(EDESuite) Subject: Availability of EDExpress for Windows 2019-2020, Release 2.0

Posted Date:March 29, 2019

Author: Federal Student Aid

Subject: Availability of EDExpress for Windows 2019-2020, Release 2.0

We are pleased to announce the posting of EDExpress for Windows 2019-2020, Release 2.0, on the Federal Student Aid Download (FSAdownload) website, located at https://fsadownload.ed.gov. Release 2.0 adds full Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant), William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan), and Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant functionality for the 2019–20 award cycle.

In addition to the software, the following EDExpress 2019-2020 documents are available on the FSAdownload website:

  • Installation Guide for EDExpress for Windows 2019-2020 (provides technical and installation guidance)

  • The EDExpress for Windows 2019-2020, Release 2.0 Cover Letter (provides critical information regarding enhancements and other updates in Release 2.0)

  • The EDExpress for Windows 2019-2020, Release 2.0 Desk Reference (includes step-by-step guidance regarding EDExpress Pell Grant and Direct Loan functionality in Release 2.0)

Volume III of the 2019-2020 COD Technical Reference, which provides technical guidance and record layouts for use with the EDExpress 2019-2020 Pell Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant modules, is available on the IFAP website.

Note: As announced in a March 28, 2019 Electronic Announcement, we will retire the FSAdownload website later this year and relocate all site content, including EDExpress software and related documentation, to the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) website, located at https://ifap.ed.gov. We recommend that you monitor the IFAP website for upcoming Electronic Announcements related to this transition. Depending on the timing of the transition, you may need to go to the IFAP website to download the EDExpress software and documentation.

2019–20 Federal Pell Grant Schedules in Release 2.0

EDExpress 2019-2020, Release 2.0 includes updates to the Global, Packaging, and Pell Grant modules to incorporate the 2019–20 Pell Grant payment and disbursement schedules announced in Dear Colleague Letter GEN-19-01. For more information regarding implementation of the 2019–20 Pell Grant payment and disbursement schedules, refer to Dear Colleague Letter GEN-19-01 and the February 12, 2019 electronic announcement.

EDExpress 2019-2020 Installation Notes

Note the following guidance during the installation of EDExpress 2019-2020, Release 2.0:

  • When you initiate the EDExpress 2019-2020 installation process, you will be prompted to install the ACE Access Database Engine. This functionality is required to install EDExpress 2019-2020. Click Install to allow the process to determine if the ACE Access Database Engine is already on the workstation and install it if not; after which the installation will proceed.

  • EDExpress 2019-2020 requires Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.6.2. You will be prompted to install this software if the EDExpress 2019-2020 installation process determines it is not avn process determines it is not avtion process determines it is not available on your workstation.

    see the EDExpress for Windows 2019-2020 Installation Guide.

    EDExpress 2019-2020 Initial Login Information

    If you upgrade from EDExpress 2019-2020, Release 1.0 to Release 2.0, your User IDs, passwords, and other security settings are carried forward to Release 2.0 and do not need to be recreated.

    If you have not installed EDExpress 2019-2020 prior to Release 2.0, when you first access the software after installation, the default User ID is SYSADMIN and the default password is $y$tem Adm1n. Be sure to include the space between $y$tem and Adm1n (the two parts of the default password).

    After you enter the default user ID and password, EDExpress 2019-2020 requires that you immediately define a new password for the SYSADMIN. New passwords must be a minimum of 12 characters and must include at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number, and one keyboard character that is not a letter or number (such as an exclamation mark or other punctuation symbol). You can adjust the minimum password length and other requirements in the Password Setup dialog box (Tools, Setup, Global, Password Setup).

    The SYSADMIN user ID only provides access to critical administrative functions in order to limit its use for routine software tasks and improve your ability to trace actions taken in the software to specific users. EDExpress administrators at your school should create unique user IDs in Security Users setup with the necessary access (based on the associated Security Group) and log into the software under those IDs for most software tasks they perform.

    For more information on security setup, see EDExpress Help in the software and the EDExpress for Windows 2019-2020, Release 2.0 Desk Reference.

    Contact Information

    If you have any questions regarding downloading, installing, or using EDExpress 2019-2020, Release 2.0, contact CPS/SAIG Technical Support at 1-800-330-5947 (TDD/TTY 1-800-511-5806) or by email 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 https://ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/services/fsatechsubscribe.html.

    If you have any questions about the COD System, contact the COD School Relations Center at 1-800-848-0978. You may also email CODSupport@ed.gov.