Publication Date: July 25, 2008

Award Year: 2009-2010

Summary: COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0b

During the period March 27-29, 2009, we plan to implement Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System functionality that will support the processing of 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) awards for the 2009-2010 Award Year. In conjunction with this implementation, we will begin using a new version of the COD Common Record Extensible Markup Language (XML) Schema. The new schema version is 3.0b.

Effective upon completion of the March 27-29, 2009 COD System implementation—

• All 2009-2010 Common Record documents must be sent by schools and will be acknowledged by the COD System using COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0b.

• All 2009-2010 unsolicited system-generated responses will be sent by the COD System using COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0b.

  Note: Detailed information about how we will handle system-generated responses for award years prior to 2009-2010 is provided below.

• COD Web Activity responses for all award years will be sent by the COD System using COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0b.

  Note: Detailed information about how the schema upgrade to COD Web Activity responses may impact a school is provided below.

• All available school reports, including data requests, will continue to be sent in formats other than XML.

In our June 4, 2008 posting of COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0a, we informed the financial aid community that schema version 3.0a would be required after the COD System implementation for the 2009-2010 Award Year. The guidance we are providing now regarding schema version 3.0b and its required use after the COD System implementation for the 2009-2010 Award Year supersedes our earlier guidance. This posting of schema version 3.0b is the authoritative source for the schema version that will be required after we complete the March 27-29, 2009 COD System implementation.

In this announcement, we cover information in the following order:

• COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0b
• File and 2009-2010 COD Technical Reference Information
• Contact Information
• Attachments/Enclosures

COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0b

COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0b incorporates a new block for Counseling. The new Counseling block and its corresponding changes are being incorporated to accommodate online initial/subsequent TEACH Grant counseling that will be available via the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (ATS) Web site after we complete the March 27-29, 2009 COD System implementation. In addition, schema version 3.0b incorporates some new tags and valid values that we have added in preparation for possible future use. All incorporated changes are outlined in the attachment titled "Common Record Change Log."

When planning the update to COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0b, a school or third party software provider should consider the following impact areas:

• Common Record Documents
• Unsolicited System-Generated Responses
• COD Web Activity Responses
• School Reports and Data Requests

Note to EDExpress Users: We will post EDExpress for Windows 2009-2010, Release 2.0 shortly after the March 27-29, 2009 COD System implementation. This release will incorporate schema version 3.0b for 2009-2010 records. In forthcoming communications about the release, we will provide detailed EDExpress guidance that supplements the impact guidance provided in this communication.

Information about each of the impact areas follows below.

Common Record Documents

All 2009-2010 Common Record documents must be sent by schools and will be acknowledged by the COD System using COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0b.

Unsolicited System-Generated Responses

All 2009-2010 unsolicited system-generated responses will be sent by the COD System using COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0b.

• If a school's schema preference for a program/award year prior to 2009-2010 is 3.0a before the implementation, the preference will be automatically updated to 3.0b, and unsolicited system-generated responses will be sent in 3.0b.

  Note: There is no structural difference between schema versions 3.0a and 3.0b. As a general rule, a school should be able to import the 3.0b responses. A school should consult with its software provider, third party servicer, or IT Department about the import of these responses.

• If a school's schema preference for a program/award year prior to 2009-2010 is 2.0e before the implementation, the preference will remain 2.0e, and unsolicited system-generated responses will be sent in 2.0e.

No action will need to be taken by a school unless the school wants to change the schema preference for a program/award year prior to 2009-2010 from schema version 2.0e to schema version 3.0b. In this case, the school will need to change its schema version preference for each applicable program/award year via the COD Web Site's School Options Information screen per the instructions that follow.

Instructions for Changing Schema Version Preference After March 27-29, 2009

To set the "Schema Version for System Generated Response" option, click on the School link on the COD Web site's main menu bar, School Information, and Options. The School Options Information screen will open. After selecting the applicable program and the applicable award year on the School Options Information screen, scroll to the Program Relations Information section, change the schema version (from 2.0e to 3.0b) next to "Schema Version for System Generated Response", and click on Update.

Unsolicited system-generated responses are listed in the table below.

COD Web Activity Responses

COD Web Activity responses for all award years will be sent by the COD System using COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0b.

Unlike unsolicited system-generated responses, COD Web Activity responses will only be sent by the COD System using schema version 3.0b. This schema upgrade will impact the import of COD Web Activity responses for award years prior to 2009-2010 as follows:

2008-2009 Award Year

• If a school has used schema version 3.0a for 2008-2009 processing, it should be able to import COD Web Activity responses that are sent in schema version 3.0b.

  Note: There is no structural difference between schema versions 3.0a and 3.0b. As a general rule, a school should be able to import the 3.0b responses. A school should consult with its software provider, third party servicer, or IT Department about the import of these responses.

• If a school has not used schema version 3.0a for 2008-2009 processing, it will be unable to import COD Web Activity responses that are sent in schema version 3.0b.

2007-2008 and Earlier Award Years

• A school will be unable to import COD Web Activity responses that are sent in schema version 3.0b.

If a school that is unable to import COD Web Activity responses needs to submit new records or update existing records for an impacted award year, the school may do so via batch processing. These records will be acknowledged by the COD System using schema version 2.0e.

In addition, a school that is unable to import COD Web Activity responses may want to change its "Web Activity Response Option" for each applicable program/award year so that it will not receive COD Web Activity responses. The school will make these changes on the COD Web site's School Options Information screen per the instructions that follow.

Instructions for Changing Web Activity Response Option After March 27-29, 2009

To change the "Web Activity Response Option" from "Y" to "N", click on the School link on the COD Web site's main menu bar, School Information, and Options. The School Options Information screen will open. After selecting the applicable program and the applicable award year on the School Options Information screen, scroll to the Program Relations Information section, change "Web Activity Response Option" from "Y" to "N", and click on Update.

School Reports and Data Requests

All available school reports, including data requests, will continue to be sent in formats other than XML.

File and 2009-2010 COD Technical Reference Information

Attached to this announcement are files that schools and third party software providers will need to update to COD Common Record XML Schema Version 3.0b. One of the attachments is a change log that identifies the changes made to the current version of the COD Common Record XML Schema (3.0a). In addition, by the end of July 2008, we will post draft sections of the 2009-2010 COD Technical Reference on the IFAP Web site.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, contact the COD School Relations Center at 800/474-7268 for Grants or 800/848-0978 for Direct Loans. You may also e-mail CODSupport@acs-inc.com.

Attachments/Enclosures:

XML Common Record 3.0b in XML Code, 101KB

XML Common Record 3.0b - Value Range for the Common Record in XML Code, 8KB

Common Record Change Log in Microsoft Excel Format, 46KB

Posted 07/28/08 to www.NASFAA.org. Please submit Web Site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org