# Presentation: 666275

## <date/time>

## Session 58

***Effective Techniques for Using EDExpress Packaging (Hands On)***

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**Notes:**
Change to this slide as you initially begin the session and introduce yourself and the individuals helping you out with the session.

## Introduction

- This session is designed for beginning or novice users of EDExpress Packaging
- Evaluations
- Questions

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## What is Packaging?

- Efficient, flexible method of awarding funds to student records and generating award letters
- Interacts with Apps, Pell and Direct Loan modules
- Can import data from and export data to external system(s)

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**Notes:**
Pretty straightforward slide here. Packaging is a module of EDExpress that is used to convert ISIR data into completed financial aid award packages.

Emphasize:
1) Schools can import data from ISIR database into Packaging
2) Can also import info from external system (External Add import)
3) Can manually or automatically award Pell and other funds to students -- very flexible in this respect
4) Can print award letters based on packaged student info
5) Can export Packaged data to external system, or import into Direct Loan or Pell modules (if used) to assist in creating origination records.

## Agenda

- Setup Planning
- Packaging Setup Basics
- Creating Records
- The Package Process
- Printing Award Letters
- Hands-on Exercises

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**Notes:**
This is the general process for using the Packaging module --- a plan of attack, so to speak.

Users should:
1) Create and test setup
2) Create Packaging records through import/manual entry
3) Package records (determine preferred automatic/manual awarding process)
4) Verify/adjust award amounts as necessary --- may do this several times during the year as student situations change
5) Print Award Letters, relevant reports/lists
6) Perform any necessary exports to other modules/external systems

## Setup Planning

-  Identify your office needs and assess what you need Packaging to do for you
-  Gather all relevant information on available funds, awarding schemes, COA for different student groups
-  Write it out --- use Packaging setup sheets

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## Academic Year Profile

-  Determines how awarded fund totals are split between terms
-  Defines how Pell is awarded: select formula type, percentages
-  Required for ISIR import

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**Notes:**
The Academic Year Profile serves two primary purposes:
1) Governs how Pell is awarded to eligible students
2) Determines how awarded funds are divided amongst defined terms

AYP is required for ISIR import --- schools will probably apply selection criteria to import different student groups under different AYP codes.

Pell % and Proration % fields are activated/required depending on which formula you choose. For example, you cannot enter any Pell % if you select Formula 1, as a Formula 1 Pell award is always divided evenly amongst defined terms (software follows ED rounding logic where necessary).

## Fund Maintenance

-  Create fund profile for each federal, state, local or private aid source to be awarded
-  Use queries and Remaining Need to restrict awarding
-  Use correct aid type!

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**Notes:**
Fund Maintenance basics:
1) Allows Fund profile definition for every aid type/fund/award; will accurately track awarded amounts and adjustments to the balances of these funds.
2) Queries and Remaining Need ranges can be attached to dictate who is eligible for fund and how much they are awarded based on remaining need.
3) Schools must use correct Aid Type so Edexpress knows what type of fund you are defining and can apply rules and policy (such as checking Pell eligibility flag and AYP before awarding Pell)

## Award Methodologies

-  Tell EDExpress how to award defined funds to different student groups
-  Use Priority field and queries to filter methodologies
-  Use Self-help, Gift-aid limit fields to set award ceiling for certain aid types

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**Notes:**
Award Methodologies must be created if you want EDExpress to award any of the funds you’ve defined in Fund Maintenance for you --- as opposed to you manually awarding funds and amounts to each student (which you CAN do, if you want --- much more time-consuming).

The exceptions are Pell (Aid Type F), which is packaged automatically by the software, and Outside Resources (Aid Type O) and Veterans/Americorps (Aid Type V) which must both be manually added to a record prior to packaging it so these amounts will be taken into account.

During Package process, software first awards Pell (if student is eligible), then runs through methodologies in numeric Priority order (starting with #1 and going up) --- once student meets methodology criteria and is eligible for a fund within the methodology other than Pell, student will be awarded funds from the methodology and package process will be complete.

Self-Help and Gift-Aid maximums allow school more control over how much student receives from certain family of funds. Self-Help includes all loans and work-study, while Gift-Aid includes all grants (including Pell). Not a mandatory thing, can set both to 100%. Can establish dollar amount or percentage.

## Budgets

-  Establish Cost of Attendance amounts for different student populations
-  Assign either during ISIR import or from Process menu
-  Use Priority and queries to control assignment
-  Establish a Pell COA if desired (new for 2002-2003)

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**Notes:**
Budget codes tell EDExpress what the cost of attendance is at your school --- it uses this setup information to determine the total amount of aid students are eligible for. Budgets can be added to records during ISIR import or by running Process/Add Budgets from the software’s main screen.

1) As with methodology, users should give more selective budgets a higher priority, and more common budgets a lower priority. This is a feature we want to highlight, as it reduces manual entry for a user if they import ISIR data and let Packaging assign budget for them.
2) Add queries to budget profiles to restrict who they are assigned to.
3) Give user-defined fields a unique title (like “Computer Fees”); do not re-use hard-coded component titles (like “Tuition and Fees”).
4) The Pell COA is an alternate budget amount that is modifiable at the student record level and will be used when calculating Pell only.

## Creating Records

-  ISIR import
- Will only import valid ISIR data
- Most time-efficient, accurate method
-  Manual entry
-  External import add

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**Notes:**
This is the most widely used, most effiecient method of creating Packaging records.  Picks up values from ISIR and Demo tabs and autofills on Awards tab. If all required elements are saved on record, Packaging Status will be “R” (Ready to Package). Users can elect to print a list of imported students.

Budget assignment made optional on import in 00-01 software to speed up process for users. Can decide whether to assign budgets during ISIR import or later on using Process/Add Budgets. (Records will be at “N” status until Budget is saved on record.) 

Schools are required to select an AYP code on the import screen (will populate automatically with “default” AYP code). Users should apply  selection criteria to restrict imported records to those for whom the AYP is applicable.

## Packaging Records

-  Package from Awards tab or Globally
-  Will award Pell first, then run through methodologies in priority order
-  View Awarded Funds screen to examine results of Package process
-  Unpackage/Repackage functions

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**Notes:**
The package process pulls together all the setup elements and uses the information present on the student record to determine a financial award package. 
 The sofware will first award Pell (if defined and student is eligible), reading AYP code associated with record and dividing award amongst valid terms.
 The software determines the appropriate methodology for the record, based on queries and priority info on the defined methodologies.

Note users can package records one at a time (globally or from tab) or in groups, using selection criteria if desired.

Schools can open records after Package process, go to Awards tab, and click on Awarded Funds button to view awarded fund codes and amounts.

Unpackage reverses the Package process, removes packaged funds, sets Packaging Status to “U”. Repackage is a full Unpackage and Package process in one, valuable if you change a crucial value on the record and want to re-award the student funds.

## Award Letters

-  Print Globally or from Awards tab
-  Record must have fund(s) awarded
-  Offer and Notification letter options
-  Some letter text can be modified

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**Notes:**
A student Award letter will print from thetab as long as that student has awarded funds. Users can create and include user-defined text if they wish, will print as separate page. Certain Packaging System setup parameters affect Global print.

Letter types: Offer and Notification Letter. The “Offer” letter requests the student send the letter back to the institution; the “Notification” letter assumes the student is accepting the awards UNLESS the letter is returned indicating which award(s) to decline.  Can set initial default on packaged records via packaging system setup. Text varies on letters. Only have “Return By” date on Offer letter.
 Modify hard-coded text via Tools | Setup  | Global.
 Funds will be identified on letter by their fund description in fund maintenance setup.
 Award Letter Received indicator, letter print count, number of copies, other data/options can be viewed on Awards tab via radio button.

## Hands-On Exercises

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## SFA Tech

- We appreciate your feedback and comments.  We can be reached:
- 		Phone: (800) 330-5947
- 		Fax: 319-358-4260
- 		Email: cpswan@ncs.com

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