| Publication Date: July 3, 2008 Bulletin ID: DLB-08-20 Summary: Update on Plan to Add Counseling Type Indicator to Entrance Counseling Report/File Posted on 07-03-2008 Dear Direct Loan Colleague: As explained in DLB-08-13, entrance counseling is now required for first-time graduate and professional student Direct PLUS Loan borrowers. In that bulletin, we provided details about the online entrance counseling sessions that became available to graduate and professional student borrowers on July 1, 2008 on the Direct Loan Servicing Online Web site. We also explained that we were planning to add an entrance counseling type indicator to the entrance counseling file/report sent to schools via the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG). At this time, we want to provide an update on our progress. We have identified an interim solution that will add an entrance counseling type indicator field to the existing file layout for the fixed-length (DECFENOP) entrance counseling report format. We are currently working with the software provider community on the timeframe for implementing this solution. As soon as we complete our work with software providers, we will communicate the details of the solution in a Direct Loan Bulletin. In the meantime, a school can determine the type of entrance counseling a borrower completed by accessing online counseling data from the School Reports section of the Direct Loan Servicing Online for Schools Web site. The on-demand entrance counseling reports can be requested by type as follows:
To access these reports, log in to the Direct Loan Servicing Online for Schools Web site. Click on "School Reports" from the top menu bar, click on "Entrance Counseling", and select one of the PLUS Entrance Counseling links in red. Next, enter the appropriate search criteria and click on "Run Report". Once the report is run, a school can export the file or sort the data using the toolbar at the top of the report. We appreciate your continued patience and understanding as we finalize this solution. If you have questions about the information contained in this bulletin, please contact the School Services Team at the Direct Loan Servicing Center at 888/877-7658. Thank you for your ongoing partnership in the Direct Loan Program. Sincerely, William Leith |
