FA PAG Newsletter
June 2010
Critical Fix to Load CRECMYOP Files for Direct Lending (Update 835571 9.0, Update 835572 8.9)
Made available in mid-May, the critical fix allows you load to the new CRECMYOP files into the COD tables for processing Direct Lending entrance interview information. Though Bundle 17 is listed as a prerequisite, some schools have reported that they were able to move it into production without issue.
Interested in how to use the 3C Engine to assign checklists or how to use Population Update to update the Entrance Interview Status?
Checkout the archive of the DL Webinar: Transitioning to DL – Working with CRECMYOP Files
Link: http://www.heug.org/p/do/sd/sid=10711&fid=10611&req=direct
PLUS Application Acknowledgements…what’s the deal?
As you have heard us mention, your FA-PAG was required by the HEUG Board to present to Oracle our top 3 development goals for 2010. During the PAG Summit, we discussed both the new Loan Counseling processes from the US Department of Ed, as well as the new PLUS Application Acknowledgements. At the time of the Summit (the end of February), there was no technical reference for either process. In the Dept. of Ed’s defense though, they were scrambling every bit as fast as well as we all have been to get the new aid year up and running.
Because Loan Counseling has a greater impact on a larger number of students, the FA-PAG decided to list development of this functionality as one of our top three, and to leave PLUS Application Acknowledgement processing for later development. This allows us more time to gather requirements from all of you pertaining to what you would like to see delivered within Financial Aid to support Parent and Grad PLUS Loan Processing.
What has Oracle already delivered for PLUS Loan Acknowledgement files?
We are currently able to load the Direct Loan PLUS Application Response files (message class: crsp11op) to the staging tables.
What does this gain us?
Once the files have been loaded to the staging tables, you can use delivered tools (Query, Application Engine, Equation Engine, etc.) in order to generate a certification request-type of document or go further to award the loans.
Some schools are developing a report to be built from the six tables used to store the Electronic PLUS Loan Application information. The hope is the report can be used in the same way as the School Certification Request report that supports CommonLine 4; without having a specific loan period (only aid year is an option on the application) or the gender of the parent, however, there may be some challenges there! Nonetheless, it should be possible to enter many loans solely from the information being presented, if it can be made readable and put into an order that makes sense for checking the existence of the parent in the system; for creating or validating the set up of a relationship; and for entering the award.
Where do we go from here?
Your Financial Aid PAG needs your help!
An issue has been opened at HEUG on line so that you may add your comment and let your FA-PAG know what you are doing with what has already been delivered and what functionality you would like to see incorporated into the product.
The issue is number 1729 (http://www.heug.org/p/is/vi/iid=1729&type=8)
Please sign in to HEUG Online to add your requirements, upload your process documents, and even upload the code you use to support PLUS Loan processing at your home institutions.
Direct Lending Webinars…Scheduled (Tentative)!
June 17, 2010 Transitioning to DL – Reconciliation
June 24, 2010 Transitioning to DL – Where to Look for Help
PAG Top Three Issues for 2010-11….Updates
The Financial Aid PAG represents the user community and helps facilitate Oracle in its development of the Financial Aid module. After the PAG Summit and feedback from the Alliance 2010 conference, the following issues have been defined as the top three priorities in the year ahead, updated with corresponding Issue Tracker numbers for comments and suggestions.
1. Cross-Over Pell (Issue 1614)
The FA PAG has gathered 'best practice' documents from schools that have been testing and/or have already been successful in processing cross-over pell and collecting functionality suggestions at the Issue Id above. As a reminder, these documents can be found on HEUG on-line (www.heug.org) by navigating as follows:
• Click 'All Files' from the 'Files' tab located at the top; click on 'Financial Aid' under the 'Campus Solutions Category';
• Each posted file (document) will begin with 'Cross-Over Pell' and can also be found by filtering on subtopic "Pell/COD" (Document Type = Help Documentation).
Time-line for Cross-Over Pell: Current strategy is to have added functionality in place prior to when most ‘trailer schools' would need to process the additional pell for the cross-over term (which for most, would be towards the end of the 2011 aid year). Target time period is February of 2011.
2. FA Term
The FA Term Working Group is creating a white paper that summarizes the conclusions to date related to improvements to FA Term. This is a strategic initiative that supports the use of web services within Financial Aid and introduces greater flexibility in processing.
3. DL Loan Entrance/Exit Counseling (Issue 1689)
Phase One has been delivered where we are able to load the new common record entrance interview format into the COD tables with the Critical Fix. However, further requirements are needed for Phase Two.
May 2010 Word Cloud from FA.ps
FA Issue Tracker
Apparently, the Issue Tracker has been taking a siesta; no new enhancement requests have been recorded over the past month. This gives us a good opportunity to review what has been receiving the top votes. The items with the current top vote averages are:
Id Title Vote Avg Total Votes
1690 Develop COD Framework, to include TEACH 1 7
1689 Need Direct Lending Entrance/Exit functionality expanded 1 5
1558 Packaging plan item type minimums are ignored in 9.0 1 3
1643 NSLDS Suspense Maintenance 1 3
1729 Import and Process PLUS Electronic Applications 1.09 11
If you feel other items deserve greater priority, now is the time for you to go to http://www.heug.org/p/is/ty/type=8 and vote!
My Oracle Support Knowledge Articles (Of Interest)
• Changes to Report Definition in PeopleTools 8.50 have Impact on Communication Generation [ID 1102033.1]
• How can Letter Generation (CCLTRGEN) be Run in a JobSet [ID 793012.1]
• Campus Solutions 9.0 Bundle #17 Documentation for 3C Batch Communication Delete Process [ID 1102923.1]
Who is on the Financial Aid Product Advisory Group?
If you’ve ever wondered precisely who is on the Financial Aid Product Advisory Group, here is your answer!
There are currently nine people who make up the FA-PAG. Six are regular members (they can vote), two are associate members (last year’s FA-PAG and Track Chairs), and one is an “alternate” member (if one of the regular members cannot fulfill their term…).
We work hard to keep your PAG membership as inclusive as possible and thought a good place to start would be with this month’s feature, a “Group Profile.”
We represent…
- 1 country, the United States
- 2 Private Institutions
- 7 Public institutions
- 1 Two Year Institution
- 6 Four Year Institutions
- 1 Multi-institution System with both 2- and 4-year programs
- 8 Institutions’ academic years are divided into semesters (sometimes with sessions within the semesters)
- 1 Institution’s academic years are divided into quarters for some careers and semesters for others
- 231,100 students are enrolled at our institutions
- 122,035 of those students receive financial aid
- 1999 was the first year one of our campuses went live with PeopleSoft
- 157 is the number of years we’ve worked in Higher Education
- 88 of those have been directly in a financial aid office
- 1998 was the first year one of the current FA-PAG members presented at an Alliance Conference (then called the SIG)
- 24 presentations have been made over those years at our conferences
- 8 FA-PAG members are serving their first term
Watch future FA-PAG Newsletters for profiles of each member. And most importantly… Consider nominating yourself or someone else to serve on the FA-PAG. We need YOU!
Humor (and Needed!)
Two college seniors had a week of exams coming up. They decided to party instead. Their biggest exam was on Wednesday and they showed up telling the professor that their car had broken down the night before due to a very flat tire and they needed a bit more time to study.
The professor told them that they could have another day to study. That evening, both of the boys crammed all night until they were sure that they knew just about everything.
Arriving to class the next morning, each boy was told to go to two separate classrooms to take the exam. Each boy just shrugged and went to two different parts of the building.
As each sat down, they read the first question.
"For 5 points, explain the contents of an atom."
At this point, they both thought that this was going to be a piece of cake, and answered the question with ease. Then, the test continued.
"For 95 points, tell me which tire it was."
Financial Aid Product Advisory Group, 2010-2011