Discover the Clearinghouse for beginners: The Evolving ... · Submits ALL Student Data NSLDS Data...

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Discover the Clearinghouse for beginners:

The Evolving Enrollment & Compliance Reporting Landscape

Dan Markowitz

Manager, Data Integrity & Operations


AGENDA

• NSC: Beginnings Purpose

& Value

• Enrollment & Compliance

Reporting

• A Closer Look: The SSCR

Process

• Current Compliance

Landscape

• On the Horizon: What’s

New?

• Next Steps


Our Beginnings, Purpose & Value


We are YOU

4

Our Value to You

Data

Coverage &

UsageInnovative

Solutions


Who are the Participants in this Process?

512/14/2017

U. S. Department of Education Federal agency overseeing K-20 education

Federal Student Aid

Administrators of federal grants, loans

and work-study funds

National Student Loan Data System

Central database for student aid

Common

Origination &

Disbursement

(COD) system Lenders & servicers of

federal loan programs

Educational

Institutions

National

Student

Clearinghouse

What? Acceleration of NSLDS Compliance Changes

20161996 2011 20142013 201520121997-2010

SSCR roster response required

at least twice a year

Extended GE reporting deadline

Initial GE reporting deadline

2011-12 GE reporting due

NSLDS requires new data submission format for SSCR roster

New less-than-half-time statusAGD requirement

SSCR roster response spacing adjustment

requiring updated format

Program-level and Q status (for 3/4 time) requirements

Reporting frequency changed to every 60 days

NSLDS requires schools and their servicers to respond within 15

days of SSCR roster receipt

NSLDS institutes new certification date logic for

summer and non-compulsory term reporting

NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Statistics Page released

New instruction to report unknown or unavailable student addresses as

(“UK”) in address fields

2008-09 through 2013-14 GE reporting due

2014-15 GE reporting due

Reporting X or Z records without program-level data no longer negatively impacts Enrollment Reporting Statistics

• No changes for 15 years• 15 changes in 5 years• 8 changes in 2 years• Changes growing in frequency and complexity

Gainful Employment (GE) disclosure

requirements take effect

LEGENDFormat changesDate-sensitive changesOther changes

“X” enrollment status required for resolving incorrectly reported

program

SSCR errors must be corrected within 10 days

2017

Enrollment statisticscore >=90%

New guidance onnon-compulsory less-than-half-time status reporting


When? Regulatory Compliance

7

#1Correct

SSCR

errors

within 10

days of

receipt

#3Report status

changes

within 60

days from

date of

determination

#4SSCRs

completed

at least

every 2

months

#1SSCRs

returned

within 15

days of

receipt

#2 #5Enrollment

Reporting

Statistics

score must

be >= 90%


Where?NSLDS Process: Only some students reported

NSLDS

Only financial aid

recipients believed to

be at your institution

by the NSLDS are

reported.

Profusion of errors

identified

Stressful to fix

manually in 10 days

5MNationally, 5 million students would have

been missed last year which would have

resulted in 5 million deferment forms and

student visits into Registrar/Financial Aid

Offices


Where?Clearinghouse Process: All students reported

Submits ALL Student Data

NSLDS

Data Pre-check• Identifies errors

and works with

school to resolve

• Responds to

NSLDS requests

for students on

Enrollment Roster

# of errors

reduced or

completely

eliminated.

Easier to fix

in 10 days

6.5M6.5 million errors resolved before

file submissions last year


How Most Students Are Placed on SSCR Roster

School sends Enrollment School Code on grant and loan disbursement records to COD

COD process sends grant data to NSLDS and loan data to the Servicers. Servicers send loan data to NSLDS.

NSLDS uses Enrollment School Code from COD and Servicers to place aid recipients on SSCRs

NSLDS sends SSCR to NSC (or to school directly, if not an NSC participant)

NSC (or school) Responds to NSLDS with Certified Enrollment


Additional Ways Students Are Added to the SSCR

• Servicers Add Students

• Students Add Themselves

• Institutions Add Students – Push to Roster

• Roster Reset – via institutional request

• NSC Submits Students to NSLDS

– Clearinghouse determines missing students

Until late August 2017, Transfer Student Monitoring and Financial Aid History

requests added students to the next SSCR Roster


Why?NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Statistics Page


Enrollment & Compliance Reporting


Enrollment Reporting School Submission Schedules

• Designed to meet compliance best practices school reporting needs

• Established at the time of service activation

• Adjustable

• Evergreen

• Future Enhancements

• *Check out the ‘Changing Your Reporting Schedule’ tutorial on the Clearinghouse Academy Site.

– https://clearinghouseacademy.org


Reminder Emails

Type of Email When Sent Who Receives

Early reminder

4 days before your

scheduled submission is

due

Submission Data,

Submission Data

Alternate

1st late reminder3 days after the

submission due date

Submission Data,

Submission Data

Alternate, Relationship

Executive, Financial Aid

Director

Subsequent late

reminder

Every 10 days after the

due date

Submission Data,

Submission Data

Alternate, Relationship

Executive, Financial Aid

Director


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Clearinghouse Data Flow – Enrollment Data Intake

12/14/2017

School Sends Data

Via secure FTP

Clearinghouse Database

Once the file arrives, the Clearinghouse performs validations on the data.

Clearinghouse back to School

School completes required validations to data, correcting any information that was identified as erroneous.

School back to Clearinghouse

Corrections are reviewed and, if corrections are complete, data is loaded to Clearinghouse database.


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Secure FTP site

• https://ftps.nslc.org/

• Upload enrollment file to NSC

https://ftps.nslc.org/


• Once the enrollment file is placed into the NSC system validations will be performed on the

data

• Errors are flagged in red and must be corrected.

• Warnings are identified in black and do not require correction although review is strongly

encouraged.

Enrollment File Processing: Errors/Warnings


19

Addressing Enrollment Reporting Errors/Warnings

• The enrollment file Error Resolution on the Web errors/warnings are

not the same as the NSLDS (SSCR) errors

• Questions on enrollment file Error Resolution on the Web errors/warnings?

• Check out the ‘Enrollment Reporting Error Resolution on the Web –

Beginner and Intermediate/Advanced’ webinars on the Clearinghouse

Academy Site.

• https://clearinghouseacademy.org

• Email NSC at: [email protected]

• Questions on NSLDS (SSCR) errors?

• Check out the ‘SSCR Error Resolution on the Web Series’ webinars on the

Clearinghouse Academy Site.

• https://clearinghouseacademy.org

• Email NSC at: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



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DegreeVerify

Verify education credentials of students

and graduates for employers, background

screening firms, educational organization,

search firms, and others.

DegreeVerify also provides the degree data for

compliance reporting.


21

Clearinghouse Data Flow – Degree Data Intake

12/14/2017

School’s DegreeVerify Data

Via secure FTP

Clearinghouse Database

Once the file arrives, the Clearinghouse performs validations on the data.

Data Loaded

Once the validations are complete, the data is loaded to the data warehouse.

G from DegreeVerify

G from Degree process automatically creates Graduates Only file for participating schools.


G from Degree

NSC Degree

DatabaseNSC Enrollment

Database

NSC generates G

statusData sent to

NSLDS

Degree Data Enrollment Data


23

Typical Reporting & Compliance Schedule

12/14/2017

School Sends File to NSC on Day 1, NSC Sends Errors and Warnings to School on Day 1.5, School resolves Errors & Warnings on Day 2.5, NSC does final review and loads file to database on Day 3.

Around the 1st through 3rd of the Month NSC receives SSCR roster from NSLDS and starts responding with most recent data loaded for school.

Four days later, NSC runs Supplemental SSCR Adds Process to request NSLDS add students missing from the current roster to future rosters.

If school submission received and processed between 1st and 11th of month, NSC may run a mid-month roster to capture the newer data.

NSC receives NSLDS SSCR Error Report and begins responding with same roster response data immediately and also makes errors available for correction on the Clearinghouse’s secure site.


When Things Don’t Go Perfectly…

The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to

blame it on…~Robert Bloch

• Files with formatting errors and Schools with EDI rejects

• Excessive data errors or warnings

• Processing delays

• Compliance concerns

• Reject Detail

2412/14/2017


Clearinghouse Data Flow – Weekly Notification for Non-Direct Loans

• This list is loaded into the Clearinghouse database and stored, so when school files come in we know which students have loans and which loan holders to notify.

Lenders, Servicers, and Guarantors send

NSC a list of borrowers monthly

NSC runs a weekly process comparing lender, servicer & guarantor loan

records to school enrollment data loaded to

NSC within last week.

• This typically occurs on Monday to Tuesday.

For students identified having

loans, notifications are sent, providing any

status change to loan holders.

• This is another way in which compliance

reporting is completed for your school.


A Closer Look:

The NSLDS Enrollment Roster Process


How Most Students Are Placed on SSCR Roster

School sends Enrollment School Code on grant and loan disbursement records to COD

COD process sends grant data to NSLDS and loan data to the Servicers. Servicers send loan data to NSLDS.

NSLDS uses Enrollment School Code from COD and Servicers to place aid recipients on SSCRs

NSLDS sends SSCR to NSC (or to school directly, if not an NSC participant)

NSC (or school) Responds to NSLDS with Certified Enrollment


Additional Ways Students Are Added to the SSCR

• Servicers Add Students

• Students Add Themselves

• Institutions Add Students – Push to Roster

• Roster Reset – via institutional request

• NSC Submits Students to NSLDS

– Clearinghouse determines missing students

Until late August 2017, Transfer Student Monitoring and Financial Aid History

requests added students to the next SSCR Roster


Clearinghouse Data Flow – NSLDS Enrollment Roster

NSLDS sends Enrollment

Roster to NSC

• NSLDS generates around the first of every month.

• NSC may process a “mid-month” Enrollment Roster update, if enrollment changes are received and fully uploaded into the NSC enrollment database between the 1st and the 11th of the month.

NSC creates Enrollment

Roster response files

for schools

• We use the most recent data we have in our database at the time edits begin to populate the response.

NSC sends response to

NSLDS within 15 days

• This occurs on a monthly basis for each NSC participating school. However, as noted above, we may process a mid-month, if we receive enrollment changes.


30

Paving the Way for NSLDS Enrollment Roster Error Reports

• Increasing transparency around the NSLDS Enrollment Roster, Roster

Response, and Error Response processes

• Improved front‐end enrollment reporting validations to prevent NSLDS

Enrollment Roster Errors

• Extensive clean‐up of more than 400,000 NSLDS Enrollment Roster Errors for

our participating institutions, including eliminating 200,000 Error Code 45s and

75s in November 2016

• Added X‐status functionality to support institutions’ need to submit historical

corrections at the program‐level

• Created new online functionality to see and correct NSLDS Enrollment Roster

Errors via the Clearinghouse secure site

12/14/2017


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NSLDS (SSCR) Errors for Clearinghouse Schools


32

SSCR Error Corrections

• Correcting your SSCR Errors is a compliance requirement.

• Corrections should be submitted to NSLDS within 10 days of

receipt of the SSCR Error Report. The Clearinghouse provides 8

days to allow for processing time.

• Login at www.studentclearinghouse.org/ <See the Student

Reporting Tab + Enrollment Reporting Link + NSLDS Reporting

Tab>

An error-free NSLDS Enrollment Roster is possible!

12/14/2017

http://www.studentclearinghouse.org/


33

Points of Clarification

• NSLDS Enrollment Roster Errors are not the same as your Error

Resolution on the Web Errors and Warnings for your Enrollment

Files.

• Many schools will see a large number of historical corrections on

the first few error reports.

• Correcting Enrollment Roster errors is not limited to the new

Clearinghouse secure site functionality.

• Updates should be made with the Clearinghouse. Do not go

directly through NSLDS without Clearinghouse guidance.

12/14/2017


Current Compliance Landscape

3412/14/2017


Hot Topics: Compliance Landscape• NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Statistics:

– Check out NSLDS Newsletter #58

– Check out the Audit Resource Center Blog: Do You Know Your

NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Score?

https://studentclearinghouse.info/audit/blog/

– Check out Meet & Beat the 90% Threshold: The NSLDS

Enrollment Reporting Statistics Page and Effective

Partnership between the Financial Aid & Registrar Offices

webinar

3512/14/2017

• FSA Summer Reporting Announcement 4/20/17:• Check out the Audit Resource Center Blog: Summer, Less Than

Half-Time Reporting for Non-Required Terms to Date





Compliance Best Practices

36

We recommend your school take the following actions when reporting

your students:

– Report every month

– Resolve Error Resolution On The Web reports promptly and please be

sure to address any items flagged for your review

– Review details of your enrollment files to ensure students are reported

with appropriate program information

– Report graduates at campus AND program levels (as appropriate) as

soon as degree audits are completed

– Continue to report graduates until all your graduates have been

reported

– Resolve your NSLDS Enrollment Roster Errors via our Secure Site

within 8 days.

– Contact [email protected] for assistance with any

non-standard updates, changes or unique situations


What’s New on the Horizon at NSC?

NEW Enhancements to Enrollment Reporting


The Clearinghouse Solution – Recent Actions

Based on the continually evolving federal regulations, NSC

has implemented actions to support our schools.


Added the ability to correct NSLDS Enrollment Roster Errors online via

our Secure Site

Notified NSLDS of students not appearing on rosters

Improved enrollment/degree submission processing to reduce

turnaround times and streamline file validations

Continue to build out a resource library for school training on

operational functions

Collaboration with ED/FSA to prevent financial aid histories and

Transfer Monitoring Queries from adding students to the roster

Ongoing webinars related to compliance & enrollment reporting

Less than Half Time Status for Summer/Non-Comp Reporting

The Clearinghouse Solution – Recent Actions


The Clearinghouse Solution – Going Forward

NSC is working to meet school client needs expressed and

upcoming changes from FSA.


The Clearinghouse Solution – Going Forward

• Viewable G from DegreeVerify enhancements to improve transparency followed by additional functionality this Spring

• Sending stacked records to NSLDS

• Suppressing L statuses for Non-Comp/Non-Summer

• Include checks on Program Length and Title IV Weeks

• Five point program level matching for enrollment files

• Enhancements to the school schedule process

• Downloadable reports related to Student Program Level data and other key elements


Clearinghouse Resources

We’ve made Online Help

for you and your students even better!

Help for your Students :

mystudentcenter.org

Help for You :

studentclearinghouse.info/help/

Your 24/7 access to training and resources is at

clearinghouseacademy.org


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Additional Benefits to Your Institution

Speed

Support

Accuracy


SpeedFaster and more timely

• ALL students reported. NSC process

determines recipients, including

private loan servicers

• Identifies and adds 5 million

students annually missing from

NSLDS inquiry

• Outsourced deferment form

processing

• In-house compliance and enrollment

reporting experts to support your

institution through every stage of the

process

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AccuracyReduced errors

• Data pre-checked to identify and

resolve potential issues BEFORE

submission to NSLDS.

− Pre-check identifies an average

26 errors per 1,000 records on

enrollment files submitted to NSC

that would otherwise have resulted

in NSLDS errors

• Improved accuracy enhances

the trust and confidence

of the institution

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SupportEnrollment management,

risk mitigation and education

• Ongoing enhancements keep schools in

compliance with evolving guidance and

regulations

− Reduces need for schools to maintain

technical and business resources to

adapt to these changes

• Resources for best practices and audit

support

• Online, live, in-person and self-paced

training and tutorials

• FSA information regarding trends, focus and

upcoming changes is proactively shared

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Resources

• Audit Resource Center

• Compliance Central

• Clearinghouse Academy


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Audit Resource Center

• Assists ~1,000 schools per year

• Works with you and your auditors to explain issues and provide

documentation to reduce and eliminate audit findings

• Aids with audits and day-to-day compliance questions

• Offers online resources for preparing and responding to an audit

• Shares trends in auditor areas of focus


Streamlined for Increased Efficiency

• Cuts search time: information is all in one place

• Puts compliance front-and-center

• Increases awareness and understanding of regulations

• Helps schools & auditors work together; helps schools reduce # of findings

NEW Compliance Central:


compliancecentral.org


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Clearinghouse Academy

• Live events and webinars

• Tutorials and recorded webinars

• User help and FAQs

• User guides and

documentation

• Links to Audit Resource

Center, Compliance

Central, and more

Visit

clearinghouseacademy.org


We serve the education

community by facilitating

the exchange and

understanding of student

enrollment, performance,

and related information.

The Clearinghouse

Mission


Questions?

Available Resources: •

Clearinghouse Audit Resource

Center Compliance Questions: [email protected]

• Clearinghouse Inquiries:[email protected]

Compliance Updates:

compliancecentral.org



Discover the Clearinghouse for beginners: The Evolving ... · Submits ALL Student Data NSLDS Data...

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