# Presentation: 694568

## Best Electronic Practices4 - year public institutions 

- Oklahoma State University
- Pat Kennedy
- Scholarships and Financial Aid

## Our Agenda Today

- The OSU environment
- In the pursuit of 			Technology Driven Best Practices
- OSU initiatives
- Questions

## OSU At A Glance

## Students: Fall 2001

*OSU at a glance...*

| Total Enrollment | 21,872 |
| --- | --- |
| Undergraduate Students | 17,211 |
| Graduate Students | 4,372 |
| Veterinary Medicine Students | 289 |

## Financial Assistance: 2000-2001

*OSU at a glance...*

***Financial Assistance: 2000-2001***

| Program | Dollars |   Students |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Loans | $57,796,080 | 8,733 |
| Grants | $17,237,803 | 5,793 |
| Tuition/Fee Waivers | $15,469,847 | 8,300 |
| Scholarships | $12,339,247 | 4,717 |
| Employment | $16,137,003 | 5,542 |
| Total | $118,979,980 | 16,658 |

## Tech staff

*OSU at a glance...*

***Tech staff***

- System’s Staff
- System’s Manager
- Systems Specialists (2)
- Hardware / LAN / Daily operations
- Analysis & development
- Both trained in Financial Assistance

## Financial Aid System

*OSU at a glance...*

***Financial Aid System***

- SIS IA PLUS / FAM – SCT
- Since February 1999
- OSU’s Y2K solution
- Purchased by governing board for system
- Eight sites
- Common software and Data dictionary
- Eight databases

## FAM Fund Codes

*OSU at a glance...*

***FAM Fund Codes***

- Funds maintained in FAM	1,853
- Funds paid through FAM	1,398
- Institutional scholarship fundspaid through FAM	1,104
- Tuition waiver fundspaid through FAM	176

## In the 	Pursuit		Best Electronic 					Practices

## System Philosophy

- Is the financial aid system for only?
- Accumulating
- Storing
- Processing
- Or a tool that --
- Enhances *services* to students
- Promotes *efficiency*
- Provides an *infrastructure* for change

*Pursuit*

## Characteristics of 		 ‘Best Practices’

***Characteristics of ******	******	****** ‘Best Practices’***

*Pursuit*

## Characteristics

***Characteristics***

- Best practices require a willingness to change the way business is done.
- Best practices are relative.
- Environmental considerations
- Best practices are additive.
- Processes build upon processes.

*Pursuit*

## Best practices result from the efforts of people.
Best practices are generally a team effort.
Technology is not the source of best practices.
Best practices do not require cutting edge technology
However some technologies are  critical or pivotal.

- Best practices result from the efforts of people.
- Best practices are generally a *team* effort.
- Technology is not the source of best practices.
- Best practices *do not* require cutting edge technology
- However some technologies are  *critical* or *pivotal.*

*Pursuit*

***Characteristics***

## Best practices require:
Strategic planning ~ Incubation   
Development
Deliberate Implementation 
Evaluation
Best practices requires occasional failure
Failure promotes learning
Condemnation stifles development

- Best practices require:
- Strategic planning ~ Incubation
- Development
- Deliberate Implementation
- Evaluation
- Best practices requires occasional *failure*
- Failure promotes learning
- Condemnation stifles development

*Pursuit*

***Characteristics***

## Best practice implementation requires:
Leadership
Commitment
Investment
The adoption of best practices is a marathon 
Not a sprint
Everything does not have to be done at once.
Best practices allow staff to focus on what is important
Not what is only urgent

- Best practice implementation requires:
- Leadership
- Commitment
- Investment
- The adoption of best practices is a marathon
- Not a sprint
- Everything does not have to be done at once.
- Best practices allow staff to focus on what is important
- Not what is only urgent

*Pursuit*

***Characteristics***

## OSU initiatives

***OSU initiatives***

- Quantifying Activity
- Documentation
- Disbursement
- PC Lab

*OSU initiatives*

## Master Promissory Notes
E-Mail Technology
Loan Consolidation Campaign
Scholarship Processing

- E-Mail Technology
- Loan Consolidation Campaign
- Scholarship Processing

*OSU initiatives*

***OSU initiatives***

## Quantifying Activity

*OSU initiatives*

## Quantifying Activity

*OSU initiatives*

## Quantifying Activity

*OSU initiatives*

## Quantifying Activity

*OSU initiatives*

## Quantifying Activity

***Quantifying Activity***

*OSU initiatives*

## System 	Documentation

***System ******	******Documentation***

*OSU initiatives*

## System Documentation

***System Documentation***

*OSU initiatives*

## System Documentation

***System Documentation***

*OSU initiatives*

## System Documentation

***System Documentation***

*OSU initiatives*

## System’s Documentation

***System’s Documentation***

*OSU initiatives*

## Disbursement 

*OSU initiatives*

***Disbursement ***
***	******Enhancements***

## Disbursement Enhance Objectives

- Allow distributed entry and maintenance of scholarships and tuition waivers.
- Ensure student eligibility for scholarships and tuition waivers at the point of disbursement.
- Minimize number of manual adjustments to tuition waivers.
- Minimize changes required to base FAM products.

*OSU initiatives*

## Scholarship & Tuition Waiver 						Disbursement

| Tuition Waivers paid via FAM: | $15,000,000 | 9,800 awards |
| --- | --- | --- |

| Scholarships paid via FAM: | $4,500,000 | 4,500 awards |
| --- | --- | --- |

*OSU initiatives*

## Modifications Required for Distributed Award Entry

***Modifications ******Required for ******Distributed Award Entry***

## Award Entry Screen

***Award Entry Screen***

- Replicate existing screen functionality.
- Added security enhanced (value-based).
- Added disbursement controls (BR feed flag)
- Added override values for hours enrolled

## Award Entry

## Value based security

- Added elements to the Fund attribute file
- Operator Security attributes
- Level 1:  Operator’s college / agency
- Level 2:  Operator’s department
- Level 3:  Additional attribute (if needed)
- Modification to Fund Management Screen
- Maps fund to specific user department / college

*Security Modifications*

## Security Modifications

## Map operator ID to FAM Fund access.
“Authorized Terminals” adapted in security segment.

- “Authorized Terminals” adapted in security segment.

*Security Modifications*

***Value based security ******(con’t)***

## Security Modifications

-   **004 Add/Change an Operator**
** **
**Screen:**** ****___ ****  ****System:**** ****001 ****  ****Operator:**** ****1234****   ****Distribution ID:**** ****999999999**
** **
**               ****Operator Name:**** ****OPERATOR, CAPABLE J****             ****Phone:**** ****744-4709**
**                    ****Password:**** ****PASSWORD**
**    ****Password Expiration Days:**** ****___  ****    ****Date Last Changed:**** ****04-13-01**
**        ****Authorized Terminals:**** ****CEAT  ETECH DJ****     ****(Optional)**
**   ****Use Screen Access of Oper:**** ****0172****               ****(Optional)**
**  ****Use Element Access of Oper:**** ****0172****               ****(Optional)**
**Element Inquiry/Update Codes:**** ****_ _****  ****(Used if no Element Access List specified)**
**  **
**SIS Value Based Security Info**
**-----------------------------**
**                  ****Home School:**** ****___****   ****Dept:**** ACAD ****  ****Primary Area:**** ****EN**
**          ****ORG Security Class:**** ****A****  ****('A', 'B', or 'U'nrestricted)**
**    ****Authorized Academic Unit:**** ****_**
**         ****Authorized Colleges:**** ****___  ___  ___  ___  ___**
**      ****Authorized Departments:**** ****____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____**
**           ****Authorized Majors:**** ****____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____**

*Security Modifications*

## DisbursementProcessing Flow

***Disbursement******Processing Flow***

## Step 1: Validate Eligibility

***Step 1: Validate Eligibility***

- Table driven program confirms student eligibility for scholarships and tuition waivers:
- BR Feed Flag is set
- Ineligible students: BR Feed flag set to “N.”
- Eligible students: BR Feed flag set to “Y.”
- If BR Feed flag = “F,” no update performed.

## User-defined “Eligibility and Attribute” table provides parameters for each award:
Minimum fall, spring and summer hours required for disbursement.
Undergraduates
Graduates

- Minimum fall, spring and summer hours required for disbursement.
- Undergraduates
- Graduates

*Eligibility Validation*

- Step 1: Validate Eligibility (con’t)

## Degree Program Requirement:
A = All degrees are eligible
B = Both undergraduate and graduate degrees
G = Graduate students only
S = Special students only
U = Undergraduate students only
V = Veterinary Medicine students only

- A = All degrees are eligible
- B = Both undergraduate and graduate degrees
- G = Graduate students only
- S = Special students only
- U = Undergraduate students only
- V = Veterinary Medicine students only

*Eligibility Validation*

- Step 1: Validate Eligibility (con’t)

## HRS check required (employment):
N = HRS check not performed
Y = HRS check performed
Award Type:
M = Maximum tuition waiver
V = Variable tuition waiver
F = Faculty/ Staff tuition waiver
G = Graduate teaching / research assistant wavier
O = Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP)
R = Third-party tuition award (Voc-Rehab, ROTC)
S = Scholarship (non-tuition waiver)

- N = HRS check not performed
- Y = HRS check performed
- Award Type:
**M** = Maximum tuition waiver
**V** = Variable tuition waiver
- F = Faculty/ Staff tuition waiver
- G = Graduate teaching / research assistant wavier
- O = Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP)
- R = Third-party tuition award (Voc-Rehab, ROTC)
- S = Scholarship (non-tuition waiver)

*Eligibility Validation*

- Step 1: Validate Eligibility  (con’t)

## Priority:
Valid number from 00 to 99
00 is reserved for OHLAP and Scholarships

- Valid number from 00 to 99
- 00 is reserved for OHLAP and Scholarships

*Eligibility Validation*

- Step 1: Validate Eligibility (con’t)

## Pre-Disbursement

*Pre-Disbursement*

## Table driven program calculates and adjusts Tuition Waiver Offer and Accept amounts.
User-defined “Fund to Charge” table links FAM fund code to BR subcode.
Percentage of charge used in calculation.

- User-defined “*Fund to Charge*” table links FAM fund code to BR subcode.
- Percentage of charge used in calculation.

*Pre-Disbursement*

***Step 2: Calculate Payment***

## Generates standard maintenance transactionto update Offers and Accepts:
If “Maximum Tuition Waiver,” only Accept amount will be lowered, if necessary.
If “Variable Tuition Waiver,” Offer and Accept may be adjusted. 
Sets BR feed flags for ineligible students
Example: Award conflicts – identical priorities

- If “**M**aximum Tuition Waiver,” only Accept amount will be lowered, if necessary.
- If “**V**ariable Tuition Waiver,” Offer and Accept may be adjusted.
- Sets BR feed flags for ineligible students
- Example: Award conflicts – identical priorities

- Step 2: Calculate Payment (con’t)

*Pre-Disbursement*

## Pre-Disbursement

*Pre-Disbursement*

## Step 3: Disbursement 			                     Compliance

- Current credit hours carried are greater than zero.
- Anticipated hours are greater than zero.
- Financial Aid Class level equals Registrar’s class level.
- Student not over awarded or over budget.

*Items Verified:*

*Pre-Disbursement*

## All document requests are complete or waived. 
 Certain documents are not considered
SC***   - scholarship apps
PM***  - promissory notes / loan processing items
If student is classified as a ‘special student’, the  Budget Code must be “TC” (teacher certification) or “PC” (prerequisite courses).

-  Certain documents are not considered
- SC***   - scholarship apps
- PM***  - promissory notes / loan processing items
- If student is classified as a *‘special student’*, the  Budget Code must be “TC” (teacher certification) or “PC” (prerequisite courses).

*Pre-Disbursement*

## Confirmation of undergraduate status for Pell and SEOG.
FA Residency status in sync with Registrar’s.
Current semester RAP status
FA budget confirmation: Anticipated hours agree on disbursement and budget segments

- FA Residency status in sync with Registrar’s.
- Current semester RAP status
- FA budget confirmation: Anticipated hours agree on disbursement and budget segments

*Pre-Disbursement*

## If Stafford awarded, entrance interview completed.
Annual and aggregate program limits for:
Perkins
SEOG
Direct Loans 

- Annual and aggregate program limits for:
- Perkins
- SEOG
- Direct Loans

*Pre-Disbursement*

## Step 4: System Modifications 	 			(SBA590)

- Modified to bypass any award with BR Flag equal to “F” (student/award specific).
- Modified to allow exclusion or inclusion of specific funds as needed.

*Disbursement*

## Step 5: Award Synchronization

- Used to synchronize Offer and Accept amounts to Paid amount for each term.
- Processes funds identified in “Eligibility and Attribute” table.
- Executed only after end of add/drop for each term.

*Post-Disbursement*

## Disbursement enhancements

- New ‘clone’ screen allowing users to view all scholarships of any given student
- New ‘clone’ screen allowing user to access and update fund screens

*Requested*

## PC Lab

***PC Lab***

*OSU initiatives*

## PC Lab

***PC Lab***

*OSU initiatives*

## PC Lab

***PC Lab***

*OSU initiatives*

## Master 	Promissory			 Notes

## Master Promissory Notes

- 100% Electronic MPNs for 2001-02
- PC lab essential
- When student accepts Stafford loan:
- Student notified if *MPN* needed
- Student notified if *Entrance Interview* needed
- Custom Letter
- System generated follow-up letter (2)

*OSU initiatives*

## Nightly program:
Generated mail merge file
Requests MPN
Requests entrance interview
Requests both if necessary
Letters completed by Loans staff

- Generated mail merge file
- Requests MPN
- Requests entrance interview
- Requests both if necessary
- Letters completed by Loans staff

*OSU initiatives*

***Master Promissory Notes***

## Nightly program (continued):
Posts document request to FAM tracking segment
Documents codes compliant with masking scheme
Posts document complete status to FAM when
MPN acknowledged by LOC
Entrance interview completed

- Posts document request to FAM tracking segment
- Documents codes compliant with masking scheme
- Posts document complete status to FAM when
- MPN acknowledged by LOC
- Entrance interview completed

*OSU initiatives*

***Master Promissory Notes***

## E-mail

*OSU initiatives*

## E-mail

- Objective:     Enable OSFA staff to more efficiently communicate with students           via e-mail
- Policy decision needed: Commitment to business e-mail address for university correspondence

*OSU initiatives*

## Project requirements:
Individual basis
Custom correspondence
Standard text – easily updateable
Bulk mailings to targeted groups
Loan consolidation campaign

- Individual basis
- Custom correspondence
- Standard text – easily updateable
- Bulk mailings to targeted groups
- Loan consolidation campaign

*OSU initiatives*

***E-mail***

## Project requirements  (continued)
Generic return address
finaid@okstate.edu
Personal return address

- Generic return address
- finaid@okstate.edu
- Personal return address

*OSU initiatives*

***E-mail***

## E-mail

*OSU initiatives*

## E-mail

*OSU initiatives*

## E-mail

*OSU initiatives*

## E-mail

*OSU initiatives*

## E-mail

*OSU initiatives*

## Scholarship 	Application 				Processing

*OSU initiatives*

## Scholarship Application Processing

- Objectives / Requirements:
- Track and route all scholarship applications within 24 hours of receipt
- 6,000 applications per year – High School and Transfer Students
- February 1 deadline
- Notify students of receipt
- Enhance internal control
- Communicate processing to Recruitment Office

*OSU initiatives*

## Applications processed by consolidated data entry unit:
Application tracked into FAM
Application copied as needed
Application routed
Routing annotated on FAM

- Application tracked into FAM
- Application copied as needed
- Application routed
- Routing annotated on FAM

*OSU initiatives*

***Scholarship Application Processing***

## Nightly program created to:
Generate batch file of E-mail addresses
Confirmation letters sent daily
Generates and posts updates to the ‘recruitment’ segment of SIS data base
Generates ‘manifest’ of applications that will be transferred to ‘recruitment’ office.

- Generate batch file of E-mail addresses
- Confirmation letters sent daily
- Generates and posts updates to the ‘recruitment’ segment of SIS data base
- Generates ‘manifest’ of applications that will be transferred to ‘recruitment’ office.

*OSU initiatives*

***Scholarship Application Processing***

## “There is a better way to do it –						Find it”

**“****There is a better way to do it –****	****	****	****	****	****	****Find it”**

***Thomas Alva Edison***

## Questions?

***Pat Kennedy******	******	******	******	******	******	******patk@okstate.edu***

## Slide 77

## 10 Commandments of IT

- Remember, this is business
- Talk to the users
- Understand your customer’s business
- Training is not a discretionary cost
- Use the vendor’s knowledge

*INFOMRATION WEEK / March 9, 1992*

## Develop an IT staff with business and technical skills
Management issues are always more important than technical issues
Every contact with users is a PR opportunity
Spend time on strategy
Have a good time

- Develop an IT staff with business and technical skills
- Management issues are always more important than technical issues
- Every contact with users is a PR opportunity
- Spend time on strategy
- Have a good time

***10 Commandments of IT***

*INFOMRATION WEEK / March 9, 1992*