session 34

Session 34

The Institutional

Information Record

(ISIR)

Virginia Hagins

Sandy Santana

SARs and ISIRsSARs and ISIRs FederalFederal

Output DocumentsOutput Documents

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What has happened so far…?

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Topics

• Where the ISIR comes from

• What does the ISIR tell us

• Rejects, Assumptions and items to look for

• Eligibility issues

• Verification

• Resources

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Data Flowcompletes FAFSA

CPSSchool

NSLDS

SSAVA

DHS

COD

SSS

Review ISIRCorrections

Package

Notification

Disburse

Report

R2T4

PIN Student

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Eligibility Overview

• Student completes FAFSA

• FAFSA processed by CPS

• Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) is

determined

• School determines eligibility of student

• School awards student based on

COA - EFC = NEEDCOA - EFC = NEED

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Output Documents from CPS

• Student receives either:

– SAR

• Filed paper FAFSA

– SAR Acknowledgment

• Filed on FOTW

• School receives:

– ISIR

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Reviewing the ISIR

• Rejects

– Alpha• Verifiable

– Numeric• Non-verifiable

– Responsibility of student to resolve

– Comment explains action necessary for resolution

THE FAA

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Reviewing the ISIR

• Assumptions

– CPS makes a determination

– School should review assumptions

• Comment Codes

– Comment codes provide information regarding eligibility

• “C” Code

– Must be resolved before paying student

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Assumption or Reject?

• Student reports that she is married and provides

spouse’s income but reports only one person in

household.

• Student reports not married yet provides financial

information for spouse.

• Dependent student does not complete parent’s

financial information.

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Non-verifiable or Verifiable?

• Student’s SSN match, but name does not.

• Student has an SSN match with Date of Death.

• Missing DOB

• Missing first or last name

What action should you take?

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Reviewing the ISIRMatch Flags

• Selective Service

– Males 18-25

– Unsuccessful match or student can’t be

registered

• Proof of registration

• Status Information Letter

• School determines if registration was knowing and

willful.

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• Veterans Affairs

– Determination of dependency status

– Confirmation of active service

– DD2-14

– Electronic Announcement: 12-23-2004

• NEW for 2006-2007

– Active-Duty Military Automatically Independent

• (Effective 7/1/06)

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– National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)

• Financial Aid History

– Loans

– Pell

– Overpayment(s)

– Default

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• Social Security Administration (SSA)

– Confirmation of SSN• DOB

• Name

– Possible date of death

– Citizenship Status• No match

• Eligible non-citizen with “A-number”– DHS

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• Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS)

– Confirmation of immigration status

• Eligible non-citizen

• No confirmation

– Automated Secondary Confirmation

– Paper Secondary Confirmation

– G-845S

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Match Flag Issues

• Elijah, US citizen, comes in with the SS flag set as

“N”, comment code 30: Not registered

• How do you resolve this if:

– He is between the ages of 18 and 25?

– He is 27?

– He served on active duty in the armed forces?

Match Flags: SSN 4 SSA A DHS SS N NSLDS 4 VA

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Match Flag Issues

• On her FAFSA, Emilie claimed to be a US

Citizen, but her ISIR came back with a C Code

and SSA match flag “B” stating that SSA did not

confirm her citizenship status.

• She also has a Reject D, match flag 3 for SSN

(Name is inconsistent with SSA).

• How do you start to resolve this?

Match Flags: SSN 3 SSA B DHS SS NSLDS 4 VA DHS Sec. Conf.

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Match Flag Issues

• According to Emilie, her name is really spelled “Emily”

but she used her stage name on the FAFSA.

• And…she’s not a US citizen yet. She was born in Finland

and has just gotten around to requesting US Citizenship.

She figured she would answer yes since she will be soon.

• What do you do now?

Match Flags: SSN 3 SSA B DHS SS NSLDS 4 VA DHS Sec. Conf.

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Match Flag Issues

• Emily’s 02 transaction has been received with a

successful match for SSN and the SSA match for

citizenship is still a “B”.

• She now has a DHS match of “N” – DHS did not

confirm her noncitizen eligibility.

• What do you do now?

Match Flags: SSN 4 SSA B DHS N SS NSLDS 4 VA DHS Sec. Conf.

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What is Verification? *

• Students selected by the CPS

– Edit checks identify inconsistencies

– Random selection

– Verification codes on ISIR • Y = Student is selected

• N = Student is not selected

• * = Student is selected on a subsequent transaction

• Students selected by the school

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How Many are Verified?

• Selected by the CPS

– All selected applicants

• Some applicants are exempt (See Handbook)

– 30% option

• Schools may choose to limit verification to 30% of

applicant pool

• Selected by the school

– Whomever school selects

– May not include these in 30% option

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What is Verified?• For CPS-selected applicant

– Data elements required by regulation:• Household size

• Number in college

• AGI

• Taxes paid

• Untaxed Income

– Social Security benefits

– Child support

– IRA/Keogh deductions

– Foreign income exclusion

– Earned Income Credit

– Interest on tax-free bonds

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What is Verified?

• School can choose to verify any other application items

such as:

– Untaxed income benefits

– Total income

– Assets

• School defines appropriate documentation for these

additional items

• Need not do all federal data elements

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What Documents are Used?• Generally accepted documents

include:

– Base year tax return

– Verification worksheet

– For untaxed income and benefits:

• Official agency documentation

• Signed statement

• Other acceptable documents listed in the Handbook

• Special tax filing situations

– AVG 82 & 83

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How is the Process Completed?

• Compare the documents with the original FAFSA

information

– Use of checklist in the file

– Can use Verification Tool in FAA Access

• Determine that

– information is correct or...

– corrections must be made

• May use tolerance option if all errors are $ amount errors

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Updating Selected Applicants

• For students selected by the CPS, schools must

update (unless due to change in applicant’s

marital status):

– Dependency status

– Household size

– Number enrolled in postsecondary school

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Verification issues

• Tatiana, independent,

unmarried, with 3

dependents according to her

FAFSA has been selected for

verification.

– She brings you a copy of

her 1040 form to verify

her income.

– She completes her

verification worksheet.

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Verification issues

• According to her 1040, she claims to be head of household, and lists her 2 children as dependents. Her income and taxes match what she listed on her FAFSA.

• Her verification worksheet lists herself, her 2 children and a friend as living in the household. You determine the friend doesn’t qualify as a dependent for federal aid and Tatiana agrees.

• What do you do with her ISIR?

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Verification issues

• You make the correction, receive the ISIR back, and are ready to process Tatiana’s aid.

• Tatiana is packaged and funds are disbursed to her..everybody’s happy…

UNTIL….

• While watching TV, you happen upon a news brief that shows a local former pro football player at a ceremony retiring his number. With his wife and kids. Tatiana and her kids.

• What do you do now???

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Suspicious Information….?

• Attempt to increase student aid eligibility by:

– Intentional misreporting of information

– Altering documentation

– Contact the Office of Inspector General

– 1-800-MISUSED

– http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/hotline.html

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Remember

• You must review all ISIRs transactions received

• Must resolve all “C codes”

• Must resolve all conflicting information

• Separate process from verification

• Involves any information of which the school has

knowledge

• Must resolve before disbursing any aid

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Resources & Training• FSA Handbook

– Application & Verification Guide (AVG)

– Volume 1 – Student Eligibility

• ISIR Guide

• FSA Coach (CBT)

• EDExpress Basics (CBT)

• Financial Aid Basics

• FAA Access Demo Site

– fafsademo.test.ed.gov• User name: eddemo Password: fafsatest

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Additional Beginner’s Track Sessions

• Session #35 - Awarding Aid

• Session #36 - Disbursing Aid

• Session #37 - IFAP, NSLDS, COD, FAA Access

to CPS On -Line

• Session #38 - Financial Aid Professionals (FAP) Portal

and Beyond - How We Communicate With You?

• Session #39 - Uncover the Mysteries of How a Law

Becomes Operational

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We appreciate your feedback and comments.We can be reached at:

Virginia Hagins

415-486-5621

[email protected]

Sandy Santana

646-428-3754

[email protected]