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Publication Date: February 24, 2003

Author: General Manager: FSA Schools Channel

Summary: eCDR Download and File Reviewing Instructions


Posted on 02-24-2003


The following information should help schools download and view or print the Electronic Cohort Default Rate (eCDR) files that the Department sent to many electronic mailboxes via the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG).

How to download the files:

1. Log into EDconnect.
2. Leave the Transmission Queue empty and select Now from the Transmission menu.
3. When you receive the “Transmission successful” message, close the Transmission screen by going to the File menu and selecting Close.
4. Select New from the File menu and choose Mailbox Query from the list of views.  Click OK.
5. The Mailbox Query screen will display a list of the files that are currently in your mailbox.  In the Message Class column on the left, you can identify the three eCDR files by their SAIG message classes:

SHDRLROP—cover letter
SHCDRROP—the loan record detail information in a pre-formatted report
SHCDREOP—the loan record detail information in an unformatted extract

6. Place a check mark in the Move to TQ column to the left of the message class of the file or files you wish to download.  Select Now from the Transmission menu.  EDconnect will download the file or files.
7. When you receive the “Transmission successful” message, close the Transmission screen by going to the File menu and selecting Close.
8. Open the Activity Log by selecting New from the File menu and choosing Activity Log from the list of views.  Click OK.
9. Find the eCDR file or files you have just downloaded.  The most recently downloaded files appear at the bottom of the Activity Log.
10. Scroll to the right until you see the File Name column.  Make a note of the names of the files and the folder to which they have been downloaded.
11. Open the files by following the instructions below.

For additional questions about the SAIG mailbox or downloading files, please contact CPS/WAN Technical Support at 800/330-5947.

How to open and read or print the eCDR files

Once you have downloaded the three eCDR files, use the following steps to review the files:

(A)  The SHDRLROP file is the cover letter, which contains basic information for your school regarding draft cohort default rates, including deadline information for the challenge process.  You should be able to open it in most word processing programs, such as Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or with a basic text reader like Windows Notepad.

Start your word processing software. Select Open from the File menu.  At the bottom of the Open dialog, choose “All files (*.*)” from the “Files of type” drop-down list.  Browse to the folder you noted in Step 10 above. Select the SHDRLROP file and open it.

(B)  The SHCDRROP file is the loan record detail information in a pre-formatted report.  You should be able to open it in most word processing programs, such as Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or with a basic text reader like Windows Notepad.

Start your word processing software. Select Open from the File menu.  At the bottom of the Open dialog, choose “All files (*.*)” from the “Files of type” drop-down list.  Browse to the folder you noted in Step 10 above.  Select the SHCDRROP file and open it.

To format the document for viewing or printing in Microsoft Word, follow the instructions below:

1. Start Microsoft Word and open the SHCDRROP file.
2. Click on the Edit menu item at the top of the Microsoft Word window and choose Select All.
3. Click on the Format menu item at the top of the Microsoft Word window and choose Font.
4. In the Font dialog box, change the font size to 8 and the font style to Courier New.  Click OK.
5. Click on the File menu item at the top of the Microsoft Word window and choose Page Setup.  Select the Margins tab.
6. Change the margins to Top = 1”, Bottom = 1”, Left = 0.7”, Right = 0.7”, Gutter = 0”
7. Click on the Paper Size tab.  Select the Landscape radio button.
8. Click OK.
9. View or print the file.

Chapter 2.3 of the Cohort Default Rate Guide available at http://www.ifap.ed.gov/drmaterials/attachments/Chapter23.pdf describes how to interpret the information contained in the loan record detail report.

(C)  The SHCDREOP file is the loan record detail information in an unformatted extract.  Working with the extract version of the loan record detail information requires technical skill and familiarity with file import specifications.  Please refer to the import specifications on pages 2.6-5 through 2.6-8 of the Cohort Default Rate Guide available at http://www.ifap.ed.gov/drmaterials/attachments/Chapter26.pdf . Once you have imported the extract file, Chapter 2.3 of the Cohort Default Rate Guide available at http://www.ifap.ed.gov/drmaterials/attachments/Chapter23.pdf describes how to interpret the information contained in the various fields.

The entire Cohort Default Rate Guide is available at this website:  http://www.ifap.ed.gov/drmaterials/finalcdrg.html.

or questions about the eCDR cover letter that you have downloaded, the loan record detail report files that you have downloaded, or about the cohort default rate challenge, adjustment, or appeal processes, please contact Default Management at fsa.schools.default.management@ed.gov or at 202/377-4259.