(LOANS-23-03) FY 2020 Draft Cohort Default Rates Distributed Feb. 27, 2023

On Feb. 27, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) distributed the FY 2020 draft cohort default rate (CDR) notification packages to all eligible domestic and foreign schools only.

In this announcement, the Department provides information about the distribution of the draft rates, and the begin dates for appealing the draft rates.

For both eligible domestic and foreign schools enrolled in the Electronic Cohort Default Rate (eCDR) process, we are sending FY 2020 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 from the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS^®) contains the following information:

Notes:

We do 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 NSLDS Professional Access.

Schools may request the Cohort Default Rate History Report (SHCDR), previously the DRC035, which mimics the electronically transmitted eCDR Loan Record Detail Report (LRDR) on the reports page, by clicking the “Team Content" folder icon and navigating to CDR. You have the option of selecting the fixed width or comma delimited extracts for SAIG, the PDF or Excel versions for download.

If choosing the SAIG or Excel download options, selecting ‘No’ will pull the Excel formatted downloadable file, selecting ‘Yes’ will ask for the school information then to enter the SAIG values, to receive via your school’s SAIG mailbox.

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 download their letter directly from the school’s cohort default rate page on NSLDS. On the cohort default rate history page schools can retrieve their letter by clicking ‘view’ under the notification letter column. By clicking ‘view’ a PDF copy of the notification letter will pop up.

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 2020 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 2020 draft cohort default rates will be provided electronically, and lender rates are available for download from the NSLDS website.

The time for appealing the FY 2020 draft cohort default rates under 34 C.F.R Part 668, Subpart N begins on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, 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 Cohort Default Rates Group at the email address 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 a data manager’s contact information. The Data Manager Information can be found at the Default Management Topic page.

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 Topic 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.

For additional information regarding the school cohort default rate calculation or the challenge processes, refer to the Cohort Default Rate Guide.

You may also contact us by emailing fsa.schools.default.management@ed.gov or by calling the Cohort Default Rates Group hotline at 202-377-4259.