Posted Date:August 27, 2014
| Author: | Sue O'Flaherty, Service Director, Program Management, Federal Student Aid |
Subject: Reminder -- October 1, 2014 Deadline for Submitting FISAP
This is a reminder of the upcoming deadline for submitting the Fiscal Operations Report for 2013-2014 and the Application to Participate for 2015-2016 (FISAP) for the Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and Federal Work-Study (FWS) programs. As announced in the 2014-2015 Deadline Dates for Campus Based Programs, published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2014 (79 FR 2646), the date by which a school must submit the FISAP and the required Signature Pages is Wednesday, October 1, 2014.
All schools requesting funding under the Campus-Based programs for the 2015-2016 Award Year and all schools that had Campus-Based expenditures or Perkins Loan activity for the 2013-2014 Award Year are required to electronically submit a FISAP via the eCampus-Based (eCB) Web site. This includes schools that closed during the 2013-2014 Award Year and are required to complete and submit a final FISAP to report 2013-2014 Campus-Based Program expenditures. The eCB Web site allows a school to complete and submit its FISAP online, receive real-time validation edits, and access prior-year data to assist in completing the FISAP. For information about accessing the FISAP on the eCB Web site, refer to the July 21, 2014 Electronic Announcement posted to the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site.
Additionally, Two Factor Authentication (TFA) for access to the eCB Web site has been implemented and an option for electronic signature (eSignature) of the FISAP and other forms within eCB is now available. For information about TFA and implementation of eSignature, refer to the June 26, 2014 Electronic Announcement posted to the IFAP Web site.
The deadline for electronic submission of the FISAP is 11:59 P.M. (ET) on October 1, 2014. Transmissions must be completed by 12:00 midnight.
Important Notes
Critical Program Deadline – Submitting the FISAP by the October 1, 2014 deadline is a critical program requirement. To comply with this program requirement and ensure Campus-Based funding for the 2015-2016 Award Year, a school must 1) electronically submit its FISAP via the eCB Web site and 2) submit the required signature pages using either the eSignature process or mail the signed hard copy of the combined certifications and signature pages for its FISAP to the Department of Education (the Department) as instructed on the eCB Web site.
Click “Submit” – Remember that saving data into the FISAP online is not the same as submitting the FISAP. To meet the deadline requirement, the FISAP must be submitted by 11:59 P.M. (ET) on October 1, 2014. Transmissions must be completed by 12:00 midnight. Data can be entered and saved as a school works through the form, but it is not actually submitted until the school user clicks on “Submit” located on the left side of the page.
Consequences for Not Filing the FISAP – 2013-2014 Campus-Based funding levels will be reduced to zero ($0) for a school that received Campus-Based funds for 2013-2014 but fails to file the FISAP by the October 1, 2014 deadline. This includes schools that closed during the 2013-2014 year and drew Campus-Based funds for that year from G5. Any 2013-2014 program funds that have been drawn down in G5 will be required to be returned to the Department. Additionally, 2015-2016 program funds may not be awarded to schools failing to file the FISAP.
Updated Financial Aid Administrator (FAA) Contact Information Required – All Campus-Based program notifications are sent via e-mail to the FAA. For timely receipt of these notifications, it is important that a school ensures the accuracy of its FAA contact information, including the FAA e-mail address. A school can update its contact information when submitting the FISAP or by selecting “Setup,” then “Contact Info” on the eCB Web site. However, be aware that all changes or corrections to contact information must also be updated in the school’s Program Participation Agreement on the E-App Web site at http://eligcert.ed.gov.
Additional Information Required for Underuse Penalty Waiver Application – If a school is returning more than 10 percent of its 2013-2014 Campus-Based allocations on the FISAP, the school’s allocation for 2015-2016 will be reduced by the unexpended amount.
A waiver for this underuse of funds may be requested in Part II, Section C, Line 6 of the FISAP. A written explanation of the circumstances which caused the underuse must be provided on the “Additional Information” page of the FISAP. Instructions for providing the Additional Information are provided in on page II-2.
The deadline to request a waiver of the underuse penalty is February 9, 2015. However, the deadline for submitting the FISAP is October 1, 2014.
Consistency Helps Avoid Negative Balances – Make sure the information reported for expenditures of 2013-2014 award amounts are consistent with the amounts drawn in G5. For example, if a school's FWS authorized amount was $50,000 and the school reported an expended amount of $40,000 on the FISAP, the school's award will be closed out at the expended amount of $40,000. If the school has a different amount in G5, we will assume that the correct expenditures are the amounts certified by the Chief Executive Officer in Part I, Section B of the FISAP and we will deobligate the difference, $10,000 in this example. In some cases this results in a negative balance which is required to be returned by the school to the Department.
Edit Corrections through December 15, 2014 – Once a FISAP is submitted, the working copy is available for correction by the school until 11:59 P.M. (ET) on December 15, 2014. Any corrections must be transmitted by 11:59 PM on December 15, 2014. Data can be entered and saved as a school makes corrections. If corrections are made, remember to submit them. Note: After the December 15, 2014 deadline for submitting corrections, approval of FISAP change requests is limited.
Online Help is Available 24/7 – If additional help is needed, the eCB Web site has several documents that can be accessed online as well as a series of frequently asked questions and answers (Q&As).
Contact Information
If you have any questions about the FISAP submission deadline, 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.