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The Idiot Guide
to
NSLDS Attendance & GE Reporting
within
DIRECT LENDING
Sean McNally
March 2016
This guide an extract from Sean’s Idiot Guide which is available at
www.sean-usloans.co.uk
Table of ContentsContents are interactive. Scroll down to find what you want. Hold down the Ctrl key and click on the contents line. It will automatically take you straight there.
A. REPORT ATTENDANCE EVERY 60 DAYS – NSLDS & GE..............................................2
A.1 REPORTING GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT [GE REPORTING].............................................................3A.1.1 GE Tracking system in NSLDS..........................................................................................3A.1.2 Sending the email to Missing-Data....................................................................................5A.1.3 Failure to Comply letter starting circulation Sept 2015....................................................6
A.2 CLEARING HOUSE END FOR REPORTING ATTENDANCE..............................................................8A.3 USING NSLDS TO REPORT ATTENDANCE.................................................................................10
A.3.1 Login & Passwords..........................................................................................................10A.3.2 Main Menu.......................................................................................................................13A.3.3 Setting when to report - Enrolment Reporting Schedules................................................14A.3.4 Reporting - SSCR.............................................................................................................16
A.3.4.1 Get the enrolment listing – the SSCR – just get the list to work on............................................16A.3.4.2 Actually report the list – working from the printed listing.........................................................20
A.3.5 Missing - and add new - students.....................................................................................22A.3.5.1 NSDLS Instructions for adding missing students.......................................................................22A.3.5.2 What of you miss a reporting schedule.......................................................................................24
A.4 COMMON PROBLEMS IN NSLDS..............................................................................................25A.4.1 Duplicate Lines/records for a student..............................................................................25A.4.2 Error –red triangle rejects at submit stage......................................................................25A.4.3 Graduation Status............................................................................................................25
A.4.3.1 Sean's Suggested Resolution.......................................................................................................26A.4.3.2 Alternative argument and suggestion..........................................................................................26A.4.3.3 What about repeaters...................................................................................................................27
B. FINISHING THE COURSE.....................................................................................................28
B.1 UNDERGRADUATES...................................................................................................................28B.2 MASTERS STUDENTS.................................................................................................................28
B.3 PhD students – Submit – Viva.................................................................................................28
A. Report Attendance every 60 days – NSLDS & GEThe function of NSLDS is to co-ordinate all loans for a student which may or may not be in need of repayment. The status you give a student determines whether or not they should be in repayment.
Categories of "gone" may not be permanent, so such students have to continue to be reported about 3 more times (broadly 3 times – each 2 months - making 6 months which is the end of the "grace" period granted before repayment begins).
"Gone" students may return as repeaters or start a new course - that's the logic.
I have to admit that I admire their Faith in considering "D" [deceased] as likely to change!
So if a student shows up to be certified, you have to certify it as it determines whether or not to start to collect repayment.
This also true of students who may be with you but not have a loan while with you. There may be old loans from previous schools where repayment is now deferred because the student is with you or recently graduated.
Basically if student is with you or is still within 6 months of being with you, you may still be required to report in order to determine whether or not their 6 months "grace" is over and whether or not they should then be in repayment of your or other loans deferred while having been with you.
There is constant reporting to NSLDS [Nat Stu Loan Data Service] for
Gainful Employment
Attendance and course per student
Course completion
Deferment of old loans
Gainful Employment
GE courses are non-degree courses which should lead to a job such as nursing, motor mechanics, plumbing, etc
It is MOST unlikely that you have any GE courses to report
But you have to report that you have nothing to report
Attendance has to be continually monitored for
NSLDS Returns (attendance returns) WAS Minimum twice a year, start and midpoint
NOW from 1 July 2014, every two months
Also course completion – graduation (completion not the 20 seconds of glory in a ceremony)
Leave of absence Prevent future disbursements
Adjust NSLDS
After 180 days it becomes a withdrawal
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A.1 Reporting Gainful Employment [GE Reporting]IDEALLY – ONLY DO THIS BY EMAIL BEFORE 31 JULY see page after next
If you didn’t do this by email earlier in the year, then you have to use the tracking system followed by email.
“In order to be eligible for funding under the Title IV programs, an educational program must lead to a degree (associate, bachelor's, graduate, or professional) at a non-profit or public institution, or, at all types of institutions, it must prepare students for "gainful employment in a recognized occupation" (GE Programs).
All non-degree educational programs offered by public and non-profit institutions and virtually all programs offered by proprietary institutions are GE Programs. Many institutions that participate in the Title IV student assistance programs, even those that are public or non-profit and that predominantly offer degrees will likely have one or more GE Programs.“
]From http://ifap.ed.gov/nsldsmaterials/attachments/NationalStudentLoanDataSystemGEUserGuide.pdf Section 1.0]
A.1.1 GE Tracking system in NSLDSOpen NSLDS, click on the tab Org
Then click on GE Tracking List in the green bar
For what you need to do, the Summarize feature is no use as it does not allow you to update any information.
The Status Reason, Status Date and Status User ID are all populated with N/A, as these items are unique to each row and cannot be summarized that’s why the GE Program records should also be reviewed without Summarize selected.
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This screen then brings back all your courses which have been reported to NSLDS by COD for you to update them.
You have to choose each course, one by one, using the blue course numbers in left column.
Then change the drop-box to I3 Other
And submit. As soon as you have clicked submit you are back at the full list so go to the next one and repeat until all are done.
This is not the end of the game, you must then tell NSLDS why you have selected “other” and this is done by email to [email protected]
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A.1.2 Sending the email to Missing-DataThis needs to be done before 31 July each year.
Although you have no GE courses or students on which to report, you must report that you have nothing to report. This done by email as follows …
The following email needs to be sent exactly as I have laid it out in the above screenshot.
no deviation, it is read by computer and not by a human
Send email to [email protected]
Subject must be OPI dash your school name (as known to USDE
No spaces between the information
Mine was 00669300-London School of Economics
Body of message - without deviation, it is read by computer and not by a human
Your name
[tab]
your phone number (with the 0044)
[tab]
your email
blank line
GE information will not be provided because The institution has no GE Programs
No sign off, no smilies, no institutional sign off, nothing, just send it.
WARNING – If your university adds a sign-off to emails, you must stop it or it will confuse the computer which read it.
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A.1.3 Failure to Comply letter starting circulation Sept 2015From: U.S. Department of Education - Federal Student Aid [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 29 August 2015 17:03To: Cc: Subject: Title IV Reporting Requirement Not MetAugust 29, 2015
Dear ***
The purpose of this letter is to inform you of your institution's failure to report information on its Gainful Employment (GE) programs to the Department of Education's National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) by the required reporting deadline date of July 31, 2015.
Regulations published in the Federal Register on October 31, 2014 became effective on July 1, 2015. [See the Gainful Employment link on the Home Page of our "Information for Financial Aid Professionals" (IFAP) web site at www.ifap.ed.gov.] Included in those regulations at 34 CFR 668.411 is a provision that institutions report certain data to NSLDS for all of the institution's students who received Title IV federal financial aid funds for enrollment in a GE program during the 2008-2009 through the 2013-2014 award years. GE programs that have required medical or dental residencies must also report data for the 2007-2008 award year. See Gainful Employment Electronic Announcement #53 on IFAP for information on which academic programs are GE programs under the regulations.
NSLDS implemented the functionality to allow institutions to report information for your institution's GE programs to NSLDS on February 11, 2015. Gainful Employment Electronic Announcements #51 and #52, both of which are posted to IFAP, provide detailed information on reporting record layouts and submission options.
Failure to comply with all applicable regulatory requirements, including the requirement to report GE program information to NSLDS, is an indication that your institution lacks the administrative capability to participate in the Title IV student financial assistance programs. Such a determination could result in your institution being subject to one or more sanctions, including loss of its eligibility to participate in the federal student aid programs. Whether, and how severe an institution's sanctions will be, is partially dependent on how quickly the institution becomes compliant by properly reporting GE information to NSLDS. Therefore, your institution must report its GE information without any further delay.
In Gainful Employment Electronic Announcement #59, posted to IFAP on August 20, we provided instructions for using the NSLDS GE Program Tracking List page within NSLDS. If you believe that NSLDS reporting is not required for one or more of the programs indicated on the GE Program Tracking page, you must inform us by updating the GE Program Tracking page for the program and selecting one of the following reasons from the "Status Reason" drop-down.
No students enrolled in GE program
Program was not Title IV eligible in award year
Other (Additional information is required)
We note that institutions frequently enter into contractual arrangements with other organizations to fulfill institutional obligations with respect to the Title IV federal student financial assistance programs. If your institution has entered into an arrangement to have its regulatory obligation to report GE information to NSLDS met by a third-party, we remind you of the regulations at 34 CFR 668.25, which include a provision that the institution remains liable for any omission or error by its third-party servicers.
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If you or your staff have questions about NSLDS, contact the NSLDS Customer Support Center at 800/999-8219. You can also contact Customer Support by e-mail at [email protected].
Should you or your staff have any questions about the information in this letter, please send an e-mail to [email protected].
Sincerely,
Jeff Baker, DirectorPolicy Liaison and Implementation CC: Mr Craig Warrack, Financial Aid Director
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A.2 Clearing House End for reporting attendanceTaken from
http://ifap.ed.gov/ForeignSchoolUpdate/FS201501.html
To fulfill the school’s reporting requirement at 34 C.F.R. § 668.25(e)(1)(i)(B) the school must also remove the Clearinghouse from the third-party servicer information in Section J of the E-App at http://www.eligcert.ed.gov. If the school has selected a new third-party servicer, it should add the new servicer’s information in Section J.
If a school is enrolled in the SAIG, but is not setup for the enrollment reporting process, the Primary DPA must submit a completed SAIG Form for Adding/Modifying Services for an Existing DPA User to the following address:
Attn: Jamal StewardU.S. Department of EducationFederal Student AidMulti-Regional and Foreign Schools Participation Division830 First Street, NEUnion Center Plaza, 7th FloorWashington, DC 20202-5340
Posted Date: February 23, 2015
Foreign School Update ID: FS-2015-01
Author: Pamela Eliadis, Service Director, System Operations & Aid Delivery Management, Federal Student Aid
Subject: ACTION REQUIRED - Steps to be Taken by Foreign Schools Affected by the National Student Clearinghouse's Discontinuation of Enrollment Reporting Services
Federal Student Aid is aware that, effective November 14, 2014, the National Student Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse) discontinued its service to provide institution enrollment reporting to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) on behalf of foreign schools. As a result, foreign schools that used the Clearinghouse for enrollment reporting must report enrollment information directly to NSLDS.
Enrollment Reporting is required for all schools participating in the Title IV Aid programs. Timely reporting of changes ensures the accuracy of student information. Certification of all student enrollment data must be performed within 15 days of the date that NSLDS generates and sends roster files to the school’s designated Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) mailbox. NSLDS generates and sends roster files to the designated SAIG mailbox according to the school’s enrollment schedule, which should be at least every 60 days. To learn about enrollment reporting, refer to the NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide.
Necessary Actions for Foreign Schools to Begin Enrollment Reporting to NSLDS
Managing the NSLDS Enrollment Reporting process requires both batch and online enrollment update access. The batch process (which was formerly used by the Clearinghouse on behalf of some foreign schools) uses the SAIG mailbox to transmit enrollment files electronically. The online capability provides access to the NSLDS Professional Access Web site. A school should review its access and take the appropriate action to ensure it is set up for the enrollment reporting process.
If a school confirms that it is set up for the enrollment reporting process, it should continue to report within the correct timeframe.
Report every 60 days and respond to rosters within 15 days.
8
If a school is not enrolled in the SAIG and not set up for the enrollment reporting process, it must complete a “SAIG Form for Designating a Primary Destination Point Administrator (DPA) with All Services” as found in the SAIG Introduction document posted in the Direct Loan Setup Area of the Foreign School Information Page of the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site.
If a school is enrolled in the SAIG, but is not setup for the enrollment reporting process, the Primary DPA must submit a completed SAIG Form for Adding/Modifying Services for an Existing DPA User to the following address:
Attn: Jamal StewardU.S. Department of EducationFederal Student AidMulti-Regional and Foreign Schools Participation Division830 First Street, NEUnion Center Plaza, 7th FloorWashington, DC 20202-5340
Instructions for completing the SAIG Form for Adding/Modifying Services for an Existing DPA User are available in the SAIG Introduction document. Only the following fields of the SAIG form require completion:
Item 1C, Page 15
Item 2, Page 15
Item 4, Page 15
Item 10, Page 19 (NSLDS Batch Services)
Item 13, Page 21 (NSLDS Online Services)
Step Three, Page 34
Step Four, Page 35
When submitting a SAIG form that involves removing a DPA/servicer, your school must also attach to the SAIG form a statement on the school’s letterhead requesting that the DPA/servicer is removed.
Updates to the Application for Approval to Participate in Federal Student Financial Aid Programs (E-App) Also Required
To fulfill the school’s reporting requirement at 34 C.F.R. § 668.25(e)(1)(i)(B) the school must also remove the Clearinghouse from the third-party servicer information in Section J of the E-App at http://www.eligcert.ed.gov. If the school has selected a new third-party servicer, it should add the new servicer’s information in Section J.
Contact Information
For questions about updating your SAIG Enrollment, contact the Multi-Regional and Foreign Schools Participation Division at [email protected].
For more information about NSLDS enrollment status reporting, refer to the NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide. You may also contact the NSLDS Technical Support Desk at +1-785-838-2141 or [email protected].
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A.3 Using NSLDS to report attendanceNSLDS = National Student Loan Data Service
It will be used for three functions
Setting up when and how often to report student attendance Min is 2 per year, but the default is every two months
New - from 1 Jul 2014 be every two months. Suggest you make the first mnth to be the month where Registration/Enrolment is at the start. [It used to be no more than 6 months apart, so October and April worked]
Reporting student attendance, completion, withdrawal – every two months
Getting the end of year report for the auditors
A.3.1 Login & PasswordsBecause NSLDS gives access to information beyond the current school, its security is tighter.
From the IFAP [foreign schools] page, select NSLDS
10
Click to logon
And complete the usual procedure for all US systems.
11
Once logged in, select the school for which you have access
Then agree to the “Privacy” regulations
Then you have to pass the character recognition test to prove that you are not a software programme trying to break in through the system’s own securities.
And finally agree to abide by the code of conduct
12
Then one eventually reaches the main menu.
A.3.2 Main MenuThe main menu is driven from these tabs
It assumes you will start with an individual, hence these personal details boxes.
13
A.3.3 Setting when to report - Enrolment Reporting SchedulesYou must do this within 15 days after the reporting date!!! The assumption is that you report every month or two.
WARNING – you cannot remove [past] reporting schedules if they have not been completed; that is, you can’t delete a schedule you should have done. You have to complete any old reporting requirements and then set the future ones.
RULES – must be every 60 days, not something useful like two months. Suggest you make the first month to be the month where Registration/Enrolment is at the start.
You can’t remove a schedule [report] you should have done.
The tabs are Enroll and then Enrolment Reporting Schedule
You may find you have multiple reporting schedules set-up for you
14
15
Then select modify schedule
And finally ‘fiddle’ with the offerings by deleting lines until you end up with the every two months which suit you; first month being the registration/enrolment start of month – most likely October.
And submit
THIS WILL BE INITIALLY MESSY
The default set by NSLDS will be every 60 days starting from a date which might not be convenient or might even be every 30 days or less.
You will need to add or change an initial date to what you want to be your starting date, probably end October after registration is over, then juggle the other dates by deleting and adding until you get about every 2 months.
WARNING 60 days is exactly that so you will find that you might have to creep forward with the day in your chosen month – something like this
30 Oct
29 Dec
28 Feb
WARNING: you cannot delete old reports, which NSLDS thinks you should have done,
you just have to do the damn things.
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A.3.4 Reporting - SSCR SSCR = Student Status Confirmation Report
This is where you tell NSLDS the enrolment status of each student, that is, what a student is doing at the moment such as full/part time, graduated/withdrawn.
At the start of the year, you will be telling NSLDS about more than your current cohort -
last year’s cohort graduated (graduated/withdrawn/leave)
this year’s cohort (full/half time)
those who listed your school (never started or unknown)
Therefore, you might like to collect a listing, print it, (click on file, print – in the top right of screen) then visit your student records to collect your data and note their attendance status – with dates. This will save you constantly being timed out from NSLDS.
It will also act as proof for your auditors that you did the job by showing the “before” picture with your notes on it, which is automatically dated and timed on the printout.
A.3.4.1 Get the enrolment listing – the SSCR – just get the list to work onStart on the enrolment tab and click on Enrolment Update
Note: For security reasons, NSLDS will time out after 30 minutes of inactivity. This means enrollment data that have not been submitted within 30 minutes WILL BE LOST when NSLDS automatically logs you off. A warning pop-up button appears 5 minutes before the page times out. Clicking on this button resets the clock for another 30 minutes if clicked before the time listed in the pop-up message.
17
18
Set the order you want the list, they suggest SSN order, which is daft, you want surname first.
Ignore all these blank boxes
Untick some of these boxes, just click on the box to tick or untick.
You don’t want
Graduated they’ve already gone and you have nothing to add
Withdrawn they’ve already gone and you have nothing to add
Deceased they’ve already gone and you have nothing to add
Never Attended they never came and you have nothing to add
No Record they never came and you have nothing to add
Then click the Retrieve button.
This will bring up the list which may run to several pages.
My best advice is to print 2 copies.
Go to top of screen and click on file and then print so you can do your look-ups off line.
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NSDLS will time you out while you input if you have not prepared beforehand and will not retain what you have already done.
The lines look like this
Screenshot repeated from previous page
But when you start on a line it will expand like this which shows the previous usual data
Cert Date EnrolmentWhat stu doing now,If different
Eff DateSince when, only adjust if not the same
ACDWhen to complete,If different/changed
Today’s date
F Full TimeQ Three-quarter timeH Part/Half TimeA Leave of AbsenceL Less than half timeW WithdrawnG GraduatedD DiedX Never StartedZ Never heard of
Say junior goes from full to part time, the date is the date they made that change, or if finished, it’s the date graduated/withdrawn.If junior is still the same status, say full time for ever, then there’s nothing to change
Probably nothing to change unless their course has been extended, say, from full time to part time, or had to repeat a term/year.
And the new requirements
CIP Code The code you used in the award profile in COD
A full list is athttp://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/browse.aspx?y=55
Credential Level Type of course 03 (Bachelors Degree) 05 (Masters Degree) 06 (1st year Doctoral Degree)07 (continuing doctoral)08 DO NOT USE
Special Program does not apply to foreign schools "N" for not applicableProgram Begin Date When the student started the course – not necessarily this year
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Program Status Same as enrolment codeStatus effective date Same as effective dateProgram Length Length of the course in either years or weeksWeeks Weeks/years in course year Undergrad probably 3 years
Postgrad probably 1-4 years
Now you know what’s going to happen, you know what you are going to prepare.
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I have been asked to produce NSLDS Prep sheet so here it is
I always found it easier to work from a print of the NSLDS screen and overwrite it.
If [BIG “IF”] you want to prepare a manual list, then a form like this might be useful to complete to speed up input on NSLDS
Name Enrol Eff Date ACD CIP without dot
Cred (course) level
Course begin date
Course length
Weeks in year
EnrolmentWhat stu doing now,If different
Credential Course
F Full TimeQ Three-quarter timeH Part/Half TimeA Leave of AbsenceL Less than half timeW WithdrawnG GraduatedD DiedX Never StartedZ Never heard of
03 (Bachelors Degree) 05 (Masters Degree) 06 (Doctoral Degree)07 and 08 DO NOT USE
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A.3.4.2 Actually report the list – working from the printed listingThen start this section again on-line.
Login to NSLDS
enrolment tab and click on Enrolment Update
Untick some of these boxes, just click on the box to tick or untick.
You don’t want Graduated they’ve already gone and you have nothing to add
Withdrawn they’ve already gone and you have nothing to add
Deceased they’ve already gone and you have nothing to add
Never Attended they never came and you have nothing to add
No Record they never came and you have nothing to add
Then click the Retrieve button. This will bring up the list which may run to several pages.
Input using
either your original print annotated
or the chart from this guide
When finished, make another print, go to top of screen and click on file and then print. This is the “done” list for your auditors, sign it and file it.
At the bottom of the lists is the “Submit” button, then “Confirm” You could also print these if you want and sign and file it ready for the auditors. This is your SSCR.
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But when you start on a line it will expand like this which shows the previous usual data
Cert Date EnrolmentWhat stu doing now,If different
Eff DateSince when, only adjust if not the same
ACDWhen to complete,If different/changed
Today’s date
F Full TimeQ Three-quarter timeH Part/Half TimeA Leave of AbsenceL Less than half timeW WithdrawnG GraduatedD DiedX Never StartedZ Never heard of
Say junior goes from full to part time, the date is the date they made that change, or if finished, it’s the date graduated/withdrawn.If junior is still the same status, say full time for ever, then there’s nothing to change
Probably nothing to change unless their course has been extended, say, from full time to part time, or had to repeat a term/year.
And the new requirements
CIP Code The code you used in the award profile in COD
A full list is athttp://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/browse.aspx?y=55
Credential Level Type of course 03 (Bachelors Degree) 05 (Masters Degree) 06 (Doctoral Degree)07 (first professional degree)
Special Program does not apply to foreign schools "N" for not applicableProgram Begin Date When the student started the course – not necessarily this yearProgram Status Same as enrolment codeStatus effective date Same as effective dateProgram Length Length of the course in either years or weeksWeeks Weeks in course year Undergrad probably 40
Postgrad probably 52
This might also help to understand the fields
Program Begin Date
Program Status
Status Effective Date
how the fields workDate started course.Could be years ago
Full/Part time etc
Since when has student been on that status
Here’s an exampleStarting full time 1 Oct 2012 F 1 Oct 2012Absent for 3rd term 1 Oct 2012 A 1 May 2013Back full time 1 Oct 2012 F 1 Oct 2014Gone part time 1 Oct 2012 P 1 Jan 2015Full time final term 1 Oct 2012 F 1 May 2015graduated 1 Oct 2012 G 15 July 2015
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A.3.5 Missing - and add new - students Since the revision to the software in October 2014 many administrators have had problems adding students to the listing. The NSLDS helpdesk has provided two workarounds.
In NSLDS, click on the ‘Enroll’ tab and then ‘Enrollment Summary’
Enter the SSN – Student’s name – DOB
Click the ‘Retrieve’ button
Click on ‘Enrollment Push to Roster’
It should then appear in 1 to 2 days or on occasion 3 days.
OR
Click on ‘Tran’ tab
Click on ‘Add student to Monitoring list’
Complete the fields required
Click on ‘Submit’
A.3.5.1 NSDLS Instructions for adding missing studentsStudents will drop of your school’s active roster if they have been certified twice with a non-active enrollment status (D,G,W,X,Z). If you no longer see a student on enrollment update and his/her information needs to be updated, you will need to add the student back to your roster in order to correct the enrollment information.
Here are the steps to add a student back to your school’s roster online:
Please note that NSLDS currently supports Internet Explorer 5.x, 6.x, and 7.x. If you are using a different browser, or an unsupported version of Internet Explorer, you may have trouble reporting enrollment information. If you do have trouble, please call us at 800-999-8219 to review your browser settings.
To add a student to your Enrollment Roster:
1. Open your web browser (The NSLDS Website works best with Internet Explorer).
2. Navigate to https://www.nsldsfap.ed.gov/nslds_FAP/default.jsp
3. Log in using your NSLDS User ID and password.
4. Click the teal 'Enroll' Tab at the top of the page.
5. Click on the “Enrollment Update” link.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Retrieve”.
7. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Add Student”.
8. Enter your student’s identifiers in the blank line that appears (SSN and birthdate, the name must be in first/middle/last format).
9. This is where you will update changes in enrollment status or certify that the current enrollment data is still correct. Click 'Check All' to certify all students on the roster or click the box on the left side of each name you wish to update. Today's date will populate in the Certification Date automatically.
10. If needed, change the 'Enroll Code' to the correct enrollment status, change the 'Effective Date' for any status code change, and the Anticipated Completion Date ('ACD') if applicable.
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11. Click the 'Certify Checked Students' button at the bottom of the page.
12. If any error occurs, use your mouse to rollover the smaller error icon(s) left of the student's record(s) to see the errors for the row. Correct the data and click the 'Certify Checked Students' button again.
13. Review all the changes made to verify that they are correct, then click the 'Confirm' button on the bottom of the page. You will receive a blue confirmation icon on each record that has been updated to the database.
14. Repeat steps 9 through 13 as needed. Please note that all status changes must be reported in chronological order.
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A.3.5.2 What of you miss a reporting scheduleIf you miss a reporting roster, this is what will be sent to you
From: <[email protected]>Date: 9 January 2016 00:00:52 GMTTo: ******Cc: *****Subject: Important Alert - Enrollment Roster past due Ref#: 373670
OPEID******School Name: ********
ATTN: Enrollment Reporting Contact, Primary Contact, and President/CEO
The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) sent an enrollmentroster (formerly known as a Student Status Confirmation Report) toyour school on 12/01/2015. NSLDS has not received a responsewithin the required 30-day period. Your school is currently outof compliance with the regulations governing the Title IV FederalStudent Aid programs ( 34 CFR 682.610 (e) and 684.309 (b) ).
Timely enrollment data protects the rights of student borrowersunder Federal student loan programs as well as ensures the fiscalintegrity of the programs. It is extremely important that allenrollment reporting files sent to your institution be respondedto within 30 days.
Complete and submit the latest roster or go online to www.nsldsfap.ed.govand update the enrollment status of your students immediately. Ifyou provide the updates on line, you will not need to return theroster file.
The Department of Education may take a series of adverse actionsunder its statutory and regulatory authority. The actions mayinclude fines, limitation, suspension, or termination ofparticipation in all Title IV Federal Aid programs including butnot limited to Federal grants, Stafford Loans, and Direct Loans.
If you need assistance with reporting enrollment on line, havetransmission or other technical difficulties, please contact theNSLDS Customer Support Center at 800-999-8219 or [email protected] in locations without access to 800 numbers may call785-838-2141 (this is not a toll free number).
You have received this alert because you are designated as eitherthe Enrollment Reporting Contact or the Primary Contact on theOrganization menu of the NSLDSFAP Web site. This e-mail is alsodirected to the President/CEO at your institution. If you are notthe correct Enrollment Reporting Contact or Primary Contact,please forward this e-mail to the correct person(s) and update thecontact information on the NSLDS Web site. The importance of therequirements for submitting enrollment reports cannot beoveremphasized. Thank you for your cooperation in this importantmatter.
Note: Please disregard this e-mail notification if you already haveresponded to your institution's enrollment roster.
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A.4 Common Problems in NSLDSThese tend to be
Duplicate lines per student
Red triangle error when trying to submit a status
Graduation status – especially the gap between finishing and results
A.4.1 Duplicate Lines/records for a student
A.4.2 Error –red triangle rejects at submit stage Most faults surround the ACD (Anticipated Completion Date). Most common are
Graduated date later than ACD
Certification date, for a continuing student, later than ACD
Effective date, of a change, later than ACD
When you get an error triangle, look at the dates
If student is still with you, make sure the ACD is later than today
make sure the effective date is today or earlier than today
you can’t certify the future unless you have a TARDIS and have been to the future and know it to be true before that date
If course lasts several years, check that the course length has not been set as 1 year, or 52 weeks, or less.
“A” cannot last longer than 180 days – look at the effective date or the “A” status – is more than 180 days in the past
If student is no longer with you G or W date should be the same as the ACD
make sure the effective date is today or earlier than today
you can’t certify the future unless you have a TARDIS and have been to the future and know it to be true before that date
These are all easily fixed by adjusting the Eff Date [when that status first started] or the ACD [when you think they might now finish] or the course length.
A.4.3 Graduation StatusThe Handbook is very firm of the issue of the end date of the course ... it is the last day of academic activity and bears no relation to awaiting results or to the gowned parade. One also has to draw a balance between compliance and practicality to be accurate with minimum input.
"G" indicates [clock time] graduated = they stayed the length of the course. It does not mean, and is not related to, successfully passing the course.
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A.4.3.1 Sean's Suggested Resolution."G" fits the bill where one is not a bad [teaching] university or a bad course or a bad student cohort as the most likely outcome is "G" following the last day in attendance or in academic activity, leaving very few to be changed if returning to repeat. This will satisy audit and compliance of the closing academic/audit year. It will also save having to explain to an auditor why there is not R2T4 calculations for everyone marked "W" as they are expecting R2T4 in every case of "W" even if there is noting to return, they want to see that the calculation was made.
However, if one is a poor [teaching] university or teaching a poor course or have a poor [thick] student cohort where the most likely outcome is failure, then "W" would be more appropriate leaving only a few to become "G"
I would go for the option which requires minimum input and is most compliant at the point of audit and requires no explanation to auditors. That is to report "G" as the last day of academic activity and then adjust the few who return/repeat.
A.4.3.2 Alternative argument and suggestionSuggesting using "L" before "G" after results are known
If "L" or something else is reported, Audit would make that a finding as it deprives the US Govt of interest on sub loans, and on loss of repayment as the repayment clock ticks from the G date in NSLDS. They might also make it a second finding in that the accrued interest for that period is a disadvantageous cost to the borrower. Auditors will then state the precise $ value of those findings as both loss to the Govt and as extra cost to the borrower.You would have to argue with auditors exactly what academic activity the student is doing [with you] while waiting for results. As soon as NSLDS is G, the repayment clock starts. Repeaters become F again, which both stops and resets the repayment clock. Auditors are picking up on the 60 day reporting rule. Fortunately they [juniors] stick to the audit guide, but The Guide is ambiguous on SSCRs and a 'lead' auditor [not the junior who will do tick and turn on site] who has properly read The Guide may well require to see the full set of reports.
NSLDS Manual
the NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide on page 16 it says
(http://ifap.ed.gov/nsldsmaterials/attachments/NewNSLDSEnrollmentReportingGuide.pdf):
4.4.2 Withdrawal versus Graduation and Effective Dates (Campus- and Program-Level Records). The implementation of the 150% subsidized loan limit makes the reporting of a Withdrawn ‘W’ or Graduated ‘G’ status even more critical. The completion of a program protects the student’s interest subsidy. A withdrawal indicates that the program was not completed or that the student is not currently taking coursework in the program.
The effective date for a withdraw (‘W’ status) is the last date the student attended any classes or otherwise was engaged in an academically related activity at the school or in the program. The effective date for the completion/graduation (‘G’ status) is the date that the school assigns to the completion/graduation and can be either the same as the effective date of a previously reported ‘W’ or some time after that date. Some schools may wait to assess a student’s completion of program requirements and, therefore, report a ‘W’ when the student is no longer attending classes followed by a ‘G’ when completion is confirmed with whatever effective date the school gives the graduation status.
It is important to note that, for a student who has graduated, schools who initially report a withdraw must subsequently report the student as having graduated by certifying a ‘G’ status at the campus-level and/or program-level as appropriate. This is true even if the Reporting of graduated statuses is critical to the protection of a student’s interest
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subsidy and initiation of repayment periods. ... student or the student’s applicable program no longer appears on the school’s enrollment reporting roster because the school has certified the ‘W’ status twice. In this case the school must add the student and/or program back to the roster to report the ‘G’. The graduated status may protect the interest subsidy on the student’s current loans. Additionally, reporting the ‘W’ as soon as it occurs ensures the timely movement of loans into repayment. Take advantage of school procedures for students going through a withdrawal process to report the ‘W’ as soon as possible. This may mean giving enrollment online update capability to personnel at the school who can do an immediate update.
A.4.3.3 What about repeaters At the end of the course, the student has still finished the course and is "G" regardless of pass/fail. Then, in the case of the few return-to-repeat students "F" becomes the new status as they start their repeat which is in compliance for the following audit and resets the interest and repayment clock for NSLDS and disadvantages neither USDE nor student
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B. Finishing the courseThe first thing to understand is that the US Dept Ed meaning of “graduation date” does NOT mean dressing up day. It means the last day of academic activity which is probably
Final exam
Hand in dissertation
Submit thesis
However, there are some considerations which are not unreasonable to include within “at least half time” academic activity.
B.1 UndergraduatesThe last day of the summer term/semester is likely to be about the same time as the graduation ceremonies [dressing up day].
In such case it would not be unreasonable to have the end of the year/course as the end of the term regardless of the final date of exams. At LSE, exams would end mid-June with graduation ceremonies and term-end both being about 5 July, and the halls of residence contracts being 42 weeks, so I used the end of term as the end/graduation date.
B.2 Masters studentsMost courses for Masters are one year
Sometimes the year is 9 months taught
Sometimes 9 months taught + 3 months dissertation
So generally they will end in September.
Dressing-up day might not be until December or January, so the end of the academic activity will be end-Sept.
If you have the end of activity/dissertation with a gap of only a couple of weeks before dressing-up day, then dressing-up day would be reasonable – just use common sense.
B.3 PhD students – Submit – VivaThe main problem with PhD students is that each university uses terminology while assuming that everyone means the same thing when using their vocabulary.
So here’s some of the vocabulary I hear and the assorted meanings
“Continuation” meaning any one or combination of Paid 3 years full time fee and now on a token fee but still studying full time
Paid 6 years half time fee and now on a token fee but still studying half time
Completed the taught aspects of research/statistical methodology and now working full time on thesis under their supervisor
Completed all their research and now working full time writing up the thesis under their supervisor
Handed in first draft of thesis and subject to revisions
Handed in final draft of thesis and revising full time for the viva within a few weeks
Thesis and viva done and just waiting for dressing-up day to receive their scroll
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“Submitted” meaning any one of Handed in first draft of thesis and awaiting decisions on revisions which could
be full time
Handed in first draft of thesis and studying full time on revisions
Handed in final draft of thesis and revising full time for the viva within a few weeks
Handed in final draft of thesis and doing nothing until the viva which might not be for many months
Finished
“Completed” meaning Handed in final draft of thesis and revising full time for the viva within a few
weeks
Handed in final draft of thesis and doing nothing until the viva which might not be for many months
Finished
The first thing to do is to define exactly what your terminology means in terms of what is student doing now and/or going to do now
Nervously waiting a few days then furiously rewriting full time for the immediate future – broadly still doing academic stuff full time
Nervously studying/revising full time for an imminent viva
Partying his brains out – broadly doing nothing academic
Gone home and got a job – broadly doing nothing academic
Thinking he’s going to hang around campus doing nothing for months and months until the viva is arranged – broadly doing nothing academic
Thinking he’s going to hang around campus doing nothing for months and months until a visiting academic can be found to arrange a viva – broadly doing nothing academic
Once that is decided, then apply the regulation
The regulation is that loans cease when the student ceases to be engaged in academic activity on an “at least half time” basis.
If the student drops to below “at least half time” then the student has no entitlement to any loan money from that date which means …
No entitlement to the rest of the current disbursement – R2T4 as if withdrawn on the date the student ceased to be “studying at least half time”
And no further disbursements
Reasonable practical considerations – no regulation, just taking a common sense view
If the viva is within a short number of weeks It is reasonable to suppose that the student will be studying/revising for the viva
– that would still be a full time academic activity
If the dressing-up day is within, say, a month It is reasonable to consider it to be a continued full time academic activity
If the viva is more than 6 weeks away It is reasonable to suppose that the student will partying or gone home or got a
job – that would be less than a half time academic activity
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