Posted Date: August 10, 2017

Subject: Update to Previously Announced Comment Code 399 Changes

During last year's Federal Student Aid Training Conference in Atlanta, we announced that, effective with the end of the corrections period for 2016-2017 FAFSAs on September 9, 2017, we would no longer compare information between applicants' 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 FAFSAs to identify possible conflicting information and to report any significant differences to institutions using SAR/ISIR Comment Code 399. [See Dear Colleague Letter GEN-16-14 for details on Comment Code 399.]

Upon further consideration, to help ensure that Title IV aid is awarded on accurate information, we have decided to continue our monitoring of possible conflicting information between 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 FAFSAs throughout the 2017-2018 FAFSA processing cycle. Therefore, if a 2017-2018 ISIR with Comment Code 399 is received by an institution any time during the 2017-2018 FAFSA processing cycle, institutional review for possible resolution of conflicting information continues to be required because the error could be related to information that was provided on the 2017-2018 FAFSA. However, as noted in Dear Colleague Letter GEN-16-14, institutions are not required to submit corrections to a 2016-2017 ISIR if the published September 9, 2017 deadline date for making such corrections has passed, and therefore no further action is required for the 2016-2017 processing cycle.

If you have questions about the information provided in the letter, please contact Federal Student Aid's Research and Customer Care Center Staff. Staff is available Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) at 1-800-433-7327. After-hours calls will be accepted by an automated voice response system. Callers leaving their names and phone numbers will receive a return call the next business day. Alternatively, you may e-mail the Care Center at [email protected].

Publication Date: 8/10/2017