Posted Date:March 27, 2014
| Author: | Pamela Eliadis, Service Director, System Operations & Aid Delivery Management, Federal Student Aid |
Subject: Upcoming EDExpress for Windows 2014-2015 Releases and Direct Loan and TEACH Grant Functionality
In advance of the mid-April 2014 posting of EDExpress for Windows 2014-2015, Release 2.0, we would like to highlight the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) and Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant functionality that you can use in Release 2.0 and clarify the software features you will need to defer using until you install EDExpress 2014-2015, Release 3.0, currently scheduled for posting in June 2014.
Release 2.0 will add 2014-2015 functionality for the Direct Loan, TEACH Grant, and Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant) modules. You will be able to use the full Pell Grant module installed with Release 2.0 to begin exchanging 2014-2015 Pell Grant data with the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System. However, the Direct Loan and TEACH Grant modules installed with Release 2.0 will be only partially complete for 2014-2015. We are currently developing Release 3.0 to add the final components to the Direct Loan and TEACH Grant modules that will enable you to begin exchanging data from these modules with the COD System. These final components will include enhancements specific to the 150% Direct Subsidized Loan Limit.
We understand that some EDExpress users need to begin preparing Direct Loan and TEACH Grant records for processing as early as possible in the year, and that delaying fully capable versions of the corresponding EDExpress modules may create inconvenient lags in annual office routines. We regret any difficulties this delay may cause your office, and appreciate your patience with an expanded release schedule that is necessary to provide our users with a fully tested, fully functional software product that includes enhancements needed to report Direct Loan and TEACH Grant data accurately to the COD System for the 2014-2015 Award Year.
Note: If you believe that exceptional circumstances exist that will prevent your school from delaying the origination or disbursement of Direct Loan or TEACH Grant program funds until Release 3.0 is available in June, please send a detailed explanation to dlops@ed.gov. We will contact you to provide further assistance.
If you choose to begin using the Direct Loan or TEACH Grant modules in Release 2.0, you will need to limit your software use to specific features and functions, such as setup, creating records, and printing reports. Most importantly, you should avoid originating or exporting Direct Loan or TEACH Grant data to the COD System until after you have installed Release 3.0. You can prepare Direct Loan and TEACH Grant data for processing using Release 2.0, but any data exported from either module and transmitted to the COD System will be rejected due to the absence of the new required data elements we are adding in Release 3.0.
In the attachment to this announcement, we describe the functions you can safely use in Release 2.0 to begin preparing your Direct Loan and TEACH Grant data, while avoiding COD System rejects. The attachment also provides an overview of the steps you will need to take after installing Release 3.0 to finalize your Direct Loan and TEACH Grant data for processing by the COD System.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding this message or the upcoming releases of EDExpress 2014-2015, contact CPS/SAIG Technical Support at 800/330-5947 (TDD/TTY 800/511-5806) or by e-mail at CPSSAIG@ed.gov.
You can also post questions regarding EDExpress on FSATECH. FSATECH is an electronic mailing list for technical questions about Federal Student Aid systems, software, and mainframe products. For more information on subscribing to FSATECH, go to http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/services/fsatechsubscribe.html.