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FISAP Edit Corrections and Perkins Cash on Hand Update Due December 14, 2012

Posted Date: November 8, 2012

Author: William Leith, Service Director, Program Management, Federal Student Aid

Subject: FISAP Edit Corrections and Perkins Cash on Hand Update Due December 14, 2012

As announced in the "Notice of the 2012-2013 Award Year Deadline Dates for the Campus-Based Programs" published in the Federal Register on January 30, 2012 (77 FR 4547), all corrections to the Fiscal Operations Report for 2011-2012 and the Application to Participate for 2013-2014 (FISAP) data and correction of edit errors must be submitted to the Department of Education (the Department) by Friday, December 14, 2012. Also by this deadline, a school that participates in the Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program must update its Perkins cash on hand as of October 31, 2012.

This announcement provides a reminder of the deadline for these actions as well as information to help schools accomplish the tasks.

Changes to FISAP Data

If a school needs to make changes to data that were included in its originally-filed FISAP, log in to the eCampus-Based (eCB) Web site and change the data in the applicable section of the FISAP.

  • The 2011-2012 awards closeout for the Campus-Based programs will involve reconciling a school's authorized award for each program with the amount reported as expended for that program on the school's 2011-2012 Fiscal Operations Report. A school should ensure that the amounts reported on the FISAP in Part IV 2011-2012 expenditures of Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and Part V 2011-2012 expenditures of Federal Work-Study (FWS) reconcile with the drawdown information in G5.

    Note: If a school has drawn down more than the amounts reported on the FISAP, a negative balance will be created in G5. When this happens, we will reduce the school’s authorization in G5 to the expended amounts in the FISAP (as reported and certified by the Chief Executive Officer), and the school will be required to return the amount of the negative balance.

    For example, if a school drew down its entire authorized FWS amount of $50,000 but reported an expended amount of $40,000 on its FISAP, the result is a negative balance of $10,000 in G5. The school will be required to return $10,000 to G5.

  • A school should review its FISAP for possible changes to Part VI, Section B Calculating Administrative Cost Allowance (ACA). Changes to the ACA calculation will not be accepted after December 14, 2012.

Corrections to FISAP Data and Edit Errors

Real-time validation edit errors are captured when a school completes and submits the FISAP online via the eCB Web site. Edit corrections must be submitted by the December 14, 2012 deadline.

  • After submitting a FISAP, a school can view a listing of its FISAP edit errors by logging in to the eCB Web site and clicking on “Validation,” then “Validate All” on the left navigation bar. Validation error numbers and the corresponding error messages will display on the screen.

  • A “Fix Error” button is located to the right of each validation error message. Clicking on this button will display the FISAP page on which the error last occurred. Additionally, all other pages on which that error occurred will be identified for correction. Click on the “Validate All” button to determine if the validation edit has cleared or if further corrections are needed. Finally, after all corrections have been made and validated, click the “Submit” button.

  • In some cases, a school may provide information relevant to an error message. A “Log” check box is located next to these validation error messages. To log relevant information, check the “Log” check box then scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Log” button. The “Additional Information” page on which the school can enter the relevant information will display.

  • If a school entered inaccurate data at the time the FISAP was submitted, it can be corrected by logging in to the eCB Web site and changing the inaccurate data in the applicable section of the FISAP. Validating the data to ensure no edit errors have been encountered and then submitting the data are also required in this circumstance.

Reporting Perkins Cash on Hand

Schools with a Federal Perkins Loan Revolving Fund must update the item in Part III, Section A, Line 1.2 “Cash on hand and in depository” to the amount that was on hand as of October 31, 2012. Instructions for completing this item are on page III-3 of the FISAP Instructions.

Other Important Notes

Remember to submit all corrections - Simply validating and/or saving corrections does not result in their submission to the Department. After completing these actions, it is imperative that the “Submit” function be completed.

Verify that changes/corrections have been received by the Department - To verify that the Department has received a school’s edit corrections, explanations, and/or data changes, a school can login to the eCB Web site, select the “Self-Service” link in the top navigation bar and scroll to the “Acknowledgements” section. Then, select “Submission Log” to view the log and verify submission of the update.

Signature page not required for FISAP changes - Schools are not required to resend signature pages when changes/corrections are made to a previously submitted FISAP.

How to submit a change request after December 14, 2012 - If a school discovers the need to make a correction after the December 14, 2012 deadline, the school should access the eCB Web site and make the necessary correction. This data will be saved in a Working Copy of the FISAP and then submitted to the Department as a “Change Request”. After December 14th, when a school clicks the “Submit” button, the only sub-menu option is to submit a “Change Request.” Upon clicking “Change Request,” the school must provide a description of the change and justify the need to make the correction. Then submit the “Change Request” by clicking the “Submit” button located under the “Description” input box.

The school’s request will be reviewed by the FISAP Change Request Monitoring Team in the Grants and Campus-Based Division. The school will be notified of the decision to allow or deny the correction. If the correction is allowed, the school will be granted access to “Submit” the correction by going back into the eCB Web site and submitting the FISAP as it normally would prior to December 14.

Requests for funds changes - Changes made to Part II, Section A (Request for Funds 2012-2013) after December 14th may result in reductions in funding for the application year and/or the reporting year. Changes that increase eligibility will be considered to ensure accurate reporting, but the corresponding increases in funding will not be approved.

Contact Information

For additional information about FISAP corrections, edit processing, or Perkins Loan Cash on Hand updates, contact the Campus-Based Call Center at 877/801-7168. Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. until 8:00 P.M. (ET). You may also e-mail CBFOB@ed.gov.