and FAA Access to CPS Online - October 11-12, 2008
  • Unavailability of COD Processing and COD, Direct Loan Electronic MPN, and TEACH Grant ATS Web Sites - October 12, 2008
  • Impact on Processing and Funding Functions - October 13, 2008
  • Contact Information

Please review all of the information and evaluate impact on your school or organization during the periods when the affected systems, Web sites, and processing/funding functions will be unavailable. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete the required activities.

Unavailability of SAIG Enrollment Web Site and FAA Access to CPS Online - October 11-12, 2008

The SAIG Enrollment Web site and FAA Access to CPS Online will undergo maintenance from 7:00 P.M. (ET) on Saturday, October 11, 2008 until 11:00 A.M. (ET) on Sunday, October 12, 2008. During this period, users will be unable to access these Web sites.

Unavailability of COD Processing and COD, Direct Loan Electronic MPN, and TEACH Grant ATS Web Sites - October 12, 2008

The Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System will undergo maintenance from 1:30 A.M. until 9:00 A.M. (ET) on Sunday, October 12, 2008. In addition, the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) will be unavailable from 3:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. (ET) due to its regular Sunday morning maintenance. These activities will result in outages of certain COD System functionality for a period of time.

COD Web Site and System

  • Users will not be able to submit or retrieve data via the COD Web site between 1:30 A.M. and 9:00 A.M. (ET).
  • Batches submitted by schools via the SAIG between 1:30 A.M. and 3:00 A.M. (ET) will be held and not acknowledged back to schools until after the SAIG comes back up at 11:00 A.M. (ET).
  • Schools attempting to transmit batches via the SAIG between 3:00 A.M. and 11:00 A.M. (ET) will receive an error message informing them that the SAIG is unavailable and that the data must be transmitted at a later time.

Direct Loan Electronic Master Promissory Note Web Site

  • An individual will not be able to complete a new MPN electronically or retrieve an existing MPN that was completed electronically via the Direct Loan Electronic Master Promissory Note (MPN) Web site between 1:30 A.M. and 11:00 A.M. (ET).

    An individual starting the process by 12:30 A.M. (ET) will be able to complete his or her MPN before the Web site becomes unavailable. An individual 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.

TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve Web Site

  • An individual will not be able to complete a new ATS electronically or retrieve an existing ATS via the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (ATS) Web site between 1:30 A.M. and 11:00 A.M. (ET).

    An individual starting the process by 12:30 A.M. (ET) will be able to complete his or her ATS before the Web site becomes unavailable. An individual 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 ATS.

Impact on Processing and Funding Functions - October 13, 2008

On Monday, October 13, 2008, the Columbus Day Federal holiday, there will be an impact on certain processing and funding functions.

  • The Central Processing System (CPS) will accept data on the holiday but will not process new Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) until Tuesday, October 14, 2008.
  • The COD System will accept and process data from schools and send back responses/acknowledgments on the holiday, but schools will not be able to receive any Federal funds on that day. Requests for changes in funding levels and for funds will not be processed until Tuesday, October 14, 2008.

Both CPS/SAIG Technical Support and the COD School Relations Center will be open on the holiday. Complete information regarding processing and customer service hours on the holiday is available in the "Columbus Day Federal Holiday Processing and Customer Service Hours" Electronic Announcement on the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site.

Contact Information

Again, we appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete the required activities.

If you have questions about the outages affecting the COD System and Web site, the Direct Loan Electronic MPN Web site, or the TEACH Grant ATS Web site, contact the COD School Relations Center 800/474-7268 for Grants or 800/848-0978 for Direct Loans. You may also e-mail CODSupport@acs-inc.com.

If you have questions about the outages affecting the SAIG Enrollment Web site or FAA Access to CPS Online, contact CPS/SAIG Technical Support at 800/330-5947. You may also e-mail CPSSAIG@ed.gov.