Release Notes: Item 1411-04

2015-2016 Regulatory Release (Source Code Changes, with User Guide updates)

This is the second of two release items which comprise the 2015-16 Regulatory release. This item contains code modifications for 2015-16 Federal processing: ADD Load processing, FM calculations, federal corrections and COD reporting. Item 1411-03 contains the 2015-16 file changes.

Modifications to address any further federal announcements will be issued as needed. 2015-16 packaging is scheduled for release when the Pell tables are available, typically by mid-January. Comment codes are included in the Dictionary updates released in item 1411-03. FISAP revisions will be released when final specifications become available, usually the following July.

There are no new Federal data fields. The NSLDS data for monitoring a student's outstanding loans includes a new Subsidy Status field and corresponding Status Date for up to six loans. NSLDS fields relating to ACG and SMART grant tracking have been deleted, as these programs were discontinued in 2010.

Correction Field Numbers have not changed. The Dictionary entries in release item 1411-03 for correctable federal fields contain the correction numbers.

Verification data for 2015-16 are based on the verification group to which a selected student is assigned. Verification groups are the same as last year's, and the verification screens work in the same manner as last year's: fields that do not pertain to the verification group assigned to the student in context are protected against data entry, and untaxed income components are entered at the first detail level, by expanding (PF9) from the Student or Parent label on the Verification screen.

Implementation Notes

The attached zip file contains:

To implement the 2015-16 Regulatory release, complete the following steps:

  1. Unload the SYSOBJH file in the attached zip file into a temporary library.
  2. SYSMAIN the new and updated modules from your temporary library into your development library. When copying the updated versions of source modules, be sure to review your current 2014-15 modules and apply any institutional modifications to the appropriate 2015-16 version.

    The new modules are the year-specific components named W*16*. The updated modules are:
  3. Roll your 2014-15 institutional calculations forward to 2015-16 and make any modifications necessary due to institutional requirements.
  4. Execute a CATALL against your development library to pick up all data area changes.
  5. On the FAO Table maintenance screen (under the System menu), when all FAO-specific calculations are in place, for each valid FAO at your institution, modify the High Year field (WW-TABLES.WW-HI-YEAR) to contain the new aid year.
  6. Modify JCL in the ADD Import job (WFADDIMJ) for 2015-16 to accommodate decreased ISIR record length of 4300 (Work File 1).
  7. Print the changed pages and User Guide update instructions in the zip file.
  8. Perform institutional testing. When testing is complete, you may move the released modules to your test and production environments.