# Presentation: 907258

## Session FF-06

**The ISIR - What It Is And How To Use It**** **
- Thomas Threlkeld
- U.S. Department of Education

**Notes:**
11/06/07

## Eligibility Overview

- Student completes FAFSA
- FAFSA processed by Central Processing System (CPS)
- Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) is determined
- School determines eligibility of student using ISIR
- School awards student based on
- COA - EFC = NEED

**Notes:**
Explain slide

## ISIR

- Institutional Student Information Record
- An electronic output document containing all information reported on the FAFSA and the resulting EFC
- Sent from CPS to school’s SAIG mailbox
- Used by school to determine student’s Title IV aid eligibility
- School must maintain in electronic format received for record retention period

**Notes:**
The ISIR is the output document CPS sends to the school.  It is sent as an electronic document through the school’s SAIG mailbox.  This is the document that provides the EFC and notifies the school of any database matches and verification.

The school must maintain the ISIR in the electronic format in which it was received for at least three years from the end of the award year for which it pertains.

## Output Documents From CPS

- Student receives either
- Paper Student Aid Report (SAR)
- Filed paper FAFSA without email address
- E-mail notification of SAR
- Filed paper FAFSA, FOTW, or FAA Access with valid e-mail address and successful SSN match
- Paper SAR Acknowledgement
- Filed FOTW or FAA Access without valid e-mail address

**Notes:**
Explain slide
The SAR notifies the student of the results of the application and potential eligibility.
The paper SAR provides a means for correcting or verifying applicant data.  

The E-mail Notification of SAR  enables the student to view the SAR online and to print the online SAR document as often as needed. It also links the student directly to Corrections on the Web for correcting or verifying the applicant data. 

Students receiving the SAR Acknowledgement must use Corrections on the Web or contact the school to submit corrections through FAA Access to CPS Online or a mainframe system. 

## Student Identifier

- 000-00-0000 RA 01
- Found on each page of ISIR
- Student’s SSN
- First two letters of last name
- ISIR transaction number
- Changing SSN in question 8 will not change the student identifier

**Notes:**
  Explain the student identifier.  Remind participants that if the student uses an incorrect SSN on the FAFSA, the student corrects FAFSA item #8, the identifier will remain the same.  CPS will provide COD with the correct SSN.

## C-Flag 

- “C” will show next to EFC: 1866 C
- Comment on ISIR related to
- Database match issue
- Drug conviction question
- 2008-2009 comment codes that generate C-Flag listed on page B-56 of ISIR Guide
- School must resolve issue before awarding aid

**Notes:**
“C”   Some call it a “C flag”.  Some say it means “check it out”  
The “C” will be there whenever there is an issue with a database match.  The school must resolve any issue prior to awarding aid.

## * Shows Verification Selection

- * will show next to EFC: 1866*
- School must complete verification unless exercising the 30% option or school is part of Quality Assurance program
- Comment codes 170 & 171 indicate verification selection.  Text may/may not appear on first page of ISIR.

## Assumptions

- EFC is calculated
- CPS makes a determination of appropriate answer
- * to left of ISIR field
- SAR/ISIR will include comment code 117

**Notes:**
Assumption most often made when questions are left blank, or when reported information is inconsistent, but the resolution seems apparent.  An example would be when the student reports married with spouse’s income, but only one in the household.  There is no requirement that FAA review assumptions....not considered conflicting information.

There assumption override codes that FAA’s may use if the information is actually correct, but would trigger an assumption by CPS.   An example would be if the FAFSA reports three in the household and three in college.  CPS would assume that number in college should only be one and process with one in college.  If the FAA does the override, it will process with three in college.

## Rejects

- No EFC calculated
- “Rejects Met” field in FAA Information section
- Alpha reject reason codes
- Verifiable
- Numeric reject reason codes
- Non-verifiable
- Responsibility of student to resolve
- Comments explain action necessary for resolution

**Notes:**
Verifiable means CPS believes the answer is questionable, but may be correct.  To have an EFC calculated, if the information is correct, the student or school should reenter same value as correction to ISIR data.

Non-verifiable reject requires that the answer be corrected in order for an EFC to be calculated.  The same information will not be accepted.

Technically it is the student’s responsibility to resolve the rejects, but many schools assist students in the resolution.

## Non-verifiable Or Verifiable Reject?

- Student’s SSN matches, but name does not
- Student has an SSN match with Date of Death
- Income earned meets IRS minimums and reported not filing income tax return
- Mother’s SSN contains all zeroes and reported as a tax filer

**Notes:**
a is D, verifiable
b is 8, non-verifiable
c is 20, non-verifiable
d is K, verifiable   - in this one, TIN used to file taxes but SSN should be reported as zeroes

## 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, but provides financial information for spouse
- Independent student’s household and number in college are reported as 3 or more

**Notes:**
a) is assumption – assumes two in household
b) is 11, non-verifiable reject
c) is assumption – assumes one in college

## Processed Date

- Found in “Office Information” Section
- Department considers school to have received ISIR on ISIR processed date
- ISIR will be in school’s SAIG mailbox within 24 hours of processing

**Notes:**
Regardless of when school actually pulls ISIR into its system, school is responsible for the information as of the date that the ISIR is processed

## Source Of Correction Flag

- Found in “Office Information” section
- Identifies source of correction transaction
-  “A” – applicant
-  “D” – CPS
-  “S” – school
- Federal school code indicator is in field below to identify originating school

**Notes:**
Tells school source of correction.

## Verification Flags 

- Found in “FAA Information” section
- Verification Flag
- Indicates if student selected on any transaction
-  Y, N, *
- Verification Tracking Flag
- Identifies priority for selection based upon likelihood of error
- Range is 0001 to 0999
- Higher number is higher priority

**Notes:**
Y is selected, N is not selected, * is selected on subsequent transaction

Verification  Tracking Flag identifies the priority for selection.  This is based upon the likelihood of error on this application.  ED has studied patterns in categories of applicants and determined which applications are most likely to have errors.  The higher the Tracking Flag number, the higher priority CPS believes there to be an error on the application.  May have one with a high number that was not selected by CPS, because it did not trigger the verification edits.  
If you are doing school selections, you can use this...choose those with the higher Tracking Flag numbers.

## Professional Judgment Flag

- Found in “FAA Information” section
- 1 – EFC adjustment processed on this transaction
- 2 – EFC adjustment requested but failed on this transaction
- Resulting transaction will only go to school processing PJ adjustment

**Notes:**
Department has modified system so only school that processed the PJ will received the resulting ISIR.  However, if a correction is made by school or student to that PJ transaction, all schools on student’s application will receive the corrected transaction.  

Would fail if a PJ adjustment was done on a rejected ISIR, per CPS.

Don’t use another school’s PJ unless you have documentation and believe it to be valid.

## Dependency Override Flag

- Found in “FAA Information” section
- 1 - transaction resulting from a dependency override
- 2 - FAA cancelled dependency override
- 3 - dependency override failed
-  Blank – no override
- Not required to use another school’s override

**Notes:**
Don’t use it, unless you have documentation and believe it to be valid

## EFC’s

- Primary EFC must be used for Title IV eligibility
- Result of full formula unless student met criteria for simplified needs test
- Secondary EFC
- Result of full formula when student met criteria for simplified needs test
- May be used for institutional aid

**Notes:**
Explain slide

## EFC’s

- Found in “FAA Information” section
- Provides EFC’s for months 1 through 12, both primary and secondary
- 9 month EFC always used for Pell Grant
- EFC for number of months in period of enrollment used for determination of need

**Notes:**
Always use 9 month primary EFC for Pell
When taking COA – EFC  to get need, use primary EFC for number of months in period of enrollment 

## EFC Flags

- Found in “FAA Information” section
- Auto Zero EFC Flag
-  “Y” - criteria met
-  Blank – criteria not met
- EFC Change Flag
- 1 – EFC increased
- 2 – EFC decreased
- Blank – no change in EFC
- SNT Flag
- “Y” - criteria met
- “N” - criteria not met

**Notes:**
Automatic zero means that applicant met criteria for 0 EFC...does not use untaxed income or assets
SNT = Simplified Needs Test – applicant met criteria for this formula...assets not used.

## Intermediate Values

- Found in “FAA Information” section
- Represent the values calculated in the EFC calculation
- Helpful in understanding the resulting EFC
- Useful in making professional judgment adjustments to data elements

**Notes:**
Explain that intermediate values are values calculate in the EFC calculation.

Examples:  TI is.total income;  IPA is  Income Protection Allowance

## Match Flags

- Alpha or numeric values that show results of database matches
-  Appendix B of ISIR Guide explains required action and corresponding comment code.
- Found in “FAA Information” section

**Notes:**
Explained for each database match on next few slides...

## SSN Match Flags

- Match flag code is “SSN”
- Matches SSN with Social Security Administration database
- Number
- Name
- Date of birth
- SSA also checks number against date of death file

**Notes:**
Explain slide

## U.S. Citizenship Match Flag

- Match flag code is “SSA”
- Verifies U.S. citizenship with Social Security Administration using place of birth
- Citizenship documentation includes
- Birth certificate
- U.S. passport
- Naturalization certificate

**Notes:**
Explain slide

## DHS Match Flag

- Match flag code is “DHS”
- Matches immigration status with Department of Homeland Security to document eligible non-citizen
- “Y” – match conducted and status confirmed
- “N” – match conducted; secondary confirmation by DHS in progress
- “blank” – match not conducted

**Notes:**
Explain slide.
Match not conducted could be because citizenship question not answered, student indicated eligible non-citizen without an alien registration number, problem with alien registration number, or changed answer to U.S. citizen.

## DHS Secondary Confirmation Flag

- Will indicate if school should submit paper G-845
- Requires DHS Verification # found below Match Flags
- G-845 in 2008-2009 FSA Handbook, Volume 1, pages 1-31 & 1-32

**Notes:**
Explain slide

Page numbers are for 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 handbooks

## Selective Service Match Flag 

- Match flag code is “SS”
- Registration required for males, ages 18-25
- Student not yet 26 may provide proof of registration or request CPS process registration (FAFSA question 22)
- Student over age 26 must prove that failure to register was not knowing and willful

**Notes:**
Explain slide

## NSLDS Match Flag

- Match flag code is “NSLDS”
- Matches student against financial aid history data in the National Student Loan Data System
- Looks for defaults, discharged loans, borrowing in excess of loan limits, overpayments

**Notes:**
Explain slide

## Veterans Affairs Match Flag

- Match flag code is “VA”
- Confirms veteran status for independence
- Title IV definition of veteran
- At least one day of active duty
- AND
- Character of discharge is other than dishonorable
- National Guard and Reserve members must have been on active duty for other than training purpose

**Notes:**
Explain slide

## Parent SSN Match

- Match flag code is “Father SSN” and “Mother SSN”
- Matches SSN with Social Security Administration database
- Number
- Name
- Date of birth
- At least one parent’s SSN must match or FAFSA will reject

**Notes:**
Explain that parent SSN match was really started to facilitate a database match with IRS.  We would need this information to conduct the match with IRS.

Explain slide

## Parent SSN

- Parent without SSN must report all zeroes in SSN field on FAFSA
- Parent without SSN may file tax return with TIN – report zeroes for SSN on FAFSA

**Notes:**
Don’t leave blank or put TIN.

## Remember	

- You **must**** **review all ISIR transactions received
- You **must** resolve all “C codes”
- You **must** resolve all conflicting information
- Separate process from verification
- Involves any information of which the school has knowledge

**Notes:**
Explain slide

## Resources

- ISIR Guide
- FSA Handbook
- Application & Verification Guide (AVG)
- Volume 1 – Student Eligibility
- FSA Coach (CBT)
- FAA Access Demo Site
-  fafsademo.test.ed.gov
- User name: eddemo
- Password: fafsatest

## Contact Information

- Your feedback and comments are appreciated.

- Thomas Threlkeld
- Training Officer
- 617-289-0144
- thomas.threlkeld@ed.gov