Note: Please refer to the Department’s Apr. 23 announcement at https://ifap.ed.gov/electronic-announcements/042320FY2017CDRDeadlineModUpdateFWSCommRelatedCOVID19 regarding the extension of the deadline for schools to appeal the FY 2017 draft cohort default rates.
On February 24, 2020, the Department of Education (the Department) distributed the FY 2017 draft cohort default rate (CDR) notification packages to all eligible domestic and foreign schools only.
In this announcement, the Department provided information about the distribution, and the begin dates for appealing the draft rates.
Distribution of FY 2017 Draft Cohort Default Rates
For both eligible domestic and foreign schools enrolled in the Electronic Cohort Default Rate (eCDR) notification process, the Department sent FY 2017 draft cohort default rate and accompanying documentation via the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG). This information was sent to the SAIG mailbox for the destination point administrator designated by the school. Each eCDR package contained the following information:
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Cover Letter (message class SHDRLROP)
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Reader-Friendly Loan Record Detail Report (message class SHCDRROP)
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Extract-Type Loan Record Detail Report (message class SHCDREOP)
The Department did not send eCDR notification packages to any school not enrolled in eCDR. These schools may download their cohort default rates and accompanying Loan Record Detail Reports from the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS®) via the NSLDS Professional Access website.
Schools may request the Cohort Default Rate History Report (DRC035) which mimics the electronically transmitted eCDR Loan Record Detail Report (LRDR) in a comma delimited; comma separated values (CSV) format, as well as the current fixed-width format. The CSV format allows schools to import the report into an Excel spreadsheet. The report, which may be requested on the “Reports” tab, is delivered in message class CDRCSVOP to the SAIG mailbox associated with the NSLDS User ID that requested it.
Schools that are not signed up to receive the eCDR package via the SAIG Enrollment website or schools that want a replacement copy of their CDR Cover Letter can now request it from the “Reports” tab on the NSLDS Professional Access website. The new CDR Notification Letter Report (DRCNL1) allows school users to request their school’s CDR Notification Letter by entering in the Cohort Year and selecting the Rate Type. The report is sent to the SAIG mailbox associated with the NSLDS User ID that made the request under the message class SHDRLROP.
Note: Any school that did not have a borrower in repayment, during the current or any of the past cohort default rate periods, will not receive a FY 2017 draft cohort default rate notification package. These schools are considered to have no cohort default rate data and no cohort default rate.
Guaranty agency FY 2017 draft cohort default rates will be provided electronically, and lender rates are available for download from NSLDS.
Begin Dates for Appealing FY 2017 Draft Cohort Default Rates
The time period for appealing the FY 2017 draft cohort default rates under 34 C.F.R Part 668, Subpart N begins on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 for all schools.
All Incorrect Data Challenges (IDC) must be made through the eCDR Appeals application. Participation Rate Index Challenges (PRI) will continue to be submitted via hard copy. As a reminder, eCDR Appeals is a web-based application that allows schools to electronically submit certain challenge and adjustment requests during the specified timeframes. The application also allows data managers (guaranty agency or federal loan servicer) and Federal Student Aid personnel to electronically view and respond to these challenge/adjustment requests. The application tracks the entire life cycle of each request from the time the case is submitted until the time a decision is made and the case is closed.
If a technical problem caused by the Department results in an inability to access the data, schools have five business days from the receipt of the eCDR notification package to notify Operations Performance Division at the email address given below.
To further facilitate the review of cohort default rates schools may choose to utilize the LRDR Import Tool. The LRDR Import Tool can be used to easily load data generated from the LRDR into the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet application and is designed to assist schools with reviewing and analyzing their LRDR extract files.
To complete an adjustment or appeal, you may need data manager’s contact information. Click on the link labeled, “Data Manager Information” from the home page of the Cohort Default Rate Guide at https://ifap.ed.gov/dm/finalcdrg.
If the Department revises a school’s cohort default rate based on its adjustment or appeal submission, the revised cohort default rate will be available on Operations Performance Division’s website at https://ifap.ed.gov/dm.
Contact Information
For specific information regarding eCDR Appeals, visit the eCDR Appeals website, where you will find user guides for each of the challenge and adjustment processes, as well as a user guide for the registration process. Additionally, you will find links to recordings of eCDR Appeals demonstration sessions to assist first-time users.
For additional information regarding the school cohort default rate calculation or the challenge processes, refer to the Cohort Default Rate Guide at https://ifap.ed.gov/dm/finalcdrg.
You may also contact us by emailing fsa.schools.default.management@ed.gov or by calling the Operations Performance Division’s hotline at 202-377-4259.