(EDESUITE-24-03) Availability of EDExpress for Windows, 2024–25, Release 2.0

Author
Federal Student Aid
Electronic Announcement ID
EDESUITE-24-03
Subject
Availability of EDExpress for Windows, 2024–25, Release 2.0

We are pleased to announce the posting of EDExpress for Windows 2024–25, Release 2.0, on the Software and Other Tools page of Federal Student Aid’s Knowledge Center website (https://Knowledge Center.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools). 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 2024–25 award cycle.

In addition to the software, the following EDExpress 2024–25 documents are available for download from the Knowledge Center website:

  • Installation Guide for EDExpress for Windows 2024–25 (provides technical and installation guidance)

  • The EDExpress for Windows 2024–25, Release 2.0 Cover Letter (provides critical information regarding enhancements and other updates in Release 2.0)

  • The EDExpress for Windows 2024–25, Release 2.0 Desk Reference (includes step-by-step guidance regarding EDExpress Pell Grant and Direct Loan functionality in Release 2.0)

Note: Volume 3 of the 2024–25 COD Technical Reference, which provides technical guidance and record layouts for use with the EDExpress 2024–25 Pell Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant modules, is also available for download from the Knowledge Center website.

EDExpress 2024–25 Redesign

EDExpress 2024–25 continues and expands upon the redesigned user interface introduced in Release 1.0 that enables you to access critical information more quickly and work more efficiently within and across modules. This modernized, student-centric interface retains the main EDExpress “desktop” screen of prior versions while introducing a new navigation menus and options on the top, left, and bottom portions of the screen that provide quick access to key features and functions.

Within open student records, we streamlined the entry process by replacing module-specific “tabs” with a single Manual Entry screen, within which you can quickly shift between different module-specific records (such as demographic, ISIR, Packaging, and loan/grant records). Where possible, we integrated fields from previously separate dialog boxes and menu options into the primary entry screens, delivering more easily accessible and comprehensive information in fewer mouse clicks.

In addition to the software redesign, Release 2.0 includes new and modified student entry fields for consistency with Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) changes for 2024–25 implemented as a result of FAFSA Simplification. This includes new fields in the Pell Grant module that are critical for calculating award amounts.

For more information and guidance regarding 2024–25 software enhancements, review the EDExpress Help Text and software documentation available on the Knowledge Center website, including the cover letters and desk references posted with Release 1.0 and Release 2.0.

EDExpress 2024–25 Installation Notes

Note the following guidance during the installation of EDExpress 2024–25, Release 2.0:

  • When you initiate the EDExpress 2024–25 installation process, you will be prompted to install the ACE Access Database Engine. This functionality is required to install EDExpress 2024–25. 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 2024–25 requires Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.6.2. You will be prompted to install this software if the EDExpress 2024–25 installation process determines it is not available on your workstation.

For more information on installing EDExpress 2024–25, see the EDExpress for Windows 2024–2025 Installation Guide.

EDExpress 2024–25 Initial Login Information

If you upgrade from EDExpress 2024–25, 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 2024–25 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 2024–25 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 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 2024–25, Release 2.0 Desk Reference.

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding downloading, installing, or using EDExpress 2024–25, Release 2.0, contact the FPS Help Desk at 1-800-330-5947 or by email at support@fps.ed.gov. The FPS Help Desk (formerly CPS/SAIG Technical Support) provides customer service for the FAFSA Processing System (FPS), the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG), and the EDExpress for Windows software.

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://listserv.ed.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=FSATECH&A=1.

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