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PublicationDate: 11/2/98 Summary: Tip of the Week - CPS Print Deadline for RAD requests & Common RAD Request Questions Author: CPS - Central Processing System (CPS) Posted November 2, 1998 TO: All Destination Points FROM: CPS Customer Service RE: Tip of the Week - CPS Print Deadline for RAD requests & Common RAD Request Questions This week's tip highlights an EDE feature or process: CPS Print Deadline for RAD Requests & Common RAD Request Questions. CPS is entering the fourth and final week of processing 1999-2000 Renewal Application Data (RAD) requests submitted by EDE institutions. The final deadline for RAD requests involving CPS printing and distribution of Renewal Applications to the requesting institutions is November 6, 1998. We have gathered below several common inquiries from users regarding RAD requests and the processing cycle, which we hope will clarify some issues raised by the financial aid community. 1) Can I request printed Renewal Applications for my graduate/professional students? If you request an eligible graduate/professional student's RAD data for CPS bulk print and mail, you will receive RAD data for that student in your RADD00OP file but will not receive a printed Renewal Application in your bulk mail. Students with a graduate/professional college grade level listed on the 1998-1999 ISIR transaction selected for a RAD record will not receive a paper Renewal Application from the CPS. Instead, CPS will mail to these students an Electronic Access Code (EAC), which they can use to complete their 1999-2000 Renewal Application via Renewal FAFSA on the Web. 2) How do I proceed to the next screen in the On-Line Query RAD Request screens when I'm finished with the current one? The key you need to click on to advance to the next RAD Request screen will vary depending on the screen you are on and the type of request you are submitting. The keys to click on for various options, such as advancing or backtracking screens, are listed at the bottom of each RAD Request screen. In most cases you will need to click on F4, sometimes twice, to advance to the next screen. 3) What kind of RAD request should I make if I ONLY want the electronic RAD data file, and do not want to be involved in printing and/or distribution of paper Renewal Applications? After November 6, the CPS will mail Renewal Applications or Electronic Access Codes (EACs) for Renewal FAFSA on the Web directly to students not requested by an EDE institution. If you are not interested in printing and/or distributing paper Renewal Applications, and only want the electronic RAD data file (RADD00OP), you should wait to submit your RAD request until after that date. 4) I've received a RADD00OP file as a result of my RAD request --- what should I do with it? The RADD00OP file is a 1999-2000 data file; you should keep the RADD00OP file(s) in your import data directory (default is C:in most cases) until you receive and install 1999-2000 EDExpress in December 1998. You will then be able to import your RADD00OP file(s), run reports on the data you've received, and perform entry and export tasks. Here are some other general, helpful hints on making your RAD request: 1) Read the Action Letter! You can download Action Letter #1 (September 1998) from the IFAP web site at www.ifap.ed.gov. This letter provides you with specific procedures, record layouts, and tips on making your RAD request. Users creating their own Type 2 (SSN) request file should definitely download the 1999-2000 record layouts from this site to ensure their request file is updated and correctly formatted. 2) If you are making a Type 2 RAD request in On-Line Query and plan to enter a large number of student identifiers during your session, we highly recommend you break your request into multiple submissions. There is no save feature in On-Line Query, so you run the risk of losing the data you've entered if any technical problems or system events cause you to become disconnected from On-Line Query. We advise you submit your Type 2 RAD request data one page at a time. 3) RAD request error files (EREP00OP) can not be imported into any EDE software. They must be viewed in an ASCII-compatible text viewer, such as MS-DOS Editor, Wordpad, or Microsoft Word. Enclosure E of Action Letter #1 provides you with detailed information on how to interpret the contents of any EREP00OP files you may receive. Remember, you have until November 6, 1998, to resubmit any rejected RAD requests. If you have any questions, please contact CPS Customer Service at 1-800-330-5947, option 8, or via e-mail at CPS@NCS.COM. |