NSLDS Transfer Student Monitoring & Financial Aid History User Guide and Record Layouts (August 2026) (Updated Sept. 16, 2026)

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NSLDS Transfer Student Monitoring & Financial Aid History User Guide and Record Layouts (August 2026) (Updated Sept. 16, 2026)
Note

Update on Sept. 16, 2026: We would like to clarify an important detail regarding the Aug. 28, 2026, updates for error code 104 005. Although we revised the NSLDS logic that determines when users receive the error code, the code itself was not eliminated.

NSLDS no longer generates error code 104 005 based on the value entered in the “Servicer Code” field (positions 56–63) in the header record of the TSM/FAH batch inform file. However, if a school reports that a third-party servicer requests and receives the school’s TSM/FAH files, NSLDS will still produce error code 104 005 if the TG mailbox provided is not associated with a valid, active servicer TG mailbox.

To reflect this, we reinstated error code 104 005 in Section 7.2.4, Error and Warning Codes, of this user guide, along with an updated description.

We are pleased to announce the availability of the updated NSLDS Transfer Student Monitoring & Financial Aid History User Guide and Record Layouts. The user guide provides step-by-step instructions for using Transfer Student Monitoring (TSM) online, describes how to request Financial Aid History (FAH), and includes detailed information about the TSM/FAH batch process.

This updated manual, dated August 2026, replaces the March 2026 version. Refer to the “What’s New” section for a description of the recent changes, which were made to address an issue that was preventing the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS®) from processing some FAH output requests. Refer to the Aug. 28, 2026, Electronic Announcement for more information about the issue and its resolution.

Contact Information

If you have questions about this information, contact the NSLDS Customer Support Center at 1-800-999-8219 or nslds@ed.gov.

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The U.S. Department of Education strives to make all content accessible to everyone. While this document does not currently meet the standards of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Federal Student Aid is working to create an accessible version. If you need access to this document before the accessible version is available, please contact the Information Technology Accessibility Program Help Desk at ITAPSupport@ed.gov to help facilitate.

Last Modified: 09/16/2026