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pdfU.S. Department of Education
Federal Perkins
Data Provider Instructions
(Version 8.1)
June 2018
Final Copy
Perkins Data Provider Instructions
Contents
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................1
1.1 About This Manual............................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 What Is NSLDS? ................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2.1 NSLDS Functions ...................................................................................................................... 2
1.2.2 Origination of NSLDS Data .................................................................................................. 8
1.2.3 NSLDS Users............................................................................................................................. 10
1.3 Getting Help ....................................................................................................................................... 11
Chapter 2: Data Provider Responsibilities ................................................................................13
2.1 Data Privacy ........................................................................................................................................ 14
2.2 Data Accuracy and Timeliness..................................................................................................... 14
Chapter 3: The Update Process ..................................................................................................16
3.1 Files Used in the NSLDS Update Process................................................................................ 20
3.1.1 Loans Closed Prior to October 1, 1989 ......................................................................... 22
3.1.2 Report Outstanding Principal Balances Monthly ...................................................... 22
3.1.3 Reporting Outstanding Principal Balances That Are Less Than $1 .................... 22
3.1.4 Data Provider Loan ID .......................................................................................................... 22
Chapter 4: System Requirements ...............................................................................................23
4.1 Estimating Required Disk Space ................................................................................................. 23
4.2 Setting Up Perkins Batch Services with NSLDS .................................................................... 25
4.3 Obtaining a Submittal Schedule ................................................................................................ 25
4.4 Initial Population............................................................................................................................... 25
4.5 File Protection and Backups ......................................................................................................... 26
4.6 Using Servicers .................................................................................................................................. 26
4.7 Multiple Schools or School Branches ....................................................................................... 27
Chapter 5: Download, Setup, Utilities, and Testing .................................................................29
5.1 Download ............................................................................................................................................ 29
5.2 Software Setup .................................................................................................................................. 30
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5.2.1 Directory Setup ....................................................................................................................... 31
5.2.2 Directory Selection ................................................................................................................ 31
5.2.3 Installing DataPrep on a z/OS LE Version 3.1 or Higher Mainframe................. 34
5.3 Options and Utilities ....................................................................................................................... 35
5.3.1 Changing Directory Paths................................................................................................... 35
5.3.2 DataPrep Viewer ..................................................................................................................... 37
5.3.3 File Transfer .............................................................................................................................. 37
5.3.4 Help System ............................................................................................................................. 41
5.4 Running Test Files ............................................................................................................................ 41
5.4.1 Successful Extract Validation ............................................................................................. 42
5.4.2 Unsuccessful Validation....................................................................................................... 51
5.4.3 Testing Load Process Error Report.................................................................................. 53
5.4.4 Testing Error Submittal Notification Report ............................................................... 56
5.5 Deleting Test Files ............................................................................................................................ 59
5.6 Sample Files z/OS LE Version 3.1 ............................................................................................... 59
Chapter 6: The Database Extract File .......................................................................................61
6.1 Business Rules .................................................................................................................................... 61
6.2 Record Types ...................................................................................................................................... 62
6.2.1 Header Record ........................................................................................................................ 62
6.2.2 Detail Records ......................................................................................................................... 63
6.2.3 Past Period Change Records ............................................................................................. 64
6.3 File Standards..................................................................................................................................... 64
6.4 Field Standards .................................................................................................................................. 65
6.5 Updating Identifier Data ................................................................................................................ 66
6.5.1 Loan and Student Identifiers ............................................................................................. 66
6.5.2 The Identifier Change Process .......................................................................................... 67
6.5.3 Updating Identifiers on Multiple Records.................................................................... 70
6.6 Updating Non-Identifier Data ..................................................................................................... 71
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6.6.1 What NSLDS Does ................................................................................................................. 71
6.6.2 What You Do ........................................................................................................................... 77
6.7 Copy Your Database Extract File to the Extract Directory ................................................ 83
Chapter 7: Extract Validation ....................................................................................................84
7.1 What Happens in Extract Validation? ....................................................................................... 84
7.2 DataPrep Error Path ......................................................................................................................... 86
7.3 File-Level Edits ................................................................................................................................... 86
7.3.1 Domain-Level Edits ............................................................................................................... 87
7.4 Running Extract Validation on a PC .......................................................................................... 87
7.4.1 Output ........................................................................................................................................ 91
7.4.2 Using the Extract Validation Log Report ...................................................................... 91
7.5 Running Extract Validation on a z/OS LE Version 3.1 or Higher Mainframe ............ 96
Chapter 8: Sending and Receiving Files ....................................................................................97
8.1 Sending the Submittal File............................................................................................................ 97
8.1.1 Submittal Schedule ............................................................................................................... 97
8.1.2 Submittal File Format ........................................................................................................... 98
8.1.3 Submitting by Student Aid Internet Gateway ............................................................ 99
8.2 Receiving Files ................................................................................................................................... 99
8.2.1 Receiving Files by Student Aid Internet Gateway ..................................................... 99
Chapter 9: The NSLDS Load Process......................................................................................101
9.1 File-Level Edits ................................................................................................................................ 104
9.2 Domain-Level Edits ....................................................................................................................... 104
9.3 Record-Level Edits......................................................................................................................... 105
9.3.1 Duplicates .............................................................................................................................. 105
9.3.2 Reasonability Edits.............................................................................................................. 105
9.4 Load-Level Edits ............................................................................................................................. 106
9.4.1 Identifier Edits ...................................................................................................................... 106
9.4.2 OPEID Edits ............................................................................................................................ 108
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9.4.3 Validate Codes ..................................................................................................................... 108
9.4.4 Date Sequence Edits .......................................................................................................... 108
Chapter 10: Generating Reports on Windows-Based PCs ....................................................110
10.1 The Extract Validation Log Report ....................................................................................... 111
10.2 Error Reports ................................................................................................................................. 114
10.2.1 Error Files ............................................................................................................................. 114
10.2.2 Generating Summary Error Reports.......................................................................... 115
10.2.3 Generating Detail Error Reports ................................................................................. 117
10.3 Loan Detail Reports.................................................................................................................... 121
10.3.1 Loan Detail Files ................................................................................................................ 122
10.3.2 Generating Loan Detail Reports ................................................................................. 122
10.4 The Error Submittal Summary Notification Report ....................................................... 126
10.4.1 The Error Submittal Summary Notification File.................................................... 126
10.4.2 Generating the Error Submittal Summary Notification Report ..................... 127
10.5 Selection Criteria ......................................................................................................................... 129
10.5.1 Adding Selection Criteria .............................................................................................. 130
10.5.2 Editing Selection Criteria ............................................................................................... 133
10.5.3 Deleting Selection Criteria ............................................................................................ 134
10.5.4 Adding Variable Selection Criteria ............................................................................ 134
10.5.5 Selection Criteria Comparisons Syntax .................................................................... 136
10.6 Sort Options .................................................................................................................................. 139
10.6.1 Editing a Sort Option ...................................................................................................... 143
10.6.2 Deleting a Sort Option ................................................................................................... 144
10.6.3 Sort Parameter Positions’ Syntax ............................................................................... 144
Chapter 11: Generating Reports on z/OS LE Version 3.1 or Higher Mainframes .............146
11.1 Extract Error Report .................................................................................................................... 146
11.1.1 Summary Report Sorting ............................................................................................... 146
11.1.2 Detail Report Sorting ...................................................................................................... 147
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11.1.3 Load Process Error Report ............................................................................................ 148
Chapter 12: Using Reports ........................................................................................................149
12.1 Extract Validation Log Report ................................................................................................ 149
12.2 Error Reports ................................................................................................................................. 149
12.2.1 Summary Error Reports .................................................................................................. 149
12.2.2 Detail Error Reports ......................................................................................................... 150
12.3 Loan Detail Reports.................................................................................................................... 153
12.4 Error Submittal Summary Notification Report ................................................................ 153
12.5 Error Types ..................................................................................................................................... 154
12.5.1 File-Level Errors ................................................................................................................. 154
12.5.2 Domain-Level Errors ........................................................................................................ 154
12.5.3 Record-Level Errors ......................................................................................................... 156
12.5.4 Load-Level Errors .............................................................................................................. 158
Chapter 13: Reporting Reminders ...........................................................................................161
13.1 Enrollment Information ............................................................................................................ 161
13.2 School Mergers and Closures ................................................................................................ 161
13.3 Loan Transfer Information ....................................................................................................... 162
13.4 Ending Perkins Participation................................................................................................... 163
Chapter 14: Final Thoughts ......................................................................................................165
Appendix A: Federal Perkins Loans Data Dictionary
Appendix B: Federal Perkins Loan Program Code and Error Tables
Appendix C: Past Period Change Record Layout
Appendix D: Federal Perkins Loans Load Error File (Record Layouts)
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Appendix E: Federal Perkins Loans TEF File Layout
Appendix F: Error Submittal Summary Notification File
Appendix G: DataPrep JCL for z/OS
Appendix H: Glossary of Terms
Appendix I: Technical Updates
Appendix J: NSLDS Perkins Report
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Figures
Figure 1-1: Sources of NSLDS Data .........................................................................................................10
Figure 1-2: Outflow of NSLDS Information ..........................................................................................11
Figure 3-1: Data Provider Six-Step Process..........................................................................................18
Figure 3-2: DataPrep Processing Flow for Extract Validation and Error Report Generation
......................................................................................................................................................................19
Figure 3-3: NSLDS Edit Process .................................................................................................................21
Figure 5-1: Select Directories .....................................................................................................................32
Figure 5-2: File Directories Box - Incomplete ......................................................................................32
Figure 5-3: File Directories Browse ..........................................................................................................33
Figure 5-4: File Directories Box – Complete.........................................................................................34
Figure 5-5: DataPrep Main Menu with Directories Selected on the Options Menu ..........35
Figure 5-6: Directories Dialog Box ...........................................................................................................36
Figure 5-7: Initial File Transfer Dialog Box for File Import .............................................................38
Figure 5-8: Initial Select NSLDS File Dialog Box for TEF File .........................................................39
Figure 5-9: Final Select NSLDS File Dialog Box for TEF File ...........................................................39
Figure 5-10: Final File Transfer Dialog Box for File Import ............................................................40
Figure 5-11: File Information Box .............................................................................................................40
Figure 5-12: File Box ......................................................................................................................................41
Figure 5-13: File Import Box .......................................................................................................................41
Figure 5-14: Test files are manually copied into in a directory of your choice (e.g.
C:\DataPrep\Samples) .........................................................................................................................42
Figure 5-15: View of C:\DataPrep Folder with subfolders viewed in Windows Explorer ...43
Figure 5-16: DataPrep Main Menu with Extract Validation Selected.........................................44
Figure 5-17: Extract Validation Dialog Box ...........................................................................................44
Figure 5-18: Extract Validation Process Dialog Box ..........................................................................45
Figure 5-19: Log Report Dialog Box........................................................................................................46
Figure 5-20: Sample Log Report...............................................................................................................47
Figure 5-21: Error Report Dialog Box .....................................................................................................48
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Figure 5-22: Error Report Dialog Box .....................................................................................................49
Figure 5-23: Error Report Dialog Box .....................................................................................................49
Figure 5-24: Error Report Dialog Box .....................................................................................................50
Figure 5-25: Summary Error Report Status Box .................................................................................50
Figure 5-26: Summary Extract Error Report .........................................................................................51
Figure 5-27: Extract Folder ..........................................................................................................................52
Figure 5-28: Extract Validation Dialog Box ...........................................................................................52
Figure 5-29: Error Report Dialog Box for Load Process Error Report ........................................53
Figure 5-30: Error Report Dialog Box for Load Process Error Report ........................................54
Figure 5-31: Sort Sequence for Load Process Error Report ...........................................................54
Figure 5-32: Error Report Dialog Box for Load Process Error Report ........................................55
Figure 5-33: Load Summary Error Report Box ....................................................................................55
Figure 5-34: Testing Load Process Error Report.................................................................................56
Figure 5-35: Main Menu -Report .............................................................................................................57
Figure 5-36: Notification Report Dialog Box .......................................................................................57
Figure 5-37: Notification Report Dialog Box .......................................................................................58
Figure 5-38: Generate Notification Report Box ..................................................................................58
Figure 5-39: Error Submittal Summary Notification Report ..........................................................58
Figure 6-1: Loan and Student Identifiers ..............................................................................................67
Figure 6-2: How to Update Loan Identifier Data ...............................................................................70
Figure 6-3: NSLDS Update (1 of 2) ..........................................................................................................72
Figure 6-4: NSLDS Update (2 of 2) ..........................................................................................................73
Figure 6-5: Updating a Current Event ....................................................................................................76
Figure 6-6: Updating Historical Events ..................................................................................................77
Figure 6-7: Fields and History ....................................................................................................................79
Figure 6-8: PPC Events, Keys, and Values .............................................................................................80
Figure 7-1: Extract Validation Process ....................................................................................................85
Figure 7-2: DataPrep Edit Process............................................................................................................86
Figure 7-3: DataPrep Main Menu with Extract Validation Selected ...........................................88
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Figure 7-4: Extract Validation Dialog Box .............................................................................................88
Figure 7-5: File Information Box ...............................................................................................................89
Figure 7-6: Extract Validation Process Dialog Box ............................................................................90
Figure 7-7: Extract Validation Process Box ...........................................................................................93
Figure 7-8: Extract Validation Process Box ...........................................................................................96
Figure 10-1: DataPrep Main Menu with Log Report Selected................................................... 111
Figure 10-2: Log Reports Dialog Box................................................................................................... 112
Figure 10-3: Extract Validation Log Report ....................................................................................... 113
Figure 10-4: DataPrep Main Menu with Error Report Selected ................................................ 115
Figure 10-5: Error Report Dialog Box .................................................................................................. 116
Figure 10-6: Generate Summary Error Rpt Dialog Box................................................................. 117
Figure 10-7: Summary Extract Error Report ...................................................................................... 117
Figure 10-8: DataPrep Main Menu with Error Report Selected ................................................ 118
Figure 10-9: Error Report Dialog Box .................................................................................................. 119
Figure 10-10: File Information Box ....................................................................................................... 119
Figure 10-11: Generate Summary Error Rpt Dialog Box .............................................................. 120
Figure 10-12: Extract Detail Error Report ........................................................................................... 120
Figure 10-13: Detail Load Process Error Report .............................................................................. 121
Figure 10-14: DataPrep Main Menu with Loan Detail Report Selected................................. 123
Figure 10-15: Loan Detail Report Dialog Box ................................................................................... 124
Figure 10-16: File Information Box ....................................................................................................... 124
Figure 10-17: Generate Loan Detail Report Box ............................................................................. 125
Figure 10-18: Extract Loan Detail Report ........................................................................................... 126
Figure 10-19: Notification Report Dialog Box .................................................................................. 127
Figure 10-20: Generate Notification Report Box ............................................................................ 128
Figure 10-21: Error Submittal Summary Notification Report .................................................... 128
Figure 10-22: DataPrep Main Menu with Selection Criteria Selected on the Options
Menu ....................................................................................................................................................... 130
Figure 10-23: Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box ............................................................................. 131
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Figure 10-24: Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box ............................................................................. 132
Figure 10-25: Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box ............................................................................. 133
Figure 10-26: Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box ............................................................................. 133
Figure 10-27: Selection Variable Edit Dialog Box ........................................................................... 134
Figure 10-28: Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box ............................................................................. 135
Figure 10-29: Selection Variable Edit Dialog Box ........................................................................... 136
Figure 10-30: Selection Criteria Dialog Box ...................................................................................... 139
Figure 10-31: DataPrep Main Menu with Sort Parameters Selected on Options Menu . 140
Figure 10-32: Sort Parameters Dialog Box ........................................................................................ 141
Figure 10-33: Sort Parameter Edit Dialog Box ................................................................................. 142
Figure 10-34: Sort Parameter Edit Dialog Box ................................................................................. 143
Figure 10-35: Sort Parameters Dialog Box ........................................................................................ 143
Figure 10-36: Sort Parameter Edit Dialog Box ................................................................................. 144
Figure 12-1: Summary Extract Error Report ...................................................................................... 150
Figure 12-2: Summary Load Process Error Report ......................................................................... 150
Figure 12-3: Sample Extract Detail Error Report ............................................................................. 152
Figure 12-4: Sample Detail Load Process Error Report ................................................................ 153
Figure 13-1: How to Update Loan Identifier Data for a School Merger ................................ 162
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Chapter 1: Introduction
Schools participating in the Federal Perkins Loan Program
are required to report detailed loan information to the
National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). This operating
manual explains Federal Perkins Loan reporting requirements
and the processes used to add or update Federal Perkins
loans on NSLDS. It explains how to use the new NSLDS
DataPrep software and is for the use of data providers
(schools and their servicers) with administrative responsibility
for the Federal Perkins Loan Program.
1.1 About This Manual
This manual is intended to assist users with the data provider
portion of the NSLDS update process, as well as provide
basic information about the entire process.
To make the instruction manual easy to follow, we have used
the following icons to identify key points:
Dear Colleague Letter
April 1995
CB-95-5 (LD)
All schools in the Title
IV aid programs are
required to participate
with NSLDS. Schools
with active Perkins
Loans (including
National Direct Student
Loans, National Defense
Student Loans, and
Income Contingent
Loans) are required to
provide updated data to
NSLDS once a month
on a schedule
established by ED.
This icon indicates a definition or explanation that you will need to keep in
mind throughout the discussion.
This icon indicates a special note, suggestion, or comment that will assist
you in running DataPrep or in providing insight into the NSLDS update
process.
This icon indicates a warning of which you should take special note.
1.2 What Is NSLDS?
NSLDS supports the U.S. Department of Education (ED) in a variety of operational and
research functions meant to improve the administration and delivery of student aid
through Title IV aid programs. Specifically, the three main goals of NSLDS are to:
1. Improve the quality and accessibility of student aid data.
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2. Reduce the burden of administering Title IV aid.
3. Minimize abuse within the aid programs through accurate tracking of funds
appropriated to assist the postsecondary students for whom the programs were
designed.
NSLDS is a national database of recipients, enrollment, loan, grant, and overpayment
information on student aid disbursed under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965,
as amended (the Act). Data in NSLDS are provided by schools, guaranty agencies, and
ED agencies. The data include information about the following:
The Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP)
The Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP)
Federal Perkins loans (including National Direct Student Loans, National Defense
Student Loans, and Income Contingent Loans)
Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOGs),
Academic Competitiveness Grants (ACGs), and National Science and Mathematics
Access to Retain Talent (SMART) grants
Overpayments from the Federal Pell Grants, FSEOGs, ACGs, National SMART grants,
Iraq/Afghanistan Service Grants (IASG) and Federal Perkins Loan programs
Demographic and enrollment data on Title IV recipients
1.2.1 NSLDS Functions
NSLDS performs the following administration functions:
150% Direct Subsidized Loan Limit — NSLDS uses subsidized usage data from
COD and Program Enrollment data from schools to calculate and maintain the
borrower Maximum Eligibility Period and Remaining Eligibility Period under the
150% Direct Subsidized Loan Limit. NSLDS evaluates SULA-eligible loans for Loss
of Subsidy under the limit, and notifies the appropriate Federal Loan Servicer of
any loan that has lost subsidy under this limit.
Aid Overpayment—The NSLDS Professional Access Web site Aid Overpayment
function allows data providers to update NSLDS when a student owes or repays
an overpayment on a Pell, ACG, National SMART, TEACH Grant, FSEOG, IASG, or
Perkins loan. This function also facilitates the reporting of fraud by schools and
DMCS. Adding of an active overpayment triggers a message that borrowers are
ineligible for aid.
Audit Support—Audits and risk assessments are supported by a combination of
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audit logs, audit reports, Web and database queries.
Cohort Default Rate (CDR) Calculations—NSLDS calculates draft and official
default rates for schools participating in FFELP and FDLP, lenders/lender servicers,
and GAs. NSLDS stores the numerator, denominator, and backup detail, and
processes appeal rates. The cohort default rates are made available to each
organization through the NSLDS Professional Access Web site. The school rates
are made available to schools through the electronic CDR (eCDR) process. NSLDS
determines eligibility for sanctions or benefits based on CDRs, and sends letters
to schools on behalf of the Operations Performance Division (OPD), notifying
schools of their sanction or benefit status. OPD users can override sanction or
benefit status or request CDR web reports on the NSLDS Professional Access site.
Credit Reform Act Support—The Credit Reform Act and related OMB circulars
require the Department to identify loans by loan program, cohort year, and risk
category. NSLDS is the Department’s only source of this loan-level data. NSLDS
makes available the data the Department’s Budget Services requires for this
purpose.
Customer Support—NSLDS personnel from the Customer Support Center (CSC),
Business Operations Support (BOS), Data Integrity Group (DIG), and Quality
Assurance (QA) document, research, negotiate, and resolve NSLDS data conflicts,
as well as assist data providers with data submissions and NSLDS users with all
web functionality.
Enrollment Reporting—NSLDS generates and sends Enrollment Reporting
Rosters to schools. Schools or their servicers (often the National Student
Clearinghouse) can respond to the reports by batch submission (via SAIG or
spreadsheet upload submittal) or by entering data online. NSLDS then updates its
database to reflect any changes in student enrollment status or program
enrollment data and forwards enrollment status change data to the loan-holding
community. Statistics for the percentage of students certified and the percentage
of students certified with program enrollment data are also available on the
NSLDS Web site
Exit Counseling—TEACH Grant Exit Counseling is provided on the NSLDS
Student Access Web site located at www.nslds.ed.gov. Through a secure logon,
students can access their financial aid information, as stored on NSLDS. The
TEACH Grant Exit Counseling tool explains the requirements to maintain grant
status and also details the relevant loan information if the TEACH grant is
converted into a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. The tool requires students to
complete a quiz to ensure understanding, collects information to assist in the
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activity of skip-tracing, and presents students with a budget calculator. NSLDS
only provides TEACH Grant Exit Counseling. Exit Counseling data (for Loan and
TEACH) is also reported to GAs, Federal Loan Servicers, and schools.
Gainful Employment (GE)—NSLDS collects data on students enrolled in gainful
employment programs from schools that participate in the Title IV Aid Programs.
Data collection is based on award year participation and is provided by
institutions through batch and online submissions.
Gainful Employment (GE) Rate Calculations—NSLDS calculates the various
rates and ratios for schools participating in Gainful Employment (GE) Programs.
NSLDS stores the numerator, denominator, and backup detail information
regarding these rates. The GE Rates and Ratios are made available to each
organization through the NSLDS Professional Access Web site.
Income Driven Repayment (IDR) Information—NSLDS processes and stores
information about electronic applications for IDR programs reported by COD,
Federal Loan Servicers, and participating FFEL lenders and lender servicers. This
information is used to create summary-level report extracts about IDR
applications and programs which are available for download by authorized users
on the NSLDS Professional Access Web site.
Loan Purchase Program (PUT)—NSLDS matches FFELP records that have been
purchased by ED and are now reported from a Federal Loan Servicer. NSLDS
applies the servicers’ loan identifier to the record to facilitate continued reporting
and updating by the servicer. NSLDS also provides online match resolution
options to allow the servicer to indicate loans for which they now have reporting
responsibility but was not updated based on data provided from the servicer.
Online Loan Update—NSLDS allows approved GAs, federal loan servicers, and
designated ED users to update their agency’s loan data via the Web. This
instantaneous update feature helps to reduce the turnaround time for problem
resolution and error corrections.
Postscreening for Title IV Aid Eligibility—For each award year, NSLDS
postscreens Title IV aid applicants to identify those whose eligibility status has
changed since the time of their original, or most recent SAR/ISIR, aid application.
The process screens for default, overpayment, and fraud convictions, as well as
loan eligibility criteria.
Financial Aid History (FAH) Information—NSLDS generates FAH information
and forwards a subset of a borrower’s history to CPS as part of the
prescreening/ISIR process. NSLDS also generates a borrower’s entire FAH,
consisting of borrower-level flags/indicators, aggregate loan amounts, loan, grant
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and overpayment details, outside the prescreening process in response to ad hoc
FAH requests from schools. These requests can be made online or by SAIG batch
submittal, and are part of Transfer Student Monitoring. GAs can make FAH
requests by SAIG batch submittal and the data response(s) are restricted to
borrowers with whom they hold or held a loan. The FAH information they receive
contains only borrower and loan data. No grant information is included in the
FAH for GAs.
Prescreening for Title IV Aid Eligibility—NSLDS prescreens all Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applicants for Title IV Aid, or when other criteria
is met subsequent SAR/ISIR transactions, to identify those applicants who go
into/out of default on an existing Title IV loan; who owe/paid overpayments on
Pell, ACG, National SMART Grants, TEACH Grants, FSEOGs, IASG, or Perkins loans;
or who have come close, exceeded or resolved aggregate loan limits, or other
changes in aid that impact a borrower’s eligibility.
Reaffirmation Information—NSLDS processes, stores and displays reaffirmation
information reported by FFELP lender/lender servicers and Federal Loan Servicers
(FLS) on the NSLDS Professional Access and the NSLDS Student Access Web sites.
This information is used by schools when considering the awarding of additional
Title IV aid. In additions, the NSLDS postscreening process monitors and provides
notification of reaffirmation changes to CPS for inclusion on the ISIR. Note:
Reporting reaffirmation data to NSLDS is required of our federal loan servicers
and optional for FFEL Program lenders and lender servicers.
Real Time Data Inquiries—NSLDS generates financial aid information in
response to “real time” requests from ED applications. The following applications
use this functionality:
–
StudentLoans.gov using extensible markup language (XML)
Direct Loan Consolidation
FACT (Financial Awareness Counseling Tool)
IDR (Income Driven Repayment) Application
–
FSAIC Integrated Voice Response (IVR) System
–
StudentAid.gov using JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)
–
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) using JavaScript
Object Notation (JSON)
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Repayment (Notional) Information—NSLDS provides schools summary and
detail student repayment data for informational purposes.
Security Control—ED and Contractor User IDs, and the access these IDs have to
NSLDS resources, are maintained by the Systems Security Officer (SSO)/Alternate
via the NSLDS Professional Access Web site.
Security Monitoring—NSLDS provides monitoring tools that an organization’s
PDPA and FSA can use to ensure that users are compliant with the NSLDS rules of
access. NSLDS systematically monitors and provides e-mail notifications to PDPAs
so they are alerted and can take the appropriate and necessary actions. NSLDS
provides an ad hoc Adobe PDF reporting capability to help monitor user
activities, as well as reports delivered via SAIG mailboxes.
Subsidy Override—NSLDS allows approved ED users to override the Actual
Subsidized Usage Period values and the Subsidy Status values determined by
NSLDS for award origination records. This instantaneous update feature helps to
reduce the turnaround time for problem resolution and error corrections.
Transfer Student Monitoring (TSM)—NSLDS receives school profile and
transferring student information via NSLDS Professional Access Web site pages
and/or SAIG batch submissions. NSLDS monitors each of these students for
specific changes in loan and Pell, ACG, National SMART, and TEACH Grant status.
NSLDS reports these changes to schools via Web pages or SAIG batch files. TSM
alert e-mails are provided to the designated TSM point of contact. NSLDS
Customer Support and authorized FSA Program Compliance personnel have
access to view a school’s NSLDS Professional Access Web site TSM pages to
provide support and oversight.
Web Inquiries—NSLDS has 2 websites available for online inquires: one site is
for financial aid professionals and the other site is for students.
–
NSLDS provides the NSLDS Professional Access Web site for schools, state
grant agencies, eligible and approved GAs, Federal Loan Servicers, lenders
and lender servicers, students, and ED and its contractors to view NSLDS
data. Depending on user access, the Web site also provides a list of ad hoc
or scheduled reports that can be requested to receive organizationspecific data from NSLDS.
–
For students, NSLDS provides the MyStudentData Download option,
available on NSLDS Student Access Web site, where they can download
their entire grant, loan, and overpayment financial aid history with data
provider contacts. To help protect a student’s/borrower’s personally
identifiable information (PII) data, NSLDS masks SSNs on Web pages.
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NSLDS performs the following operations support functions:
Assessment of FFELP, FDLP, and Other Program Administration—NSLDS
supplies data used in short- or long-term studies aimed at determining the
effectiveness of particular loan program practices.
Audit and Program Review Planning—NSLDS supplies auditors and program
reviewers with data on specific organizations and on key indicators used to
schedule audits and program reviews for maximum effectiveness. ED’s contractor
supports various security audits.
Budget Analysis and Development—NSLDS data on loan program performance
are used to support assumptions for estimating the long-term budgets for FSA
programs. These data are also used to answer budget-related questions and to
support “what-if” analyses.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests—NSLDS completes FOIA
requests when they meet established guidelines.
Loan Participation Program (LPP)—NSLDS contains data regarding Custodian
and Sponsor lending organizations that are part of the ECASLA enacted funding
process that allows participation interest agreements with ED. NSLDS links loans
on NSLDS with the Custodian or Sponsor records received from FMS.
Loan Transfer Tracking—NSLDS preserves historical data on loan holders and
loan sales dates used to understand secondary market activity, identify potential
problems with loan program participants, assist borrowers in locating lenders or
GAs associated with their loans, and assessing the administration and billing
practices of Title IV loan programs.
Monitoring GA and Lender Financial Reporting for Reasonability—NSLDS
supplies ED personnel with the detailed-level information needed to assess the
reasonability of financial reporting from GAs and lenders based on changes in
loan portfolios, loan status, loan balance information, and other loan details.
NSLDS performs monthly and annual reasonability calculations for GAs.
Payment Support of Account Maintenance Fees (AMFs) to GAs—NSLDS
provides data about Outstanding Principal Balance (OPB) on open loans that
support AMF payments by FMS. With the change to supporting origination of
only Direct Loans, the LPIF is no longer calculated for GAs.
Research Studies and Policy Development—NSLDS supports long-term
research studies and short-term policy development by providing ED with current
detailed and aggregated loan, grant, and student data.
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In addition to these specific operational support functions, NSLDS performs the
following general activities:
Generates statistically valid extracts of the production database.
Incorporates and supports data standardization.
Interfaces with Government-provided telecommunications links.
Maintains a training database.
Maintains demographic data on recipients and institutions.
Maintains organization contact information for ED Regions, the federal loan
servicers, schools, GAs, Lenders, Lender Branch servicers, and state agencies.
Meets data currency requirements.
Meets performance and response standards.
Monitors user access and provides FSA with data of users that fall outside of
acceptable usage parameters.
Preserves data security and confidentiality as required under the Privacy Act of
1974, as amended.
Provides output in formats that support executive information systems.
Provides subject matter experts (SMEs) to interface with the user community and
to provide input for new functionality.
Provides support for Web site access.
Receives and processes new, changed, and removed user information from
Participation Management.
Supports prevention and resolution of errors.
1.2.2 Origination of NSLDS Data
As a comprehensive repository of Title IV recipients and their loans, Pell Grants,
overpayments, and enrollment information, NSLDS receives data from many sources
(some external and some internal to ED) and makes it available to approved users for a
variety of purposes authorized by the Act. The principal sources of NSLDS data are the
following:
Guaranty Agencies provide loan data on FFELP loans from loan origination until the
loan is paid in full. Some of the information guaranty agencies provide, such as loan
balances, is received from lenders who report on loans through their guaranty
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agencies. Guaranty agencies submit their data monthly and daily through online
updates.
Schools (or their servicers) provide enrollment data via the Enrollment Reporting
process.
Schools (or their servicers) that participate in the Federal Perkins Loan Program
provide monthly updates of loans.
The Debt Management and Collections System (DMCS) provides data weekly on
loans and overpayments assigned to ED and on lenders and lender servicers.
The Postsecondary Education Participants System (PEPS) provides daily data on
schools.
The Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) provides monthly data on loans with
permanent and conditional disability discharges.
The Central Processing System (CPS) provides quarterly demographic data on
students in the NSLDS database.
The Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) provides daily updates on all
Federal grant payments to students.
The Lender Reporting System (LARS) reports lenders and lender servicer data to
NSLDS daily.
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Figure 1-1: Sources of NSLDS Data
1.2.3 NSLDS Users
NSLDS users include personnel from ED, other Federal agencies, guaranty agencies,
lenders, schools, and independent researchers.
NSLDS provides its users with Internet access and batch processing. The system’s
products are designed to provide efficient access to NSLDS data for a variety of user
levels and purposes. See Figure 1-2: for the flow of data from NSLDS to various users.
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CPS
Student Aid History
Students
Department of Education
Financial Aid Review,
Exit Counseling
Queries, Reports, and Data Extracts
Schools
COD
Enrollment Reporting Information
Error Reports
Queries, Reports, and Data Extracts
FAH Information, Enrollment
Reporting Roster Queries, Reports,
Data Extracts, and Exit Counseling
FSAIC
Guaranty Agencies
Enrollment Reporting Information
Error Reports, Queries, Reports,
and Data Extracts
Other Government
Agencies
Queries
,
Reports
,
and Data Extracts
Enrollment Reporting Information
Error Reports, Queries, Reports,
and Data Extracts
Federal Loan Servicers
Enrollment Reporting Information
Error Reports, Queries, Reports,
and Data Extracts
Figure 1-2: Outflow of NSLDS Information
1.3 Getting Help
The NSLDS Customer Support Center (CSC) is available to answer your questions. The
CSC offers comprehensive assistance on all aspects of using the DataPrep software, from
step-by-step installation questions to receiving error reports. The CSC can help you
identify and correct Extract problems resulting from file- and domain-level edits, or
NSLDS update problems resulting from record-level and load-level errors. The CSC will
address your Perkins data provider set-up and scheduling questions and will distribute
your school’s yearly data provider load schedule each November.
In addition, the CSC can help:
Identify other data providers to resolve identifier conflicts.
Clarify Data Provider Instructions.
Schedule initial and ongoing data loads.
Troubleshoot problems with DataPrep.
Discuss submittal requirements.
Explain specific error codes.
Review your submittal schedule.
When you call the CSC, you may be asked to provide specific information, including:
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Your Office of Postsecondary Education Identification (OPEID) 8-digit code and
school name and phone number
Whether you are using the mainframe or Windows-based version of the software
The Version/Release number and release date of the DataPrep software you are
using
The nature of the problem
The part of the process you were working with at the time the problem occurred
Whether you have been able to duplicate the problem, and if so, what the
conditions were at the time
Error messages or other indicators of the source of the problem.
Customer Support Center
Contact the CSC at 800-999-8219 between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern time, weekdays,
excluding Federal holidays. Customer Support personnel will log your call, issue a
confirmation number, answer questions, and if possible, resolve problems immediately.
If the problem requires further research, Customer Support will estimate when you can
expect a return call.
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Chapter 2: Data Provider Responsibilities
Data providers must provide information to NSLDS on Federal Perkins loans; and they
must regularly report on new loans and changes to existing loans. These reports must
be submitted on an ongoing basis and on a regular schedule established between the
data provider and ED.
Data providers must:
Meet all NSLDS reporting requirements, as detailed
in this operating manual.
Report all Federal Perkins loans that were open or
closed on or after October 1, 1989.
Schools and Servicers
The term “schools” in this
document includes both
schools and their
servicers. Together,
schools and servicers are
referred to as “data
providers.”
Report new loans or updates to existing loans
monthly on a schedule established by NSLDS. Data
reported must be current and not extracted earlier
than shown on the established schedule for the data
provider.
Create a Database Extract file meeting the specifications contained in Appendix A.
Data providers are responsible for coding and testing their software, as needed, to
properly format the Database Extract file.
Use NSLDS-provided DataPrep software to perform Extract Validation and create a
Submittal file.
Transmit the Submittal file to NSLDS on ED-provided software and SAIG network, in
accordance with their established schedule.
Retrieve the Load Process Error file for each submittal. Data providers must review
errors and correct as many as possible before the next submittal. Data providers are
responsible for the accuracy of their data, as well as for the timely reporting of loan
data to NSLDS.
Retrieve any Error Submittal Summary Notification files sent by NSLDS. Data
providers are responsible for taking action to remedy file-level errors or missed
submissions identified by such files.
Work with other data providers——including guaranty agencies, Federal Loan
Servicers, the Debt Management Collection System (DMCS), and the Common
Origination & Disbursement (COD) System—to resolve identifier conflicts
Receive and process reconciliation files provided by NSLDS. Reconciliation of loan
data between NSLDS and the school’s system of record can be done voluntarily
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upon request from the school or mandated by ED if it determines reconciliation is
necessary to meet data quality standards. This process can help identify and resolve
error conditions within your database. Reconciliation should be done every 6
months. This file can be requested on the NSLDS Professional Access Web site
https://nsldsfap.ed.gov . See Appendix J for more information regarding this report.
In summary, data provider data must meet NSLDS reporting requirements and quality
standards. All data submitted to NSLDS must be as complete and correct as possible.
Schools that fail to meet their NSLDS reporting requirements are subject to the
limitation, suspension, and termination regulatory
provisions.
2.1 Data Privacy
Privacy of Data
NSLDS data are subject to the protections of the Privacy Act
of 1974, as amended. Maintaining the security and
confidentiality of the personal data supplied by those
applying for and receiving loans is of paramount concern to
NSLDS. Both NSLDS and its data providers are responsible
for preserving the security of any NSLDS data in their
possession.
All NSLDS data are
subject to the
protections of the
Privacy Act of 1974, as
amended. Failure to
preserve its
confidentiality can lead
to personal liability
under that act.
You must be constantly vigilant in assuring the security of data being prepared for, sent
to, and received from NSLDS. You must also protect student loan data against
intentional or inadvertent disclosure or destruction. You should label sensitive
materials—such as data, software documentation, operation manuals, and handbooks—
as such and store them in a secured location. Failure to follow these steps can lead to
personal liability under the Privacy Act.
2.2 Data Accuracy and Timeliness
For NSLDS to meet the needs of its user community, the submissions it receives from
data providers must be timely, complete, and accurate. To ensure the best data quality,
NSLDS monitors submissions in two ways:
1. Submittal Tracking—NSLDS monitors late and missed submittals on a continuing
basis.
2. Error Tracking—NSLDS calculates the percentage of records in a submittal that are
in error and maintains a record of all errors until the error condition is resolved. Error
rates are monitored on a regular basis to ensure data accuracy.
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The error rate is calculated by dividing the number of loan records with errors by the
total number of records extracted. If a record contains more than one error, the system
still only counts it as a single record with errors when calculating the error rate. Thus, the
total number of errors will not necessarily equal the number of records with errors.
Data providers falling short of expectations in either of these areas are subject to the
limitation, suspension, and termination regulations of ED.
Errors can occur on the file-level, domain-level, record-level,
or load-level. While error rates are calculated on the number
of loan records with errors, as explained above, all errors,
regardless of the level in which they occurred, need to be
corrected and records re-submitted to NSLDS. Common
load level errors include identifier errors (For Example, SSN
doesn’t match a Perkins loan on NSLDS but other fields
match, Identifiers don’t match NSLDS for a record
previously reported or the student as supplied isn’t found
on NSLDS). The errors must be reviewed, the student’s
identifiers corrected in the database from which the extract
file was created, the record re-extracted and submitted to
NSLDS before the error is considered closed.
Calculating the Error
Rate:
The error rate uses the
number of records that
contain errors, not the
total number of errors.
(There can be more
than one error in a
record.)
Example:
If there are 25 errors in
total, but those errors
appear in only 19
records out of 456
records extracted, the
calculated error rate is:
A very common file-level error occurs when the school code
in the header is different than the school code provided in
the loan detail records. This error frequently occurs when a
19 / 456 = 4.2%
school has merged into another school and the records
from the merged school are applied to the current file
without updating the Code for Current School field. This error is identified by DataPrep,
before the file is ever sent to NSLDS for processing. Code for Current School- Field Code
#286 for each loan record from the merger must be updated in the database from
which the extract file was created, the record re-extracted and re-processed by the
DataPrep software to be made ready for submission to NSLDS.
For schools utilizing a third-party servicer, it is ultimately the school’s responsibility to
ensure that its required reporting to NSLDS (which includes Perkins loan account detail)
is completed timely and accurately. This responsibility extends to resolving any errors in
the file, regardless of which level of editing they occur. For more information regarding
error checking, file validation and error resolution, see Chapter 9:The NSLDS Load
Process.
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Chapter 3: The Update Process
The NSLDS update process is comprised of six steps:
1. Data Providers Create a Database Extract File—
You create a copy of your loan portfolio in a format
specified by NSLDS. This copy, called the Database
Extract file, includes all open loans and all loans
closed on or after October 1, 1989, formatted
according to the guidelines established in
Appendixes A and C.
2. Data Providers Run the Extract Validation
Process Using DataPrep—You run the Database
Extract file through the NSLDS DataPrep Extract
Validation process to check for file-level and
domain-level errors. If there are file-level errors
(such as an incorrect header or a school code for
any record that does not match the header record
school code), the process stops.
Warning: Data Provider
Responsibility
Data providers are responsible
for submitting data to NSLDS
using the edit rules, format, and
processing flow specified by ED.
Caution should be exercised
when using specifications or
software applications developed
by other organizations or
vendors. Regardless of whether
third-party software or
procedures are used, data
providers remain responsible for
the accuracy of their data and
for using procedures approved
by ED. Schools and Third-Party
Servicers are jointly and
severally responsible for
compliance.
If the rate of domain-level errors (such as a nonnumeric character in a numeric field, an invalid
date, a missing identifier, or a missing new
identifier) is above a specified threshold, the process also stops and the complete
Database Extract file is rejected. You must correct the error(s) before proceeding.
If there are no file-level errors, and if the number of domain-level errors is within the
acceptable threshold levels tolerances, DataPrep creates a new file called the
Submittal file.
3. Data Providers Perform Error Report Generations—Using the Extract Error file
produced by DataPrep, you generate Extract Error reports (both a summary and
detail report are available) and use this information to make all necessary file-level
and domain-level changes to your database and/or extract process. You can also use
the Extract Validation Log report to perform a test of reasonability—a review of the
data comparing the current data with previous submittals to look for the numbers of
records processed and loan amount totals.
If you make corrections, you then start again at step 1 by recreating the Database
Extract file, running the Extract Validation process, and running Extract Error report.
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4. Data Providers Send or Transmit the Submittal File—Once a Submittal file has
been successfully created (after all file-level errors are corrected and after the
number of domain-level errors is below the specified thresholds), you transmit the
data to NSLDS via the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG).
5. NSLDS Runs the Load and Update Process—NSLDS receives your Submittal file
and runs file-level edits on it. If the file passes all file-level edits, NSLDS then checks
each loan record for domain-, record-, and load-level errors. Loan records that pass
all edits are matched against records already existing in the NSLDS database.
Depending on the outcome of that match, NSLDS either creates new student or loan
records, or updates existing records. Loan records that fail one or more edits are
added to the Load Process Error file NSLDS returns to you after loading your data.
6. Data Providers Retrieve Error Files and Generate Load Process Error Reports—If
your Submittal file passes all file-level edits and is loaded onto NSLDS, NSLDS sends
you, within 48 hours, a Load Process Error file containing all the domain-, record-,
and load-level errors detected during the Load process. You then use DataPrep to
generate Load Process Error reports (both summary and detail reports are available),
which will help you make corrections to your database and resolve data conflicts
prior to your next monthly extract.
If you fail to send NSLDS a Submittal file at the scheduled time, or if the file you send
is not loaded because of file-level edits, NSLDS sends you, within 48 hours, an Error
Submittal Summary Notification file notifying you that your file was not received or
was not loaded. In this case, NSLDS does not send you a Load Process Error file or
Threshold Error File (TEF) file.
Viewed as a linear sequence, the six-step update process looks like this:
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STEP 1
The NSLDS Update Process
Data Providers create a Database Extract File
from their own databases, using their own
software and ensuring that it meets NSLDS
system requirements.
STEP 2
Data Providers run the Extract Validation
Process against their Database Extract File using
DataPrep software.
STEP 3
Data Providers perform Extract Error Report
Generation.
Fix database(s) and/or
Extract Validation process to
correct file‐level and
domain‐level errors. Re‐run
steps 1‐3.
Use information to correct
database(s) and/or Extract
Validation Process
Extract Error
Reports
STEP 4
Data Providers send Submittal File to NSLDS.
STEP 5
NSLDS runs Load and Update process against
Data Providers’ Submittal Files, updates NSLDS
database, and creates error files for Data
Providers.
STEP 6
Data Providers retrieve error and TEF files from
NSLDS and generate Load Process Error Reports
to correct record level errors in their database.
Note: On regular intervals (roughly every 90 days), NSLDS posts the
TEF files for Data Providers, and the Data Prep software, to
FSADownload.
Figure 3-1: Data Provider Six-Step Process
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Viewed as an ongoing or cyclical process, the update process can also be illustrated in
the following way, with the shaded boxes representing school or data provider
responsibility and the darkened boxes representing operations handled by DataPrep.
Database Extract
Procedure
Existing School
Database
Database
Extract File
Extract
Validation
Procedure
Database Update
Procedures
Extract
Validation Log
File
Extract Error
File
Detail Report
Procedure
Summary Report
Procedure
Extract Error
Detail Report
Extract Error
Summary Report
Submittal File
Electronic
Transmittal
NSLDS
Load Process
Error File
Detail Report
Procedure
Summary Report
Procedure
Extract
Reconciliation
File
Threshold, Error
Code, and Field
Code (TEF) File
Reconciliation
Report Procedure
NSLDS Responsibility
DataPrep Responsibility
Load Error Detail
Report
Load Error
Summary Report
Extract
Reconciliation
Report
School Responsibility
NSL-1046
Figure 3-2: DataPrep Processing Flow for Extract Validation and Error Report Generation
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3.1 Files Used in the NSLDS Update Process
The following files are created or updated in the update process:
Database Extract File (extract.ff)—This is the formatted Database Extract file you
create from your loan database. It includes Header and Detail records and can
include Past Period Change (PPC) records to correct certain kinds of reporting errors
in previous cycles. This file is the input to the Extract Validation process.
Submittal File (submit.ff)—This file is created by DataPrep software if there are no
file-level errors and the number of domain-level errors in the Database Extract file is
below the acceptable threshold levels. The Submittal file
contains all current records and all PPC records. You
transmit this file to NSLDS via the SAIG message class of
SHSLDSIN, where it becomes input to the Load Process.
File Names
This file can contain four record types: Header, Detail,
You can determine the
Past Period Change, and Trailer. The Trailer record is
naming conventions for
added by DataPrep.
Extract Error File (extrerr.ff)—This file is an output from
the Extract Validation process. It contains an error record
for each domain error listing the field in which the error
occurred, the value and description of the error. The
contents of this file can either be viewed on-screen or
printed.
files used and created
exclusively at your own
site. Windows users
cannot alter the names
used by DataPrep;
otherwise, the program
will not work properly.
We strongly
recommend that
mainframe users use
the suggested file
names provided by
DataPrep and used in
the sample Job Control
Language (JCL) in
Appendix G.
Error Submittal Summary Notification File
(shsntfop.ff)— This file is sent over SAIG from NSLDS in
the message class of SHSNTFOP which informs you that
your Submittal file was not loaded onto the NSLDS
database, either because it was not received by NSLDS or
because it contained file-level errors. In the latter case, it
identifies the errors that prevented the Submittal file from being loaded.
Load Process Error File (loaderr.ff)— This file is sent over the SAIG from NSLDS in
the message class of SLDERROP and is an output of the load process. It contains an
error record for each domain, record, and load-level error that failed NSLDS load
edits. It identifies errors detected during the Load process and also contains header
and trailer records. The contents of this file can either be viewed on-screen or
printed.
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Threshold, Error Code, and Field Code (TEF) File (TEF.ff)— This Perkins threshold
file is available for download on FSADownload (https://fsadownload.ed.gov) and
needs to be placed in the software’s proper folder prior to running DataPrep.
Figure 3-3: shows the edit process, some of the problems that can arise during that
process, and possible solutions.
Edit Process
Problem
Solution
1. Incorrect Header
2. School Code does
not match Header
Correct database
and/or extract process
and rerun Extract
Validation
1. Numeric Field Error
2. Invalid Date
3. Missing Identifier
4. Missing New Identifier
Correct database
and/or extract process
and rerun Extract
Validation
1. Numeric Field Error
2. Invalid Date
3. Missing Identifier
4. Missing New Identifier
5. Reasonability Error
6. Duplicate Record
Correct database
and/or extract process
before next submittal
1. Date Sequence Error
2. Identifier Conflict
1. Create PPC
2. Resolve with other
data provider
3. Correct database/
extract process
File-Level Edits
DataPrep
Extract
Validation
Process
Extract Validation
Aborted
Domain-Level Edits
Threshold Failure
Domain and
Record-Level Edits
NSLDS
Load
Process
Record Rejected
Load-Level Edits
Record not
Loaded/Updated
3. Invalid Codes
NSLDS Updated
NSL-1061
Figure 3-3: NSLDS Edit Process
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3.1.1 Loans Closed Prior to October 1, 1989
If you currently extract loans that were closed before October 1, 1989, stop extracting
such loans. A new edit will reject any loan closed before October 1, 1989. You can
prevent these rejects by not extracting such loans.
3.1.2 Report Outstanding Principal Balances Monthly
The Date of Outstanding Principal Balance reflects the date of the most recent change in
the principal balance. The Outstanding Principal Balance may change due to a
disbursement, loan payment, or cancellation. Since you submit all loans in your database
every month, the requirement to update Outstanding Principal Balance on a quarterly
basis is eliminated. Instead, you must update the dollar amount and the date of the
Outstanding Principal Balance using the current remaining amount and the date of the
most recent change in Outstanding Principal Balance. If you have been reporting the last
day of the month as the Date of Outstanding Principal Balance regardless of when the
balance changed, you must modify your extract procedure to provide the actual day
when the balance changed.
3.1.3 Reporting Outstanding Principal Balances That Are Less Than $1
If a loan is reported with an open loan status, it must have a positive Outstanding
Principal Balance. If the loan has a balance of less than $1, but not zero, you should
report the Outstanding Principal Balance as $1. If the loan is being maintained in an
open status because of a negative balance on the account (that is, a credit balance), you
should also report a balance of $1 until the loan is closed.
Should there be remaining fees owed after the outstanding principal balance reaches $0
and the loan is reported as closed, these fees may be reported in the Outstanding
Principal Balance field, and the loan re-opened with an open loan status.
3.1.4 Data Provider Loan ID
You can track a loan through the NSLDS process using your own unique Data Provider
Loan ID if you so choose. The last field in the Detail record is available to allow you to
insert a unique loan ID that will be carried through the update process and returned on
the error records in the Load Process Error file. The use of this new field is optional.
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System Requirements
Chapter 4: System Requirements
This manual is written for data providers who use the ED-provided DataPrep software to
prepare data for submission to NSLDS from either a mainframe (z/OS LE Version 3.1 or
higher) batch environment or a Windows-based personal
computer (PC). Data providers, who use other platforms
or who want to develop their own software, should
contact ED for more information. Software developed by
z/OS LE Runtime Library
data providers must meet the standards established in
If you are running in the
this manual.
z/OS LE environment, your
To run the DataPrep software and submit your data, the
minimum system requirements are either:
LE Runtime Library must be
in your standard system
program library
concatenation.
An IBM/IBM-compatible mainframe running the z/OS
LE, Version 3.1 or higher operating system and an
appropriate sort utility, or
An IBM-compatible personal computer with at least a 200 MHz Pentium processor,
64 Mb of available memory, and 8 Mb of hard disk space to store the program and
work files, with additional hard disk space to store data files and backups. For
optimal viewing of reports, you may have to set your monitor’s resolution to 1024 x
768 pixels. The new version of Perkins DataPrep is fully compatible with Windows
2000 and newer. For more information about ED system requirements, see Perkins
Technical Update, PK-2004-01 (January 2004).
4.1 Estimating Required Disk Space
You will need approximately 8 Mb of disk space to store
the PC DataPrep software and its associated test data
files. This is the minimum disk space required and does
not include storage space for your data files. You should
also allow enough space in which to sort work files.
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Enough Disk Space?
Database Extract files can
be quite large. So it is
very important that you
evaluate whether your
computer has enough
disk space to store both
the DataPrep software
and the data files it
processes.
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System Requirements
Estimate your space requirements by adding the following:
Database Extract files
N * 300 bytes * Y
Submittal Files
[(N * 300 bytes) + (PPC * 300 bytes)] * Y
Extract Error Files
X * 300 bytes * Y
Extract Error Reports
X * 132 bytes * Z * 1.1
Load Process Error Files
X * 300 bytes * Y
Load Process Error Reports
X * 132 bytes * Z * 1.1
Threshold Error File
32,000 bytes
Loan Detail File
N * 300 bytes * Y
Loan Detail Reports
N * 132 bytes * Z * 1.1
(Equals)
_____ bytes of space required
Where:
N
=
Number of records extracted from your database
X
=
Estimated number of errors
PPC
=
Estimated number of PPC records
Y
=
Number of backup files created and stored
Z
=
Number of reports generated
All the mainframe examples in this document assume use of a Direct Access Storage
Device (DASD).
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4.2 Setting Up Perkins Batch Services
with NSLDS
Contact Information
Contact SAIG Technical
All data providers submit to NSLDS through the SAIG.
Support to set up a SAIG
CPS/SAIG Technical Support is responsible for managing
mailbox and batch
services:
mailbox and batch services assigned by school’s Primary
800-330-5947
Destination Point Administrator (PDPA) online at
FSAWebenroll.ed.gov. You can obtain user
documentation for the SAIG interface at FSADownload or by calling 800-330-5947 for
questions on enrolling for NSLDS services.
4.3 Obtaining a Submittal Schedule
NSLDS will assign a submittal schedule to you each year, usually in November. You can
check your schedule at any time by selecting the Data
Provider Schedule link on the Organization page of the
NSLDS Professional Access Web site
(https://nsldsfap.ed.gov).
It is ultimately the school’s responsibility to ensure that
its required reporting to NSLDS (which includes Perkins
loan account detail) is completed timely and accurately.
Schools that use a third-party servicer must ensure that
its servicer complies with timely and accurate reporting.
Schools are responsible for any non-compliance by the
servicer, whether it be in timely submissions, or data
quality.
Submittal Schedules on
the Web
You can check your
submittal schedule at any
time on the Organization
page of the NSLDS
Professional Access Web
site
(https://nsldsfap.ed.gov).
For more information, or to obtain a copy of the submittal schedule, contact the NSLDS
Customer Support Center at 800-999-8219.
4.4 Initial Population
The first-time transfer of information from schools or data providers to NSLDS is called
the initial population. In addition to current loan data, the initial population also
includes data for loans that are closed. See Appendix A for detailed information about
what data to include in an initial population Database Extract file.
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Except for the addition of closed loan data and a slight difference in data reporting
requirements, the process for an initial population submission is the same as the one
you follow for subsequent updates.
4.5 File Protection and Backups
Files are subject to corruption, especially during
transmission. Therefore, we recommend that you keep
backups of at least your last two Database Extract files
and Submittal files in case errors occur during
transmission of the Submittal file or during the Load
process.
Saving Generations
We recommend that you
plan on saving at least two
generations of all your files
and reports.
While we recommend a minimum of two generations, the sample JCL for z/OS LE
Version 3.1 environments provided in Appendix G allows for four generations of
backups. Mainframe operators who use the sample JCL provided in Appendix G will find
that a backup of the Submittal file, named NSLDS.SUBMIT.BKUP, is created automatically
by the software.
4.6 Using Servicers
While your school remains responsible for the timely and
accurate submission of its data to NSLDS, you can choose
to work with a servicer or third-party (including a
centralized collection office for a multi-campus school) to
process and submit all of your loan-level records to
NSLDS.
If you use a servicer, you must consider and incorporate
into your reporting procedures the following:
Institutional
Responsibility
Because systems and
procedures vary
significantly from one
institution to another, each
school is responsible for
determining how it will meet
the NSLDS reporting
requirements.
Coordinating Any Changes to Identifiers—
Whenever an identifier changes, you must submit the
new identifier on every loan affected by the change. This must be done through the
servicer.
Transferring Records From School to Servicer or Third Party—The organization
reporting on a loan must report all attributes for that specific loan. If the
responsibility for reporting on a specific loan is transferred from one party to
another, all the data for that loan must be transferred. The receiving party must then
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continue to report all required attributes on that loan even though there may not be
updates to a specific attribute.
For example, when a school transfers a loan to a servicer, the school must transfer all
the data for that loan, including the student’s enrollment status at the time the loan
was first disbursed. Although the servicer may not update this attribute, the servicer
must include it as part of the loan record that it extracts and submits to NSLDS. All
data fields in the NSLDS extract should be transferred.
Changing Servicers—If a school changes servicers, it must carefully coordinate with
both the current and new servicers to ensure that all data are properly transferred.
Regardless of any change in servicer, the school is expected to transmit the
Submittal file within 90 days from the date the new servicer becomes responsible for
servicing the loans. ED has determined that servicers should transfer portfolios using
the same file layout as a Submittal file to NSLDS. The same data should be extracted
and prepared as would be for a Submittal file. The Database Extract file thus created
should be sent to the new servicer, who in turn should use the Submittal file to
populate its database so it can provide the proper student and loan identifiers to
NSLDS.
It is ultimately the school’s responsibility to ensure that its required reporting to
NSLDS (which includes Perkins loan account detail) is completed timely and accurately.
Schools are ultimately responsible for any non-compliance by the servicer. Schools that
use a third-party servicer must communicate the reporting requirements to its thirdparty servicer and ensure that its servicer complies with timely and accurate reporting.
4.7 Multiple Schools or School
Branches
Servicers that report data for multiple schools, or
schools that report data for multiple branches with
separate OPEIDs (Code for Original School), must
submit a single file to NSLDS containing data for all
the schools or branches being reported. The NSLDS
DataPrep software has been developed to process a
Database Extract file containing multiple OPEIDs.
Numbers of Schools or
Branches
There is no limit on the number of
school or branch data sets that can
be appended together in a single
Database Extract file.
If you report data for multiple schools or branches, you must concatenate their data
records into one single file for processing through DataPrep. The resulting file should be
structured to contain a Header record, all Detail records, and all PPC records for the first
school or branch, then the same sequence (Header record, Detail records, Past Period
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Change records) for each additional school or branch in
turn. The file structure is illustrated in the box at right.
Once you have created the combined Database Extract
file, you can process it just like a file containing a single
school’s data using the DataPrep software.
Note: You should not insert trailer records for individual
schools or branches because DataPrep will do so for you
during the Extract Validation process.
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Multiple School/Branch
File Structure
School 1 Header Record
School 1 Detail Records
School 1 PPC Records
School 2 Header Record
School 2 Detail Records
School 2 PPC Records
School 3 Header Record
School 3 Detail Records
School 3 PPC Records
And so on.
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Chapter 5: Download, Setup, Utilities, and Testing
After you have made sure that you meet the system requirements for Perkins DataPrep
Version 4.0 you are ready to download Perkins DataPrep, set up its utilities, and run test
files designed both to test whether you have setup DataPrep properly and to familiarize
yourself with how DataPrep works.
5.1 Download
Perkins DataPrep is specifically designed to be
downloaded from the FSADownload web site, to run on
PCs running Windows 2000 operating systems or later.
The PC must also run Java 1.6 version build or later.
1. Create a folder in a secure location which will be
used as the location for all Perkins DataPrep files.
We strongly recommend that you use the default
path C:\dataprep\.
2. Open an internet browser.
3. In the Address field, enter the following URL:
Determine version of Java
on the PC
Go to your Window’s
Control Panel, navigate to
find and select the Java
icon. After launching, click
the About button to display
the Java versions.
https://fsadownload.ed.gov
4. Click on Software and Associated Documents.
5. Scroll down to find Perkins DataPrep Version 4.0 and click on the link.
6. On the Perkins DataPrep page, in the Software area, click Full Download, to start
the download.
7. Once the download has started, Click Save As and identify the location where you
would like the software to be stored. We urge you NOT to rename the software,
or it’s extension, as this may affect the software’s ability to function properly.
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Select the directory created in Step 1. Click Save to download the file to the directory.
NSLDS has made Sample files with fictitious data available for download on
FSADownload.ed.gov. Should you want to practice with this data, proceed with
downloading and saving the following files for use with DataPrep:
Sample Files Folder (c:\dataprep\samples) – should contain 4 files:
o Two Database Extract files (extract-fail.ff and extract-pass.ff),
o A Load Process Error file (loaderr.ff).
o An Error Submittal Notification Summary file (shsntfop.ff)
o A Threshold, Error Code and Field Code (TEF) file (TEF.ff)
The Sample files are to be used to practice using the new software, and to become
proficient without having to use your own live data. Once you are comfortable with your
level of understanding of the software, you will no longer use these files.
You are now ready to complete the software setup.
5.2 Software Setup
Several steps must be completed prior to the first usage of the DataPrep software. These
steps include:
Creating or locating the DataPrep directories on your computer.
Identify the Directories in DataPrep
Familiarizing yourself with the software’s terminology
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Run a sample files
5.2.1 Directory Setup
When you start PC DataPrep for the first time, you will
need to select/create where the Directories for the work
files used by DataPrep are located. It is essential that you
supply the paths to where your working files are in fact
going to be located, or DataPrep will be unable to find
your data. It will be helpful for you to become familiar
with your organizations directory paths (e.g. send/receive
directories for EDconnect) when transmitting your data
to/from NSLDS via SAIG.
These are the folders where DataPrep working files are
stored:
Temp—the location of your temporary sort work files
(*.tmp)
Extract—the location of your Database Extract file
(extract.ff)
Current—the location of the TEF file (TEF.ff) and all
DataPrep output files (*.ff)
Loan—the location of the Loan Detail file obtained by
special arrangement (loandtl.ff)
Directories and Folders
The terms “directory” and
“folder” refer to the same
object but viewed from
different perspectives. Both
refer to a place where files
are stored. That place is a
directory when it is viewed
from the point of view of a
computer or network’s total
file structure. The directory
path is the route a program
takes through that file
structure to find an
individual file. A folder is the
visual representation of the
directory as an individual
icon (as in a desktop
shortcut) or within My
Computer or Windows
Explorer.
If no directories for DataPrep exist on your computer, DataPrep V4 will prompt for
missing folders and create them when the user selects “yes”.
All directories necessary to utilize DataPrep have now been created.
If you have designated other folders for use with DataPrep, perhaps from previous
versions of the software, you can use these folders rather than the above identified
folder names. To use previously created folders, you can Browse and Select them once
the software has been opened on your computer.
5.2.2 Directory Selection
Now that the directories have been created, you will need to set the Directories within
the DataPrep software for the work files. Locate the place where the software is stored
and click on it. The software will automatically open and you are ready to continue with
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the directory setup. To set the Directories, click on Options and select Directories from
the menu.
Figure 5-1: Select Directories
Figure 5-2: File Directories Box - Incomplete
When Browsing for a file, click Browse and locate the directory on your computer or
network. The dialog box at the top of the Browse window will indicate which directory
you are attempting to select. Note: the “temp” directory is a folder you designate where
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DataPrep uses for sorting files and is typically designated as C:\temp and can be
Browsed or typed in like the other corresponding directories.
Figure 5-3: File Directories Browse
Click Choose directory for Extract files to populate the Directories box with that
selection, and continue to complete the remainder of the Directories entries.
When you are satisfied with the directory paths listed in the Directories dialog box, click
OK.
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Figure 5-4: File Directories Box – Complete
5.2.3 Installing DataPrep on a z/OS LE Version 3.1 or Higher Mainframe
To install DataPrep on your mainframe, you must first install the Installation JCL that
appears in Step 1 of Appendix G. This Installation JCL is not included on the tape that
contains the rest of DataPrep for z/OS LE Version 3.1, so you must create your own
copy. Your site will probably have a JCL file for executing IEBCOPY that closely
resembles the Installation JCL. To create the Installation JCL, make a copy of the
IEBCOPY JCL and modify it so it contains the same file names as the Installation JCL in
Step 1 of Appendix G.
Run the Installation JCL once to unload the Unload JCL
that appears in Step 2 of Appendix G from the DataPrep
tape. Then run the Unload JCL once to unload and install
the actual libraries and software that will allow you to run
DataPrep. If you need to run the Unload JCL again to
reinstall DataPrep, be aware that step PSTEP005 will
delete all data sets previously created.
z/OS LE, Version 2.4 or
Higher
For DataPrep to work on
your mainframe, you must
be running z/OS LE,
Version 3.1 or higher.
Note: By installing DataPrep JCL for z/OS LE Version 3.1,
you will be creating data set names on your system. The
second and last node in all data set names created by DataPrep contain identifying
information (Version/Release/Levelset Date) meant to track which release of DataPrep
you are using. We strongly recommend that you retain this naming convention.
The Unload JCL can be referenced from the library created by the Installation JCL with
CUTTAPE as part of the name. The library member name is UNLOAD.
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5.3 Options and Utilities
5.3.1 Changing Directory Paths
If at some time after the initial software setup you decide to change the directory path
for any of DataPrep’s working files, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Options and then Directories.
Figure 5-5: DataPrep Main Menu with Directories
Selected on the Options Menu
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2. The Directories dialog box appears.
Figure 5-6: Directories Dialog Box
3. Select new directory paths in one of two ways:
A. Type the new path into the text box.
Note: When manually entering in the drive &
directory (path), the software will prompt for
creation if the path\folder doesn’t exist.
B. Press the Browse button to the right of the text box
and use the Select File Directory dialog box that
appears to select the new path.
4. Click OK to save your changes.
Note: If you change the directory path for your Current
folder, you must use Windows Explorer or My Computer to
copy the following files from your old Current directory to
your new Current directory:
ERRDTL.sel
ERRDTL.srt
ERRDTL.var
LOANDTL.sel
LOANDTL.srt
LOANDTL.var
TEF.ff
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Copy Your Sort Files
If you use the Directories
dialog box to change the
directory path for your
Current folder after you
have installed DataPrep,
you must be sure to copy
the files containing sort
parameters from your old
Current directory to your
new Current directory.
Those files have names
that end with the following
suffixes:
.sel
.srt
.var
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If you fail to copy these files to your new Current directory, DataPrep will be unable to
sort your detailed Extract Error report or Load Process Error report.
In addition, you may wish to copy any additional files that you wish to retain.
5.3.2 DataPrep Viewer
DataPrep allows you to generate a series of reports as you move through the NSLDS
update process. When you download DataPrep, it automatically establishes its own builtin viewer for reports. This viewer was designed to display and print reports in the correct
format, and we recommend that you become familiar with its features.
Likewise, when you print reports from the DataPrep viewer, it automatically formats
them so they look on the page much as they do on screen, and so the individual rows of
the report are not broken across two or more lines of print.
The DataPrep viewer includes the following features, which are deployed down the right
side of your screen when it displays:
A drop-down zoom box—You can also zoom in by left clicking on the text of the
report, or zoom out by right clicking on it.
A button that centers the report on the screen.
A spin box that allows you to navigate through the report one page at a time.
Fast-forward and rewind buttons that allow you to move directly to the first or
last page of the report.
A Print Current Page button.
A Print button.
An Exit button.
A Help button.
5.3.3 File Transfer
DataPrep’s File Transfer utility allows you to import specific files associated with
DataPrep and the NSLDS update process. You can import the following files sent to you
by NSLDS via the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG):
Load Process Error File (Message Class SLDERROP)
Loan Detail File (Message Class SCHRECOP)
Error Submittal Summary Notification File (Message Class SHSNTFOP)
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Note: To import the latest Thresholds, Error Codes and Field Codes File, go to
https://fsadownload.ed.gov, download and save locally the Perkins Threshold, Error
Code and Field Code (TEF).
When you import a file, the File Transfer utility copies (or moves) it to the folder defined
in the directories setup for files of that type and renames it so DataPrep will recognize it.
To import a file using the File Transfer utility, follow these
steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click File Transfer. The
File Transfer dialog box appears.
Message Class Input and
Output Files
Regardless of what file
name you insert in the input
screen, DataPrep will
change the output name so
DataPrep can recognize the
file. The TEF file
downloaded from
FSADownload will be
renamed as TEF.ff.
Figure 5-7: Initial File Transfer Dialog Box for File Import
2. Select the action you want to perform. DataPrep displays the default directory path
for files of that type as the DataPrep File Output (Figure
5-7:). You cannot change this default path. However, if you
are importing an NSLDS Loan Detail file (Section 10.3.1),
DataPrep does give you the option of assigning it a version
Browsing for Files
name.
3. Press the Browse button to the right of the NSLDS File Input
box to display the Open dialog box. It will display with the
File of type option at the bottom of the dialog box set to the
kind of file you seek.
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When you browse for
files, make sure that the
Files of type option is
set to the file type you
seek to All Files (*.*).
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For example, the first time you select Import Thresholds, Error Codes and Field Codes
File as an action and click browse, you should see a dialog box similar to the one in
Figure 5-8: Notice that the File of type option to display the downloaded TEF File (All
Files).
Figure 5-8: Initial Select NSLDS File Dialog Box for TEF File
4. Use the appropriate navigation methods and files of type option to locate the folder
that contains the NSLDS file you want to import.
Where to Look
Figure 5-9: Final Select NSLDS File Dialog Box for TEF File
5. Select the file you want to import. Whatever file you select
will be displayed as the default NSLDS File Input option the
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assume that when you
receive files from
NSLDS via SAIG, they
are saved to the
transmission software’s
directory named
C:\IAM\DATA. If you
store them elsewhere,
you will need to adjust
accordingly.
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next time you import the same type of file. Click Open to return to the File Transfer
dialog box.
Figure 5-10: Final File Transfer Dialog Box for File Import
6. Clicking on the blue plus signs to the right of the Browse buttons for the NSLDS File
Input and DataPrep File Output boxes displays a File Information message box you
can use to check that you are transferring the right file and that it is more recent
than any file it might replace.
Copy or Move
Figure 5-11: File Information Box
7. If you displayed the File Information message box, click
Exit to return to the File Transfer dialog box.
8. Check that the directory paths in both the NSLDS File
Input and DataPrep File Output boxes are correct and click
Copy or Move. If a file of the type you are transferring
already exists in the destination folder, a message similar
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When you use
DataPrep’s File
Transfer utility to copy
a file, DataPrep copies
and pastes the file to a
new location. When
you use it to move a
file, DataPrep cuts and
paste’s the file to a new
location.
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to the following displays:
Figure 5-12: File Box
9. Click Yes to continue. If the copy or move is successful, DataPrep displays a message
similar to the following:
Figure 5-13: File Import Box
5.3.4 Help System
The PC version of DataPrep contains a full-featured Help system covering these topics:
All the menus, commands, and buttons on the DataPrep Main Menu
The input files, output files, controls, and processing options associated with each
DataPrep dialog box
Built-in shortcut keys available in DataPrep (performed by pressing the ALT key
plus the underlined letter on the keyboard).
The Help system documents all DataPrep’s functions and includes material not
contained in this manual. It is your best source for detailed information about specific
DataPrep functions.
5.4 Running Test Files
Included in both the mainframe software are test files, which will verify that you have
installed the software correctly, and will illustrate how DataPrep works.
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For Windows-based DataPrep, TEF and test files are available for download from
FSAdownload:
Two Database Extract files (extract-fail.ff and extract-pass.ff)
A Threshold, Error Code and Field Code (TEF) file (TEF.ff)
A Load Process Error file (loaderr.ff).
An Error Submittal Notification Summary file (shsntfop.ff)
File Locations
Here, and throughout this
manual, instructions for
copying or moving files
presuppose that you
installed DataPrep’s work
folders in the following
default locations:
Figure 5-14: Test files are manually copied into in a directory
of your choice (e.g. C:\DataPrep\Samples)
For mainframes, the Running Test Files JCL is in Appendix G;
it was unloaded when you installed DataPrep.
Samples Folder**—
C:\DataPrep\Samples
Backup Folder**—
C:\DataPrep\Backup
Current Folder—
C:\DataPrep\Current
Extract Folder—
C:\DataPrep\Extract
Loan Folder—
C:\DataPrep\Loan
If you chose different folder
locations during setup or
moved these folders after
setup, you will need to
adjust accordingly as you
copy files, then test and use
DataPrep.
5.4.1 Successful Extract Validation
Extract Validation
First, test Extract Validation using the sample Database
Extract file. To test Extract Validation on DataPrep for
Windows, follow these steps:
**folders manually created
and maintained using
Windows Explorer or My
Computer.
1. Use Windows Explorer or My Computer to copy the good
Database Extract file (extract-pass.ff) from the Samples folder to the Extract folder
(C:\DataPrep\Extract) and rename it extract.ff. DataPrep will only validate files called
extract.ff.
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Figure 5-15: View of C:\DataPrep Folder with subfolders viewed in Windows Explorer
Copying Test Files
Before you test DataPrep, you must copy two Database Extract files from the Samples folder
(C:\DataPrep\Samples) to the Extract folder (C:\DataPrep\Extracts):
1. A file that should pass Extract Validation (extract-pass.ff)
2. A file that should fail Extract Validation (extract-fail.ff)
Be sure to copy (copy and paste) these two files rather than move (cut and paste) them from
one folder to the other, so copies remain in the Samples folder if you need them later.
Use Windows Explorer or My Computer to copy these files. For more information about
copying or renaming files, refer to the online Help for Windows.
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2. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Extract Validation.
Figure 5-16: DataPrep Main Menu with Extract Validation Selected
3. The Extract Validation dialog box appears.
Figure 5-17: Extract Validation Dialog Box
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4. Check that the Input directory paths point to the folders where the Extract and TEF
files are located and click Run. The Extract Validation Process dialog box displays the
Extract Validation Log Report containing a message telling you that Extract
Validation was completed successfully.
Figure 5-18: Extract Validation Process Dialog Box
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If you get any other message, or if Extract Validation did not run, check the following:
When you copied the file originally called extract-pass.ff to the Extract folder, you
renamed it extract.ff.
There was a valid TEF file in your Current folder.
The Extract Validation dialog box showed the correct directory path for the
extract.ff file.
If you get a message that the Database Extract file was processed successfully, click
Done to return to the Extract Validate dialog box, then click Exit to go to the DataPrep
Main Menu.
Extract Validation Log Report
If you wish to display or print the test Extract Validation Log report, do the following:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Log Report. The Log Report dialog box appears.
Figure 5-19: Log Report Dialog Box
2. Select the Extract Validation Log file (C:\DataPrep\Current\extrlog.ff) in the Log
Files list by clicking on it. The Log File will be highlighted and the View and Print
features will be activated. Click View to have the Extract Validation Log report
presented in the viewer. Click print to send the report directly to the default printer
setup on your computer.
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Figure 5-20: Sample Log Report
When the Log report displays successfully, you will be given the option the following
options on the right side of the viewer:
Increase / decrease the size of the report font in the viewer.
Adjust the justification of the report. (This feature is designed for smaller screens.)
Ability to navigate from page to page without scrolling.
Print the report directly to the default printer setup on your computer.
Exit the viewer
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Click Exit to return to the Log Report Menu.
Extract Error Reports
You are now ready to produce test Extract Error reports. To do so, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Error Report. The Error Report dialog box appears.
Figure 5-21: Error Report Dialog Box
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2. Select Extract Validation as the Error Source.
Figure 5-22: Error Report Dialog Box
3. Select Summary as the Report Type.
Figure 5-23: Error Report Dialog Box
4. Select the error file listed in the Error Files list (C:\DataPrep\Current\extrerr.ff).
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5. Click Generate.
Figure 5-24: Error Report Dialog Box
6. The Summary Error Report dialog box displays when the Report has been generated
and is ready to be viewed.
Selecting Files for
Reports
Figure 5-25: Summary Error Report Status Box
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For DataPrep to create an
Extract Error report (or any
other report), you must
select the individual file
from which you want to
generate the report. Select
a file from the Error Files list
by clicking on it. Files that
have been selected will
appear highlighted.
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7. Click View. The software viewer displays the Extract Summary Error Report.
Figure 5-26: Summary Extract Error Report
If this report appears, you have successfully generated the Extract Validation Summary
Error Report.
To create an Extract Validation Detail Error Report, follow the same steps as outlined
above except in Step 3 change “Select Summary as the Report Type” to “Select Detail as
the Report Type.”
Now that you have verified that you installed DataPrep successfully, and have generated
Extract Error reports, you should strengthen your familiarity with DataPrep by returning
to the DataPrep Main Menu and running error reports using different sort criteria. Then
look over the reports to get a good idea of what they provide. You can also check
Chapters 10 and 12 for more information about reports.
5.4.2 Unsuccessful Validation
Now you are ready to run the second test and see what happens when a Database
Extract file contains too many errors. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Rename the extract.ff file in the Extract folder to extract-pass.ff.
2. Copy the file named extract-fail.ff from the Samples folder (C:\DataPrep\Samples)
to the Extract folder and rename it extract.ff.
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Figure 5-27: Extract Folder
3. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Extract Validation. The Extract Validation dialog
box appears.
Figure 5-28: Extract Validation Dialog Box
4. Check that the Input directory paths point to the folders where the Extract and TEF
files are located and click Run. The Extract Validation Process dialog box displays the
Extract Validation Log Report containing a message informing you, “The percentage
of domain errors exceeds the allowable tolerances. Therefore, no Submittal File has
been created.”
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If this message appears, return to the DataPrep Main Menu and run the Extract Error
reports using the directions in the previous subsection to troubleshoot and research
your errors. You may also want to print the Extract Validation Log Report as explained in
a previous subsection.
If you want to know more about reports, use the instructions in Chapter 10 to generate
detailed Extract Error reports with different sort criteria and examine the results.
5.4.3 Testing Load Process Error Report
Now you are ready to generate a sample Load Process Error report. Before you can do
so, you must import the sample Load Process Error file into the Current folder.
You can use Windows Explorer or My Computer to copy
these files.
Generate the Load Process Error Report
After you’ve successfully copied the Load Process Error file
into the Current Directory, you are ready to generate a
Load Process Error report. To do so, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Error Report. The
Error Report dialog box appears.
Mainframe Testing
For testing the Load
Process Error Report
function for mainframes,
refer to Appendix G.
Figure 5-29: Error Report Dialog Box for Load Process Error Report
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2. Select the Error Source, Report Type.
Figure 5-30: Error Report Dialog Box for Load Process Error Report
3. Selection Criteria, and Sort Sequence options are available to utilize prior to
generating the error report.
Figure 5-31: Sort Sequence for Load Process Error Report
4. Highlight the Load Process Error file (C:\DataPrep\Current\loaderr.ff), and Click
Generate.
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Figure 5-32: Error Report Dialog Box for Load Process Error Report
5. The Load Summary Error Report dialog box displays when the report has been
generated and is ready to be viewed.
Figure 5-33: Load Summary Error Report Box
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5. Click View. The viewer displays the Load Process Error report.
Figure 5-34: Testing Load Process Error Report
After looking over the report, try to generate other Load Process Error reports; including
detail reports with different sort options. Refer to Section 10.2 for more information
about generating error reports.
5.4.4 Testing Error Submittal Notification Report
Now you are ready to generate a sample Error Submittal Notification report. First, use
Windows Explorer or My Computer to move files from the Sample folder into the
Current folder.
To generate the report, follow these steps:
1. On the Report menu of the DataPrep Main Menu, click Notification.
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Figure 5-35: Main Menu -Report
2. The Notification Report dialog box appears.
Figure 5-36: Notification Report Dialog Box
Reports
Creating reports is a three-step process:
1. Copy the file containing data for the report into the Current folder (C:\DataPrep\Current).
2. Generate the report.
3. View the report.
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3. Select the Error Submittal Summary Notification file
(C:\DataPrep\Current\shsntfop.ff) and click Generate.
Figure 5-37: Notification Report Dialog Box
4. The Generate Error Report dialog box displays a Status message saying, “The Error
Submittal Summary Notification Report has been generated!”
Figure 5-38: Generate Notification Report Box
5. To view the report, click View. The viewer displays the report.
Figure 5-39: Error Submittal Summary Notification Report
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Delete All Sample Files
Once you are finished testing DataPrep, you should delete them from DataPrep’s working folders
(C:\DataPrep and the corresponding subfolders) all the sample files you used and reports you
created during testing. That way, you won’t confuse them with real data once you begin
processing your institution’s Database Extract file.
Do not delete TEF File nor the sort and selection files (that is, files with .srt, *.sel, and *.var
type).
Leave the TEF file (TEF.ff) as well as the sort and selection files in the Current folder
(C:\DataPrep\Current) because you will need them to process your first live Submittal file.
And Remember
You may need the sample files for later testing or diagnostic purposes, so make sure that you
have copies of them in the Samples folder (C:\DataPrep\Samples). If necessary, copy sample files
back from the working folders to the Samples folder before deleting them from the working folders.
5.5 Deleting Test Files
Before you start using DataPrep to process live data, you should delete from DataPrep’s
working folders (C:\DataPrep and its folders) all the sample files you used and reports
you created while testing DataPrep. You can use Windows Explorer to delete them by
going to the directory on your computer and deleting the files. Do NOT delete the
folders.
You are now ready to begin using DataPrep to process your real data. If you have any
problems, remember to call the CSC at 800-999-8219.
5.6 Sample Files z/OS LE Version 3.1
The JCL for mainframes (IBM or fully compatible CPU) running z/OS LE Version 3.1 or
higher performs the Extract Validation Process and error file generation. Appendix G
contains the JCL for these functions. It can be referenced from the library created with
JCLLIB as part of the name. The library member name is PRBB1000.
The JCL references a sample Database Extract file containing 50 student/loan records of
which 2 are in error. This should be reported in the Extract Validation Log report, the
Detail Extract Error Report, and the Summary Extract Error Report.
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A second sample Database Extract file contains 100 student/loan records. Eight are in
error, which causes the file to exceed the ED-established error threshold. When you run
this sample file, no Submittal file should be created. To use the second sample, you
must change the JCL to reference the sample extract containing DBEXTERR as part of
the name.
The JCL also references a sample Load Process Error file containing 36 student/loan
records for 3 different schools, all in one Database Extract file. School 002021 has 11
errors, school 003554 has 7 errors, and school 004920 has 2 errors. This should be
reported in the Detail Error Report and the Summary Error Report.
Problems?
If you have any problems with installation or testing, call the
CSC at 800-999-8219 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Eastern Time, Monday through Friday excluding Federal
holidays.
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Chapter 6: The Database Extract File
The first step in the NSLDS update process is for you to
create a Database Extract file that accurately reflects the
contents of your school’s database(s) at the time of the
extract. The Database Extract file you create must follow
the standards defined by this chapter and the record
layouts in the Federal Perkins Loans Data Dictionary
(Appendix A). Remember that the Database Extract file
must be named extract.ff for DataPrep to work
properly.
DataPrep does not create a Database Extract file, so you
are responsible for determining how to create the file
from your school’s records or database(s). The Database
Extract file you create is subject to audit by ED.
School Requirements
You must create a Database
Extract file once a month and
no more than 14 days prior to
the load date scheduled by
NSLDS. The file must be an
exact reflection of your
database and should not be
edited or changed. The
Database Extract file is fully
auditable, field by field, to
your database.
6.1 Business Rules
As a data provider, you must observe these business rules:
Report all Federal Perkins loans that were open or closed on or after October 1,
1989. An edit will reject any loan closed before October 1, 1989. You can prevent
unnecessary rejects by not extracting such loans.
Do not report closed loans already reported and successfully loaded into the NSLDS
database. For example, suppose a borrower makes the final payment on a loan in
March 1999. You report the loan as paid in full (PF) with your April submittal; the
record contains no errors and updates NSLDS. Because the loan was loaded into the
NSLDS database, you should not extract this loan record again when you create
future Database Extract files. If an error was made in closing the loan and you need
to reopen it, add the loan to your next Database Extract file with the new
information. If the loan record passes all edits, NSLDS will load it and update the
loan accordingly.
Continue to report loans you assign to ED until you receive notice that the loan has
been accepted by ED. Once you receive such notice, do not report the loan.
Report new loans or updates to existing loans monthly on a schedule established by
NSLDS. The data you report must be current and not extracted earlier than shown on
your established reporting schedule (that is, no more than 14 days before the
scheduled load date).
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Create Database Extract files that meet the detailed specifications contained in
Appendix A. You are responsible for coding and testing your software as needed to
properly format the Database Extract file.
If you report a loan with an open status, it must have a positive Outstanding
Principal Balance. If the loan has a balance of less than $1, but not zero, you should
report the Outstanding Principal Balance as $1. If the loan is being maintained in an
open status because of a negative balance on the account (that is, a credit balance),
you should also report a balance of $1 until the loan is closed.
The Date of Outstanding Principal Balance reflects the date of the most recent
change in the principal balance. The Outstanding Principal Balance may change due
to a disbursement, loan payment, or cancellation. Since you submit all loans in your
database every month, the requirement to update Outstanding Principal Balance on
a quarterly basis is eliminated. Instead, you must update the dollar amount and the
date of the Outstanding Principal Balance using the current remaining amount and
the date of the most recent change in Outstanding Principal Balance. If you have
been reporting the last day of the month as the Date of Outstanding Principal
Balance regardless of when the balance actually changed, you must modify your
extract procedure to provide the actual date when the balance changed.
6.2 Record Types
The Database Extract file contains three types of records:
1. Header Record
2. Detail Records
3. Past Period Change Records
The Database Extract file must not have a Trailer
record, as DataPrep will create a Trailer record during
the Validation process. All 3 record layouts are
found in the Data Dictionary, Appendix A section of
this DPI.
Version and Release Number
DataPrep will automatically
insert its version and release
number in the Header record, so
you should leave this field blank
when creating the Header
record for your Database Extract
file.
6.2.1 Header Record
The Header record is for identification and tracking purposes. It contains your school
code; the submittal, initial load, and submittal receive dates; the software version and
release number; and the record type. The capital letter H must appear in position 48 of
the Header record as the record type.
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6.2.2 Detail Records
The Database Extract file must contain a separate
Detail record for each loan record in your school’s
database(s) that belongs to one of the following
categories:
Loans that are currently open
Loans that were closed on or after October 1,
1989, but not successfully reported as closed to
NSLDS
Individual Detail records must reflect the exact
contents of your database without editing or other
changes.
Initial Population
If you are a data provider
submitting data to NSLDS for
the first time, that submission is
referred to as the Initial
Population. During that
submission, you must report to
NSLDS not only all outstanding
(open) loans, but also any loans
that have been closed on or
after October 1, 1989.
Continue extracting and reporting loans to NSLDS until one of the following occurs:
The loan is closed and successfully reported to NSLDS with a Closed loan status. If
you report the loan to NSLDS but the loan record is not accepted because of error
conditions, you must continue reporting the loan until it is accepted. Valid closed
loan status codes are listed in Table B–2 in Appendix B.
Your school has assigned a loan to ED, received notice from ED that it has accepted
the loan, and you have successfully reported the loan to NSLDS (that is, contains no
errors).
Once either of these events occur, you should no longer extract that particular record
when you create your Database Extract file.
Let us look at an example. When a borrower makes the final payment on a Perkins loan,
perform the following actions:
1. Extract the record from your database.
2. Report the activity with a valid closed loan status
code (see Appendix B–2).
3. Include the record in your next submission to
NSLDS.
You should continue reporting this loan until it is
accepted without errors by NSLDS. Then your school
should stop reporting on this loan and no longer
include it in future Database Extract files.
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Loans Erroneously Reported
as Closed
If a loan was erroneously
reported as closed, you must
include this loan in your next
Database Extract file with the
correct loan status and date.
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Loans that were nullified because they were incorrectly reported, and loans that were
awarded but the borrower did not go through with them, should be reported with a
Loan Status Code of CA (Cancelled).
6.2.3 Past Period Change Records
PPC records enable you to correct reporting errors for
events that are stored in NSLDS as history, and
therefore, cannot be corrected by a Detail record. Use
PPC records to:
1. Delete historical events that were reported in error
(for example, an event reported for the wrong
borrower).
2. Correct historical events that cannot be adjusted
simply by updating current data fields (for example,
a previously reported loan status that should have
been reported with another value at the time it was
originally reported).
Past Period Changes
When you develop a process to
extract records from your
school’s database, be certain it
includes the ability to identify
and create PPC records in the
Database Extract file. PPC
records require the previously
reported event date so that the
specific posting can be
corrected.
Appendix C identifies which
attributes require this special
transaction for proper correction.
PPC records can be added to the Database Extract file
anywhere after the Header record, so you can easily append them to the file after
extracting Detail records from your database.
6.3 File Standards
Each record in the Database Extract file must be in a 300-byte layout without carriage
returns and line feeds between records. However, if you are a Windows user, you can
leave carriage return and line feed combinations in the Database Extract file because
DataPrep will strip them out before creating a Submittal file.
Database Extract files should be in the following formats:
Fixed-Length EBCDIC for mainframes running z/OS LE Version 3.1 or higher
ASCII for PCs running Windows
You must combine all loan records you report on into a single Database Extract file,
even if you have loan data stored in multiple databases or are reporting for several
campuses or branches in the same extract.
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As you create Detail records for your Database Extract file, keep in mind the following
considerations:
Once you create your Database Extract file, you must use the DataPrep software to
validate it for submittal to NSLDS. Use the Extract Error report generated by
DataPrep to correct any errors in your database before the next time you create your
Database Extract file. Do not correct errors by editing or otherwise altering the
Multiple Databases
All data must be combined into a single Database Extract file, even if you have loan
data stored in multiple databases or are reporting for several campuses or branches
in the same extract.
Database Extract file or any subsequent files created by DataPrep.
All data (including identifiers) must be reported until the record containing that data
passes all associated NSLDS edits. Verify that a record has been loaded onto NSLDS
by checking the Load Process Error report for errors against that record.
Because the Detail records in the Database Extract file concern individual loans, you
must report (and update) all information at the loan level. This means, for example,
that if you report on three loans for the same
student and the loans were first reported with the
wrong Date of Student’s Birth, you must update the
New Date of Student’s Birth on each of the three
loans. Updating the New Date of Student’s Birth on
Several Schools or
Branches
only one loan will not update the erroneous date of
If you report for several
birth on the other two loan records.
schools or branches, see
Section 4.7 for additional
information.
6.4 Field Standards
The standards for populating the fields of your
Database Extract file are as follows:
Character fields can contain letters, numbers, or blanks.
Numeric fields must contain numbers only. Blanks, alpha, or other characters will
cause errors.
Date fields must contain 8 digits, be valid dates, and appear in the format
CCYYMMDD (for example, 19990131 for January 31, 1999), where:
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CC
= 2 digits for the century
YY
= 2 digits for the year
MM
= 2 digits for the month
DD
= 2 digits for the day
The Database Extract File
Negative Numbers
A valid date is any acceptable calendar date. Invalid
dates would be dates such as February 30, February 29
of a non-leap year, or September 31. The default value
of 00000000 can be used in certain specifically
identified fields.
NSLDS does not accept cents in amount fields. Dollar
and cents amounts should be rounded to the nearest
dollar.
Appendix B contains a complete account of the various
codes you will need to fill some fields in the Database
Extract file.
NSLDS does not handle
negative numbers. If the
outstanding balance on a
loan becomes negative (that
is, a credit balance), you
must report the balance as
$1 and keep the status open
until you can set the balance
to zero.
If you report the Amount of
Outstanding Principal
Balance as negative, NSLDS
will read it as a positive
value.
6.5 Updating Identifier Data
After NSLDS has successfully loaded data from your school for the first time, thus
completing the Initial Population, processing rules apply to any subsequent attempts to
update or change the data that were loaded. These rules are designed to maintain the
integrity of the data in NSLDS.
There are two sets of rules governing changes to data in NSLDS. One governs changes
to the fields that contain loan identifier data; the other governs changes to the fields
that contain non-identifier data.
6.5.1 Loan and Student Identifiers
Loan identifiers are the values contained in positions 1–47 of Detail or PPC records.
They uniquely identify a loan, distinguishing it from the millions of other loans stored in
NSLDS. Although loan identifiers appear on both Detail and PPC records, you must use a
Detail record to change them.
A particularly important subset of loan identifiers is made up of student identifiers,
which uniquely identify a student just as loan identifiers uniquely identify a loan.
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Figure 6-1 lists the fields that constitute the loan identifier portion of a Detail record and
which of them also serve as student identifiers.
Field
Position
Type
Code for Original School
1–8
Loan Identifier
Student’s Social Security Number
9–17
Loan/Student Identifier
Date of Student’s Birth
18–25
Loan/Student Identifier
Student’s First Name
26–37
Loan/Student Identifier
Type of Loan/Other Aid
38–39
Loan Identifier
Date of First Disbursement
40–47
Loan Identifier
Figure 6-1: Loan and Student Identifiers
Section 9.4.1 presents an overview of how NSLDS goes about matching the identifiers
for newly submitted loan records against student and loan information already in the
NSLDS database. The Identifier Match Criteria used in
that process are described in detail by the entry for the
Student’s Social Security Number field in the Data
Dictionary (Appendix A).
Identifier Change Process
6.5.2 The Identifier Change Process
You must use the identifier change process to update
loan identifier data already loaded on NSLDS. Failure to
follow this process can create duplicate loan records that
compromise the data integrity of NSLDS and cause
students to be denied Title IV aid to which they are
entitled.
Changing identifier
information without
submitting full sets of both
original loan identifiers and
new loan identifiers can
create duplicate loan records
that compromise the data of
NSLDS and cause students
to be denied Title IV aid to
which they are entitled.
Because the entire string of information contained in the
identifier fields is needed to singularly identify a loan, loan identifiers are processed as a
block. When you update one identifier, you must reconfirm the values of the other
identifiers. To this end, you must supply a complete set of new identifiers. This becomes
especially important if a school merges with another school and wishes to take over and
report on the previous school’s Perkins portfolio. For more information on school
mergers, see section 13.2.
To update identifiers, the Detail record must contain the identifier values currently
loaded on NSLDS in the original identifier fields (positions 1–47). Then use the new
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identifier fields (positions 50–96) on the same record to report changes. Whenever you
update one or more identifiers, you must fill in all the new identifier fields, regardless of
whether the values in them are new ones or ones that you have been reporting all
along.
The new loan identifier fields are:
New Code for Original School
New Student’s Social Security Number
New Date of Student’s Birth
New Student’s First Name
New Type of Loan
New Date of First Disbursement
New Loan Identifiers
New Code for Original School
New Student’s Social Security Number
New Date of Student’s Birth
New Student’s First Name
New Type of Loan
New Date of First Disbursement
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Figure 6-2 gives an example of how to update identifier information on a loan that
currently exists in the NSLDS database.
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Assume that the following loan information currently exists on the
NSLDS database (values in position 1-47):
Code for Original School = 00876500
Student’s Social Security Number = 111223333
Date of Student’s Birth = 19600508
Student’s First Name = Robert
Type of Loan/Other Aid = NU
Date of First Disbursement = 19910903
Then you discover that the Type of Loan/Other Aid code is incorrect. To
update the erroneous identifier, submit the data exactly as shown above
in positions 1–47 of the record and, at the same time, also report the
following values in positions 50–96 of the record:
New Code for Original School = 00876500
New Student’s Social Security Number = 111223333
New Date of Student’s Birth = 19600508
New Student’s First Name = Robert
New Type of Loan/Other Aid = PU (only item changed)
New Date of First Disbursement = 19910903
Note: Only the Type of Loan/Other Aid was changed. All other values must
be resubmitted as before.
Figure 6-2: How to Update Loan Identifier Data
6.5.3 Updating Identifiers on Multiple Records
Remember that all information on NSLDS, including identifier information, must be
updated at the loan level. This means that your Database Extract file must contain a
separate Detail record, with full sets of old and new identifier data, for each loan record
whose identifiers you want to update. This is the case even if you are making the same
change—typically a change to student identifiers—to a number of loans.
After you submit the updated information to NSLDS, review the Load Process Error
report to see that all the Detail records containing the updates were loaded into NSLDS.
If any records erred out, correct and resubmit them with both the original loan
identifiers and new loan identifiers until they load successfully.
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6.6 Updating Non-Identifier Data
The process for updating loan identifier data is described in Section 6.5. A completely
different set of rules applies when you report new data in fields that are not part of the
loan identifier.
To follow those rules, you must answer two questions:
1. Is the field you want to update one for which NSLDS keeps history?
2. If NSLDS keeps history for the field, are you trying to update the current value of the
field or an earlier historical value? (See Figure 6-7: for the list of fields for which
history is kept.)
Depending on how you answer these two questions, you face three possible scenarios:
1. History Is Not Kept for the Field—In this case, the new data should be captured by
your normal extract process and included in your regular submission as part of the
Detail record for that loan. You do not have to do anything special to report the new
value to NSLDS. As long as the new value passes all applicable edits, it will be loaded
onto NSLDS.
2. History Is Kept for the Field, and You Are Updating the Current Value for That
Field—In this case, the new data should be captured by your normal extract process
and included in your regular submission as part of the Detail record for that loan.
You do not have to do anything special to report the new value to NSLDS. As long as
the new value passes all applicable edits, it will be loaded onto NSLDS.
3. History Is Kept for the Field, and You Are Trying to Update a Historical Value
for That Field—In this case, create a PPC record to report the new data.
6.6.1 What NSLDS Does
How NSLDS Creates History
When NSLDS updates a field for which history is not kept, the updated value becomes
the current value and the old current value is discarded by the system. When NSLDS
updates a field for which history is kept, the updated value becomes the current value
and the old current value becomes the historical value. As further updates occur, each
current value becomes, in turn, a historical value, and all the historical values are stored,
in order, as history for that field.
Figure 6-3 and Figure 6-4 will help illustrate how history is created as part of the update
process.
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In Figure 6-3, the NSLDS database contains a record for Loan X that has been loaded
into the database but never updated. Each data element for the loan (A, B, C, and D) has
the same value it did when the loan was first loaded onto the database; those are the
current values A1, B1, C1, and D1.
The data provider then sends NSLDS a Submittal file that contains updates to two of the
fields for Loan X. Those updates are denoted by B2 and D2. The updates pass all the
relevant edits and are loaded onto the database. Because history is kept for field D but
is not kept for field B, the following occurs:
The current value of field B is updated to B2, and the old current value B1 is discarded.
The current value of field D is updated to D2, and the old current value is stored in
history as D1.
Loan X
Submittal File
Database Before Update
A1
B2
C1 D2
Loan X
A1
B1
C1 D1
- Current Values
Loan X
A1
B2
C1 D2
- Current Values
Database After Update
D1
- History (Prior Event)
NSL - 1097
Figure 6-3: NSLDS Update (1 of 2)
In Figure 6-4, the data provider sends another Submittal file to NSLDS. This time, the
Submittal file contains updates to fields A, C, and D. Those updates are denoted by A2,
C2 and D3. The updates pass all the relevant edits and are loaded onto the database.
Because history is kept for fields A and D but not for C, the following occurs:
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The current value of field A is updated to A2, and the old current value is stored in
history as A1.
The current value of field C is updated to C2, and the old current value is discarded.
The current value of field D is updated to D3, the old current value is stored in
history as D2 (which is also part of the prior event), and the original current value is
stored in history as D1.
D1 is now strictly history and can only be changed by a PPC record.
Loan X
Submittal File
Database Before Update
Loan X
A1
B2
A2
B2
C1 D2
D1
Loan X
Database After Update
A2
A1
B2
C2 D3
C2 D3
- Current Values
- History (Prior Event)
- Current Values
D2
- History (Prior Event)
D1
- History
NSL - 1098
Figure 6-4: NSLDS Update (2 of 2)
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Events
The following events can be updated by a PPC
record:
Cancellation
Deferment
Disbursement
Loan Status
School Servicer
Events
An event is made up of a key, usually a date, and
one or more associated values. The key and values
are linked together because they give each other
meaning. For example, a Date of Loan Status is not
meaningful without an accompanying Code for Loan
Status. Together they constitute a discrete event,
Loan Status.
Events are made up of keys and
associated values. Keys and
values are treated as if they were
linked because they give each
other meaning. For example, a
Date of Loan Status is not
meaningful
without
an
accompanying Code for Loan
Status. Together they describe a
discrete Loan Status event.
Events can be classified as
current, prior, or history.
Notice in Figure 6-3 and Figure 6-4 that the event immediately preceding the event that
created the current value in a field for which history is kept is known as the prior event.
It can be updated either by a PPC record or by a Detail record, but only if the purpose of
the Detail record is to delete the current value for the field and reinstate the value of the
prior event as the current value.
How NSLDS Updates Current Events
Figure 6-5 shows what happens when you attempt to update a current event (key and
values) using a Detail record.
Case When the Key (Usually Date)
When Value(s)
NSLDS Does This
1
Stays the same.
Changes to new
value.
Updates the value
associated with the current
event.
2
Changes to earlier date not
before the date of the prior
event.
Stays the same.
Updates the date
associated with the current
event.
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Case When the Key (Usually Date)
When Value(s)
NSLDS Does This
3
Changes to a later date.
Stays the same.
Updates the date
associated with the current
event.
4
Changes to a date before the
date of the prior event.
Stays the same.
Returns a date sequence
error and does not update
the record.
5
Changes to an earlier date, but
one still after the date of the
prior event.
Changes to new
value.
Updates the date and value
fields associated with the
current event.
6
Changes to the same date as
the prior event stored on
NSLDS.
Stays the same.
Deletes the current event,
and the prior event
becomes the current event.
Updates with value.
7
Changes to the same date as
the prior event stored on
NSLDS.
Changes to a new Deletes the current event,
value.
and the prior event
becomes the current event.
Updates with values.
8
Changes date to default value
(zeros), where there is no
previous event in history, and
the field being changed is not
part of a loan.
Changes to
default value
(zeros for
numeric field,
blanks for
character field).
Deletes the current event.
9
Changes date to default value
(zeros), and there is a previous
event in history.
Changes to
default value
(zeros for
numeric field,
blanks for
character field).
Returns a date sequence
error and does not update
the record.
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Case When the Key (Usually Date)
When Value(s)
NSLDS Does This
10
Changes date to default value
(zeros), where there is no
previous event in history, and
the record being changed is a
loan or student status event.
Changes to
default value
(zeros for
numeric field,
blanks for
character field).
Returns an error and does
not update the record.
(Deletion of last loan or
student status is not
allowed.)
11
Changes to a later date.
Changes to new
value.
Creates a new event on
NSLDS, which becomes the
current value. What had
been the current event
now becomes prior
event/history.
Figure 6-5: Updating a Current Event
Notice what happens if, as in Case 4, you attempt to change a current key (date) so it is
earlier than the key (date) of the prior event. This illustrates one of the two things you
must keep in mind when updating events, whether you are updating their current values
or historical values:
1. You cannot change the chronological order of events stored in history. That is, you
cannot re-date an event (for example, the event of which data element D2 in Figure
6-4 is part) so that it predates an event that occurred before it (D1) or postdates an
event that occurred after it (D3).
2. You cannot re-date events so they overlap in time.
Cases 6 and 7 illustrate the prior event exception. Normally, a historical event can only
be modified by a PPC record. However, because NSLDS wants to make it easy for you to
undo your most recent change to the database, it allows you to delete a current event
and update the values of what was the prior event using a Detail record. Do this only
when you want to delete the current event and make the old prior event the current
event. If, on the other hand, you want to change some value of the prior event without
deleting the current event, you must use a PPC record.
How NSLDS Updates Historical Events
Figure 6-6: shows what happens when you attempt to update the various parts of a
historical event (keys and values) using a PPC record.
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Case When the Key
When Value(s)
NSLDS Does This
1
Stays the same.
Provides defaults (zeros
or blanks, as per record
layout specifications).
Deletes event.
2
Stays the same.
Provides new value.
Updates value if it passes
validation edits.
3
Changes to a new date
within the range of
acceptable dates.
Stays the same or
changes to default
value(s).
Updates date to new
date, keeps existing
value(s).
4
Changes to a new date
within the range of
acceptable dates.
Provides new value(s).
Updates date, and value
if it passes other edits.
5
Changes to a new date
not within the range of
acceptable dates.
Stays the same or
changes to default
value(s).
Change not accepted.
Date Sequence Error is
reported on Load Process
Error report.
6
Changes to a new date
not within the range of
acceptable dates.
Provides new value(s).
Change not accepted.
Date Sequence Error is
reported on Load Process
Error report.
Figure 6-6: Updating Historical Events
6.6.2 What You Do
Does NSLDS Keep History for the Field?
To update a loan record on NSLDS successfully, you must be able to answer the two
questions posed in Section 6.6:
1. Is the field one for which NSLDS keeps history?
2. If NSLDS does keep history for the field, are you trying to update the current value
for the field or a historical value?
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To answer the first question, check Figure 6-7: or the History Kept box for the field in the
Data Dictionary (Appendix A).
Fields for Which History Is Kept
Fields for Which History Is Not Kept
Amount of Cancellation
Amount of Loan
Amount of Disbursement
Amount of Outstanding Principal Balance
Code for Current School
Data Provider Identifier
Code for Enrollment Status
Code for Original School
Code for Loan Status
Date Enrollment Period Begins
Code for Servicer
Date Enrollment Period Ends
Date Deferment Starts
Date Entered Repayment
Date Deferment Stops
Date Grant Overpayment Repaid
Date Enrollment Status Effective
Date of Cancellation
Date of Student’s Birth
Date of Disbursement
Interest Rate
Date of First Disbursement
New Code for Original School
Date of Loan Status
New Date of First Disbursement
Date of Outstanding Principal Balance
Date of Servicer Responsibility
New Date of Student’s Birth
Indicator of Grant Overpayment
New Type of Loan/Other Aid
New Student’s Social Security Number
Student’s Academic Level
New Student’s First Name
Student’s Last Name
Student’s First Name
Student’s Middle Initial
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Fields for Which History Is Kept
Fields for Which History Is Not Kept
Student’s Social Security Number
Type of Loan/Other Aid
Student’s Social Security Number Indicator
Type of Cancellation
Type of Deferment
Figure 6-7: Fields and History
If history is not kept for the field you want to update, the update should be caught by
your normal extract process and submitted to NSLDS on a Detail record without any
special effort on your part. As long as the update passes all edits, it will be loaded onto
NSLDS.
If, on the other hand, history is kept for the field you want to update, you must know
whether you are updating a current value or a historical value.
Are You Updating a Current Value or a Historical Value?
Most of the updates you submit to NSLDS will be to current values. This is as true for
fields for which history is kept as it is for fields for which history is not kept. So even if
history is kept for the field you want to update, you will normally be updating the
current value for that field. If that is the case, the update should be caught by your
normal extract process and submitted to NSLDS on a
Detail record without any special effort on your part.
On the other hand, you will sometimes know you want to
update a historical value because you are aware that a
mistake was made when reporting on an event prior to
the event that supplied the current values for a field.
More often, you will discover that you want to update a
historical value because of the following sequence:
1. You submit a change to a current value on a Detail
record, but it errs out of NSLDS.
2. When you check your Load Process Error report, you
discover that the change you submitted was valid, but
that it conflicted with some other value stored in
history on NSLDS.
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Changing History
When data are submitted
to NSLDS, the system first
processes Detail records,
then PPC records. For this
reason, if you want to
change historical
information on a loan
whose identifiers are also
being modified at the same
time, the PPC record must
refer to the new identifiers,
not the old ones.
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Depending on the nature of the change you want to make, you may need to know more
about the historical values already on NSLDS.
Past Period Events
PPC records update events stored in history on NSLDS. Events are made up of two components:
The key that identifies the event
The associated values(s) that describe the event
Figure 6-8 lists the events you can update using PPC records.
Event
Key
Associated Value(s)
Cancellation
Old Date of Cancellation
New Date of Cancellation
New Type of Cancellation
New Amount of Cancellation
Deferment
Old Date Deferment Starts
New Date Deferment Starts
New Date Deferment Stops
New Type of Deferment
Disbursement
Old Date of Disbursement
New Date of Disbursement
Loan Status
Old Date of Loan Status
New Date of Loan Status
New Code for Loan Status
School Servicer
Old Code for Servicer
New Code for Servicer
New Date of Servicer
Responsibility
Figure 6-8: PPC Events, Keys, and Values
Creating Past Period Change Records
PPC records must contain the following elements:
A complete set of loan identifiers
The key that enables NSLDS to identify the event to be updated
Any new values with which you want to update the event
Only report the loan identifiers, the key, and any new values for the event that you want
to change. Use default values for fields that you are not changing. There is no need to
fill all the Old/New fields as you would for changes to loan identifiers.
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For PPC record layouts and detailed instructions explaining how to apply specific
updates to each PPC event, see Appendix C.
Changing Event Dates
Except for the School Servicer event, all the PPC events you can update have a date as
their key. So updating an event key normally involves updating a date.
There are two important things to remember when
making date changes with a PPC:
1. You may not change the chronological order of
events contained in history. Do not re-date an event
so it predates one that occurred before it or
postdates one that occurred after it.
2. You may not change the date of an event so that it
equals the date of a pre-existing event. For example,
if there is a loan status effective date of 3/1/98, you
cannot correct another loan status effective date to
3/1/98.
To change a date that is the key to an event, send NSLDS
a PPC record containing the loan identifiers, the “Old”
date that serves as the key, and the “New” date with
which you want to update NSLDS.
Old and New
When a PPC field name
starts with the word Old (for
example, Old Date of Loan
Status) you must report the
exact value already
contained in the field you are
changing. When the PPC
field name says New (for
example, New Date of Loan
Status), you report the new
value you want that data
element to contain.
To change a date that is an event value, send NSLDS a PPC record containing the loan
identifiers, the event key stored in NSLDS, and the new date with which you want to
update NSLDS.
Example
The following is an example of a valid change of key date in a Loan Status event.
In this example, the Date of Loan Status (key) is changed from April 1, 1994, to March 1,
1995. Notice that it was not necessary to provide the Code for Loan Status (value)
associated with the April 1, 1994, event because it did not change.
For simplicity, here and in the examples that follow, loan identifiers are represented by
Loan XYZ, when in fact they consist of all the information contained in positions 1–47 of
the loan record.
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Loan Identifiers
Old Date of Loan
Status
New Date of Loan
Status
New Code for Loan
Status
Loan XYZ
19940401
19950301
BLANKS
Changing Event Values
To change the value(s) associated with an event, send NSLDS a PPC record containing
the loan identifiers, the event key stored in NSLDS, and any new value(s).
Example
In this example, the Code for Loan Status associated with the April 1, 1994, Loan Status
is changed to RP, so the New Code for Loan Status will replace the former value for the
event. Since the date of the event is not changing, it is not necessary to provide a New
Date of Loan Status.
Loan Identifiers
Old Date of Loan
Status
New Date of Loan
Status
New Code for Loan
Status
Loan XYZ
19940401
ZEROS
RP
Changing Both Date and Value
To change both the key date of the event and the associated data, send a PPC record
containing the loan identifiers, the event key (date) stored in NSLDS, the new key (date),
and the new value.
Example 1
Assume the following values for a series of Deferment events exist on the NSLDS
database:
Start
Stop
Type
01/01/98
01/15/98
FP
02/01/98
02/15/98
FP
03/01/98
03/15/98
FP
04/01/98
04/15/98
FP
If you want to correct the 02/01/98 deferment to a starting date of 02/02/98 and the
Type of Deferment from FP to FS, use the following PPC:
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Loan Identifiers
Old Deferment
Start Date
New Deferment New Deferment New Deferment
Start Date
End Date
Type
Loan XYZ
19980201
19980202
00000000
FS
The New Deferment End Date contains the default value 00000000 because the value is
not being changed.
Example 2
If you want to change the date of a Loan Status event from April 1, 1994, to March 1,
1995, and the Code for Loan Status to RP, use the following PPC:
Loan Identifiers
Old Date of Loan
Status
New Date of Loan
Status
New Code for Loan
Status
Loan XYZ
19940401
19950301
RP
Deleting Historical Data
To delete an event, submit a PPC record that contains the loan identifiers and event key
stored in NSLDS, along with default values (given in the PPC record layouts in Appendix
C) in all the New fields.
Example
To delete a Loan Status event from history, use the following PPC record:
Old Date of Loan
Loan Identifiers Status
New Date of Loan
Status
New Code for Loan
Status
Loan XYZ
ZEROS
BLANKS
19940401
6.7 Copy Your Database Extract File to the Extract Directory
When you have created a Database Extract file that meets the standards outlined in this
chapter, you must copy it to PC DataPrep’s Extract folder (C:\DataPrep\Extract) and
name it extract.ff. Extract Validation will fail if PC DataPrep does not find a file named
extract.ff in the Extract folder.
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Chapter 7: Extract Validation
Once you have created your Database Extract file and copied it to the Extract folder
(C:\DataPrep\Extract), you are ready to run Extract Validation. This task is performed
entirely by DataPrep.
7.1 What Happens in Extract Validation?
In the Extract Validation process, DataPrep first examines your Database Extract file to
make certain its format is acceptable. DataPrep checks for proper header record(s), 300byte record lengths, and matching school code(s). These are called file-level edits.
If the header format is not correct, DataPrep cannot
continue the process, and an error message appears
informing you that there was a header error and that
processing was aborted.
The Extract Validation process will also abort if any Detail
or PPC record has a school code that does not match the
school code on its Header record.
If your Database Extract file passes the file-level edits,
DataPrep performs domain-level edits by examining all
Detail and PPC records in the file to ensure that each
data element meets domain requirements. If the
percentage of domain errors exceeds the threshold
levels set by ED (see box), DataPrep will issue an error
message informing you that you have exceeded the
threshold and that no Submittal file was created. All
errors are noted in an Extract Error file from which you
can generate an Extract Error report. Use this report to
correct your database or extract program. Then create a
new Database Extract file and rerun Extract Validation.
Domain-Level Errors
There are four kinds of
domain-level errors:
1. Numeric Field
Errors—A character
other than a number is
in a field requiring all
numbers
2. Invalid Date Errors—
Date specified does not
exist on a calendar or is
not zeros
3. Missing Identifiers in
one or more loan
identifier fields
4. Missing New
Identifiers on records
with identifier changes
If your Database Extract file passes the file-level edits and the percentage of domain
errors is below the maximum threshold levels established by NSLDS, DataPrep creates a
Submittal file that you then send to NSLDS.
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The Extract Validation process produces three output
files:
1. Extract Validation Log File—A file containing a log
report that summarizes the results of the Extract
Validation process and counts of records processed.
2. Extract Error File—A file from which you can
generate a report listing all domain errors. It is
created only if the Database Extract file passes filelevel edits.
3. Submittal File—The file you transmit to NSLDS. It is
created only if the Database Extract file passes filelevel edits and remains below ED-established
thresholds for domain-level errors.
Successful Extract
Validation
For Extract Validation to
create a Submittal file, your
Database Extract file must not
contain any file-level errors,
and the percentages of
domain-level errors must be
below the threshold levels
established by ED.
D a ta b a s e E x tra c t F ile
(C o n ta in s H e a d e r, D e ta il, P a s t
P e rio d C h a n g e (P P C ) R e c o rd s )
U p d a te d a ta b a s e (s ).
R e ru n c yc le a s
n e e d e d to c o rre c t
file -le v e l e rro rs a n d
d o m a in -le v e l e rro rs
(if a b o v e th re s h h o ld )
b e fo re c re a tin g a
n e w e xtra c t file .
E x tra c t V a lid a tio n P ro c e s s
V a lid a tio n
Log
S u b m itta l F ile
(C o n ta in s H e a d e r, D e ta il, P P C ,
a n d T ra ile r R e c o rd s )
E x tra c t
E rro r F ile
E x tra c t E rro r
R e p o rt
Send
S u b m itta l F ile
to N S L D S
NSLDS
Figure 7-1: Extract Validation Process
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7.2 DataPrep Error Path
DataPrep performs two sets of edits during the Extract Validation process:
1. File-level edits
2. Domain-level edits
Edit Process
Problem
Solution
1. Incorrect Header
2. School Code does
not match Header
Correct database
and/or extract process
and rerun Extract
Validation
1. Numeric Field Error
2. Invalid Date
3. Missing Identifier
4. Missing New Identifier
Correct database
and/or extract process
and rerun Extract
Validation
File-Level Edits
DataPrep
Extract
Validation
Process
Extract Validation
Aborted
Domain-Level Edits
Threshold Failure
NSL-1111
Figure 7-2: DataPrep Edit Process
7.3 File-Level Edits
File-level edits check whether the Database Extract file is a legitimate file with the
correct header, 300-byte records, and a school code in each record that matches the
code in the header. If DataPrep detects any one of these file-level errors, the Extract
Validation process aborts and an error message, with a description of the error, appears
on screen. If this happens, you must correct your database and/or extract process and
create a new Database Extract file. You would then rerun Extract Validation. See
Appendix B–10 (PC users) or B–11 (z/OS LE users) for a complete list of all the file-level
and header errors that cause the Extract Validation process to abort.
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7.3.1 Domain-Level Edits
Domain-level edits check for four kinds of errors:
Numeric Field Errors—A character other than a number in
a field requiring all numbers
Invalid Date Errors—A date that does not exist on a
calendar and is not all zeros
Missing Identifiers in one or more loan identifier fields
Missing New Identifiers on records with identifier changes
If the percentage of the records with these errors exceeds the
threshold levels established by ED, DataPrep will not create a
Submittal file. You must then correct your database or extract
process, create a new Database Extract file, and rerun Extract
Validation.
Domain Error Rates
DataPrep validates the
entire record and can
detect multiple
domain-level errors on
a single input record.
The error rates are
calculated by
DataPrep based on
the number of records
with one or more
errors, not on the total
number of errors
detected.
7.4 Running Extract Validation on a PC
Before you can run Extract Validation, you must perform the following tasks:
Download DataPrep executable “JAR” file from
https://fsadownload.ed.gov, launch, and define the
directory paths for DataPrep’s data files (Section 5.2)
Create a Database Extract file named extract.ff and
copy it to the Extract folder (Chapter 5)
Copy the most recent TEF file to the Current folder.
Ensure that you have the latest TEF file by going to
FSAdownload. Once you have a current TEF file, use the
software’s File Transfer option (Section 5.3.3) to help with
placement and naming of the file.
Naming the Extract File
Remember that your
Database Extract file must
be named extract.ff in
order for DataPrep to
locate and process it.
Once you have performed these tasks, you are ready to run Extract Validation.
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1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Extract Validation.
Figure 7-3: DataPrep Main Menu with Extract Validation Selected
The Extract Validation dialog box appears.
Figure 7-4: Extract Validation Dialog Box
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File Date
Note that the date a file was last modified or created appears on the right side of the Extract Validation
dialog box. This is to help you make sure you are using the right Database Extract file.
If you click on the plus sign next to the file date, the File Information Dialog Box appears, showing the
date and time the file was last modified and the number of bytes in the file.
2. If you click any of the Information Icons on the far right next to the file date, the File
Information dialog box appears. This box shows the file name, the date and time the
file was created or last modified (whichever is more current), and the number of
bytes in the file.
Figure 7-5: File Information Box
3. Click Ok to return to the Extract Validation dialog box.
4. Click Run. Once Extract Validation begins, the Extract
Validation Process dialog box appears, with a green bar at
the bottom which indicates how much of the process is
complete. While Extract Validation is in progress, you can
close the Extract Validation dialog box and perform other
DataPrep tasks. In addition, you can use other software to
perform tasks while Extract Validation runs. If you decide to
terminate Extract Validation before it is complete, return to
the Extract Validation dialog box and click Stop.
When processing is complete, the Extract Validation Process
dialog box shows a green bar complete across the bottom
of the window and displays information about the Extract
Validation process that is repeated in the Extract Validation
Log report (Section 7.4.2).
While Extract
Validation Is in
Progress
While Extract Validation
is in progress, you can
use DataPrep or other
software to perform
tasks. When Extract
Validation is done, the
Extract Validation
Process dialog box will
show that 100 percent
of the process was
completed.
Once you have started to run Extract Validation, you cannot
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stop it from the Extract Validation Process dialog box. If you want to stop the Extract
Validation process before it has completed, you must return to the Extract Validation
dialog box and click Stop.
Figure 7-6: Extract Validation Process Dialog Box
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Once you are satisfied that Extract Validation has run successfully, click Done to return
to the Extract Validation dialog box. Then click Exit to return to the DataPrep Main
Menu. From there you have several options, including generating reports.
7.4.1 Output
The successful Extract Validation process produces three files:
1. Extract Validation Log File (C:\DataPrep\Current\extrlog.ff)
2. Extract Error File (C:\DataPrep\Current\extrerr.ff)
3. Submittal File (C:\Dataprep\Current\submit.ff)
7.4.2 Using the Extract Validation Log Report
Section 10.1 explains how to view and print the Extract Validation Log report. This report
repeats the information displayed by the Extract Validation Process dialog box when
Extract Validation is complete. You must check this report to verify that the Submittal file
created by Extract Validation contains valid data that will load onto the NSLDS database.
The Extract Validation Log report contains the following information:
Version and release numbers for DataPrep
When Extract Validation began
Whether Extract Validation was successful and what to do next
Original School
Extract Date
Record counts for the Database Extract file
Number of Detail records
Error Numbers
Number of PPC records
Counts and percentages of domain-level errors
Date/numeric errors
Identifier errors
New identifier errors
Remember that DataPrep
calculates the number of
records containing errors if
there are multiple errors in
a single record, not the
total number of errors
(which could be
considerably higher).
Totals for open loans
Number of open loans
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Amount of loan
Amount of cancellation
Outstanding principal balance
Original School is the school’s OPEID if the Database Extract file contains only records
for a single school. If the file contains records from multiple schools, the number of
schools reporting on the file appears instead.
The record counts for the Database Extract file are useful when you do reasonability
checks. Look, in particular, for unusually large changes in the number of Detail records
from one submittal to the next.
DataPrep totals the number of records that contain domain-level errors and the
percentage they represent of the records in the Database Extract file. If you have
exceeded the error threshold levels defined by ED, DataPrep does not create a Submittal
file. In this case, you must correct your database and/or extract process, create a new
Database Extract file, re-start the extract process, and re-validate until your error rate is
below the threshold levels.
Extract Validation Is Successful
If your Database Extract file processes successfully, the
Log states:
Your Database Extract file was processed
successfully. Please do a reasonability check
comparing this Log with Logs from prior runs. If the
amounts and number of records extracted are
reasonable, send the Submittal file to NSLDS. If not,
review your Database Extract file, make the needed
corrections, and rerun Extract Validation.
Compare this log to the logs for prior Validation
Extracts to make sure the numbers in the Submittal file
DataPrep has just produced are reasonable. In
particular, look at the following:
Number of Detail records
Number of open loans
Amount of loan
Amount of cancellation
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Checking Reasonability
The Extract Validation Log
will tell you whether the
Extract Validation process
was successful. If it was,
compare the Log with
others from prior
Validations to make sure
the number of Detail
records and totals for open
loans are reasonable.
Large increases in the
number of Detail records or
numbers for open loans
could indicate that you
have duplicated records or
extracted some records
incorrectly.
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Outstanding balance
Large, unexplained changes in any of these figures could indicate that your Database
Extract file contains flawed data, even though it processed successfully.
Extract Validation Fails Because of File-Level Errors
If DataPrep detects a file-level error, it stops Extract Validation and does not create a
Submittal file. The Extract Validation Log report announces that DataPrep has detected a
file-level error and terminated Extract Validation. It also describes the error and suggests
possible remedies.
Figure 7-7: Extract Validation Process Box
Among the possible causes for a failed Extract Validation are the following:
No Header record
An incorrect format
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Data that shifted because you inserted a
space or a character
Records were not the required 300-byte
length
Mismatch between the Code for
Original School in a Detail record and
the school code in the Header record
What to Do When Extract Validation Is
Halted
If Extract Validation failed because a filelevel error caused the process to abort,
verify that you have used the correct
Database Extract file, that it has a Header
record, is in the proper format, and that the
records are all 300 bytes in length.
Extract Validation Fails Because of Domain Errors
If the percentage of domain-level errors in your Database Extract file exceeds the
allowable threshold levels, the Log will state that no Submittal file was created, will
report the error rate, and will explain the reason for the failure (excessive date/numeric,
identifier, or new identifier errors). The Extract Validation Log will state:
The percentage of domain errors exceeds the allowable tolerances. Therefore, no
Submittal File has been created. You can use the Loan Detail Error Report to help
determine the cause. Please correct your database, create a new Database Extract file,
and rerun the Extract Validation process. Refer
to the Perkins DPI for help in identifying the
possible cause of the problem.
When you receive this message, you must
correct the domain-level errors on your
database so that the percentage of errors is
acceptable. Use the Extract Error report to see
what corrections must be made. But remember
that the Database Extract file must be an exact
reflection of your database, so you should
correct all errors by updating your database, not
by editing the Database Extract file or any file
created by DataPrep.
Domain Error Threshold Levels
ED has set the threshold levels for
domain errors at:
Combined Date and
Numeric Field Errors 10%
Missing Identifier 5%
Missing New Identifier 5%
These percentages are subject to
change at ED’s discretion.
There are a number of possible reasons for domain-level errors. Some of the following
causes and corrections might explain yours:
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Your Data Is Stored Incorrectly on Your Database—The solution is to correct the
appropriate fields on your database. For example, if your database accepts 6-digit
dates, correct it so it stores the 8-digit dates required by NSLDS or make sure your
extract process converts 6-digit dates to 8
digits.
Your Extract Process Calculates Fields
Incorrectly—Review and correct any
programming logic in your extract process.
For example, when you calculate Date
Entered Repayment by adding 1 day to the
end of the enrollment period, make sure you
are not producing invalid dates such as
February 29, 1999, rather than the valid
March 1, 1999.
Your Extract Process Only Picks Up
Changed Fields—Change your process to
populate the other fields with the current
data for those fields.
What to Do When Your Domain
Errors Are in Excess of the
Threshold
If the number of domain errors
(date/numeric field errors, identifier
errors, or new Identifier errors) Extract
Validation finds in the Detail and PPC
records exceeds the threshold defined
by ED, it rejects the whole Database
Extract file.
The Extract Validation Log report
contains your error rates. To learn
more detail about what caused the
errors, generate an Extract Error
report.
TEF File Is Out of Date
If your TEF file is more than 90 days old, DataPrep will display a message warning that
the threshold error values it contains may be out of date. However, DataPrep will
perform Extract Validation and create a Submittal file, assuming that your Database
Extract file meets the standards described in this manual. Update your TEF file by
downloading the latest version from FSADownload.
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Figure 7-8: Extract Validation Process Box
7.5 Running Extract Validation on a z/OS LE Version 3.1 or
Higher Mainframe
The JCL for z/OS LE Version 3.1 or higher
mainframes executes Perkins DataPrep
procedures that perform Extract Validation and
creates an error file. Appendix G contains the JCL
for these functions. It can be referenced from
the library created with JCLLIB as part of the
name. The library member name is PRBB1000.
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Previous Data Sets
The first step in the JCL will delete
any data sets previously created. If
you want to save your previous
Submittal file, you must copy it to
another file name.
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Chapter 8: Sending and Receiving Files
8.1 Sending the Submittal File
You are required to transmit a current Submittal
file to NSLDS each month on the schedule
assigned to you by ED. Because of the number of
data providers and the size of some Submittal
files, it is critical that you submit your data
according to the schedule established by NSLDS.
All files are transmitted using the SAIG network.
Make sure that the file you send meets the
following standards:
It is a Submittal file (named submit.ff)
transmitted in the correct message class, not a
Database Extract or some other file.
It was created no more than 14 days before
your scheduled load date. If you are not sure,
use Windows Explorer to check when the file
was created or check the submittal date in the
header record.
Meeting Your Scheduled
Submittal Date
Schools and other data providers
have specific submittal windows
within which they must transmit
their Submittal files to NSLDS. If
you do not transmit within your
window, your submittal will be
rejected by NSLDS, and you’ll
receive a message instructing you
to submit a new Submittal file on
your next scheduled date.
ED keeps track of all missed
submissions as well as error rates
in determining an institution’s
ability to properly manage Title IV
student aid programs.
8.1.1 Submittal Schedule
NSLDS will assign a submittal schedule to you each year, usually in December. You can
check your schedule at any time by selecting the Data Provider Schedule link on the
Organization page of the NSLDS Professional Access Web site (https://nsldsfap.ed.gov).
Your Submittal file should arrive at NSLDS no later
than 1 p.m. Central time the day before it is
scheduled for Load processing. The data it
contains cannot have been extracted from your
database more than 14 days before your
scheduled load date. Submittal files received more
than 15 days after your scheduled load date will
not be processed. The period from 14 days before
your scheduled load date until 15 days after your
scheduled load date is your submittal window.
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Submittal Schedules on the Web
You can check your submittal
schedule at any time on the
Organization page of the NSLDS
Professional Access Web site
(https://nsldsfap.ed.gov).
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Submissions outside this window could result in a file level error and identified in the
corresponding message class sent to you by NSLDS.
It is the school’s responsibility to ensure that its required reporting to NSLDS is
completed in a timely and accurate manner. Schools that use a third-party servicer must
ensure that its servicer complies with the schedule and data accuracy necessary, as
schools are responsible for any non-compliance by the servicer.
8.1.2 Submittal File Format
If you are reporting for a single campus, the Submittal file created by DataPrep contains:
Header Record
Detail Records
PPC Records (optional)
Trailer Record
If you are reporting for multiple campuses, the Submittal file contains records in the
same sequence (Header, Detail, PPC, Trailer) by campus. Each campus has its own
Header and Trailer record, and all the records for the first campus appear together,
followed by all the records for the second campus, and so on. The sequence looks like
this:
Header record for Campus 1
Detail records for Campus 1
PPC records for Campus 1
Trailer record for Campus 1
Header record for Campus 2
Detail records for Campus 2
PPC records for Campus 2
Trailer record for Campus 2
Header record for Campus N
Detail record for Campus N
PPC records for Campus N
Trailer record for Campus N
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The Trailer record, which is created by DataPrep, marks the end of the submittal and
contains basic information about the number of records processed and the number of
records in error at each level of validation.
8.1.3 Submitting by Student Aid Internet Gateway
Once the DataPrep software has created the submittal file
(submit.ff), you are ready to transmit from the EDConnect
software using message class SHSLDSIN and searching
for C:\Dataprep\Current\submit.ff.
The DataPrep’s File Transfer utility allows users an easy
way to manage files by placing the submit.ff file in the
appropriate directory and naming it for EDConnect
transmission over SAIG.
For full instructions transmitting a file using SAIG, see the
EDConnect User’s Guide or TDClient Host Communications
Guide available on FSADownload
(https://fsadownload.ed.gov).
If some problem with DataPrep or NSLDS prevents you
from transmitting your Submittal file successfully, contact
the NSLDS CSC at 800-999-8219.
If your problem is with the EDConnect software or SAIG
transmission connectivity, contact the CPS/SAIG Technical
Support at 800-330-5947
Message Classes
Use this message class to
send Submittal files to
NSLDS:
SHSLDSIN—the
Submit.ff file produced
by DataPrep
NSLDS uses these
message classes to send
files to you:
SLDERROP—Load
Process Error File
SHSNTFOP—Error
Submittal Summary
Notification File
SCHRECOP—Perkins
Extract by Parameters
Report
8.2 Receiving Files
8.2.1 Receiving Files by Student Aid Internet Gateway
Users can utilize DataPrep’s File Transfer utility to copy files received over SAIG. The File
Transfer utility allows users an easy way to manage files by placing them in the
appropriate software’s directory and naming each file for DataPrep use.
NSLDS sends you files by SAIG using the following message classes:
Message Class SHSNTFOP—Error Submittal Summary Notification File. NSLDS
sends you this file if it fails to receive your Submittal file, or the file you send contains
file-level errors that prevent NSLDS from processing it.
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Message Class SLDERROP—Load Process Error File. NSLDS sends you this file within
48 hours after successfully loading your Submittal file onto the database.
Message Class SCHRECOP—NSLDS Loan Detail File. NSLDS sends you this file when
the Perkins Extract by Parameters Report is requested by the ad-hoc report (REC005)
or monthly as a scheduled report. (See appendix J, NSLDS Perkins Report File Layout
for more information.)
Note: The Thresholds, Error Codes and Field Codes File (TEF) can be downloaded into
the DataPrep subfolder from the FSA website located at https://fsadownload.ed.gov. The
file should be saved into the DataPrep\Current directory with the file name TEF.ff. You
can also download the TEF file and use DataPrep’s File Transfer utility (Section 5.3.3) to
help with placement and naming of the file. This file is updated any time NSLDS includes
a new or removal of error code(s).
Help!
If you have problems with DataPrep
or NSLDS, contact the NSLDS
Customer Support Center (CSC) at
800-999-8219.
If you have problems with
EDConnect or SAIG, contact the
CPS/SAIG Technical Support at
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Chapter 9: The NSLDS Load Process
The day before your Submittal file is scheduled for
loading onto NSLDS, NSLDS checks whether it has
received your Submittal file. If it has not, it sends you
an Error Submittal Summary Notification file reminding
you that your submission is due and that it will still be
processed if it is received within your submittal
window. If NSLDS does not receive a Submittal file
from you within that window, it sends you another
Error Submittal Summary Notification file informing
you that your Submittal file cannot be processed that
month and that you must send a new Submittal file the
following month.
Once it receives your Submittal file, NSLDS performs
the following edits:
File-Level Edits
Domain-Level Edits
Record-Level Edits
Load-Level Edits
Submittal Window
Your submittal window runs
from 14 days before your
Submittal file is scheduled for
processing to 15 days after. If
NSLDS has not received your
Submittal file by 1 p.m. Central
Time the day before the
scheduled load, it sends you an
Error Submittal Summary
Notification file. It sends another
if your submittal window expires
without a Submittal file arriving.
Your Database Extract file
cannot have been extracted
more than 14 days before the
scheduled load date.
NSLDS performs file-level edits to determine whether there are errors in the Submittal
file that prevent it from being processed at all. Such errors can include:
Sending the wrong file
Files that are incorrectly formatted
Data that were corrupted during transmission
to NSLDS
If your Submittal file contains file-level errors, NSLDS
sends you within 1 or 2 days an Error Submittal
Summary Notification file, which contains an error
message (or messages) explaining why NSLDS was
unable to process your submittal. NSLDS then takes
no further action, so it is up to you to create a
successful Submittal file and send it to NSLDS within
your processing window.
After it verifies that your Submittal file does not
contain any file-level errors, NSLDS performs domainlevel and record-level edits on each record within the
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Check Your Mailbox Early
It is important that you check
your SAIG mailbox a day or two
after transmitting your Submittal
file. If it encounters a problem
reading the file or some other
error that prevents an update,
NSLDS will notify you through
message class SHSNTFOP
that you must correct and
retransmit the Submittal file.
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file. Domain-level edits check for records that contain non-numeric characters or
spaces in a numeric field, invalid dates (other than all zeros), missing identifiers, or
missing new identifiers. Record-level edits check for duplicate records and for records
that violate reasonability rules or Perkins program regulations. If NSLDS detects either a
domain-level error or a record-level error in a record, it writes the error to the Load
Process Error file but does not perform any further processing on the record.
If records pass domain- and record-level edits, NSLDS performs load-level edits that
check for invalid codes, and for any date sequence errors or identifier conflicts that
would be caused by loading those records onto the NSLDS database. Records that pass
the load-level edits are then loaded onto NSLDS and update the database.
For more information about edits, see the Federal Perkins Data Dictionary (Appendix A),
which describes all the edits applied to each field in a Perkins record, and Appendix B,
which lists all the error messages generated by DataPrep and the Load process.
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Edit Process
Problem
Solution
1. Incorrect Header
2. School Code does
not match Header
Check extract process
and rerun Extract
Validation
1.
2.
3.
4.
Numeric Field Error
Invalid Date
Missing Identifier
Missing New Identifier
Check extract process
and rerun Extract
Validation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Numeric Field Error
Invalid Date
Missing Identifier
Missing New Identifier
Reasonability Error
Duplicate Record
Correct database and/or
extract process for next
submittal
File-Level Edits
DataPrep
Extract
Validation
Process
Extract Validation
Aborted
Domain-Level Edits
Threshold Failure
Domain and
Record-Level Edits
NSLDS
Load
Process
Record Rejected
Load-Level Edits
Record Not
Loaded/Updated
1. Date Sequence Error
2. Identifier Conflict
NSLDS Updated
3. Invalid Codes
1. PPC
2. Resolve with other
data provider
3. Correct database/
extract process
NSL-1063
Figure 9-1: NSLDS Load Process
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9.1 File-Level Edits
File-level edits check whether NSLDS has received a
Submittal file on schedule, and whether it will be able
to process that file as a whole. Among the errors
NSLDS checks for are:
File submittal date too early
Submittal file not received
File submittal date too late
Invalid Header record
No data in Submittal file
Missing or invalid Trailer record
Invalid OPEID
Duplicate files
Invalid date in Submittal Date field of Header
record
School Code in Detail record does not match
code in Header record
If your Submittal file fails any file-level edit, NSLDS
will not process the file and will, instead, send you an
Error Submittal Summary Notification file.
Why Perform Domain-Level
Edits Twice?
If DataPrep has already
performed domain-level edits as
part of Extract Validation, why
does NSLDS perform them
again as part of the Load
process? DataPrep performs
domain-level edits to determine
whether your Database Extract
file exceeds the domain error
thresholds established by ED. If
it stays below those thresholds,
DataPrep creates a Submittal
file, even though some of the
records in that file contain
domain-level errors. The Load
Process, on the other hand,
performs domain-level edits to
determine whether the
individual records within the
Submittal file meet NSLDS
standards and should be loaded
onto the database.
9.2 Domain-Level Edits
Domain-level edits check individual records for the following errors:
Non-numeric characters or spaces in a numeric field
Invalid dates (other than all zeros)
Missing identifiers
Missing new identifiers
DataPrep applies the same domain-level edits to your Database Extract file as part of
Extract Validation, but it does so only to calculate your domain-level error rate and to
determine whether that rate exceeds the threshold established by ED. As long as it stays
below that threshold, DataPrep creates a Submittal file (Section 7.3.1) even though some
of the records in the file contain domain-level errors.
The Load process, on the other hand, applies domain-level edits to determine whether
individual records within your Submittal file should be loaded onto the database. If a
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record contains a domain-level error, NSLDS writes it to the Load Process Error file but
does not process it any further. This means that load-level edits are not applied to
records that have failed domain-level edits.
Records that pass domain- and record-level edits are then edited for load-level errors
before being loaded onto the database.
9.3 Record-Level Edits
Record-level edits check the Submittal file as a whole for duplicate records and then
each individual record for reasonability errors. If a record contains a record-level error,
NSLDS writes it to the Load Process Error file but does not process it any further. This
means that load-level edits are not applied to records that have failed record-level edits.
Records that pass domain- and record-level edits are then edited for load-level errors
before being loaded onto the database.
9.3.1 Duplicates
NSLDS sorts the records in the Submittal file and
compares sequential rows to determine if the first 47
bytes of the record—the loan identifiers—match. If
any two Detail records have the same loan identifiers,
it rejects both records as duplicate records. If you have
populated the Data Provider Loan ID field for each
record, you will be able to determine which record
should be reported under those identifiers for the next
submission. No record will pass this duplicate edit
process if another record on the same submission has
the same loan identifiers. Neither duplicate record will
update the database since NSLDS has no way of
knowing which loan record is correct.
Duplicate Records
If two Detail records have the
same loan identifiers, both
records will be rejected since
NSLDS has no way of
determining which record is
correct. You will have to
resubmit the record in a later
submission. Duplicate loan
records will have an Error Code
of 1423 (Identifiers must be
unique on each detail record)
on Field Code 225 (Date of First
Disbursement).
9.3.2 Reasonability Edits
Reasonability edits check that data are contained in proper fields according to specific
edit criteria. Such edits include checking that required fields have been filled, such as the
Date Entered Repayment field or a Cancellation Amount on a loan that has a
Cancellation type.
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Reasonability edits also check all date and amount fields on each record to ensure that
the data they contain are both reasonable and in compliance with Perkins program
regulations. For example, if a loan is reported as a PU loan (Perkins Loan) with a Date of
First Disbursement of 19820115 (January 15, 1982), it will be rejected since Perkins loans
did not exist in 1982. Reasonability edits ensure data integrity within individual records.
9.4 Load-Level Edits
NSLDS only applies load-level edits to records that have already passed domain- and
record-level edits. Records that fail domain- or record-level edits are written to the Load
Process Error file but not processed further by NSLDS. This means that you cannot assume
that records that failed domain- or record-level edits would otherwise have passed loadlevel edits and been loaded onto the database.
Records that pass both domain- and record-level edits, but fail load-level edits, are
written to the Load Process Error file.
Records that pass domain-, record-, and load-level edits are loaded onto NSLDS and
update the database.
9.4.1 Identifier Edits
NSLDS reviews the student and loan identifiers in the records you submit against those
of records on the database. If the Student’s SSN in an individual record does not match
an SSN on NSLDS, either current or in history, the student is considered a new student.
If the record then passes all the remaining edits,
NSLDS creates a new student and assigns a new loan
to that student on the basis of the data you
submitted.
If the Student’s SSN on a record you submitted
matches an SSN on the NSLDS database, NSLDS uses
Identifier Match Criteria to match the loan identifiers
on the record to the identifiers for a loan currently
on the system. If it matches an existing Perkins loan
record on four criteria—Student’s SSN, Original
School, Loan Type, and Date of First Disbursement—
the record you submitted is considered an attempted
update. If all other edits are successful, the record
updates the NSLDS database.
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Correcting Student Identifier
Conflicts
Submitting records that match
an existing record on Student’s
SSN but not on the other
student identifiers (Date of
Student’s Birth and Student’s
First Name) causes an identifier
conflict. To correct this error,
you must resolve the conflict
with the data provider whose
data conflicts with yours.
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If a record you submitted does not match on the loan identifiers (Original School, Loan
Type, and Date of First Disbursement), but does match on the Student’s SSN, NSLDS
uses Identifier Match Criteria to match the student identifiers on the record to the
identifiers for a student currently on the system. If a match is made and successive edits
are passed, NSLDS creates a new loan record for the existing student on the basis of the
data you submitted.
If the record you submitted does match a current Student’s SSN but a student match
cannot be made based on the Identifier Match Criteria, NSLDS rejects the record. If that
occurs, you must resolve the identifier conflict by contacting the NSLDS Customer
Support Center at 800-999-8219 or by e-mail to nslds@ed.gov.
If you submit a record that causes a student identifier conflict, NSLDS writes a record to
the Load Process Error file. The error record contains the following information from
your Submittal file:
Student’s SSN you supplied
Date of Student’s Birth you supplied
Student’s First Name you supplied
In addition, the error record contains the following information for the student record
that conflicts with yours:
Error Code
Data Provider Code
Data Provider Name
Existing Student’s SSN
Existing Date of Student’s Birth
Existing Student’s First Name
Existing Student’s Last Name
Data Provider City
Data Provider State
This information will help you resolve the conflict with the data provider for the record
already on NSLDS.
For a more detailed discussion of the Identifier Match Criteria for student matches, see
the discussion of the Student’s Social Security field (positions 9–17 in the Detail record)
in the Federal Perkins Data Dictionary.
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9.4.2 OPEID Edits
NSLDS reviews original and current school codes in the records you submit against the
most current ED data. If the OPEID code on a record does not exist in the NSLDS
database, NSLDS rejects the record and does not update the database.
9.4.3 Validate Codes
NSLDS reviews all code fields to ensure that the
codes they contain are acceptable to NSLDS. See
Appendix B for complete lists of the following codes:
Loan Type
Loan Status
Enrollment Status
Deferment Type
Deferment Type Usage
Cancellation Type
Perkins Commercial Servicer
Correcting Invalid Codes
NSLDS rejects records
submitted with invalid codes. To
correct code errors, you must
correct either your database or
your extract process.
9.4.4 Date Sequence Edits
In addition to storing the current values for the
individual fields that make up a loan record, NSLDS
also stores historical (or past) values for selected
fields. Often, those historical values are stored as
part of an event. This is because changes to some
fields are only meaningful if they are accompanied
by a change to another field or fields. For example, a
new Date of Loan Status is only meaningful if it is
accompanied by a new Code for Loan Status.
Together they constitute a Loan Status event. While
you can update historical values, you cannot change
either current or historical values so that you change
the chronological order of events stored in history.
Correcting Date Sequence
Errors
Records you submit that do not
conform to date sequence logic
will not update NSLDS. To
correct the records already on
NSLDS that cause these errors,
you may need to submit a PPC
record (Section 6.6).
Therefore, NSLDS reviews records you submit against current and historical values
already stored on NSLDS for the same record to ensure that any date changes do not
alter the sequence of events. If they do, NSLDS writes the record to the Load Process
Error file and does not update the database with it.
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If a record you submit is rejected by NSLDS because it causes a date sequence error,
first check that the data you have submitted are correct. If they are, you must submit a
PPC record to update the historical data already on NSLDS that are making your record
cause a date sequence error.
For a more detailed discussion of how NSLDS stores history and how to update
historical data using PPC records, see Section 6.6.
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Generating Reports on Windows-Based PCs
Chapter 10: Generating Reports on Windows-Based
PCs
From Extract Validation onward, the NSLDS update process creates a series of data files
that you can use to generate reports. These reports will help you verify the contents of
your database and of your submissions to NSLDS. If necessary, they will help you fix
problems with your database or extract procedures, a topic discussed in detail in
Chapter 12.
Using files produced by either the Extract Validation process or NSLDS, DataPrep can
generate the following reports:
Extract Validation Log Report—This report is generated from the Extract Validation
Log report created by Extract Validation. It is identical in contents to the text
displayed by the Extract Validation Process dialog box after Extract Validation is
complete.
Extract Error Report—This report is generated from the Extract Error file created by
Extract Validation and is available in either summary or detail format.
Load Process Error Report—This report is generated from the Load Process Error
file returned to you by NSLDS after it has processed your Submittal file. It is available
in either summary or detail format.
Extract Loan Detail Report—This report is generated from the Extract Loan Detail
file created by Extract Validation.
NSLDS Loan Detail Report—This report is generated from the Loan Detail file
NSLDS sends you when the Perkins Extract by Parameters Report is requested by the
ad-hoc report (REC005) or the monthly scheduled report. It can be used to help
reconcile data, identify and resolve error conditions within your database when
comparing the data on NSLDS. It is recommended you request this file at least every
six months to help with the reconciliation process.
Error Submittal Summary Notification Report—This report is generated from the
Error Submittal Summary Notification file that NSLDS sends you when your Submittal
file is not received on schedule by the NSLDS Data Center or fails to load onto the
database.
DataPrep for PCs offers advanced users a particularly rich set of selection and sort
options for detail Error reports and Loan Detail reports. These options are discussed at
the end of this chapter.
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10.1 The Extract Validation Log Report
The information that appears in the Extract Validation Process dialog box after Extract
Validation is complete (Figure 7-6) is also written to the Extract Validation Log file,
where it is available to you for further examination or storage. From this file, you can
view or print a report that provides a useful overview of Extract Validation. For a detailed
discussion of the report’s contents, see Section 7.4.2.
To view or print the Extract Validation Log report, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Log Report.
Figure 10-1: DataPrep Main Menu with Log Report Selected
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2. The Log Report dialog box appears.
Figure 10-2: Log Reports Dialog Box
Extract Validation Log
The Extract Validation Log file created by DataPrep includes
the following information:
The number of domain-level errors detected
Whether rejection thresholds have been exceeded
The number of records in the Database Extract file
The log report can help you identify problems in your
system or database.
3. Select the log file in your Current folder (C:\DataPrep\Current\extrlog.ff), and click
View. DataPrep displays the log in your default viewer.
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Figure 10-3: Extract Validation Log Report
If you want to print the report, you can do so directly from the viewer, or you can return
to the Log Report dialog box and click Print.
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10.2 Error Reports
The NSLDS update process includes two error reports:
The Extract Error report identifies records that erred out of Extract Validation. It is
generated from the Extract Error file produced by Extract Validation, and it will help
you identify and correct errors in your Database Extract file.
The Load Process Error report identifies records that erred out of the NSLDS Load
process. It is generated from the Load Process Error file NSLDS sends you after it has
loaded your Submittal file onto the database, and it will help you identify and correct
errors in your Submittal file.
Both reports will help you to identify and correct errors in your database and in your
extract process.
You can generate either error report in a summary or detail format. Both summary and
detail reports can be sorted by preprogrammed sort parameters, and you can create
your own additional sort parameters for detail reports. In addition, you can use selection
criteria to limit which records are included in the detail error reports.
10.2.1 Error Files
DataPrep can only generate error reports from
error files located in your Current folder. This does
not present a problem in the case of the Extract
Error file, which DataPrep automatically creates and
places in your Current folder whenever a Database
Extract files passes the file-level edits performed by
Extract Validation.
However, before you can generate a Load Process
Error report, you can use DataPrep’s File Transfer
utility (Section 5.3.3) to transfer two files into your
Current DataPrep software folder:
The Load Process Error File
The TEF File
Retrieving the Load Process
Error and TEF File
We strongly suggest that you
retrieve both files a day or two
after your Submittal file is loaded
into NSLDS. The Load Process
Error file is sent from NSLDS.
The TEF File is available for
download from
https://FSADownload.ed.gov.
This will ensure you have the
latest error codes and messages
when you generate your Load
Process Error report.
NSLDS will send you the Load Process Error file within 48 hours after your Submittal file
is processed. The file will be sent via SAIG. The format of this file has not changed from
DataPrep, Version 1, except to add your unique Data Provider Loan ID to the record. The
SAIG message class for the Load Process Error file is SLDERROP.
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10.2.2 Generating Summary Error Reports
To generate a summary error report, the following files must be in your Current
DataPrep software folder (Section 10.2.1).
For the Summary Extract Error report:
The Extract Error file created by DataPrep
The latest TEF file downloaded from FSADownload
For the Summary Load Process Error report:
The Load Process Error file sent to you by NSLDS
The latest TEF file downloaded from FSADownload
Once these files are in your Current directory, follow these steps to generate a summary
error report:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Error Report.
Figure 10-4: DataPrep Main Menu with Error Report Selected
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2. The Error Report dialog box appears.
Figure 10-5: Error Report Dialog Box
3. Select Extract Validation or Load Processing as the Error Source.
4. Select Summary as the Report Type.
5. Highlight the error file from which you want to generate a report (here
C:\DataPrep\Current\extrerr.ff).
If you double-click on a file listed in the
Error Files list, a File Information message
box appears showing you the date and time
the file was created or last modified.
6. Select a Sort Sequence. If you select No
Sort, the report is sorted in the same order
as the error file from which it is generated.
7. When you are satisfied with the options you
have selected on the Error Report dialog
box, click Generate. A status message
appears informing you the report has been
generated.
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Extract Error Report or Load
Process Error Report
The Error Report dialog box
allows you to generate either an
Extract Error report from your
Validated Database Extract file or
a Load Process Error report from
the Load Process Error file
NSLDS sends you after
processing your Submittal file. Be
sure to specify the correct Error
Source for the report you request.
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Viewers
Figure 10-6: Generate Summary Error Rpt Dialog Box
8. Click View. If you chose the options depicted in Figure
10-5, you should see a report that looks something like
this:
Remember that
DataPrep’s built-in viewer
produces a correctly
formatted report, while
other applications used to
view a file may not. If you
use another application to
view or print a previously
produced report, you may
have to adjust the font
and size to fit on a page
or print your report using
landscape rather than
portrait format.
Figure 10-7: Summary Extract Error Report
10.2.3 Generating Detail Error Reports
To generate a detail error report, the following files must be in your Current DataPrep
software folder.
For the Detail Extract Error Report:
The Extract Error file created by DataPrep
The latest TEF file downloaded from FSADownload
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For the Detail Load Process Error Report:
The Load Process Error file sent to you by NSLDS
The latest TEF file downloaded from FSADownload
Once these files are in your Current directory, follow these steps to generate a detail
error report:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Error Report.
Figure 10-8: DataPrep Main Menu with Error Report Selected
Extract Error Report or Load Process Error Report
The Error Report dialog box allows you to generate either an Extract
Error report from your Validated Database Extract file or a Load
Process Error report from the Load Process Error file NSLDS sends
you after processing your Submittal file. Be sure to specify the correct
Error Source for the report you want.
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2. The Error Report dialog box appears.
Figure 10-9: Error Report Dialog Box
3. Select Extract Validation or Load Processing as the Error Source.
4. Select Detail as the Report Type.
5. Highlight the error file from which you want to generate a report (here
C:\DataPrep\Current\extrerr.ff).
If you double-click on a file listed in the Error Files list, a File Information message
dialog box appears showing you the date and time the file was created or last
modified and the number of bytes in the file.
Figure 10-10: File Information Box
Click Exit to return to the Error Report dialog box.
6. Select a Sort Sequence. If you select Not Sorted, the report will be sorted in the same
order as the Extract Error file or Load Process Error file from which it was generated.
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7. Choose one or more Selection Criteria.
When you are satisfied with the options you have selected on the Error Report dialog
box, click Generate. A status message appears informing you the report has been
generated.
Figure 10-11: Generate Summary Error Rpt Dialog Box
8. Click View. If you chose the options depicted in Figure 10-5, you should see a report
that looks something like this when viewed:
Figure 10-12: Extract Detail Error Report
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Figure 10-13: Detail Load Process Error Report
10.3 Loan Detail Reports
Generating loan detail reports is not a routine step in the
NSLDS update process. However, loan detail reports are
useful for researching and resolving problems with individual
loan records that you have already identified from the Extract
Error report or Load Process Error report.
There are two loan detail reports:
Do Not Change the
Database Extract File
If you view or review your
Database Extract file, be
certain you do not make
any changes to it. The
Database Extract file
must be a mirror image of
your database.
The Extract Loan Detail report is generated from the
Database Extract file, and it allows you to review all or
selected records in your file.
The NSLDS Loan Detail report is generated from the
Loan Detail file that NSLDS sends you after requesting it
on an ad-hoc or scheduled basis. The Loan Detail file can take the form of a
Reconciliation file containing all the loans on NSLDS that you report on, or it can
include only loans that meet certain conditions. Like the Extract Loan Detail report,
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the NSLDS Loan Detail report allows you to view every field of each record it
contains. Comparing the contents of the NSLDS Loan Detail report to the contents of
your database will help you reconcile any conflicts between your data and that on
NSLDS. This file is requested from the NSLDS Professional Access website,
https://NSLDSFAP.ed.gov, on the Web Report list as ad-hoc report or the
Organization Profile page as a scheduled report. See Appendix J for more
information.
10.3.1 Loan Detail Files
DataPrep looks for Extract Loan Detail files in these folders:
Extract
DataPrep looks for NSLDS Loan Detail files in these folders:
Loan (or Current)
Unless you have transferred your Database Extract file out of your Extract folder, you will
not have to transfer any files before creating the Extract Loan Detail file.
However, when you receive the NSLDS Loan Detail file off the SAIG network, you must
load the file onto your computer or network and then use DataPrep’s File Transfer utility
(Section 5.3.3) to work with the data.
If you receive more than one Loan Detail file in a single month, you may want to give
version names to the NSLDS Loan Detail files. If you give a version name to an NSLDS
Loan Detail file, DataPrep will assign the file a name of the
form loandtlVersionname.ff, where:
loandtl is the constant name for Loan Detail files
Versionname is the version name you assign to the file
.ff is the constant for DataPrep files
Do not change such names; doing so will prevent
DataPrep from finding and processing the files.
10.3.2 Generating Loan Detail Reports
To generate a loan detail report, the following files must
be in the following folders:
For the Extract Loan Detail report:
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Loan (or Current)
If you selected the default
directory paths when you
installed DataPrep,
DataPrep looks for NSLDS
Loan Detail files in the
Loan folder. If you did not
specify a directory path for
Loan Detail files, DataPrep
looks for them in the
Current folder
(C:\DataPrep\Current). For
information about changing
default directories, see
Section 5.3.1.
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A Database Extract file in the Extract folder
For the NSLDS Loan Detail report:
An NSLDS Loan Detail file in the Loan (or Current) folder
To generate a loan detail report, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Loan Detail Report.
Figure 10-14: DataPrep Main Menu with Loan Detail Report Selected
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2. The Loan Detail Report dialog box appears.
Figure 10-15: Loan Detail Report Dialog Box
3. Select Extract Loan Detail or NSLDS Loan Detail as the Source option.
There are several ways to see the date and time a file in the Detail Files list was last
modified and the number of bytes in the file. This can be useful if you have several
Database Extract or NSLDS Loan Detail files and are not sure which one you want to
view or print.
A. Use the horizontal scroll bar to scroll to the right on the Detail Files list.
B. Double-click the file name, or select a file name in the Detail Files list and then
click the blue star to the right of the file name in the Report File section. Either
action causes a File Information message to appear.
Figure 10-16: File Information Box
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4. When you know which Database Extract or NSLDS Loan Detail file you want to create
an Extract Loan Detail report for, select it in the Detail Files list of the Loan Detail
Report dialog box.
5. Choose a Selection Criteria.
6. Select a Sort Sequence. If you select Not Sorted, the report will be sorted in the same
order as the Database Extract file or NSLDS Loan Detail file from which it was
generated.
7. Click Generate. DataPrep displays a message notifying you that the report has been
successfully generated.
Figure 10-17: Generate Loan Detail Report Box
8. Click View to view the Extract or NSLDS Loan Detail report. Viewed in DataPrep, it
resembles Figure 10-18:
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Figure 10-18: Extract Loan Detail Report
10.4 The Error Submittal Summary Notification Report
10.4.1 The Error Submittal Summary Notification File
If you fail to send NSLDS a Submittal file or send one that cannot be processed, NSLDS
will distribute a notification that your Submittal file was not processed. This Notification
file will be sent via SAIG message class SHSNTFOP within 1 or 2 days from your
scheduled load date. If this occurs, you must make the necessary corrections and
resubmit as soon as possible. If the time frame within which you are scheduled to
submit your data has passed, the submittal will be considered missed for the month.
You must then include the corrections and appropriate updates with your next
scheduled transmission.
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Causes that can prompt NSLDS to send you an Error Submittal Summary Notification file
include:
You sent some file other than a validated Submittal file, such as your Database
Extract file. (The Submittal file will be labeled submit.ff, while the Database Extract
file will be called extract.ff.)
You sent a file in an invalid format. For example, the file you sent has no valid header, no
300-byte records, or no trailer record.
The file got corrupted during the SAIG transmission process.
NSLDS did not receive your Submittal file during the time frame in which NSLDS
can load your data.
The Error Submittal Summary Notification file consists of a Header record, one or more
Detail records containing error messages, and a Trailer record. See Appendix F for the
complete layout description.
The Detail record(s) will indicate why the Submittal file was rejected and will give you a
brief description of the problem through a message code that can be found in Appendix
F. Appendix F also lists the actions you must take to correct the error(s).
10.4.2 Generating the Error Submittal Summary Notification Report
If NSLDS sends you an Error Submittal Summary Notification file, copy the file into your
Current folder. The SAIG message class for the Error Submittal Summary Notification file
is SHSNTFOP.
To generate the Error Submittal Summary Notification report, follow these steps:
1. On the Report menu of the DataPrep Main Menu, click Notification. The Notification
Report dialog box appears.
Figure 10-19: Notification Report Dialog Box
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2. Select the Error Submittal Summary Notification file
(C:\DataPrep\Current\shsntfop.ff) and click Generate. The Generate Notification
Rpt dialog box displays a Status message telling you the Error Submittal Summary
Notification report has been generated.
Figure 10-20: Generate Notification Report Box
3. To view the report, click View. Your default viewer displays the report.
Figure 10-21: Error Submittal Summary Notification Report
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10.5 Selection Criteria
DataPrep gives you the option of generating detail error reports and loan detail reports
using different selection criteria. Several selection options have been preprogrammed:
Data Fields in Error
Identifier Fields in Error
New Identifier Fields in Error
No SSN Conflict Records
Only SSN Conflict Records
Selected Code for Original School
Selected Error Code
Selected Error and Field Code
Selected Field Code
DataPrep allows you to create new selection criteria, and to change or delete existing
selection criteria.
To update selection criteria from the DataPrep Main Menu, begin by clicking Selection
Criteria on the Options drop-down menu.
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Figure 10-22: DataPrep Main Menu with Selection Criteria Selected on the Options Menu
The Selection Criteria dialog box displays.
10.5.1 Adding Selection Criteria
To create new selection criteria, follow these steps:
1. From the Selection Criteria dialog box (Figure 10-23),
click Add. The Selection Criteria Edit dialog box appears.
Greater than sign “>”
Use caution when using
the > sign in the Sel Key
and Description fields. If
using it, a space must
precede the > sign Used
correctly it successfully
works. Another way to
represent > is “GT”, for >=
try “GE”.
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Figure 10-23: Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box
2. Enter up to 10 characters that name the selection criteria
in the Sel Key box. The Sel Key generally includes the field
name; for example, if you want to select for all loans with
an in repayment status, you could use “LoanStatRP” as the
Sel Key.
3. Enter up to 35 characters that describe the selection
criteria in the Description box, for example, “Loan Status
in Repayment.” If you select the Available for selection
option, this description appears in a drop-down list on the
Error Report or Loan Detail dialog box when you go to run
a report.
4. Enter the codes that specify which records are to be
included in the report:
Use of Spaces
Do not insert any spaces
after position numbers. If
you do, the program will
assume the selection
criterion you have
specified has ended. If
you want to add any
comments (for example
additional description)
you can put comments
after a space.
Field Position (Refer to Appendix A for field positions)
Comparison Operator (for example, less than, equal to, greater than)
Comparison Value
5. Click OK.
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One Criterion
To add a selection criterion for all loans with loan status in repayment, enter these
values:
Sel Key
Description
Comparison
LoanStatRP
Loan Status in Repayment
119–120,EQ,RP
Note: Loan Status is position 119–120.
Figure 10-24: Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box
Two Criteria
To add selection criteria for all loans with loan status in repayment and a date of first
disbursement after January 1, 1998, enter these values:
Sel Key
Description
Comparison
RP-Jan1998
Loan in RP and Disburse >=Jan 1998
(119–120,EQ,RP,&,40–47,GE,‘19980101’)
Notes: 119–120 is the Loan Status position, 40–47 is the Date of First Disbursement
position, an ampersand (&) is the AND connector, and GE is greater than or equal to.
You must surround the comparison with parentheses when including an ampersand (&)
sign.
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Figure 10-25: Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box
10.5.2 Editing Selection Criteria
To edit an existing selection criterion, follow these steps:
1. From the Selection Criteria dialog box (Figure 10-30), choose the selection criterion
you want to change and click Edit. The Selection Criteria Edit dialog box appears
populated by the criterion you selected.
Figure 10-26: Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box
2. Edit the criterion values as necessary and click OK to return to the Selection Criteria
dialog box.
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10.5.3 Deleting Selection Criteria
To delete a selection criterion, choose it on the Selection Criteria Dialog box (Figure
10-3026) and click Delete.
10.5.4 Adding Variable Selection Criteria
Perhaps you want to create an Error report that selects all
loans equal to a given value. But rather than establishing
that value in advance, you want to set it each time you
run the report. You need a report with a variable selection
criterion.
To create one, start from the Selection Criteria Edit dialog
box (Figure 10-26) and follow these steps:
1. Fill in the fields of the Selection Criteria Edit dialog box
as described in Section 10.5.1.
Adding a Variable
Criterion
To create a report with a
criterion that varies each
time you run the report, fill in
the upper portion of the
Selection Criteria Edit dialog
box. Then click Add to
access the Selection
Variable Edit dialog box. Fill
in its fields to define the
variable criterion.
2. Click Add. The Selection Variable Edit dialog box
appears.
Figure 10-27: Selection Variable Edit Dialog Box
3. Enter a name of up to 10 characters in the Name field.
4. Enter the length of the data element to which the selection variable is to be
compared in the Length field.
5. Enter up to 35 characters that describe the variable in the Description field.
6. Enter the initial value of the selection variable in the Value field. The initial value
must be a valid value for that field, for example ‘RP’ for the Loan Status field
(positions 119–120).
7. Click OK to return to the Selection Criteria Edit dialog box.
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One Variable Criterion
First, enter the following values in the Selection Criteria Edit dialog box:
Sel Key
Description
Comparison
SelLoanSt
Selected Loan Status
119–120,EQ,*LoanStat
Notes: Position 119–120 is the Loan Status field, EQ is equal to, and * indicates that the
following is the name of the variable you will set when you select the specific report (for
example, RP or FB).
Figure 10-28: Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box
To add the variable, click Add to bring up the Selection Variable Edit dialog box. Enter
the following values:
Name
Length
Description
Value
LoanStat
2
Loan Status Code
‘RP’
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Figure 10-29: Selection Variable Edit Dialog Box
For more information about adding, editing, and creating your own selection criteria,
refer to the Help for the Selection Criteria and Selection Criteria Edit dialog boxes and to
the discussion of Comparison Syntax that follows.
10.5.5 Selection Criteria Comparisons Syntax
Comparisons
Comparisons are made up of one or more comparison parameters linked using the AND
connector within commas (,&,) or the OR connector within commas (,|,), and grouped
using parentheses ().
Square brackets ([]) indicate optional items.
[(]comparison1[)][[,connector2,[(]comparison2[)]]…[,connectorN,[(]comparisonN[)]]][)]
[comments]
( ) pairs
Balanced pairs of parentheses that enclose comparison parameters in
order to clarify or to alter the order in which the comparisons are done.
Without parentheses, the comparisons ‘A,|,B,&,C,|,D’ would be
interpreted as ‘((A,|,B),&,C),|,D’, but you will need to use parentheses
if the intent is either ‘(A,|,B),&,(C,|,D)’ or ‘A,|,(B,&,C),|,D’ or
‘A,|,((B,&,C),|,D)’.
comparison1
First comparison parameter.
connector2
Second compare parameter connector. (optional)
Use ampersand (&) for the AND connector, and use bar (|) for the
OR connector.
comparison2
Second comparison parameter (optional)
connectorN
Nth compare parameter connector. (optional)
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Use ampersand (&) for the AND connector, and use bar (|) for the
OR connector.
comparisonN
Nth comparison parameter. (optional)
comments
Comments. (optional)
At least 1 space between last compare parameter and start of
comments.
Comparison Parameters
A comparison parameter is made up of one or more compare parameters linked using
the AND connector within commas (,&,) or the OR connector within commas (,|,).
Square brackets ([]) indicate optional items.
compare1[[,connector2,compare2]…[,connectorN,compareN]]
compare1
First compare parameter
connector2
Second compare parameter connector (optional)
Use ampersand (&) for the AND condition, and use bar (|) for the
OR condition.
compare2
Second compare parameter (optional)
connectorN
Nth compare parameter connector (optional)
Use ampersand (&) for the AND connector, and use bar (|) for the
OR connector.
compareN
Nth compare parameter (optional)
Compare Parameters
A compare parameter is made up of a record character position, a compare condition,
and a compare value linked by commas (,).
Square brackets ([]) indicate optional items.
compare => start[-end|:length|:1],condition,string|position|*variable
start
Data Element starting position.
A number from 1 to 640.
end
Data Element ending position (optional).
A number from starting position to 640.
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length
Data Element length (optional).
A number from 1 to 1 + 300 - starting position. Defaults to a length
of 1 when neither the ending position nor the length is given.
condition
The code identifying the compare condition.
One of the following 2-character compare conditions—not case
sensitive:
EQ = Equal to
NE = Not Equal to
GT = Greater than
GE = Greater than or Equal to
LT = Less than
LE = Less than or Equal to
string
The character string that is to be compared with the Data Element.
A string of characters whose length is equal to that of the Data
Element.
If a string’s first character is a number, an asterisk (*), pound sign
(#), or its last character is a space, then the string must be enclosed
in single quotation marks (‘string’).
When a quoted string is less than the length of the Data Element,
the string is padded out to the correct length using the last
character in the string. {You can use ‘ ’ to check for spaces and ‘0’ to
check for zeros.}
When a pound sign (#) prefixes a quoted string that is less than the
length of the data element, the string is shifted to the right and
padded with zeroes. {You could use #’500’ to check for the number
000500 in a 6-character field or for the number 00000500 in an 8character field.}
If you want to include a single quote (‘) in the comparison string,
then you will need to enter two single quotes (“).
position
The starting position of a second Data Element within the record that is
to be compared with the first Data Element.
A number from 1 to 1 + 300 - length of Data Element.
variable
The variable name that is replaced with a value at report generation time.
The variable name must be prefixed with an asterisk (*) and defined
in the Variable Name list.
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Examples
105-110,gt,‘0’
Amount of Loan is greater than zero.
(58-66,NE,‘ ’,&,58-66,NE,4)
New SSN is not spaces, and it is not equal to current SSN.
10.6 Sort Options
Summary Error reports can be sorted by count, error code, or field code. Detail Error
reports, however, can be sorted by any sort parameter you select. Sorting allows you to
focus on specific types of errors or to distribute sections. DataPrep has provided the
following pre-programmed sort parameters:
Data Provider Loan Identifier
Error Code
Field Code
Student Name (Last, First)
Student Social Security Number
For the Detail report, you can also select No Sort, which means the records in the report
will be listed in the same order as they were in the Database Extract file from which the
report was generated.
DataPrep allows you to create new sort options, and to change or delete existing sort
options.
To update sort options from the DataPrep Main Menu, begin by clicking Sort
Parameters on the Options menu.
Figure 10-30: Selection Criteria Dialog Box
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From this dialog box you can Add, Edit, or Delete any selection criterion for the
following detail reports:
Extract Error Report
Load Process Error Report
Loan Detail Report
Select Error Detail Records or Loan Detail Records as the Record Type to add, edit, or
delete selection criteria for that report type.
See Section 10.5.5 for a description of the Selection Criteria Comparison Syntax.
Figure 10-31: DataPrep Main Menu with Sort Parameters Selected on Options Menu
The Sort Parameters dialog box appears.
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Figure 10-32: Sort Parameters Dialog Box
From this dialog box you can add, edit, or delete any sort
option for the following reports:
Detail Extract Error Report
Load Process Error Report
Loan Detail Report
Sorting Reports
Select Error Detail Records or Loan Detail Records as the
Record Type to add, edit, or delete sort options for that
report type.
See Section 10.5.4 for a description of the Sort Parameter
Positions’ Syntax.
Summary Error reports
can be sorted by count,
error code, or field code.
Detail reports can be
sorted by any parameters
you choose. DataPrep
has provided
preprogrammed sort
parameters.
When you sort by count
(summary reports only),
the report is organized in
descending order, so the
field with the largest
number of errors appears
first.
If you select No Sort
(detail report only), the
report will be sorted in the
same order as the file
from which it was created.
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Adding a Sort Option
To create a new sort option, follow these steps:
1. From the Sort Parameters dialog box (Figure 10-32), click Add. The Sort Parameter
Edit dialog box appears.
Figure 10-33: Sort Parameter Edit Dialog Box
2. Enter up to 10 characters that name the report in the Sort Key box. The Sort Key
generally includes the field name, for example “Field Code.”
3. Enter up to 35 characters that describe the sort
sequence in the Description box. If you select the
Available for selection option, this description appears in
the drop-down list on the Error Report or Loan Detail
Report dialog box when you go to run a report.
4. Enter up to 60 characters that define the positions in the
record by which the report will sort in the Positions box.
Use commas between fields. Refer to the Federal Perkins
Data Dictionary (Appendix A) for a complete account of
data fields and the positions they occupy.
5. Click OK.
For example, if you want a report that sorts by Loan Type
and Social Security number, follow these steps:
Use of Spaces
Do not insert any spaces
after position numbers. If
you do, the program will
assume the sort
parameter you have
specified has ended. If
you want to add any
comments (for example
additional description),
you can put the comments
after a space.
1. Enter Type-SSN in the Sort Key box of the Sort Parameter Edit dialog box.
2. Enter Loan Type & SSN in the Description box.
3. Enter 38–39,9–17 in the Positions box.
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Figure 10-34: Sort Parameter Edit Dialog Box
4. Click OK. The Sort Parameters Dialog Box displays with the new sort parameter that
you have just created.
Figure 10-35: Sort Parameters Dialog Box
This sort parameter will now be listed as a sort sequence option on the Error Report or
Loan Detail dialog box.
10.6.1 Editing a Sort Option
To edit an existing sort option, follow these steps:
1. From the Sort Parameters dialog box (Figure 10-32), select the sort option you want
to edit and click Edit. The Sort Parameter Edit dialog box appears populated by the
sort option you selected (in this case, the Type-SSN sort created in Section 0).
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Figure 10-36: Sort Parameter Edit Dialog Box
2. Edit the sort values as necessary and click OK to return to the Sort Parameters dialog
box.
10.6.2 Deleting a Sort Option
To delete a sort option, select it on the Sort Parameters dialog box (Figure 10-32) and
click Delete.
10.6.3 Sort Parameter Positions’ Syntax
Note: Parameters in brackets [ ] are optional.
Positions are made up of one or more position parameters linked together with commas
(,).
positions => position1[[,position2]…[,positionN]] [comments]
position1 First data element position parameter
position2 Second data element position parameter (optional)
positionN Nth data element position parameter (optional)
comments Comments (optional) {At least one space between last position
parameter and start of comments.}
A position parameter is made up of a data element’s starting position, and optionally its
ending position or length.
position => start[-end|:length|:1]
start Data element starting position {A number from 1 to 300.}
end Data element ending position (optional) {A number from starting position to
300.}
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length Data element length (optional) {A number from 1 to 1+ 300 – starting
position. Defaults to a length of one when neither the ending position nor length is
given.}
Example: 39-73,21-32 Sort by 35-byte field starting in position 39, then by 12-byte field
starting in position 21.
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Generating Reports on z/OS LE Mainframes
Chapter 11: Generating Reports on z/OS LE Version 3.1
or Higher Mainframes
11.1 Extract Error Report
The JCL for z/OS LE Version 3.1 or higher executes DataPrep procedures that perform
Extract Validation and generate the Extract Error report (Appendix G).
You have the following options for generating the Extract Error report:
To generate both the summary and detail report, leave the Extract Validation JCL
as it appears in Appendix G.
To generate the detail report, remove the asterisk (*) from the line immediately
before this line in the JCL shown on page G–13.
PSTEP100 EXEC PGM=UTB300PB
To generate the summary report as well as the detail report, comment out (that is, add
an asterisk after the double slashes) on the line before this line in the JCL shown on
page G–13:
PSTEP100 EXEC PGM=UTB300PB
To prevent DataPrep from generating any report, remove the asterisk from the
line immediately before this line in the JCL shown on page G–11:
PSTEP070 EXEC PGM=TIRIOVFI
11.1.1 Summary Report Sorting
The sort JCL offers three options for sorting the Summary
Extract Error report:
By Error Count
By Error Code
By Field Code
Main Frame Users:
Extract Report Sorting
Error count is the default, which is why the other two
options are commented out by the addition of an
asterisk (*) after the two slashes at the beginning of the
lines on which they appear.
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The Summary Extract Error
Report for mainframes can
be sorted by count, error
code, and field code.
However, the Detail Extract
Error Report for mainframes
is only sorted by Social
Security number.
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//*
//*
ERROR COUNT ORDER
//
SET SORTPARM=PUTB4001
//*
//*
FIELD CODE ORDER
//*
SET SORTPARM=PUTB4002
//*
//*
ERROR CODE ORDER
//*
SET SORTPARM=PUTB4003
//*
If you want to change this default, you must add an asterisk (*) after the two slashes in
the JCL line for the error count option
//
SET SORTPARM=PUTB4001
and delete the asterisk in the JCL line for the sort option you want to use.
For field code order, remove the asterisk from this line:
//*
SET SORTPARM=PUTB4002
For error code order, remove the asterisk from this line:
//*
SET SORTPARM=PUTB4003
Data Sets Deleted
Whenever you change sort options, remember to select an
option by removing the asterisk from that line of JCL and
to deselect the other options by adding asterisks after the
double slashes at the beginning of those lines of JCL.
The first step in the JCL
will delete any data sets
previously created. If you
want to save your previous
error files, you should
rename them.
11.1.2 Detail Report Sorting
The Detail Extract Error report is automatically sorted by SSN within school. This is the
only sorting option available for the Detail report.
If do not want to automatically produce a Detail Extract Error Report, you must change
the JCL (see Appendix G).
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11.1.3 Load Process Error Report
Appendix G contains the JCL used to generate the Load Process Error report from the
Load Process Error file that you retrieve from NSLDS after each submittal. This JCL also
generates the Extract Error Report.
This JCL can be found in the library created with JCLLIB as part of the name. The library
member name is PRBB2000.
As with the Extract Error report, you can sort the Summary Load Process Error report in
three different ways by changing the SET statement:
By Error Count
By Error Code
By Field Code
See the in-stream documentation in Appendix G. Note
that the Detail Load Process Error report can be sorted
only by SSN.
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Sorting the Summary
Error Report
You can sort the Summary
Error report in any of three
ways: error count, error
code, or field code. To
select a sort option, use
the SET statement.
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Chapter 12: Using Reports
12.1 Extract Validation Log Report
The Extract Validation Log report is discussed in detail in Section 7.4.2 as part of the
Extract Validation process. Use it to verify that a successful Extract Validation has, in fact,
produced a Submittal file that passes reasonability checks when compared to previous
months’ Submittal files.
12.2 Error Reports
12.2.1 Summary Error Reports
Both the Summary Extract Error report and the Summary Load Process report list the
following information for each field on your Submittal file containing one or more
errors:
The number of errors that occurred for that field
The percentage those errors represent of the total
number of errors in the file
The field code
The error code
The field name
The error message
Using Summary Error
Reports
You can use summary
error reports to focus
quickly on the types of
errors your Submittal file
contains.
There is one significant difference between the two
If a large portion of your
summary error reports. The Summary Extract Error report
errors come from the DOB
field, for example, that will
summarizes all the domain-level errors in your Submittal
show up in the summary
file, while the Summary Load Process Error report
error reports. You can then
generate detail error
summarizes all the domain-, record-, and load-level
reports to show individual
errors in your Submittal file. Thus, the Summary Load
records that need to be
Process Error report offers a fuller picture of the types of
corrected.
errors that occur in your Submittal file. However, the
Summary Extract Error report identifies domain-level
errors earlier in the NSLDS update process, and it is invaluable if you need to lower your
rate of domain-level errors beneath the ED-established threshold in order to create a
Submittal file at all.
Use the summary error reports to help you quickly spot problem areas in your Database
Extract file. Then use detail error reports to research how those problems affect
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individual loan records. Once you have diagnosed problems in this fashion, you should
be able to attack them at the source by updating your database or extract procedures.
Figure 12-1: Summary Extract Error Report
Figure 12-2: Summary Load Process Error Report
12.2.2 Detail Error Reports
Both the Detail Extract Error report and the Detail Load Process Error report supply the
following information for each error in your Submittal file:Student’s SSN
Date of Student’s Birth
Student’s Last Name
Student’s First Name
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Type of Loan
Date of Loan
Loan Status
School Code
Data Provider Loan Identifier
Error Level
Name of Field in Error
Value of Field in Error
Error Message
View the Summary Reports
First
In addition, the Detail Load Process Error report
provides the following information for each SSN
conflict caused by a record on your Submittal file:
We suggest that you generate
and view summary error
reports before viewing detail
reports. The summary reports
will quantify the types of errors
in your Database Extract file,
making it easy for you to spot
large problems.
Student’s SSN you supplied
Date of Student’s Birth you supplied
Student’s First Name you supplied
Error Code
Error Message
Existing Student’s SSN
Existing Date of Student’s Birth
Existing Student’s First Name
Existing Student’s Last Name
Data Provider Code
Data Provider Name
Data Provider City
Data Provider State
There is one significant difference between the two detail error reports. The Detail
Extract Error report contains all the domain-level errors in your Submittal file, while the
Detail Load Process Error report contains all the domain-, record-, and load-level errors
in your Submittal file. Thus, the Detail Load Process Error report offers a fuller picture of
the types of errors that occur in your Submittal file. However, the Detail Extract Error
report identifies domain-level errors earlier in the NSLDS update process, and it is
invaluable if you need to lower your rate of domain-level errors beneath the EDestablished threshold in order to create a Submittal file at all.
Use detail error reports to research how problems in your database or extract procedure
affect individual loan records. DataPrep’s range of selection and sort options (Sections
10.5 and 10.6Error! Reference source not found.) will help you zero in on how general
types of problems affect specific loan records. Once you have diagnosed problems in
this fashion, you should be able to update your database or extract procedures.
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It is essential that you correct your database or extract
procedures rather than editing or otherwise massaging
the Database Extract file. If you do not, the errors will
remain in your database and reappear in your next
Database Extract file, which will then be out of sync
with the correct data loaded onto NSLDS as a result of
your previous submittal.
Appendix B contains a detailed list of all error
messages, a cross-reference to the fields to which they
refer, and the error message associated with each edit
applied against a data element. You can also refer to
the Field Code and use Appendix A to review the
requirements for reporting on the specific field.
Correct Your Database
Use error reports to correct
your database or extract
procedures, not the Database
Extract file itself. Editing your
Database Extract file to
correct errors violates ED
policy, which requires your
Database Extract file to be an
exact image of your
database, and perpetuates
errors, since any errors that
remain on your database get
reported to NSLDS again the
next month.
Figure 12-3: Sample Extract Detail Error Report
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Figure 12-4: Sample Detail Load Process Error Report
12.3 Loan Detail Reports
Both the Extract Loan Detail report and the NSLDS Loan Detail report list in a readable
format the value for every field of every record they contain. In the case of the Extract
Loan Detail report, the records are those contained in your own database. In the case of
the NSLDS Loan Detail report, the records are contained in the NSLDS database.
Together, the two reports are useful for researching discrepancies between the data on
your database and the data on the NSLDS database.
While error reports are useful for identifying types of errors and specific records with
errors in your database, loan detail reports are useful for establishing the full contents of
those records that contain errors. DataPrep’s select and sort options will help you
identify and categorize the records that appear in loan detail reports.
12.4 Error Submittal Summary Notification Report
The Error Submittal Summary Notification report informs you that NSLDS has not
received your Submittal file, or that it cannot process the Submittal file it did receive
because of some file-level error. Since Extract Validation will not create a Submittal file
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at all if it detects any file-level errors in your Database Extract file, most file-level errors
that can be remedied by correcting your database or extract process will be caught by
Extract Validation and will never appear on an Error Submittal Summary Notification
report.
The file-level errors that cause NSLDS to send you an Error Submittal Summary
Notification file usually result from one of the following:
Some problem with your submittal schedule
Transmitting the wrong file or wrong Submittal file to NSLDS
Data corruption while the file was being transmitted
The remedies to these types of errors usually involve meeting your submittal schedule,
modifying your file-handling procedures, or simply retransmitting your Submittal file.
They do not normally involve correcting your database or extract procedures.
12.5 Error Types
12.5.1 File-Level Errors
File-level errors that result from faulty data in your database or flawed extract
procedures should be caught by Extract Validation and prevent DataPrep from creating
a Submittal file. Such errors will cause Extract Validation to generate an error message
that identifies what went wrong and suggests how you might be able to correct it. You
must remedy such errors and rerun Extract Validation in order to create a Submittal file.
File-level errors that prevent NSLDS from processing your Submittal file are normally the
result of faulty file handling or data corruption during transmission. Often, these
problems can be resolved by re-sending your Submittal file or by sending the correct
Submittal file to NSLDS.
12.5.2 Domain-Level Errors
There are four types of domain-level errors:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Numeric Field Errors
Invalid Date Errors
Missing Identifiers
Missing New Identifiers
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DataPrep checks for domain-level errors as part of Extract Validation, and NSLDS checks
for them again as part of the Load Process.
If the rate of domain-level errors in your Database
Extract file exceeds the threshold established by ED,
DataPrep will not create a Submittal file. However, it
will create an Extract Error file that you can use to
generate Extract Error reports and correct your
database before creating a new Database Extract file
and re-running Extract Validation. Even if your error
rates are below the thresholds, you can still generate
Extract Error reports and get a head start on correcting
any domain-level errors Extract Validation does identify
in your Submittal file.
Domain Error Threshold
Levels
ED has set the threshold
levels for domain errors at:
Combined Date and
Numeric Field Errors10%
Missing Identifier 5%
Missing New Identifier
5%
These percentages are
subject to change at ED’s
discretion.
While Extract Validation will process records with
domain-level errors as long as your error rate remains
below the threshold, the Load Process will not load
such records onto NSLDS. Instead, it will write them to the Load Process Error report,
which you should use to correct your database or extract procedure.
Numeric Field Errors
A numeric field error occurs when a field requiring all numeric characters is populated
by some other character or space. This type of domain error can indicate extraction of
the wrong data, an incorrect result in a calculated field, truncated data, incorrect field
length, or some other type of data problem. The Extract Error report will identify the
data that erred, and you can use either the Summary Report or the Detail Report to
identify the data in your system needing correction or to trace it back to the source of
the corruption. You can also use the Extract Loan Detail report to review the entire
record.
Invalid Date Errors
An invalid date error occurs when an invalid date appears in a field requiring a date. This
can be caused by an incorrect character in the date field (for example, a non-numeric
character) or a date that is not a calendar date (for example, 19980230—February 30th is
not a valid date).
An invalid date error will not occur if the date is valid, regardless of whether or not it is
reasonable. For example, a student date of birth of 19980228 will pass this domain-level
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edit, although clearly 1998 is not a reasonable birth date for a current student. That
record-level error will be picked up later when NSLDS processes your Submittal file.
You should note that a date field with all zeros will pass the domain edit, but it may err
in the load process if a date is required.
Missing Identifiers
Identifier errors occur when one or more loan or student identifier fields are left
unpopulated. Examples of identifier errors are Loan Type with spaces or Date of
Student’s Birth with zeros. These create a loan record with an invalid format. Identifier
errors often occur either when there are data missing from your database or when your
extract process is not working properly. It is essential you review the cause of this error
so it does not continue to occur.
Missing New Identifiers
New Identifier errors occur when one or more of the loan or student new identifiers are
populated by valid data, but the remaining new identifiers are not. This occurs if you try
to perform an Identifier change but fail to fill in all of the New Identifiers. New identifier
errors indicate an identifier change process that is not occurring properly, so it is
essential you review the cause of the error.
12.5.3 Record-Level Errors
NSLDS first checks for record-level errors as part of the
Load process. Individual loan records that contain
record-level errors are not loaded onto the database and
are, instead, written to the Load Process Error report. You
can then use that report to correct your database or
extract procedure before extracting the records again the
following month.
There are two types of record-level errors:
1. Duplicate Records
2. Reasonability Errors
Duplicate Records
If two Detail records in the same Submittal file have the
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Correcting Record-Level
Errors
There are two types of
record-level errors: duplicate
records and reasonability
errors.
To correct them, you must
correct the data in your
database. When you next
extract the data using
DataPrep, the new
Submittal file should have
the corrected information.
Once the data have passed
the edits described in
Chapter 8, NSLDS will load
it onto the database.
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same loan identifiers, NSLDS rejects them both because it has no way of telling which is
correct. Remedy problems with duplicate records by removing duplicates from your
database or by checking your extract process for any step that may be creating
duplicate records even though they do not exist in your database. The Loan identifier
that DataPrep allows you to assign to individual loans can help you track duplicate
records and identify their cause.
Reasonability Errors
Reasonability errors result from data that do not make logical sense. To correct these
errors you must correct the information in your database. When you next run Extract
Validation, the Submittal file produced by DataPrep should contain the corrected data.
Once the data have passed the edits, NSLDS updates its database to reflect the
corrected, and reasonable, data.
The following are two examples of Reasonability Errors:
1. Loan Type equals PU (Federal Perkins Loan). Date of First Disbursement
submitted equals 19810120 (January 20, 1981)—This is not reasonable since the
Perkins Loan Program did not exist until 1987. (Date of First Disbursement must be
at least 19870101.) Therefore, you must correct your database to reflect that either
the loan type equals NU, National Direct Student Loan (NDSL), or the date.
2. Date of First Disbursement equals 19950905. Date of Birth submitted for
student equals 19910713—A student cannot have received a Perkins loan and be
only 4 years old. Correct the information in your database as needed. (Date of birth
must be at least 12 years before Date of First Disbursement.)
Reasonability errors usually require that you make changes to the respective field(s) in
your database before your next extract.
For example, the Load Process Error report might contain a record with the
typographical error 20960125 (January 25, 2096) in the Date of Disbursement field
instead of the correct 19960125 (January 25, 1996). NSLDS would reject this date as
being in the future. In your next Submittal file, you must resubmit the record that
contained the error with a valid Date of Disbursement.
However, they can also require changes to your extract process.
For example, you might extract a record with a valid Cancellation Date but a
Cancellation Amount of zeros, even though the correct Cancellation Amount is in
your database. Although the Cancellation Date is valid, it will err out of NSLDS
because the record that contains it fails the companion field edit on Cancellation
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Amount. To fix this error, you must change your extract process so it extracts
Cancellation Amount along with Cancellation Date.
12.5.4 Load-Level Errors
Load-level errors occur when records in your Submittal file contain data that conflict
with the data already in NSLDS. When there is a load-level error, the entire record is
rejected. NSLDS checks for load-level errors during the Load process and writes records
that contain them to the Load Process Error report.
To correct load-level errors, you must correct the information in your database before
you create your next Submittal file. Normally, you must resubmit corrected data in Detail
records. However, if you need to change historical (rather than current data) in NSLDS,
you must re-submit corrected data in a PPC record.
There are four types of load-level errors:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Identifier Conflicts
OPEID Code Errors
Invalid Code Errors
Date Sequence Errors
Identifier Conflicts
Identifier conflicts occur when a new loan record is submitted for a Student’s SSN
already on the NSLDS database, but a student match cannot be made based on the
Identifier Match Criteria (Section 9.4.1). This kind of error can be caused by a number of
factors: typos, a student reporting two different first names to two different data
providers, (for example, a student who uses a middle name as a first name), two
different students mistakenly using the same SSN, or even fraud. Regardless of the
reason for the conflict, you must resolve the conflict for the record to load successfully
onto NSLDS.
Loan records erring due to identifier conflicts should be compared with the data the
record erred against in the load process. The Load Process Error report will show the
conflicting identifiers and the data provider that supplied them. You should check to see
what the conflict is and if it results from something that should be corrected on your
database.
If it appears your data are accurate but they conflict with data from another data
provider anyway, you must resolve the conflict before NSLDS can be updated. Call the
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NSLDS Customer Support Center at 800-999-8219 to negotiate identifier conflicts with
other data providers.
OPEID Errors
NSLDS reviews original and current school codes in the records you submit against the
most current ED data. If the OPEID code on a record does not exist in the NSLDS
database, NSLDS rejects the record and does not update the database. OPEID codes can
be found at the NSLDS Professional Access website, https://nsldsfap.ed.gov, under the
ORG tab by searching on the school name.
Invalid Codes
NSLDS reviews all code fields to ensure that the codes
they contain are acceptable to NSLDS. See Appendix B for
complete lists of the following codes:
Loan Type
Loan Status
Enrollment Status
Deferment Type
Deferment Type Usage
Cancellation Type
Perkins Commercial Servicer
Date Sequence Edits
Correcting Invalid Codes
NSLDS rejects records
submitted with invalid
OPEID codes. To correct
code errors, you must
correct either your
database or your extract
process. Correct OPEID
codes
can be found at
https://nsldsfap.ed.gov
under the ORG tab by
searching on the school
name.
In addition to storing the current values for the individual fields that make up a loan
record, NSLDS also stores historical (or past) values for
selected fields. Often, those historical values are stored as
part of an event. This is because changes to some fields
are only meaningful if they are accompanied by a change
Correcting Date
Sequence Errors
to another field or fields. For example, a new Date of Loan
Records you submit that do
Status is only meaningful if it is accompanied by a new
not conform to date
Code for Loan Status. Together they constitute a Loan
sequence logic will not
update NSLDS. To correct
Status event. While you can update historical values, you
the records already on
cannot change either current or historical values so that you
NSLDS that cause these
change the chronological order of events stored in history.
errors, you may need to
Therefore, NSLDS reviews records you submit against
current and historical values already stored on NSLDS for
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(Section 6.6).
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the same record to ensure that any date changes do not alter the sequence of events. If
they do, NSLDS writes the record to the Load Process Error file and does not update the
database with it.
If a record you submit is rejected by NSLDS because it causes a date sequence error,
first check that the data you have submitted are correct. If they are, you must submit a
PPC record to update the historical data already on NSLDS that are making your record
cause a date sequence error.
For more detailed discussions on how NSLDS stores history and on how to update
historical data using PPC records, see Section 6.6.
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Chapter 13: Reporting Reminders
Included in Perkins reporting is information about the student’s enrollment and
information necessary to ensure successful transfer. Although there are other processes
which provide some of this same information to NSLDS, it is still required to be provided
as a part of Perkins reporting.
13.1 Enrollment Information
Perkins Loan reporting includes enrollment data for each loan. Although funding for the
loan program may occur at the main location of the school’s 8-digit OPEID, NSLDS
requires that the actual location where the student is attending classes is to be reported.
This may be the same as the main location, or it may be at a location other than the ‘00’
location. This ensures that the student is placed on the correct enrollment reporting
roster and eliminates misreporting when the student is not attending classes at the main
location.
In order to report this information, use the NSLDS Code for Current School - Field Code
#286 for each loan record in the data extract file submitted to NSLDS. Reference
Appendix B, Table B-4 - Enrollment Status Codes, for the precise codes to report in the
field.
13.2 School Mergers and Closures
Occasionally locations or schools will merge into a single entity. During the merger
process, typically one entity is maintained and the other entity is closed. One of the
necessary steps to a successful merger is updating the loan portfolio for all open loans.
Schools must update the Code for Current School – NSLDS Field code 286 from the old
current School Code to the School Code of the new entity.
For Example:
00123400 is being purchased by 00678900 and will continue reporting on
00123400’s Perkins portfolio.
1. The portfolio of open Perkins loans for 00123400 currently shows 00123400
as the Code for Current School in NSLDS Field Code 286.
2. All loans in the portfolio for 00123400 must be updated to show 00678900 in
the Code for Current School in NSLDS Field Code 286.
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Assume that the following loan information currently exists on the
NSLDS database (values in positions 1-47):
Code for Original School = 00123400
Student’s Social Security Number = 111223333
Date of Student’s Birth = 19600508
Student’s First Name = Robert
Type of Loan/Other Aid = PU
Date of First Disbursement = 19910903
The merged into school, as the new Origination School Code, will need
updated. To update the new OPEID identifier, submit the data exactly as
shown above in positions 1–47 of the record and, at the same time, also
report the following values in positions 50–96 of the record:
New Code for Original School = 00678900 (only item changed)
New Student’s Social Security Number = 111223333
New Date of Student’s Birth = 19600508
New Student’s First Name = Robert
New Type of Loan/Other Aid = PU
New Date of First Disbursement = 19910903
Note: Only the Type of Loan/Other Aid was changed. All other values must
be resubmitted as before.
Figure 13-1: How to Update Loan Identifier Data for a School Merger
The Old and New identifiers, in this case school code, must be completed prior to PEPS
making the merger change in their system. Once the old school is closed in FSA systems,
no further updates to records related to the old school are allowed. So the timing of
updating the loans is crucial. Contact the NSLDS Customer Support Center for further
assistance with Perkins questions regarding mergers. See Section 6.5.2 for the ID
change process.
13.3 Loan Transfer Information
There may come a point when it becomes necessary to transfer a loan to the
Department for servicing. This may occur in the following instances:
Extreme default by the borrower which requires Department intervention
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Total and Permanent Disability of the borrower requiring additional tracking by
the Department
School is ending participation in the Perkins program
School is merging or closing
When these circumstances occur, it is imperative that the record be reported to the
Department accurately and concisely in for the receiving servicer to be able to receive
the loan. If this is not done, the receiving servicer will be unable to report on the loan,
leaving the school responsible for reporting on the loan until the loan can be properly
received.
The receiving Federal Servicer will attempt to match information found on the loan with
information received on the Federal Perkins Loan Program/NSLDS Assignment Form
completed by the school. The information provided on this form MUST match that
which is provided to NSLDS in order for the federal Perkins servicer or TPD to
successfully receive the loan into their portfolio.
To ensure the successful transfer of a loan from the school to a Federal Servicer, the
following items must be reported accurately to ensure the match:
Institutional Certification, Item 12 from the Federal Perkins Loan Program/NDSL
Assignment Form. This is commonly referred to as the “Certification Date”
o Certification Date is to be reported in NSLDS Field Code 262 – Date of
Loan Status.
o NSLDS Field Code 263 – Code for Loan Status MUST be equal to ‘AE’ for
the servicer to be allowed to receive the loan. Any other value in this field
is NOT allowed for transfer.
o The above two fields (Date of Loan Status – Field Code 262 and Code for
Loan Status – Field Code 263) MUST be supplied in the same reporting to
ensure transfer to the Federal Servicer.
Reference Appendix B, Table B-3 – Perkins Loan Transfer Codes, for detailed instruction
about reporting transfer information.
13.4 Ending Perkins Participation
When a school is nearing the end of participation in the Perkins program, it is necessary
to liquidate the loan portfolio. This is done by ensuring that all loans in the portfolio are
closed, all borrower loan accounts are fully retired, accepted by the Department, or
purchased by the school. In order to facilitate this process, schools must ensure that the
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NSLDS database reflects this. Timely reporting and reconciliation verification must
continue until NSLDS shows that the schools portfolio is empty. School users should
utilize the Perkins Extract By Parameters (REC005) report to determine if any transfers
are pending before discontinuing the reporting process in the Perkins loan program.
For more information on this report see Appendix J (NSLDS Perkins By Parameters
Report record layout).
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Chapter 14: Final Thoughts
We hope this Data Provider Instructions manual has helped you learn how DataPrep
functions. We also hope its description of how DataPrep interacts with NSLDS gives you
a useful overview of the entire NSLDS update process.
If you have any questions, use the full-featured Help system. The Help system
documents all DataPrep’s functions and includes material not contained in this manual.
It is your best source for detailed information about specific DataPrep functions.
If you still have questions about using DataPrep or about the NSLDS update process,
please call the Customer Support Center at 800-999-8219 between the hours of 8 a.m.
and 8 p.m. Eastern Time, weekdays except Federal holidays.
In addition, if you have any suggestions about how this manual can be improved please
call the Customer Support Center and let us know.
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