SFA Information for Financial Aid Professionals
U.S. Department of Education
| AwardYear: 1997-1998 ChapterNumber: 2 ChapterTitle: Electronic Resources PageNumbers: 1-4 R June 1997 2-4 Electronic Resources Essential Questions What are the advantages of participating through Electronic Data Exchange (EDE)? What do I need to know when deciding whether to use the Departments Direct Loan software? What are the hardware and software requirements for my campus? Do I need to integrate the Direct Loan software data with my schools system? Where can I get technical assistance? Participation through EDE Schools participating in the Direct Loan Program are required to participate electronically. The Department of Education provides electronic support for all aspects of Direct Loan processing through the Electronic Data Exchange (EDE). The Direct Loan software is free, is updated annually, and is distributed as a component of EDExpress. Schools have the options of using the EDExpress software the Department provides developing their own software according to the Departments specifications using the EDExpress software in combination with their own Schools that use EDE software become EDE destination points or may choose to have a third-party servicer act as an EDE destination point. In addition to processing Direct Loans from origination to reconciliation, schools that use EDExpress can also enter and transmit initial, renewal, and correction FAFSA applications drawdown ISIR data from the CPS to be imported to, and used in, other software packages execute functions related to drawing down Direct Loan funds through the Departments Payment Management System IMPLEMENTATION Recommended hardware and software requirements for operating the Direct Loan Software is provided in the chart at the end of this chapter. If your financial aid office is automated, how you decide to use the Direct Loan software does not depend on whether your financial aid system is independent or is connected with other automated campus programs. You can use the Direct Loan software in concert with your current system, replace your current system with the Direct Loan software, or modify your current system to include all the software requirements. You may want to consider the questions below as you develop your implementation plan. It may also be helpful to talk with schools that have already implemented the program. Will incorporating Direct Loan software into your main system require support from your main campus computer facility, or can modifications be made solely in your office without relying on main campus support? If changes can be made within your office, how will you restructure staff to provide the time necessary to develop a new system? Which staff members should be involved? · Identifying who will perform each Direct Loan function within your school will help you determine which school personnel have access to various functions in the Direct Loan software. The softwares functions can be broken down into the following levels: 1 = provides access to reports only 2 = provides access to all functions except importing and exporting, cash management, and Student Status Confirmation Report (SSCR) other than reporting 3 = provides access to all Direct Loan functions except cash management and the SSCR other than reporting 4 = provides access only to drawdown requests and cash management functions (primarily designed for business officer use) 5 = provides access to all SSCR Direct Loan functions only 6 = provides access to all Direct Loan functions Could automation changes or enhancements be justified through Direct Loans, thereby benefiting your overall financial aid processing operations? If changes require outside resources, who will you need to involve? Are there other campus projects taking place at the same time? If so, how does the Direct Loan Program fit with other campus priorities? Could you hire a temporary technical person to help get you started? Could you work with other Direct Loan schools using the same commercial financial aid software to integrate that software with Direct Loan software? Do you have a way to deal with software maintenance? Will it be easier to maintain your mainframe or your PC? Technical References For additional information on EDE and for technical assistance with the Direct Loan software and hardware requirements, call Central Processing System 1 (800) 330-5947, from 8 A.M. to 7 P.M. CT You may also contact an EDE Specialist at the Department of Education at 1 (202) 708-8270. If you would like a copy of the Departments Direct Loan Technical Reference (a manual for schools that choose to develop their own Direct Loan software, using a mainframe, PC, or a combination of the two), or if you would like test case data, call Customer Service. If you have questions about the content of the Technical Reference, please call Technical Support. Title IV Wan Customer Service Custom School Technical Support 1 (800) 615-1189 1 (800) 756-4220 from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M., CT 8:30 A.M. to 5 P.M., CT Hardware and Software Requirements
|