# Presentation: 777524

## <date/time>

## Session 11

**Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) & Commonline: Dispel the Myths**

- Session 21-

## Session Objectives

- What is COD vs. What is the Common Record?
- XML Basics and Benefits
- NCHELP, Standards and Governance
- Commonline, XML and the Common Record
- Getting Involved
- Resources
- Q & A

- Session 21-

## What is COD?

- A system for Direct Loan, Pell, and Campus-Based programs
- Records for processing
- Pell
- Direct Loans
- Campus-based (Optional)
- FFELP via Lender/GA of Choice

- Session 21-

## What is the Common Record?

- “Common” because
- it serves many different financial aid programs and
- it replaces the separate record layouts for origination, disbursement and change record
- “Record” in the sense that all messages or modules combined are a “record” of the student’s financial aid

- Session 21-

## What is the Common Record: Integration	

- Core: at _**STUDENT**_ level
- Multi-dimensional by:
**SCHOOL**
**PROGRAM**
- Applicant data (CPS) to enable schools to group and view recipient data by attributes
- Funds management data (FMS & GAPS) to enable schools to view complete financial status

- Session 21-

## The Basics: Blocks

- Here’s what we created

- Session 21-

## Technology: XML Basics

- What is XML?
**Definition:**
- XML stands for E_**x**_tensible _**M**_arkup _**L**_anguage
- XML is a **transport device**
- It is a **meta-markup language** much like HTML
- XML is **extensible**, which means that content can be added easily

- Session 21-

## XML Basics: Structure

- Document Structure allows you to send data for:
- Multiple Schools
- Multiple Years
- Multiple Awards
- In ONE Transmission

- Session 21-

## XML Basics and Record Organization

*Draft 7/18/01*

- Session 21-

## What is an XML Schema?

- The purpose of a Schema is to define the legal building blocks of an XML document
- An XML Schema defines:
- elements that can appear in a document
- attributes that can appear in a document
- which elements are elements
- the sequences in which the child elements can appear
- the number of child elements
- whether an element is empty or can include text
- default values for attributes

- Session 21-

## XML Benefits

- Format is student-centric, showing data for multiple financial aid programs on a single record
- The entire common record or only those portions of the common record which changed can be transmitted
- XML for the Common Record makes it easily changed or extensible
- Format is human-readable, facilitating problem solving

- Session 21-

## XML Benefits	

- XML is technology-neutral allowing trading partners to use different technologies in their own applications
- XML enabled SFA to work with other data trading partners and standards bodies (CommonLine, NCHELP and PESC) to ensure the common record allows for easy inclusion of other student financial resource data

- Session 21-

## The Benefits: Why XML

***XML Bridges the Technology Gap***

**Legacy Systems**

**XML**

- Transport Mechanism

- Standards

- Common Elements

- Session 21-

## The Benefits: Why XML

- Why is SFA Adopting XML?
- XML allows schools to use one **Common Record** between disparate databases or different systems like CommonLine and COD
- XML allows users to **share information seamlessly**
- XML is **future-oriented**
- XML is the **standard language** of e-business and the internet
- XML lets the industry **describe virtually any type of data** and deliver it across a network

- Session 21-

## NCHELP and Standards:  The Electronic StandardsCommittee

**Combined Efforts**
- CommonLine
- Common Account Maintenance (CAM)
- Common Claim Initiative (CCI)
**School Advisory Group**
**Electronic Standards Steering Committee**

- Session 21-

**Notes:**
The primary objective of the Electronic Standards Committee is to promote the timely development of electronic communication standards within the FFEL Program (FFELP). 

This committee streamlines the development of new standards as well as the maintenance of existing standards. 

Through the Electronic Standards Committee, NCHELP promos new and existing standards, and facilities their implementation. 

The Electronic Standards Committee has seven advisory teams reporting to the full committee.  All teams are responsible for recommending changes to the files as necessary due to regulatory changes, errors, or enhancements to processing. 
	CommonLine Origination and Disbursement
	Change Transactions
	General Account Maintenance
	Default Aversions and Claims
	Testing and Certification
	Electronic Exchange
	Communications and Training

## NCHELP and Standards:  CommonLine

**Initial Implementation in 1995**
**Release 5 scheduled for implementation in April 2002**
**XML Version was the basis for the Common Record**

- Session 21-

## CommonLine Defined

- CommonLine is...A *standardized format and delivery process* for the exchange of *origination, disbursement, and change transaction data* between schools *and their federal and private student loan service providers.** ** *

- Session 21-

**Notes:**
NCHELP initiative – started in 1995
Developed collaboratively by schools and student loan industry service providers for federal and private student loans
Prior to CommonLine, communicating electronically with service providers involved supporting numerous proprietary software products, file formats, transmission methods and process flows.
Today a school can use one CommonLine compliant product to communicate electronically with all its CommonLine service providers.
For service providers it is much easier to implement new relationships in the industry since most agencies already support CommonLine.  
These CommonLine formats and processes are adhered to voluntarily by industry participants.

## CommonLine Defined

**Standard What?**
**Data formats**
**Process flows**
**Data exchange mechanisms**
**Expectations**

- Session 21-

**Notes:**
Standard Data formats supported by most lenders and guarantors in the industry
Standard Process flows so you can tell CommonLine participants how you want an application to process
Standard Data Exchange Mechanisms so only have to support one file transmission method to communicate with everyone.
All these add up to standard expectations!

## CommonLine Defined

**Standard Transactions:**
**Application Send File**
**Change Send File**
**Response File**
**Disbursement Roster**

- Session 21-

**Notes:**
App Send – typically where the process starts
Chg Send – if you need to change something on the loan after it is guaranteed
Response – service provider reporting back to you on status of the loan
Disbursement Roster – electronic roster detailing all the funds which were disbursed
Acknowledgement file between CDA & service provider

## CommonLine Defined

***CommonLine Defined***

**Transmission Protocols:**
**Email**
**FTP**
**High Performance Channel**

- Session 21-

**Notes:**
Email transmissions with data encryption
FTP – directory structures, file naming
High Performance provisions – working toward real time processing and instantaneous transaction turnaround required by web-based and business to business processes

## Governance

**Electronic Standards Committee**
**Advisory Teams**
**Steering Committee**
**School Advisory Group**

- Session 21-

**Notes:**
CL governed at several different levels
CL governed overall by ESC
ESC made up of advisory teams for each of the different aspects of the electronic loan delivery process
ESC guided by Steering Committee
School Advisory Group ensures that ESC continues to meet the schools’ needs in the continually evolving world of student loans

## NCHELP and Standards:  The Electronic Standards Committee School Advisory Group

**Membership**
**Public and private institutions**
**2 year, 4 year and proprietary programs**
**Graduate and undergraduate**
**Loan Delivery Systems**
**Homegrown**
**3****rd**** Party Developed**

- Session 21-

**Notes:**
Membership on the committee represents a mixture of individuals from various types of schools. Members are appointed by the NCHELP  Board of Directors. This group serves as a sounding board for the Electronic Standards Committee and its associated Advisory Teams. Membership includes representatives from schools that do their own programming for loan delivery as well as those that utilize third-party software.   

## CommonLine, XML and the Common Record	

- Migration Strategy
- Step One – Finalize Schema Development
- Step Two – Analysis of Universal Translator
- Step Three – Continued Convergence
- Target Date
- April 2003

- Session 21-

## CommonLine, XML and the Common Record	

**Support of the Common Record Data Dictionary**
**Support of the Common Record Block Structure**

- Session 21-

## Getting Involved!

**Visit www.nchelp.org for more information**
**Join the ESC**
**Join the School Advisory Group**
**Contact Tim Cameron at:**
- 202-822-2106
- tcameron@nchelp.org

- Session 21-

## Adopting XML: Where to Go for More Information

**For Schools:** Institution Solution Providers will develop products that will utilize XML, and should appear seamless
**For Institution Solution Providers:** SFA will continue to communicate with you on the basic elements of conversion to the XML Common Record, enabling you to assist schools
**For EDExpress users:** EDExpress will be modified, probably in 2003-2004

- Session 21-

## Where to Go for More Information

- IFAP
- NCHELP.org
- SFAdownload
- Other Sessions at this Conference
- Customer Service Call Center
- Training
- Tech Reference

- Session 21-

## Questions and Feedback

**Paul Hill****Phone: ****(202) 377-4323**
**Fax: ****(202) 275-3479**
**Email: Paul.Hill.Jr@ED.GOV**

**Tim Cameron****Phone: ****(202) 822-2106**
**Fax: ****(202) 822-2142**
**Email: tcameron@nchelp.org**

- Session 21-