News from NASFAA

ED Electronic Announcement

Pell Grant Program 2000-01 Reconciliation Tool Available

Posted August 3, 2001

TO: All Destination Points

FROM: Pell Grant Processing

SUBJECT: Reconciliation for the Federal Pell Grant Program

THIS MESSAGE:

• Announces the availability of a 2000-2001 Reconciliation Tool for the Federal Pell Grant Program
• Provides Instructions on how to use the RFMS 2000-2001 Reconciliation File
• Discusses Reconciliation Options for EDExpress Users
• To assist schools in their end of Award Year reconciliation, the 2000-2001 Reconciliation file is being sent to every school participating in the Federal Pell Grant Program.

This RFMS Reconciliation file is intended to particularly aid institutions that use "homegrown" or third party software that may have limitations in their ability to provide reconciliation tools. EDExpress users should follow the instructions below, under IF YOU ARE AN EDEXPRESS USER, in order to use the enhanced functionality of the List –Processed Disbursements- Year to Date report available in the 6.3 version of EDExpress.

This RFMS Reconciliation file has been automatically placed in all institutions' TIVWAN mailboxes beginning July 28 through August 1. All of the files have now been distributed to institution mailboxes.

Follow the instructions below to use this file as you determine best to help you reconcile. There are a number of options for using this file including:

• Printing the file as it was received;

• Importing the file into software, such as a spreadsheet or database software package which will allow you to sort and format the data as best suits your needs;
• Importing the file into EDExpress.

The RFMS Reconciliation File is produced in Attended Campus, then Student Name order (Last, then First). The fields in the file include: Recipient Name, Origination ID (which includes, SSN, Name Code, Year Indicator, Attending Pell ID and Origination Sequence Number), Application Transaction Number, Scheduled Award as calculated by RFMS, Origination Award Amount as accepted by RFMS, and YTD Disbursement Total as accepted by RFMS. All the information in this file is taken from information that exists in the standard Pell Year to Date Record that can be requested through your regular software. Please note that the file is 80 characters long, so it may be easily printed on standard 8-1/2x11 inch paper.

The file will include a Grant Header (which can be ignored), a Title Line which contains labels for the columns, one line for each accepted origination record for your school, which includes the YTD disbursed
amount for that Origination, and a Grant Trailer (which contains totals for the number of recipients, total amount for Origination Award Amount, and total amount for accepted YTD Disbursements).

You will receive this file via Title IV WAN message class PGTX01OP (ASCII Text File format). Download the RFMS Reconciliation file from Title IV WAN as you would download a file of this message class through EDConnect, mainframe-to-mainframe, or your own software. Please note that this file is sent in compressed format, so you must decompress it just as you do any other file received from Title IV WAN. Also, remember the name and subdirectory under which you saved the file. If this is the first PGTX01OP file you have received, it will have a .DAT extension, with additional files being named .001, then .002, etc.). You may want an updated reconciliation file in late August or September to further aid you in reconciling. If you would like an updated reconciliation file for 2000-2001, please make your request via email to pell.systems@ed.gov. Please use the subject line "Request for updated 2000-2001 reconciliation file".

After download, you may print the file or import the file into a spreadsheet using the following steps:

(1) Mainframe users may want to download the file to their PC to view it, print it, or import the file into Microsoft Excel. For instance, printing can be done on a PC using the WORDPAD accessory (Start|Programs|Accessories|WordPad) that comes with any version of Windows (use Print Preview under the FILE tab before printing to determine if you need to change your margins - to be safe, use PAGE SETUP to set left and right margins to 0" to allow the printing to have one recipient per line.)

(2) For those who wish to import the file into a spreadsheet using a program like Microsoft Excel, click File | Open after starting Excel. When the 'Open' windows appears, type in the name that you saved the downloaded file under and click 'Open'. Since the file is not in XLS (spreadsheet format), the program will automatically prompt you to convert it. Follow the directions - first, respond that the fields are fixed width, start import at row 3, and then click on 'Next'. Continue by clicking on 'Next' again and finally on 'Finish'. These instructions have been tested using Microsoft Excel for Windows 97 and for Windows 2000.

Once you have imported the file into a spreadsheet, you will probably want to increase the column width for the Recipient Name to 20 characters and Origination ID to 23 characters (by choosing Format | Column | Width ) for each so you may see all of the data. Also, set the format for the Origination Award Amount and YTD Disbursement Total to numeric with two decimal places in case any of your recipients have pennies in their award amounts. Choose Format | Cells | Number and clicking on Number. Before printing, use File | Print Preview to see if the report fits across a single page. If not, click on Margins under Print Preview to change the left and right margins to .25" each.

(3) Import the file into EDExpress by going to File | Import | Pell | ED Comments - RFMS (last option). You will then need to select the name of the file to import. (PGTX01OP.DAT, or the file name you entered when downloading the file). You can print the report to your printer, the screen, or a file.

If you have any problems, or need assistance please call the Pell Grant Customer Hotline at 1-800-4PGRANT (1-800-474-7268) or via e-mail at pell.systems@ed.gov.

IF YOU ARE AN EDEXPRESS USER

To reconcile your 2000-2001 EDExpress Pell information with RFMS using a Pell Year-to-Date file (PGYR01OP), follow the procedure below:

1) You should first ensure you are running 2000-2001 EDExpress Version 6.3. If you have not upgraded to Version 6.3, you can acquire the software install file from the Department's SFAdownload site at
<<<http://www.sfadownload.ed.gov/>>>. Once you are running Version 6.3, and have received a recent PGYR01OP file, follow the steps below:

2) Resolve all pending records: You may wish to create a query for pending origination records. For example: -- Go to Tools | Query | Pell and click on Add. Title the query a name recognizable to you, such as "Originations Pending Resolution" –

• In Field, choose Origination Status. In Operator, choose "<>". In Value, enter A. Click on Append;

• Save the query. Print an Origination List. Review the records. You do not need to delete the records with the Origination status of "N" (Not Ready), but you may choose to do so, as this makes the Compare and Print Exception YTD Import Edit Report easier to navigate.

You may wish to complete the cycle on all "R" (Ready) and "B" (Batched) records to reduce differences between your database and the PGYR01OP file data.

If the status is "E" (Rejected), review the Edit Comment codes by opening the record and going to View | Processed Edits/Comments on the Pell Grant tab, or by printing the Edits/Comment by Student list. If the Edit/Comment is 302, Duplicate Origination, these records can be rebuilt to the accepted/corrected status while importing a current PGYR01OP file by using the "Update Selected Records" option. Resolve all other pending records.

You may also wish to create a query for pending disbursement records. For example:

• Go to Tools | Query | Pell. Click on Add. Title the query a name recognizable to you, such as "Disbursements Pending Resolution";
• In Field, choose Disbursement Status. In Operator, choose "<>". In Value, enter A. Click on Append;

• Save the query. Print a Disbursement List. Review the records. You may wish to complete the cycle on all "R" (Ready) and "B" (Batched) records to reduce differences between your database and the PGYR01OP file data.

If the status is "E" (Rejected), review the Edit Comment codes by opening the record and going to View | Processed Edits/Comments on the Pell Grant tab.

3) Order PGYR (Pell Grant Year to Date) files for all attended campuses:

PGYR files are batched by attended campus. You should request a PGYR01OP file for each attended campus. You may do this through EDExpress if you choose. To use your EDExpress to request a Pell YTD file, please follow these steps:

• Go to File | Export and choose the Pell tab;
• For Export Type, choose Data Request;
• Check the Year-To-Date Records checkbox, and make sure your Reporting and Attended Campus IDs are in the appropriate boxes;
• Click OK to export the file;
• Transmit the resulting PGRQ01IN file through EDconnect;
• RFMS will return a PGYR01OP file in response to the Year-to-Date data request.

4) Import the PGYR01OP file(s) you receive: When you have received the PGYR file(s) for each attended campus, go to File | Import | YTD Data. Mark "Compare and Print Exceptions."

The Compare and Print Exceptions import edit report is divided into two sections: the Origination Exceptions section and the Disbursement Exceptions Section. Only records in the PGYR01OP file that are not matched on your EDExpress database will appear on the report. After identifying these records, you may take action to eliminate the discrepancies. You may also wish to review the totals given at the end of the disbursement exception section. If the Total YTD Disbursement Amount equals the Total School Disbursement Amount, your payment totals matches those contained in the PGYR01OP file.

5) Run YTD totals report: Print the List - Processed Disbursements Year-to-Date report for each attended campus. Ensure the totals per student match your other records.

If you have any questions regarding the Pell module of EDExpress, please contact CPS/WAN Technical Support at 800/330-5947 or via e-mail at CPSWAN@NCS.COM.

Posted August 3, 2001, on the NASFAA Web Site www.nasfaa.org