Post Date: 01/10/2012
The Boston Educational Network will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2012 in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday.
Post Date: 12/21/2011
Congress reached agreement on the fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget after several days of
disagreement and stalemate. Bills in the budget includes award year 2012-13 funding levels
for the federal student aid programs and maintains a $5,550 maximum Pell Grant for the
2012-13 award year.
Provisions Affecting All Title IV Programs
• Ability-to-benefit (ATB) options for establishing general student eligibility for Title IV funds are eliminated for students who first enroll in a program of study on or after July 1, 2012. Neither ATB testing nor earning six credits applicable to a degree or certificate will satisfy the academic qualifications for receiving Title IV funds. A student will need to have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent, or have been home schooled, to meet the eligibility criterion.
• Qualifying income for the Automatic Zero EFC determination is reduced to $23,000, beginning with award year 2012-13. The law currently sets that threshold at $30,000, but directs the Department of Education to adjust it annually based on the Consumer Price Index. For 2012-13, the threshold was scheduled to increase to $32,000, from $31,000 used in 2011-12. Auto zero applies only to EFC calculations for dependent students (based on parent income) and independent students with dependents other than a spouse (based on the combined income of the student and spouse).
Provision Affecting Direct Loans Only
• Interest subsidy during the six-month grace period is eliminated for new Stafford Loans made on or after July 1, 2012, and before July 1, 2014. The repayment period still begins 6 months after the student is no longer enrolled at least half-time, but interest that accrues during those six months will be payable by the student rather than be subsidized by the federal government.
Post Date: 12/13/2011
The Student Financial Aid (SFA) survey component is now open in the IPEDS collection
system (https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/)
and will remain open to Keyholders through February 8, 2012. Thank you for your patience.
IPEDS Help Desk
Toll Free 1-877-225-2568
ipedshelp@rti.org
Post Date: 12/9/2011
Linked below is the December 8, 2011, Announcement from Pamela Eliadis at the
Department of Education. Questions regarding enrollment can be addressed by contacting
CPS/SAIG Technical Support at 800/330-5947.
Link to PDF
Post Date: 12/7/2011
Both the Winter 2011-12 and Spring 2012 web-based data collections are now open, EXCEPT
for Student Financial Aid (SFA), which will open on December 14th. The Winter collection
will remain open through February 8, 2012, and the Spring collection will remain open
through April 11, 2012.
You can access the collection site at:
http://surveys.nces.ed.gov/IPEDS
Due Dates For The Remaining 11/12 IPEDS Cycle Reporting
2/8/2012 - Student Financial Aid
2/8/2012 – Human Resources
4/11/2012 – Fall Enrollment
4/11/2012 – Finance
4/11/2012 – Graduation Rates
4/11/2012 – Graduation Rate 200
Post Date: 12/5/2011
If you receive correspondence from James W. Runcie, COO, Federal Student Aid indicating
that they have not confirmed that you have successfully reported GE Program data to the
Department you should contact the Dept. immediately. Linked below is the PDF Dear College
President letter with detailed guidance.
Link to GE document
Post Date: 10/25/2011
Linked below are instructions on the validation/confirmation of TG numbers. This process must be accomplished by each institutions Primary Destination Point administrator by December 16, 2011. Link to TG Numbers
Post Date: 10/17/2011
October 13, 2011 – Gainful Employment Information – Updated optional submittal template.
Note that policy questions that have not already been addressed in the FAQ section of the
Gainful Employment Information Page may be submitted to ge-questions@ed.gov.
Linked below is the Oct. 13 DCL Gainful Employment Electronic Announcement # 26
http://ifap.ed.gov/GainfulEmploymentInfo/GEDCLandEA.html
Post Date: 10/7/2011
Deadline for submission of Institutional Characteristics, Completions and 12-month Enrollment is October 19, 2011. The IPEDS Help Desk telephone number is 1.877.225.2568 Submissions must be LOCKED by that date or institutions are subject to fines.
Using the Department of Ed. Calculator?
Critical Links:
Net Price Calculator Requirement – Contains Frequently Asked Questions
http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/resource/net_price_calculator.asp
Net Price Calculator Template – USDE Version
http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/netpricecalculator/
Net Price Calculator Quick Start Guide - USDE
http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/netpricecalculator/download/QuickStart_IE.pdf
If your questions are not answered in the frequently asked questions section – you can
contact Jessica Finkel at the Department of Ed. Jessica.Finkel@ed.gov for additional
guidance.
Post Date: 9/19/2011
Date: Oct. 13, 2011
Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time)
Advance registration is required and the new Dept. of Ed Distance Education System will require installing new browser plug-in software to your system for full functionality. Browser plug-in info will be e-mailed to participants after they register.
Link to DCL ID: ANN-11-20: http://www.ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/ANN1120.html
This webinar includes updated and expanded information and should be attended by those
responsible for uploading data at your institution.
Post Date: 9/19/2011
Effective immediately The Boston Educational Network will no longer seek documentation on how aid applicants survive on income below the Health & Human Services poverty guidelines unless the file is selected for verification. Moving forward, schools should discontinue use of the form and not place a completed form in student financial aid files if they are not selected for verification. Recent guidance from the Dept. of Ed. indicates that it is considered a “Best Practice” but it falls outside the realm of conflicting information.
Cautionary Note: Schools may be routinely having students complete a Low Income Survival form if during the application process they detect little or no income. If not selected for verification – Boston-Ed. will no longer be scrutinizing these forms so they should not be in the financial aid files of applicable students as it could lead to true “conflicting information” that does fall within the conflicting information regulatory guidance provided by the Dept. of Education.
Action Required: If your school has any students who are currently in file delay because we are seeking submission of a low income survival form and they are not selected for verification please update their profile and enter in the comment section: LIS Waived not selected for verification. If there are no other issues with the file we will process aid immediately.
Post Date: 9/15/2011
After viewing the Webinar – you might want to print the SLIDES from the presentation for a quick review and a ready reference as you proceed.
The GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT USER GUIDE is the primary source for detailed instructions on the process and requirements. This should be printed for handy reference – 102 pages.
The NSLDS ENROLLMENT REPORTING GUIDE – dated Oct. 2010 is a valuable reference for the general process of online updating of enrollment reporting and does not specifically address Gainful Employment reporting requirements.
The FSA DOWNLOAD SUBMITTAL TEMPLATE – The spreadsheet that contains the required reporting elements.
More Questions? E-Mail: GE-Questions@ed.gov
WEBINAR – Reporting/Uploading Gainful Employment Data
http://ifap.ed.gov/GainfulEmploymentInfo/GETraining.html go to the 6/29/2011 Webinar link.
SLIDES
http://ifap.ed.gov/presentations/attachments/063011ReportingGEDataNSLDSWebinar.pdf
ENROLLMENT REPORTING GUIDE
http://ifap.ed.gov/nsldsmaterials/072111NSLDSEnrollmentReportingGuide.html
GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT USER GUIDE
http://ifap.ed.gov/nsldsmaterials/NSLDSGainfulEmploymentUserGuide080411.html
FSA DOWNLOAND SUBMITTAL TEMPLATE
https://www.fsadownload.ed.gov/Repository/NSLDSGainEmpAug11/Gainful_Employment_Submittal_Upload_v0_2.xls
(available @ fsadownload.ed.gov)
Post Date: 8/31/2011
Post Date: 8/31/2011
Post Date: 6/15/2011
http://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/ANN1114.html
The National Student Loan Data System Gainful Employment User Guide can be obtained at this
link:
http://ifap.ed.gov/nsldsmaterials/NSLDSGainfulEmploymentUserGuideUpdate060311.html
Post Date: 6/13/2011
Disclosure Requirements
Summary
The October 29, 2010, regulations that go into effect on July 1, 2011, include a provision, at 34 CFR 668.6(b), that requires institutions to disclose, for each of their GE Programs, certain information about the programs to prospective students. The institution must include the information required in promotional materials it makes available to prospective students and on its Web site. The regulations also provide that the institution must "Use the disclosure form issued by the Secretary to provide the information ... when that form is available" (34 CFR 668.6(b)(2)(iv)). These disclosures must begin no later than July 1, 2011. Institutions are responsible for meeting these disclosure requirements using their own form until the Department releases its form.
Information to Disclose
The following is a summary of the information that must be disclosed by an institution for each of its GE Programs. Institutions must review the final regulations as published in the Federal Register to ensure that they are in compliance with this and all other gainful employment requirements. The name and U.S. Department of Labor's Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code of the occupations that the program prepares students to enter, along with links to occupational profiles on the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET Web site or its successor site. The on-time graduation rate for students completing the program. The tuition and fees the institution charges a student for completing the program within normal time. The typical costs for books and supplies (unless those costs are included as part of tuition and fees), and the cost of room and board, if applicable. The job placement rate for students completing the program. The median loan debt incurred by students who completed the program (separately by Title IV loans and by other educational debt to include both private educational loans and institutional financing) as provided by the Secretary. Other information the Secretary provided to the institution about the program.
Median Loan Debt
As noted, one of the informational items that must be disclosed to prospective students is the median loan debt incurred by students who completed the GE Program. In anticipation of the receipt of student-level information from the institutions and to provide consistency among institutions, the regulation provides that these median amounts will be provided to the institution by the Secretary for the institution's disclosure to prospective students. However, since the first disclosures under the new regulation must be made no later than July 1, 2011, and the first reporting by institutions is not required until October 1, 2011, an institution must include in its disclosures its own calculation of median debt - separately showing Title IV debt and other educational debt - until such time as the Department provides that loan debt information. The loan debt information disclosed by institutions should be consistent with the information the institutions report to the Department.
Disclosure Form
As noted, the regulations provide that the institution must use the disclosure form issued by the Secretary, when available. This form will be provided to institutions through an online Web-application that institutions will be required to use to disclose information about their GE Programs. This application will allow institutions to create a Web page containing the required disclosure information. Similar to the net price calculator template developed by the Department, the institution will enter each GE Program's required data into the online form, resulting in an ‘html’ file that the institution will post to the Web site home page for that program. Using this process, an institution will first enter (or upload) data into the Web-based application for each of its GE Programs. Some of the information entered (such as the OPEID of the institution and CIP code for the program) will be used to look up and import data from Department databases for use in the output disclosure Web page. Additional institutional program-level data will be entered by the institution and included on the output page. Access to the Web-application and a more detailed description of the data elements required to be entered will be made available at a later date.
FREQUENTLY ASK QUESTIONS LINK: http://ifap.ed.gov/GainfulEmploymentInfo/2011GEFAQ.html
Post Date: 5/27/2011
Anthony (Tony)Fragomeni – “Link to Washington Update Powerpoint” – presented May 19, 2011 Mohegan Sun – “Don’t Roll the Dice” with Financial Aid.
Post Date: 2/16/2011
The first ACA payment for the 2010-2011 Award Year is based on records that the COD System has processed from the start of the Pell Grant 2010-2011 Award Year up to the date that we process the first ACA payments for the 2010-2011 Award Year. The USDE began processing the Pell Grant ACA payments for all schools on February 14, 2011. Schools will begin to see these payments deposited directly into their bank accounts over the next few weeks.
Post Date: 2/14/2011
On February 14, 2011, the USDE released the FY 2009 Draft Cohort Default Rates to all eligible schools. All schools, both domestic and foreign, who requested BEN to enroll in the Electronic Cohort Default Rate (eCDR) process will receive their FY 2009 Draft Cohort Default Rate and accompanying documentation via the Report Section of your school Portal. Any school that enrolled in the eCDR process themselves may download their cohort default rate and accompanying documentation from their SAIG mailbox.
Any school not enrolled in the eCDR process may download their cohort default rate and accompanying documentation from the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) via the NSLDS Professional Access Website. Your draft cohort default rate is found on the last page of the Loan Record Detail Report (LRDR).
Post Date: 2/8/2011
The trial (unofficial) 3 year cohort default rates have been published by the USDE.
To locate your school in the publication please do the following:
1. Go to www.fsadatacenter.ed.gov
2. Click Default Rate link
3. Click Go next to the 2008 field
4. Open file
The list is sorted by state and OPEID number.
This is rate is provided by the USDE for informational purposes only. No benefits or
sanctions apply to these trial rates. “The calculation and release of these trial
rates is simply to assist institutions in preparing for the upcoming release of the
first official three-year FY2009 CDRs next year (2012).”
Post Date: 1/13/2011
It is very important to update the profile for a student who receives a subsequent isir transaction after The Boston Educational Network has awarded Title IV aid for a student. The updated profile will prompt BEN to review/update the student’s eligibility for Title IV aid for that award year. Please include a comment in the comment section of the profile to indicate that you are updating the profile due to a subsequent isir being processed.
“You are required to review all subsequent transactions for a student for the entire processing year, even if you have already verified an earlier transaction. First determine if the EFC or the “C” flag has changed or if there are new comments or NSLDS information that impacts eligibility for aid. Also check any updates or corrections. If the EFC has not changed and there are no changes in the “C” flag or NSLDS information, generally no action is required. If the EFC does change but it either doesn’t affect the amount and type of aid received or the data elements that changed were already verified, no action is required. But if the EFC changes and the pertinent data elements were not verified, then you must investigate. Of course, any time the “C” flag changes or NSLDS data have been modified, you must resolve any conflicts.”
Post Date: 1/03/2011
The 2011-2012 FAFSA/ISIR and ISIR corrections will be available for processing on Wednesday January 5, 2011.
Please be sure to select the correct Award Year when processing your FAFSAs printing your ISIRs or making ISIR corrections.
Post Date: 12/09/2010
Both the Winter 2010-11 and Spring 2011 web-based data collections are now open. The Winter collection will remain open through January 26, 2011, and the Spring collection will remain open through April 13, 2011.
You can access the collection site at: http://surveys.nces.ed.gov/IPEDS
IMPORTANT NOTE: When you log in, you will need to choose a new password, because your current password has expired.
For the Winter collection:
- All institutions MUST complete the Human Resources (HR) component by January 26, 2011.
For the Spring collection:
- All institutions MUST complete the Finance (F) and Fall Enrollment (EF) components, and most institutions must complete the Student Financial Aid (SFA), Graduation Rates (GRS), and 200% Graduation Rate (GR200) components. These survey components must be completed by April 13, 2011.
Please make a note of the reporting deadlines for these survey components. We are unable to accept late data submissions.
The following assistance is available to you as you prepare your institution’s data submissions:
- The IPEDS Help Desk is available to assist you at any time during the collection cycle. Please contact the Help Desk at 1-877-225-2568 or ipedshelp@rti.org if you have any questions about the IPEDS system.
- Copies of the survey forms, instructions, file upload specifications, and frequently asked questions are available in the collection system under the Help menu.
- The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) has free IPEDS training Webinars available at http://www.airweb.org, click on IPEDS.
Remember that the completion of all IPEDS surveys, in a timely and accurate manner, is mandatory for all institutions that participate or are applicants for participation in any Federal financial assistance program authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended. IPEDS surveys are mandated by 20 U.S.C. 1094(a)(17). Institutions have been fined for failing to submit complete surveys on time.
To assist you in meeting this requirement, NCES has established a rigorous follow-up schedule. PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE. You will be prompted ONLY IF YOUR SURVEY SUBMISSION IS NOT COMPLETE.
In order to complete all requirements for data submission, keyholders must LOCK each survey.
- Under "Steps to Locking," be sure to run "Perform Edits" and resolve any errors.
- When activated (underlined), click "Lock" and follow the instructions.
- Please be sure to check your Survey status to make sure that it reads Locked or Complete after you have locked your data.
- Use the "Am I Done" feature to ensure that you have completed all required surveys.
Post Date: 12/03/2010
Happier Holidays To All! G5 Phase 3 Implementation has been Postponed Please be advised that the G5 Phase 3 Implementation originally scheduled for December 20, 2010 has been postponed. This means that the temporary shutdown scheduled from December 10 to December 20, 2010 has been cancelled. G5 will be available to users during normal hours of operation as displayed under the G5 Web Site Hours of Operation section at the bottom of the G5 homepage. A new date for the G5 Phase 3 implementation will be forthcoming in a subsequent email.
Post Date: 11/23/2010
From 3:00 P.M. (ET) on Friday, December 10, 2010 through 6:00 A.M. (ET) on Monday, December 20, 2010 the G5 Web site will not be available. Schools will not be able to draw down funds during this period for the following Title IV Programs:
- Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
- Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant)
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- Federal Work Study (FWS)
- William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan)
Post Date: 11/04/2010
The PDF file below is a partial list of schools that are not recognized high schools by the USDE. This list was published in the Career Education Review of July 2010. Click here to view list
The Secretary of Education is attempting to improve the integrity in the programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), by amending the regulations for Institutional Eligibility Under the HEA, the Secretary's Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, the Secretary's Recognition Procedures for State Agencies, the Student Assistance General Provisions, the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program in part 686, the Federal Pell Grant Program, and the Academic Competitiveness Grant (AGC) and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National Smart Grant) Programs. Show citation box. Click below to find the entire content: http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2010/10/29/2010-26531/program-integrity-issues
To allow for the G5 Phase 3 implementation of the Grants Management System, the G5 Application will be unavailable to all users beginning on Friday, December 10th at 3:00 PM EST until 6:00 AM EST Monday, December 20, 2010. This notice has been mailed and emailed to all grantee/payee addresses on file with the Department.
Post Date: 9/9/2010
2009-2010 ISIR Corrections
The last date to make any changes to your student’s 2009-2010 ISIR is September 16, 2010. After that date, the USDE will not accept any changes/corrections for the 2009-2010 award year.
Post Date: 8/24/2010
The Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant) regulations at 34 CFR 690.10 provide for an Administrative Cost Allowance (ACA) payment of $5.00 to each participating school for each student who receives a Pell Grant at that school for an award year. The second ACA payment for the 2009-10 Award Year is based on records that the COD System has processed from the date the Department processed the first ACA payments for the 2009-10 Award Year (March 20, 2010) up to the date that the Department processes the second ACA payments for the 2009-10 Award Year. The Department began processing the second ACA payments for all schools on August 23, 2010. Schools will begin to see these payments deposited directly into their bank accounts over the next few weeks.
Post Date: 6/10/2010
Immediate Action Necessary
New regulations require schools to develop a policy for the 2010 Crossover Pell Grant payment period. Below, please find a sample policy statement that we recommend all our schools establish. This policy or facsimile should be placed in your institution’s policy manual/ handbook.
This policy has been standard operating procedure for all schools since the inception of the Pell Grant program.
For the 2010 crossover payment period that occurs in the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 award years, our institution elects to award the Federal Pell Grant from the 2009-2010 award year without applying 34CFR 690.64 as amended by the final regulations published on October 29, 2009, and effective on July 1, 2010 (74 FR 55904, 55951).
Post Date: 5/25/2010
The chart below is a summary of Direct Loan and FFEL borrower interest rates that will be effective beginning July 1, 2010. The top chart provides the rates for loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2006 that have fixed rates for the life of the loan. The bottom chart provides rates for loans that were first disbursed between July 1, 1998 and June 30, 2006. These loans have variable interest rates that are reset each year.
Fixed Rates for Loans First Disbursed on or After July 1, 2006
| LOAN TYPE | GRADE LEVEL | First Disbursed Between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010 | First Disbursed Between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011 (See note) |
| Subsidized Loans | Undergraduate | 5.60 | 4.50 |
| Graduate | 6.80 | 6.80 | |
| Unsubsidized Loans | Undergraduate | 6.80 | 6.80 |
| Graduate | 6.80 | 6.80 | |
| PLUS Loans | Parent and Grad Student | 7.90 for Direct Loans and 8.50 for FFEL | 7.90 for Direct Loans and 8.50 for FFEL |
NOTE: Effective July 1, 2010, the only loans that can be made are Direct Loans.
Variable Rates for Loans First Disbursed Between July 1, 1998 and June 30, 2006
These rates were calculated based upon statutory formulas and equal the bond equivalent rate of the 91-day Treasury bills auctioned on May 24, 2010, plus certain statutory percentage add-ons. The 91-day Treasury bills were auctioned at 0.167 percent, rounded to 0.17 percent.
| LOAN TYPE | LOAN STATUS | For the Period July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010 | For the Period July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011 |
| Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans | Repayment or Forbearance | 2.48 | 2.47 |
| In-school, Grace, or Deferment | 1.88 | 1.87 | |
| PLUS Loans – Parent and Grad Student | All Statuses | 3.28 | 3.27 |
Notes:
- Interest rates on Stafford and PLUS loans disbursed before July 1, 1998, are calculated using different statutory formulas, percentage add-ons, or both.
- Generally, interest rates on Consolidation Loans are fixed rates calculated based on the weighted average of the loans being consolidated rounded up to the next higher 1/8 percent, not to exceed 8.25 percent.
Post Date: 4/30/2010
Per 2009 tax return instructions, tax filers must report on line 19 of the 1040, line 13 of the 1040A, or line 3 of the 1040EZ any amount of unemployment compensation the tax filer received that is over $2,400. This means that the first $2,400 of unemployment compensation that a tax filer receives is not included in the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and therefore, is not taxed.
Guidance from the Department of Education (ED) indicates that financial aid applicants must list untaxed unemployment compensation as untaxed income in the student section (Step 3) on line 45(i) of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and/or in the parent section (Step 4) on line 93i of the FAFSA, as appropriate.
If there is a dollar amount on the appropriate line of the IRS tax return, a school can assume that the tax filer(s) received at least $2,400 in untaxed unemployment compensation. Therefore, the school should review the amount of untaxed income that the applicant reported on the FAFSA and resolve any conflicting information. Please remember to include the untaxed portion (not the total amount) of unemployment compensation on the verification worksheet.
The untaxed $2,400 of unemployment compensation is allowed per tax filer, not per tax return. Therefore, for joint tax returns, an amount listed on the appropriate line of the tax return could indicate up to $4,800 in untaxed unemployment compensation if both filers were unemployed during 2009.
Post Date: 3/23/2010
On March 23 the USDE has started transmitting the first Pell Grant Administrative Cost Allowance to all schools. This allowance will be wired directly into your Federal Funds account. The school is entitled to $5.00 per each Pell Grant recipient each award year.
Post Date: 3/12/2010
Schools received several notices in January regarding the requirement to register their schools with the Central Contractor Registry. The link to the most recent notification is:
http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/012810DUNSregistrationrequirement.html
The reason for this registration requirement is that the Department of Ed is about to switch from the Automated Clearing House (ACH) (Federal Reserve) method of transferring funds to schools to the FED WIRE (U.S. Department of Treasury) method. To receive funds via the FED WIRE method schools must be registered with the Central Contractor Registry. Registration is completed exclusively on line at this website: http://www.ccr.gov
For assistance in the CCR registration process, schools can contact the CCR Federal Service Desk at 866/606/8220.
Information that the school will need to have handy is:
- DUNS Number
- Tax ID Number
- Average receipts for the last 3 fiscal years – you may want to speak with your CPA about this number – information must be correct.
- Number of Employees
- If a school is already in the registry – the USER ID and Password that was established will be needed.
- Federal Funds bank account information – Routing # and Account # and Bank Name
Note: A complete list if information you will need to register is available on the home page of the CCR web site
Please do not hesitate to contact the Service Desk for assistance. They are very helpful. Failure to register by the deadline will result in the interruption of funding for Pell Grants and Direct Loans etc.
Post Date: 3/4/2010
The Boston Educational Network will be holding its 2010 Title IV Update workshop at the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort in Uncasville, CT on Thursday June 3, 2010. Hotel and registration information along with a tentative agenda will be posted here on March 15, 2010.
Post Date: 2/9/2010
The 2008 Draft Cohort Default Rate is now available for schools to review. If you have selected The Boston Educational Network to receive these files, they are located under "reports". Please read the viewing/printing instructions for this link.
Post Date: 1/21/2010
To allow for the G5 Phase 2 implementation of the Grants Management System, The G5 Application will be unavailable to all users beginning on Wednesday, February 10th at 3:00 PM until 6:00 AM Tuesday February 16th . Please note that February 15th is the Presidents Day holiday so this is essentially only a two work day shutdown.
Post Date: 1/4/2010
The Boston Educational Network is pleased to announce that the 2010-2011 FAFSA/ISIR application system is now operational. You can now complete your student’s 2010/2011 FAFSA, if necessary.
Post Date: 12/11/2009
The Dept of Ed revised the Direct Loan promissory notes in March 2009 to add an addendum to explain changes to loan terms and conditions made by the HEOA. Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, all Stafford MPNs must have the expiration date of May 31, 2011 with a revised date (located on the bottom right hand side of the page) of 3/2009. The PLUS prom notes must have an expiration date of August 31, 2010 with a revised date of 3/2009.
The older versions of prom notes will not be accepted by the Dept after January 1, 2010.
MPNS can be ordered via FSA Pubs website at www.fsapubs.org. If you have any questions, contact Daina.
Post Date: 10/27/2009
The National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) Working Group on the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) has released a guide to help colleges and universities successfully identify and meet their disclosure obligations.
Included are suggestions for dissemination and listings of additional resources. The following link will get you to the most comprehensive and concise publication to date on this very important set of requirements. Schools should print and then use the guide as a checklist to confirm that they are in compliance with all the requirements.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010831.pdf
Post Date: 10/14/2009
USDE Cash Request Shutdown – 10/20/2009 to 10/26/2009
No Pell/SEOG or Direct Loan Drawdowns of Cash during this time... SEE 10/5/2009 Posting
Post Date: 10/6/2009
The Department urged institutions to be prepared to deliver student loans for the 2010-2011 award year by signing up for the Direct Loan Program in the Department's first issue of Direct Loan Source, a monthly, electronic newsletter that highlights Direct Loan Program updates and Direct Loan resources provided by the Department. "The Department of Education has gone to great lengths to update our systems and increase capacity in preparation for whatever outcome is reached by Congress," writes William Taggart, the Department's chief operating officer. "I ask you to ensure that your school is equally prepared. Even if the Direct Loan Program is not your first choice, please plan for any possible outcome."
Post Date: 10/5/2009
From 3:00 P.M. (ET) on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 through 6:00 A.M. (ET) on Monday, October 26, 2009, the G5 Web site will not be available. Schools will not be able to draw down Campus-Based, Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant), National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant), Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant, and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) funds during this period.
Post Date: 9/9/2009
This long awaited Dear Colleague letter has clarified several issues that have been raised with respect to compliance and paying prior-year charges. To summarize briefly – Program Contract Institutions can apply current award year funds (both Pell and Loan) to student accounts even if the student executed the contract in the prior award year. Several weeks ago – the newly released Volume 4 of the 09/10 FSA Handbook addressed this topic with language that essentially mimics the guidance in Dear Colleague GEN-09-11. The entire DCL is linked here:
http://www.ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/GEN0911.html
Post Date: 9/8/2009
Higher education institutions must offer educational programs about the Constitution on Thursday, Sept. 17 (Constitution Day). Schools should maintain documentation of what they did to comply with this requirement. Ideas for a "Constitution Day" program can be easily found on the web by merely searching "Constitution Day".
Post Date: 8/25/2009
http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/082409SecondACAPayment.html
Post Date: 6/1/2009
| LOAN TYPE | GRADE LEVEL | First Disbursed Between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009 |
First Disbursed Between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subsidized Loans | Undergraduate | 6.00 | 5.60 |
| Graduate | 6.80 | 6.80 | |
| Unsubsidized Loans | Undergraduate | 6.80 | 6.80 |
| Graduate | 6.80 | 6.80 | |
| PLUS Loans | Parent and Grad Student | 7.90 for Direct Loans and 8.50 for FFEL | 7.90 for Direct Loans and 8.50 for FFEL |
These rates were calculated based upon statutory formulas and equal the bond equivalent rate of the 91-day Treasury bills auctioned on May 26, 2009, plus certain statutory percentage add-ons. The 91-day Treasury bills were auctioned at 0.178 percent, rounded to 0.18 percent.
| LOAN TYPE | LOAN STATUS | For the Period July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 | For the Period July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subsidized Loans | Repayment or Forbearance | 4.21 | 2.48 |
| In-school, Grace, or Deferment | 3.61 | 1.88 | |
| Unsubsidized Loans | Repayment or Forbearance | 4.21 | 2.48 |
| In-school, Grace, or Deferment | 3.61 | 1.88 | |
| PLUS Loans - Parent and Grad Student | All Statuses | 5.01 | 3.28 |
Notes:
- Interest rates on Stafford and PLUS loans disbursed before July 1, 1998, are calculated using different statutory formulas, percentage add-ons, or both.
- Generally, interest rates on Consolidation Loans are fixed rates calculated based on the weighted average of the loans being consolidated rounded up to the next higher 1/8 percent, not to exceed 8.25 percent.
Post Date: 3/30/2009
Obama Discusses Eliminating FFELP at First Online Town Hall Meeting (USA Today)
"Continuing his strategy to take his administration's message directly to voters, last Thursday President Obama held what the White House says is the first-ever 'online town hall' meeting by a president," USA Today reports. "The administration solicited questions at WhiteHouse.gov, and the president answered some of them during his live webcast, including one from Ohio college students about the cost of higher education. The president answered that he wants to remove banks as middle men between loans and the students who get them. 'Let's make all these direct loans,' Obama said. 'That then allows us to lower student loan rates or expand grants.'"
Post Date: 3/24/2009
The first Administrative Cost Allowance (ACA) payment for the 2008-09 Award Year is based on records the COD System has processed from the start of the Pell Grant 2008-09 on July 1, 2008 to the present. These payments will begin to be deposited directly into the Federal Funds accounts beginning the week of March 23, 2009. Schools receive $5.00 per Pell Grant processed. These are school funds to do with as you please.
Post Date: 3/11/2009
Latest G-845 info from the USDE: “There are currently two G-845 forms in use, one that is available in the 2008-2009 Handbook with an expiration date of 6/30/2008, and another that is available on the DHS Web Site with a 7/31/2011 expiration date. Please continue to use the G-845 with the 6/30/2008 expiration date http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/attachments/1228G845.pdf
According to the USDE, the new form does not provide for all of the USCIS responses that are useful to determine whether an applicant is an eligible noncitizen for Title IV purposes.
Post Date: 2/23/2009
The USDE has released the 2009-2010 Pell Grant Payment Schedules. The maximum award (zero EFC) for 2009-2010 has increased by $619 to $5350.
Below please find a link for all the 2009-2010 Pell Grant Schedules. Your school should only be concerned with the Full Time Schedule. The other schedules are intended for four year traditional institutions.
http://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/attachments/P0901PaymentSchedules1D.pdf
Reauthorization Updates
BEN staff recently attended an USDE workshop that will affect the way financial aid is awarded and disbursed to your students.
YEAR-ROUND Pell Grant: Students may receive up to two scheduled Pell Grants during an award year (July 1 thru June 30). Therefore, no student will lose any Pell Grant funding while attending your institution. This rule takes effect for the 2009-2010 Award Year.
ATB additional provision: a student may qualify for student financial aid after satisfactorily completing 6 credits or in the case of a clock hour school 225 clock hours of coursework that are applicable towards a degree or certificate offered by the institution. NO Title IV aid may be paid for these credits or hours. The school may continue to admit students utilizing the ATB test under the current regulations.
Campus Based Funds Transfers: Schools can now transfer 25% of FWS or SEOG between programs.
FWS Community Service: Now includes emergency preparedness and response in definition of community service. It also, adds a new category of FWS jobs to compensate students in projects that teach civics in schools.
There are many other changes. We will keep you up-to-date, as we continue to receive clarification, as to the impact it will have on your school and students.
On Wednesday, House and Senate Conferees reached a deal on the Stimulus Bill that was finally filed last night (Thursday). President Obama could sign the bill into law as early as Monday.
The bill provides for slightly more than $ 17 billion to increase the maximum award to $ 5,350 in 2009-10 and $ 5,550 in 2010-11 and eliminates the Pell Grant shortfall.
Unfortunately the $ 2,000 unsubsidized Stafford Loan limit increase provided by the house was not included in the conference report.
The final bill reflects the House provision to provide approximately $ 13.5 billion for a $ 2,500 tax credit. 40% ($1,000) of the revised tax credit is refundable and generally benefits lower-income taxpayers who, when filing their tax returns, do not have a tax liability. It is estimated that four million additional students will benefit.
The USDE sent to us the 2007 Preliminary/Draft Cohort Default Rate for all schools who designated our company to receive this file. The file is under Reports > NSLDS Cohort Default Rates Report > 2007 NSLDS Cohort Default Rate Detailed Report (Initial Review)
To view and print this file: Click on the link> Click Open >then Print. If a windows appears after you choose OPEN say OK. This is a large file so it may take a few seconds to open.
If there is no data in your file then the USDE did not send this file to us. It would appear in your SAIG mailbox.
Note that schools have 45 days to challenge this data. Directions for appeals are in the Cohort Default Rate Guide. http://www.ifap.ed.gov/DefaultManagement/DefaultManagement.html
Author: William Leith, Service Director, Program Management, Federal Student Aid
Each year, we remind schools of the correct process for making a borrower payment by sending a check to the Direct Loan Servicing Center’s (DLSC’s) Payment Center. A borrower payment is made in order to return funds at the borrower’s request more than 120 days after disbursement.
If you are returning funds at a borrower’s request within 120 days of disbursement, or are returning funds at any time in order to comply with a statutory or regulatory requirement, you should make the appropriate adjustment to the borrower’s loan record or records and follow the process for making a refund of cash as updated in the Electronic Announcement posted on the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site.
To ensure the most accurate and timely processing of a borrower payment, please follow these guidelines:
- Issue a check to the U.S. Department of Education and include the borrower’s name, loan ID, and loan amount being returned on the check.
- Include a completed Direct Loan Payment to Borrower Account form (see our library of forms) with the check.
- Mail the check and completed form to the DLSC’s Payment Center at:
Attention: Payment Center
P.O. Box 530260
Atlanta, GA 30353-0260
If you have questions about this bulletin or returning funds at the borrower’s request more than 120 days after disbursement, contact the COD School Relations Center at 800/848-0978 or e-mail CODSupport@acs-inc.com.
All Schools should destroy unused copies of the Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan MPN with the expiration date of 10/31/2005. On January 1, 2009 these notes are no longer valid and will be rejected if submitted.
If for some reason you have no copies of the new version with the expiration date of 5/31/2011 they can be ordered at:
- Login using your 8 digit OPE ID #
- Go to: DL MPN
- Order new Sub/Unsub MPN notes “without” data labels (section A & B unlabeled).
Note: We have ordered a box of 500 for each of our Direct Loan clients that will arrive during the first 7 days of January 2009.
Twice a year – schools are required to update "all" students enrollment status via the NSLDS On-Line enrollment update process. We advised schools to set up December 1 and June 1 as the enrollment update mandatory reporting dates. If you chose these dates – it is time to go to the NSLDS website and update all of your student’s enrollment statuses. You need merely retrieve your roster on line – check the box for select all and update individual students as necessary. If you have been diligent about updating as changes occur – this process should only take a few minutes as you should only have no more than several students to correct if any.
Please remember that you are required to update any students enrollment status within 35 days of any change. Remember to keep printed copies of any updates to prove compliance with the regulations.
IMPORTANT NOTICE - "Pell Grant and Prior Year Charges Controversy" please execute the link below:
Click here to expand/collapse details
As was discussed in our annual Title IV update workshop at the Mohegan Sun, the USDE recently changed their interpretation of a regulation that has been in effect for over ten years. This regulation addressed the issue of only using $200 of current year financial aid dollars to pay for charges incurred in a prior year. For example, if a student attending a four year university had a balance on their account for the student's freshmen year and now they have progressed to the second or sophomore year, the school could only apply $200 of second year aid towards the first year charges.
The USDE is now interpreting that concept to affect the student's "award year", which means it would affect all crossover students (students getting one half of their aid –specifically Pell Grant) in one award year and the second half in the subsequent award year.
To date, there have been many comments, arguments, and concerns regarding this new interpretation from the entire financial aid community. NASFAA, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, your industry associations, and many others have been trying to obtain definitive guidance in this area.
The initial guidance from the USDE suggested that all schools charge tuition by the payment period versus the program. However, further discussion suggested that the school charge by the academic year (to be consistent with need analysis for student loans and other aid).
As recently as two weeks ago, the USDE announced a new "reasonable interpretation of the regulation". This new "reasonable" interpretation is as follows:
If the student does have a student loan (FFELP or Direct Loan) the regulation would not apply, since the "year" is considered the academic year or loan period. However, if the student DOES NOT have a student loan and only has a Pell Grant and/or campus based funding, the "year" is the Award Year and the prior year charge regulation does apply.
The Department has once again stated that they will offer final guidance in an upcoming DCL (Dear Colleague Letter), which was promised in November. However, this does not help a school whose year end is coming due and needs to stay in compliance with this regulation.
Until the USDE gives specific guidance in this area, for a school to make a "good faith effort" in complying with the law we would suggest that you do the following:
- For programs that are one academic year or less in length it is not necessary to do anything UNLESS the student only receives a Pell Grant in his/her financial aid package.
- For programs greater than an academic year, develop an addendum to each student contract that outlines the specific tuition charges for each payment period or academic year in a student’s program.
- Have the student sign and acknowledge this addendum.
Below is a sample addendum, which we have developed for your review. Since there has been no guidance provided by the USDE on this issue to date, and this issue is subject to many interpretations, we cannot guarantee that this addendum will satisfy the regulation interpretation.
| Payment Period 1: | 1-450 hours |
| Payment Period 2: | 451-900 hours |
| Payment Period 3: | 901-1200 hours |
| Payment Period 4: | 1201-1500 hours |
To comply with the USDE regulation for prior year charges, the XXXX school has defined the program charges as follows:
| Total Program Tuition: | $15000 |
| Total Program Fees: | 100 |
| Total Programs Bks/Sup: | 1000 |
| Total Cost of Program: | $16,100 |
Breakdown of Tuition Charges:
| Tuition Charge for 0-450 hours: | $4500 |
| Tuition Charge for 451-900 hours: | $4500 |
| Tuition Charge for 901-1200 hours: | $3000 |
| Tuition Charge for 1201-1500 hours: | $3000 |
| Total Tuition Charge: | $15,000 |
Acknowledgment:
I have read and understand that the above information is part of my original enrollment agreement/ contract with the school
| Signed | Date |
If you prefer to send us file delay material via email, please use this email address:
We will continue to receive data via fax and USPS mail.
In order to continue our commitment of quality service, The Boston Educational Network will be moving to a new location. This location will offer a T1 Internet Service. This internet connection is among the fastest service offered to businesses in the United States.
Our website address, telephone, and fax numbers will not change. Our mailing address will change on September 2, 2008. The new address is as follows:
2 Washington Street, Suite 334
Dover, NH 03820-3889
Have you successfully enrolled? Beginning July 1st, schools must have on-line access to comply with the new 35 day enrollment change reporting requirement time frame. If you need assistance/guidance to finalize this process please call Phil @ Boston Ed. for assistance. This process replaces the current bi-monthly SSCR reports. The August rosters are the final ones that the Network will be making available on school portals. If you have established access – be sure to modify your enrollment reporting schedule on the website.
As you know, the Central Processing System (CPS) conducts a match of applicant data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a service of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), to confirm a student's citizenship status and eligibility for federal student aid.
When this match is conducted, DHS returns the DHS Verification Number, a 15-digit confirmation number which appears on the Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) under "Match Flags" in the FAA Information section.
If manual Secondary Confirmation is necessary, the school must submit the Immigration Status/Document Verification Request (G-845) form. The DHS Verification Number is requested on page 1 of the form (Section A, # 5 Verification Number). This number must be entered to avoid delays.
*FFEL and Direct Loan Interest Rates Effective July 1*
The interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans for undergraduate
students will drop to 6.0 percent (from 6.8 percent) for loans disbursed
on or after July 1. The interest rate for unsubsidized Stafford loans
and subsidized Stafford loans for graduate students will remain at 6.8
percent.
NSLDS New Enrollment Reporting Requirement
Effective July 1, 2008, students' enrollment status changes must be reported within 35 days of any type of reportable change (e.g. Graduate, Terminate, LOA, Schedule change, etc.).
This must be accomplished via NSLDS on line. All schools should be already enrolled for this service. Some schools may have inadvertently let their password expire since they first enrolled. Passwords must be updated every 90 days. This is a very secure web site.
Schools will need to log on to the NSLDS web site to update changes as they occur. The process is very simple and will save time for schools. All schools will have to set up fail safe processes to guarantee that they update changes within the new 35 day time period. Your CPA will be testing this new 35 day requirement during your next compliance audit.
Because of this new requirement, schools are only required to receive and complete two (2) SSCRs per year.
At our annual conference on June 12 at the Mohegan Sun a hands-on demonstration and instructions for compliance will be provided.
The Boston Educational Network will be mailing more detailed instructions to schools regarding this new USDE compliance requirement.
News Flash: Increased Loan Limits Effective July 1, 2008
President Bush just signed HR 5715, which increases Unsubsidized loan limits for all students. Subsidized loan limits are unchanged
The Loan limits are as follows:
| Dependent Students (Except Students Whose Parents Cannot Borrow PLUS) | Base amount (normally a Subsidized loans) | Add’l Unsubsidized loan amount Prior to July 1, 2008 |
Add’l Unsubsidized loan amount After July 1, 2008 |
| Fresh (1st year) | $3500 | $0 | $2000 |
| Soph (2nd year) | $4500 | $0 | $2000 |
| Junior or Senior | $5500 | $0 | $2000 |
| Independent Student and Dependent Student Whose Parents Cannot Borrow a Plus Loan | Base amount (normally a Subsidized loans) | Add’l Unsubsidized loan amount Prior to July 1, 2008 |
Add’l Unsubsidized loan amount After July 1, 2008 |
| Fresh (1st year) | $3500 | $4000 | $6000 |
| Soph (2nd year) | $4500 | $4000 | $6000 |
| Junior or Senior | $5500 | $5000 | $7000 |
If your program is less than a full academic year or if the second or subsequent year(s) of your program is less than a full academic year, you must prorate these amounts accordingly.
2008/2009 FAFSA ORDERING
The Department of Education is limiting the number of paper FAFSA applications it will send to schools to fifty (50) applications beginning with the 2008/2009 year. Their intent is to get the applicants (students) to apply via FAFSA ON the WEB.
We have consistently encouraged our clients to avoid using FAFSA On the Web, due to the frequency of errors that occur when a student applies for aid utilizing this method. After using all fifty (50) applications you may then go to: http://www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov/docs/PDF_FAFSA_08-09_en-color_508_V_11808.pdf You must keep a signed copy of this form (such as you do with the paper application) in the student's financial aid file.
However, we have found out that there is an option to order more paper applications by "Special Request". Some schools have succeeded in getting more applications by calling the FSAPubs center and explaining that the socio-economic population that they are serving has very limited access to the internet.
2006 Cohort Default Rate Draft Reports Now Available
Please visit your Reports section of the School Management Portal to view your initial Cohort Default Rate draft reports. You are required to format the Detailed section of the report for proper viewing in Microsoft Word. You will only be able to view the report if one exists for your school. Please read this guide, provided by the Department of Education for details on how to format your Detail report.
If you wish to challenge the data on the report, you can do so by following the guidelines in PART FOUR of the Default Rate Guide located at:
http://www.ifap.ed.gov/DefaultManagement/DefaultManagement.html
The 45 day time period for challenging the FY 2006 Draft Cohort Default Rates under 34 C.F.R. Part 668, Subpart M begins on Wednesday, February 20, 2008.
Must order new Direct Plus Loan Promissory Notes
Current version expires 2/29/2008
To order the new version of Plus loan promissory notes go to:
http://www.fsapubs.org/
- Login using your 8 digit OPE ID #
- Go to: DL Mpn
- Order new Plus prom notes without data labels.
We will stop accepting the old version on February 23, 2008.
New G845 Form
Please print the new version of the G845 Form located under the Library of Forms, “INS Document Verification Request”
Campus Security – October 1st
Deadline
Action Required
Distribution of the annual security report
By October 1 of each year, a school must publish and distribute its annual
security report. It must be distributed to all enrolled students and current
employees in one of two ways - directly by publications and mailing, including
giving each individual a copy, or direct mailing to each individual through the
U.S. Postal Service, campus mail, or electronic mail, or a combination of these
methods.
If you do not have a copy of The Handbook for Campus Crime Reporting it can be
accessed and printed from this site:
www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/campus.html
The handbook provides valuable assistance such as sample letters to local law
enforcement officials for data gathering purposes.
Recertification Alert
Recertification reminder notices from the USDE will be sent only electronically effective immediately. They will be sent to each institution when the institution’s recertification is due via e-mail. The email notice will be sent to the institution’s President and financial aid administrator. The notices will identify when your PPA will expire and advises you that in order to maintain your eligibility to participate in Title IV programs past the expiration date of your current PPA, you must submit a Recertification Application no later than 90 days prior to the PPA expiration date. If you are not conscientious about checking your e-mail – you might want to check your expiration date and mark your calendar so you don’t miss your recertification application deadline.
Verisign SSL Security
Over the last couple of months The Boston Educational Network has been gradually implementing Verisign Security for critical aspects of the website. If you are prompted with a message asking if you want to display nonsecure items make sure to click "YES".
SSCR PROCESSING CHANGE
Please be advised that your SSCR report will now be available EXCLUSIVELY on The Boston Educational Network website. You will no longer receive your SSCR by mail or e-mail. You will receive an alert on our website that your SSCR report is available for you to open and print. The file will be located in the "Delinquency/SSCR" option on the home page. Instructions will be available when you receive your SSCR report.
Delinquency Reports and SSCR's
The Direct Loan Borrower Delinquency Reports will be available EXCLUSIVELY on your school portal on The Boston Educational Network web site beginning with the APRIL 2006 reports. The reports will be located on the main page titled “Delinquency/SSCR” (formerly the "download" file). Once you access the link you will find files called “ED0407op.xxx” with the most current files at the top of the list.
These files can be successfully opened and printed in Microsoft Word. Your browser may prompt you to “save the file” first (you can simply save it to your desktop), then it will prompt you to “open” or “open with a selected program”. Select Microsoft Word to open the file and this will allow you to view and print the file (or past files) at your convenience. You may need to go to print setup and change the bottom margin to .5 inches (or another setting) so the report prints properly.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Some users may need to download the free Adobe Acrobat to view PDF files. Click here to go to the Adobe download page.
