(LOANS-22-08) FY 2019 Official Cohort Default Rates Distributed Sept. 29–30, 2022 (Updated Sept. 30, 2022)

Beginning on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, through Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) will distribute the FY 2019 official cohort default rate (CDR) notification packages to all eligible domestic and foreign schools only. The rates will be publicly released on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022.

In this announcement, we provide information about our distribution of the official rates and the begin dates and other reminders about the cohort default rate appeal process. In addition, we provide information about some changes to the Default Management website that will occur along with the 2022 release of the rates.

For both eligible domestic and foreign schools enrolled in the Electronic Cohort Default Rate (eCDR) process, we are sending FY 2019 official cohort default rate and accompanying documentation via the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG). This information is being sent to the SAIG mailbox of the destination point administrator designated by the school. Each eCDR package contains the following information:

Notes:

Schools not enrolled in eCDR will not receive an eCDR notification package.  Schools may download their cohort default rate and accompanying Loan Record Detail Reports from the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS^®) via the NSLDS Professional Access website.

LRDR File review: Schools are reminded of the availability of the NSLDS Loan Record Detail Report (LRDR) Import Tool. The LRDR Import Tool can be used to easily load data generated from the LRDR into the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet application, which is designed to assist schools with reviewing and analyzing their LRDR extract files.

To download the LRDR Import Tool, go to the Default Management - Templates and Spreadsheets Topics page on the Knowledge Center. If you have questions about using the LRDR Import Tool or NSLDS, contact the NSLDS Customer Support Center at 1-800-999-8219. You can also contact Customer Support by email at nslds@ed.gov.

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 2019 official CDR notification package. These schools are considered to have no cohort default rate data and no cohort default rate.

We will continue to provide guaranty agency rates and lender rates via email. Both guaranty agency and lender rates can also be obtained through the NSLDS website.

The period for appealing the FY 2019 official CDR under 34 C.F.R Part 668, Subpart N begins on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, for all schools.

Schools must use the electronic Cohort Default Rate Appeals (eCDR Appeals) System for the following appeals and adjustments.

Previously, some appeal types could be mailed to us in paper format, but we have moved to electronic submissions (email) since 2020. Schools must submit the following appeals electronically via password secured email (not the eCDR Appeals System) to the Cohort Default Rate Group; paper submissions will not be accepted.

Send these appeals to FSA.Schools.Default.Management@ed.gov with a copy (cc:) to mary.mcgeorge@ed.gov. The subject line of the email should be labeled as: FY 2019 Official [Insert appeal type], OPEID.

As a reminder, eCDR Appeals is a web-based application that allows schools to electronically submit certain adjustments/appeals requests during the specified timeframes. The application allows data managers (guaranty agency or federal loan servicer) and Federal Student Aid personnel to electronically view and respond to these adjustments/appeals.  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 Partner Eligibility and Oversight Services (PEOS) at the email address given below. As stated above, the time period for challenging the FY 2019 official CDR begins on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, for all schools.

To complete an adjustment or appeal, you may need the data manager’s contact information. Click on the “Alphabetical and Numerical Data Manager Contacts” link from the home page of the Default Management Topics page on the Knowledge Center.

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 the Default Management Topics page.

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.

Currently, CDR information is spread across multiple websites and servers. With the release of the rates, we will fully integrate all CDR information under the Default Management Topics page on the Knowledge Center. The move will streamline content and simplify navigation. It will also bring the look and feel of all CDR content in line with the look and feel of the Knowledge Center.

Any default management page URL that begins with “www2.ed.gov/OSFAP” will no longer be connected to the Knowledge Center as of Oct. 3, 2022, and fully retired as of Oct. 31, 2022. If a user has pages bookmarked with a URL that includes this prefix, he or she will need to update those bookmarks with the new pages as soon as possible; ideally, users should update the bookmark to the Default Management Topics home page: https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/topics/default-management. In two cases, we will have a redirect in place for a limited time. A user will receive an error message (likely a 404 error) for all other pages.

For additional information regarding the school cohort default rate calculation or the challenge processes, refer to the CDRG.

You may also contact us by email at fsa.schools.default.management@ed.gov or by phone at 202-377-4259.