Posted Date: February 14, 2019
Author: Federal Student Aid
Subject: Resend Record to Matches Functionality Available in FAA Access to CPS Online to Streamline SAVE Third Step Verification Process
Federal Student Aid (FSA) is pleased to announce new functionality in FAA Access to CPS Online and a new procedure to assist Financial Aid Administrators (FAAs) with the third step verification process. This functionality will be implemented on February 17, 2019.
Third step verification is required to confirm Title IV eligibility for students who claim to be eligible noncitizens, but fail the first and second DHS match steps. In other words, records that receive a ‘C’ code and comments: 068, 141, 142, 046, 105 or 109 on the Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR).
The Resend Record to Matches process is necessary to create a new DHS Verification Number after you have reviewed a student’s Response screen in the DHS SAVE system and have determined that a third step verification cannot be completed. For example, when the Case Status is “Closed” or the SAVE Response does not match the immigration documentation the student provided.
A new field was added to FAA Access to CPS Online in Corrections, “Resend Record to Matches.” FAAs can use this field to resend a student’s record to matching agencies. The submitted correction record generates a new ISIR. The ISIR’s updated DHS Match flags will often confirm the student’s eligibility. If the student’s eligibility is not confirmed, a new DHS verification number is provided to resubmit the third step verification request through SAVE.
The new process replaces the “Requesting a new DHS Verification Number” section (pages 32 through 34) of the SAVE Instructions for School Users 2.0 document.
When is it necessary to Resend a Record to Matches? The reasons have changed since the SAVE system was implemented for schools in June 2018. Now, you will use the “Resend Record to Matches” field in Corrections on the FAA Access to CPS Online website if you receive one of the following two scenarios in the SAVE system:
- The “Case Status” is “Case Closed,” and the “SAVE Response” is “Resubmit Doc,” or
- The SAVE Response is: “Applicant Status: [status],” or “Applicant is a [status],” and the student’s immigration document does not match the SAVE Response. For scenario 2, the following notes apply:
- The “Case Status” can either be “Status Returned” or “Case Closed,”
- The “Save Response” can be any eligible or ineligible status, and
- The Resend Record to Matches process should be used only when the SAVE Response is a final response. Final responses do not have a “Still not sure? Institute Additional Verification” link underneath the “Close Case” button. If this link appears, do not continue with the Resend Record to Matches process. Instead, click on the link to submit the case through the SAVE system.
Instructions for handling the other SAVE Response screens can be found in the “Review the SAVE Response to Determine How to Proceed” section of the SAVE Instructions for School Users 2.0, beginning on page 22.
Be sure that the student’s immigration documentation supports an eligible noncitizen status by comparing the documentation to the descriptions and examples in Volume 1, Chapter 2 of the FSA Handbook to determine if it supports an eligible status.
- If it does not support an eligible status, do not continue this process. Notify the student that they are not an eligible noncitizen.
- If the student’s documentation is a certificate of citizenship, or evidence of citizenship of the Freely Associated States, do not continue this process. Instead, make a copy of the documentation for your records and use this ISIR to continue processing the student’s Title IV aid.
Confirm that the student’s ISIR contains the correct data as follows:
- Confirm that “Eligible Noncitizen” appears in ISIR field 14, Student’s Citizenship Status,
- Check ISIR field 15, Student’s Alien Registration number (ARN), against the student’s immigration document. If field 15 is blank or incorrect, enter or update it from the student’s immigration document. The Central Processing System (CPS) will not resend the record to SAVE without an ARN.
- Check the student’s name and Date of Birth on the ISIR transaction against the data on the immigration documentation:
- If they match, continue with the Resend Record to Matches process.
- If they do not match:
- Request the student’s birth certificate to confirm the correct data, and
- If the ISIR data is incorrect, correct it on the same ISIR that you plan to resend to matches.
- If the immigration document data is incorrect, send the student to their nearest DHS office to have it updated. SAVE confirms the student’s status based on the immigration document submitted.
- If the name, date of birth, or ARN is the same on both the ISIR and the immigration document, but different from the student’s SAVE record data, note this in the SAVE Special Comments box. DHS may or may not correct the data in their system; this will not affect the Resend Record to Matches process.
Using The Resend Record to Matches Field in FAA Access to CPS Online:
- The Resend Record to Matches field is located on the bottom of the “Corrections” screen, in “Step Seven: Signatures and Preparer’s Information.”
- To Resend the Record to Matches:
1. Click on the drop down box next to “Resend Record to Matches.” 2. Select “Yes,” from the drop down menu. 3. Click on the orange “Submit” button.
CPS will generate a new ISIR transaction in FAA Access to CPS Online in 3 to 5 business days. If you are using third party software, and do not at first see a new ISIR, check that you have pulled in the latest ISIR transaction.
Check the new ISIR DHS Match Flags in FAA Access to CPS Online in Student Inquiry by either comparing transactions or by viewing the FAA Information page. More information on using these two methods can be found in the SAVE Instructions for School Users Version 2.0 on IFAP. The DHS Match flags consist of three key indicators:
- The DHS Match Flag,
- The DHS Secondary Confirmation Flag (DHS Sec. Conf. Flag), and
- The “DHS Verification Number.”
If “Eligible Noncitizen Status Confirmed,” appears in the DHS Match Flag field, or “Citizenship confirmed” in the DHS Secondary Confirmation flag field, use this ISIR to process the student’s Title IV aid. Do not check the student’s case in the SAVE system, as the “Case Status” will be “Case Closed.”
If the DHS Match Flag shows “Confirmation in Continuance,” wait up to 10 business days for a new system-generated ISIR wis days for a new system-generated ISIR wienerated ISIR is not received within 10 business days, use the DHS Verification Number on the most recent ISIR transaction to submit the student’s record through the SAVE system.
If the DHS Secondary Confirmation Flag shows: “Citizenship not confirmed,” or “DHS did not have enough information to determine the student’s status,” use the new DHS Verification Number to submit the student’s record through the SAVE system.
If the DHS Match Flags and/or the DHS Verification Number have not changed, check again that you have properly followed all the previous instructions. This issue occurs most often when the student’s ARN field is blank or the Citizenship Status is not Eligible Noncitizen. If this data is correct, reach out to the Application Processing Division.
Send an email to applicationprocessingdivision@ed.gov with “DHS Verification Number Did Not Change” in the subject line. In the body of the email, provide us with only the student’s current DHS Verification Number. DHS Verification Numbers are not PII and do not require encryption. Never send PII, such as date of birth and social security number, unencrypted over the internet. As an alternative, you can call the Application Processing Division at (202) 377-4600 and leave a message with your name, your contact information, and the student’s DHS Verification Number.
Attached to this Electronic Announcement are the presentation slides. To watch a short training video click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8lOCrWfJj0&feature=youtu.be. Other useful information, such as how to submit a student’s record for third step verification, can be found in the SAVE Instructions for School Users 2.0.
A DHS-SAVE, Eligible Noncitizen link has been established on the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) website located under the “Information Links” on the right side of the IFAP website. This serves as a repository for all Electronic Announcements; SAVE system instruction documents; Federal Student Aid Handbook, Volume I, Chapter 2: U.S. Citizenship and Eligible Noncitizens; and other information related to eligible noncitizen issues.
Need Help?
For the timeliest response, email your questions to:
- FSA at: applicationprocessingdivision@ed.gov, or
- The SAVE Program Agency Relationship Manager at: Tommy.Benbow@uscis.DHS.gov.
(NOTE: Do not call the SAVE Call Center because they do not have a full understanding of our unique access).