|
DCLPublicationDate: 7/1/96 DCLID: GEN-96-13 AwardYear: Summary: This letter announces the availability of the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) to meet the regulatory requirements for obtaining financial aid transcript (FAT) information for purposes of determining student eligibility for Federal Title IV student assistance. July 1996 GEN-96-13 Summary: This letter announces the availability of the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) to meet the regulatory requirements for obtaining financial aid transcript (FAT) information for purposes of determining student eligibility for Federal Title IV student assistance. Dear Colleague: I am pleased to announce that, beginning with the 1996-97 award year, the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) may be used by postsecondary educational institutions to meet the regulatory requirements for obtaining Financial Aid Transcript (FAT) information for most Title IV student aid applicants.*1* The NSLDS may be used for FAT purposes as described in the Question & Answer (Q&A) pages that are enclosed. Schools are reminded that they remain required to respond to requests for FAT information from other institutions in accordance with Section 668.19(b), (c), and (d) of the regulations. With the exception of mid-year transfer students, using the information from the NSLDS will allow schools to meet the regulatory requirements for obtaining FAT information for those Federal student aid applicants who have previously attended other eligible postsecondary institutions. Schools may obtain FAT information from the NSLDS through several methods, (each of which is discussed in Q&A #22), including the Student Aid Report (SAR) and the NSLDS History section of the Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR). Once a school has obtained financial aid history information from the NSLDS, including using the NSLDS information included on a student's SAR or in the ISIR, it will not be required to re-check the NSLDS prior to disbursing Title IV student assistance. I wish to thank all data providers, including postsecondary institutions, for their assistance and patience during the development of the NSLDS. In addition to providing significant burden reduction to schools and students by virtually eliminating the need or schools to prepare paper FAT requests, the NSLDS will pre-screen student aid applicants, simplify and enhance Student Status Confirmation Report (SSCR) processing, track loan history information, calculate default rates, and provide the Department and others with a rich database for research and other analytical activities. The attached set of Q&As was developed by Department staff to explain the use of the NSLDS as an alternative to the paper FAT process. Although there is a great deal of detail provided in the Q&As, we urge you to review all of the information provided so you become familiar with the capabilities of the NSLDS and the conditions under which the NSLDS can be used to obtain information previously available only through the paper FAT process. Included are the following enclosures to assist you in working with the NSLDS: - A sample of the SAR NSLDS Financial Aid History page. - The record layout for the NSLDS Financial Aid History section of the ISIR. - The NSLDS documentation for the Financial Aid Transcript (FAT) process which includes: - A facsimile of two of the NSLDS FAT screens (Summary and Detail). - The record description for the NSLDS FAT batch request file. - The record description for the NSLDS FAT batch data file. - A facsimile of the NSLDS FAT produced from the batch print file. Finally, I want to remind you of the special security and privacy issues related to school access to the NSLDS. In addition to the normal issues of privacy and confidentiality related to all information submitted by or about an applicant for Title IV aid, access to the NSLDS by schools creates additional privacy and security concerns. These are discussed in the Q&As beginning with Q&A #56. Again, I thank you for your support of our continuing efforts to provide you and your students with the tools needed to simplify and enhance the Federal student aid delivery system. If you have further questions on accessing the NSLDS you may call the NSLDS Customer Service Center at 1-800-999-8219, Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM (Eastern Time), Federal holidays excluded. The Department's SFA Customer Support Inquiry Service staff is available to answer other questions related to the use of data from the NSLDS for FAT purposes. Staff members are available Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM (Eastern Time) at 1-800-433-7327. After hours calls will be accepted by an automated voice response system. Callers leaving their name and phone number will receive a return call the next business day. You may FAX an inquiry to the Customer Support Inquiry Service at (202) 260-4199. Sincerely, Elizabeth M. Hicks Deputy Assistant Secretary Student Financial Assistance Programs *1* The use of the NSLDS for students transferring into a school during an award year, as opposed to those that transfer into a new award year, is limited. Specific guidance on the use of the NSLDS for mid-year transfers is included in the enclosed set of Q&As. Attachment A Attachment B Attachment C |
||||