1. Meteor and Financial Aid Delivery
Justin Tilton
instructional media + magic, inc.
As presented at
HEWI/AACRAO 2001 Student Aid Modernization Conference
September 26, 2001
Arlington, Virginia

2. Overview
Status report on the OSFA and some of the key initiatives that will impact the future of Financial Aid
Emerging technologies: portals, uPortal, channels – and how this relates to Meteor
The Meteor Project: description, status, and delivery timeline

3. Financial aid services
In the past, regulations drove practices and limited services
Now, information technology drives practices and has the potential to increase service
________________
Using information technology, the U.S. Department of Education is improving its services, setting higher expectations

4. Some key initiatives Department of Education OSFA
Web enabled applications
Common Origination and Disbursements
Student loan industry
ELM Resources
The Meteor Project
College and university collaboratives
JA-SIG (Java in Administration Special Interest Group)
Internet 2 and Shibboleth
MIT’s Open Knowledge Initiative
Florida State University, University of Hawaii
“30 minute application to funds”

5. SFA Web-enabled applications
FAFSA on the web
Schools portal release 2.0 with single sign-on
Financial partners portals – FY 2002
Student on-line access to direct loan servicing
API to SFA systems
There are similarities between health care and student financial assistance.
Both industries are undergoing transformation.
There are strong economic pressures to reduce cost and improve services.
Both have a broad network of partners to deliver their services.
There is intense public scrutiny.

6. Web Application FAFSA on the Web - 2001

7. FAFSA On The Web FAFSA e-Filers Millions of students 97-98 98-99 99-00
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
97-98
98-99
99-00
00-01
Millions of students

8. Schools Portal Prototype

9. Federal Experience
Customers using electronic services are more satisfied than those that don’t.
Agencies that measure customer satisfaction
Have better customer satisfaction that the federal government as a whole
In general, are improving customer satisfaction

10. Expect... SFA Common Origination and Disbursements
Batch Processing Pilot
Schools required to communicate with COD using XML
Schools have the option to send real time messaging
As reported by Kay Jacks at the NASFAA Annual Conference
Electronic Signatures
Limited use of SFA PIN
Replaced by Internet 2/SAML December 2002 (no official commitment)
As mentioned by Steve Hawald at the Summer JASIG Conference

11. Expect that...
Alternative loans will be the largest source of financial aid by 2005
Estimated from a forthcoming report by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance
The focal point of financial aid information and transactions will be the college or university
“Web services” will be the basis for new information technology infrastructure
New college and university administrative systems will be based on Web services; component architecture will become available 2003, and widely implemented between 2004 and 2005

12. Impact on colleges and universities
Changes:
From Batch to Real-time Transactions,
From Proprietary File Transfers to Internet XML Messaging Standards
From SFA-defined to Industry Standard Message Content
An integrated Student Experience
Use of SFA-provided Java (J2EE) shared-components

13. NCHELP-sponsored “convergence”
Business messages
OSFA Common Record, IFX Forum, CommonLine, PESC, industry XML
Data transport
OSFA, CommonLine, PESC, industry SOAP and ebXML
Authentication (in progress)
OSFA Internet 2/Shibboleth, JA-SIG, industry SAML, SOAP_DSIG
Directory Services (soon)
OSFA, Meteor, industry UDDI
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14. ______________________
The Meteor Project
An initiative of the student loan industry
Collaborative effort of 37 guaranty agencies, lenders, secondary markets, and servicers
On-line, real-time information services
Separate channels for students and financial aid professionals
Aligned with industry, SFA standards
______________________
“Building the IT infrastructure for the next decade”

15. A Glimpse: Florida State University
In “30 minutes” on-line:
Apply for admission and be accepted
Apply for financial aid, including the FAFSA, receive an award, issue credits and initiate funds transfer
Apply for housing and receive a housing assignment
Enroll in classes
__________________
FSU reports general agreement with OSFA for their design Richard Tombaugh Aug 2001

16. Students expectations shaped by...
Their experience applying for federal financial aid
Their use of financial services portals
Their use of the Internet
Their life in a “real-time, information rich” environment

17. Students now expect... Customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Complete information from a single source
Delivery by Web, , telephone, facsimile, and wireless devices
response time of 15 seconds for telephone, 10 seconds for Web, and 2 hours for and facsimile
access to a complete customer history

18. College students choose a Web site...
Ranked by importance
College or university’s portal if adequate
Suggestions of other students
Print advertisements
Web search

19. Is technology important?
Technology choices determine the quality of electronic services offered to Web-savvy prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, staff and the public.
Technology choices will determine with whom you do e-business and how it is done.

20. SFA technology choices
XML - B2B Standard
Business Messages
XML Schema (data validation)
Java - Transportable Programs
Shared Java Components
Web Implementations – FAFSA
UML - Unified Modeling Language

21. eBusiness Web services architecture
XML “tagged” data content
eXtensible Markup Language
SOAP data transport
Simple Object Access Protocol
XSL transformations for presentation
eXtensible stylesheet language
XML Digital Signature
for Server Authentication
UDDI/WSDL directory services
Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration,and Web Services Description Language

22. Technology standards ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü
Industry
Web Services
Microsoft
Sun One
Meteor
JA-SIG
uPortal
OSFA
IBM
.Net
Java Programming Language ü ü ü ü ü
XML Markup Language ü ü ü ü ü ü
SOAP Data Transport ü ü M ü ü ü
UDDI Directory ü ü M ü ü ü
WSDL Service Description ü ü M ü ü ü
M - from Meteor installation
O - optional

23. Announced support of Web services
Feb OSFA U.S. DOE
Sep NCHELP CommonLine ESC
Oct NCHELP’s Meteor Project
Dec IBM Corporation
Feb Sun Microsystems
Mar Microsoft Corporation
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24. Portals, uPortal (JA-SIG), and Channels

25. Portal defined
generally synonymous with a gateway, for a World Wide Web site that is or proposes to be a major starting site for users when they get connected to the Web
May 19, 2001
“A portal’s main reason for existence is to integrate disparate systems and data into a unified, centrally accessible interface.”
Jim Paroza, “Enterprise value of portals is clear,”
eWeek, Sep 13, 2002

26. Yahoo, the portal “standard”
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27. MyYahoo, a personal portal
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28. The Academic Web World
Research
Library
Administrative
Instruction

29. Why a campus portal? Improves productivity and satisfaction
Integrates divergent systems
Creates a set of templates and standards for developing and delivering Web materials
Becomes a platform to quickly and efficiently introduce new technologies (channels)

30. Why are portals important?
Helps knowledge workers to be more productive
Preferred by users
Market share
Brand identity
A viable architecture for information services
Time to market
Improved services
Lower costs
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31. Features of uPortal
Framework for presenting aggregated content (channels)
Personalization
Role-based access control
Single signon to multiple systems

32. A student’s view of the Web

33. A student’s view of the Web
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34. A Customized Portal
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35. uPortal for the Pilot Implementation
Open Source Software
Features used by Meteor
Readily available

36. Delete this slide JA-SIG Java in Administration Special interest Group
A development collaborative and a clearinghouse for JAVA based software developed specifically by and for colleges and universities.
Current focus: uPortal – an full feature enterprise web application portal
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37. uPortal Interfaces Authentication Proving your identity Authorization
Deciding what you can access
User preferences
Profiles, structure, themes, skins
Channel information
Availability and configuration

38. Content Transformation
XML
XSLT
Processor
XHTML: Web Browser
HTML: PDA
Stylesheet
WML: Cell Phone

39. Tab / Column Layout
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40. Tree / Column Layout
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41. Theme: uosm
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42. Theme: java
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43. Theme: imm
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44. Theme: matrix

45. Multiple Target Devices

46. What is a Channel? Displays content
XML feeds (events, news items, etc.)
Legacy systems (registration, library)
Interactive applications
Meteor
Bookmarks
, chat, threaded discussions

47. XML “feed” Channel
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48. Where does The Meteor Project fit into all of this?

49. Relationship of Meteor and JA-SIG
uPortal
The Meteor
Project
Meteor Channel

50. The Meteor Project
Meteor is the software and service to obtain a student’s own financial aid information from a number of different sources.
The software can be installed on any Website--a school, lender, guaranty agency, secondary market, servicer, or collection agency.
The software is Open Source--a “gift” from the Meteor sponsors to the financial aid community.

51. Data from multiple sources, locations
The Pilot Implementation

52. Reference implementation
The reference implementation includes:
Authentication of the user
A list of loans
Details on any specific loan
Error, warning, and information messages for the user

53. Meteor authentication

54. Meteor list of loans

55. Sample Meteor loan detail

56. User message, no Meteor service

57. User message, please call

58. How does Meteor work?

59. Meteor in a nutshell…
UDDI
Lender
XML

60. The first step…
The student chooses a portal to their Financial Aid information

61. Next, a secure connection

62. Requests sent... Guaranty Agencies NSC SFA XML <LoanHistoryRq>
<CustPermId> </CustPermId>
<DateOfBirth> </DateOfBirth>
</LoanHistoryRq>

63. Responses returned NSC GA SFA XML XML XML <LoanInformation>
<LenderIdType>OPEID</LenderIdType>
<LenderId>809063</LenderId>
<LenderName>Bank of Oklahoma</LenderName>
<SchoolIdType>OPEID</SchoolIdType>
<SchoolId>003152</SchoolId>
<SchoolBranch>00</SchoolBranch>
<SchoolName>University of Central Oklahoma</SchoolName>
<InformationSourceIdType>OPEID</InformationSourceIdType>
<InformationSourceId>809063</InformationSourceId>
<InformationSourceName>Bank of Oklahoma</InformationSourceName>
<InformationSourceDate> </InformationSourceDate>
</LoanInformation>

64. Aggregated data in portal

65. Student wants details

66. Request for detail sent to Lender
XML

67. Detail screen displayed
Lender
XML

68. Diagram of Meteor Concept
Web Services
HTML
Meteor
XML
Student Access Provider Data Provider

69. As implemented ... Web Services Meteor Secure HTML Secure XML Standard
Browser
uPortal
Meteor
SOAP
Meteor
SOAP
Database

70. The development configuration
Linux
Apache
Tomcat
Linux
Apache
Tomcat
Standard
Browser
uPortal
uPortal
Meteor SOAP
JAVA Components
Meteor SOAP
JAVA Components
Database
JDBC Connection

71. Some history White paper Sponsors believe in the concept
A convergence effort
Development of Pilot
Community awareness
Enterprise software development

72. Convergence: Data Transport
September 2000
April
March
SOAP [NCHELP ESC]
SOAP [SFA]
ebXML [PESC]
“Simple SOAP” [Meteor]

73. Convergence: Business Messages
CommonLine R5 [ESC]
LoanML [IFX]
CommonLine XML [ESC]
Common Record [SFA]
June 2000
December
May

74. Convergence: Authentication
SFA [NCS Proprietary]
XTASS [VeriSign]
AuthML [Securant]
S2ML [Netegrity]
SAML [Oasis]
Internet 2 [Shibboleth]
December 2000
March
June

75. The pilot demonstration
To show the operation of Meteor, the demonstration presentation included the uPortal with a Meteor Channel on the top half of the screen and a secure telnet session showing the flow of traffic--specifically the SOAP messages that included in the XML content--to and from the Meteor server, on the bottom half. (A sample screen follows)
The demonstration was a dial-in connection, to the Internet, accessing servers in the Washington, DC office. The dial-in connection was operating at 28.8 Kilobits per second (roughly 2,900 characters per second) . The message turnaround was less than one second.
January 13 and 17, 2001, Bal Harbour, Florida

76. Split screen demonstration

77. Meteor student authentication

78. Meteor XML Request message
>>(Tue Jan 09 11:50:58 EST 2001) Processing SOAP request...
<SOAP-ENV:Envelope
xmlns:SOAP-ENV="
xmlns:xsd="
xmlns:xsi="
<SOAP-ENV:Body> <ns1:getLoanHistory
SOAP-ENV:encodingStyle="
xmlns:ns1="urn:ifx-loan-server"> <IFXRequestEl> <IFX>
<SaisSvcRq>
<RqUID/>
<SPName>gov.studentclearinghouse</SPName>
<LoanHistoryRq>
<CustId>
<SPName>gov.ssa</SPName>
<CustPermId> </CustPermId>
</CustId>
<DateOfBirth> </DateOfBirth>
</LoanHistoryRq>
</SaisSvcRq>
</IFX> </IFXRequestEl> </ns1:getLoanHistory>
</SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

79. Meteor XML Response message [1]
Launching query ...
>>(Tue Jan 09 11:50:59 EST 2001) Sending SOAP response...
<SOAP-ENV:Envelope
xmlns:SOAP-ENV="
xmlns:xsd="
xmlns:xsi="
<SOAP-ENV:Body> <ns1:getLoanHistoryResponse
SOAP-ENV:encodingStyle="
xmlns:ns1="urn:ifx-loan-server"> <return> <IFX>
<SaisSvcRs>
<Status>
<StatusCode>0</StatusCode>
<Severity>Info</Severity>
<StatusDesc>Successfull Retrieval</StatusDesc>
</Status>
<RqUID/>
<SPName>gov.studentclearinghouse</SPName>
<LoanHistoryRs>
<CustId>
<SPName>gov.ssa</SPName>
<CustPermId> </CustPermId>
</CustId>
<CustName>
<FirstName>Sue</FirstName>
<MiddleName>B</MiddleName>
<LastName>Smith</LastName>
</CustName>
continued

80. Meteor XML Response message [2]
<CustInformation>
<DateOfBirth> </DateOfBirth>
<PreviousPermId> </PreviousPermId>
<FormerLastName/>
</CustInformation>
<StudentStatus>
<CurrentlyEnrolled>Y</CurrentlyEnrolled>
</StudentStatus>
<LoanInformation>
<LenderIdType>OPEID</LenderIdType>
<LenderId>824607</LenderId>
<LenderName>Oklahoma Student Loan Authority</LenderName>
<SchoolIdType>OPEID</SchoolIdType>
<SchoolId>003152</SchoolId>
<SchoolBranch>00</SchoolBranch>
<SchoolName>University of Central Oklahoma</SchoolName>
<InformationSourceIdType>OPEID</InformationSourceIdType>
<InformationSourceId>824607</InformationSourceId>
<InformationSourceName>Oklahoma Student
Loan Authority</InformationSourceName>
<InformationSourceDate> </InformationSourceDate>
</LoanInformation>
continued

81. Meteor XML Response message [3]
<LoanInformation>
<LenderIdType>OPEID</LenderIdType>
<LenderId>809063</LenderId>
<LenderName>Bank of Oklahoma</LenderName>
<SchoolIdType>OPEID</SchoolIdType>
<SchoolId>003152</SchoolId>
<SchoolBranch>00</SchoolBranch>
<SchoolName>University of Central Oklahoma</SchoolName>
<InformationSourceIdType>OPEID</InformationSourceIdType>
<InformationSourceId>809063</InformationSourceId>
<InformationSourceName>Bank of Oklahoma</InformationSourceName>
<InformationSourceDate> </InformationSourceDate>
</LoanInformation>
<LenderId>831163</LenderId>
<LenderName>First Oklahoma bank & Trust</LenderName>
<InformationSourceId>831163</InformationSourceId>
<InformationSourceName>First Oklahoma
Bank & Trust</InformationSourceName>
<InformationSourceDate> </InformationSourceDate>
</LoanHistoryRs>
</SaisSvcRs>
</IFX> </return> </ns1:getLoanHistoryResponse>
</SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

82. uPortal Meteor Channel - loan list

83. Pilot detail inquiry implementation
Home Page
Access Provider Website
Student Authentication
National Student
Clearinghouse
Loan Locator List
Loan 1
National Student
Loan 2
Clearinghouse
Loan 3
Sallie Mae
Great Lakes
PHEAA

84. What we learned...
The XML/SOAP business message turnaround is less than 1 second; the industry’s best sites are 3 to 5 seconds
Because of the scope of authorization for access and different uses, Meteor needed two separate channels
Student and parental access to the student’s information
Financial aid professionals access to information about students

85. Professional - Authorization

86. Selection

87. Display

88. Why is Meteor important?

89. The Meteor software
Provides an information service for students and alumni
Provides an information resource for financial aid professionals
Becomes a first step toward implementation of the Department of Education’s real-time “Common Origination and Disbursement” -due in 2003

90. Meteor software will be available as:
A channel in JA-SIG’s uPortal 2.0 or later
A Java servlet that can in incorporated into any Website that supports servlets
Possibly a channel in Apache Foundation’s JetSpeed portal (also IBM’s general portal)

91. The school experience Authentication, a barrier to implementation

92. Authentication and authorization
“Level of identification”
Incomplete standard protocols for authentication or authorization
Web Single Signon
Internet2/Shibboleth (now Dec 2001)
SAML Security Assertion Markup Language
Indeterminate policies and procedures
Legal - new law and lack of precedents
Lack of business experience

93. Boston College expectation
Only ”regular” students and employees in the financial aid office will access Meteor through the College’s secure portal.
The National Student Clearinghouse, and subsequently others, will “trust” the Boston College authentication.

94. The “trusted” college Secure College environment Secure Internet
connection
College logon
and password
User logon
and password
Web presentation
Loan list message
Employee Boston College Clearinghouse
User Access Provider Data Provider

95. As a proxy service Secure college environment Secure Internet
connection
User logon
and password
User logon
and password
Web presentation
Loan list message
Student college Clearinghouse
User Access Provider Data Provider

96. Meteor supports localization
Why localize Meteor?
The Meteor channel becomes consistent with the access providers “look and feel”
The user has a consistent experience
Users can use local authentication to achieve “single signon”
_______________________
Personalization combined with localization and useful local content (channels), increases user satisfaction and their loyalty to a particular Website or portal.
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97. Meteor Project standards
Implements SFA’s information technology standards
Business messaging using XML
Software components using Java
Systems design using UML
Data transport using Internet,
SSL/TLS, and SOAP
Directory of Participants using
UDDI
SFA Software Developers Conference March 2001
Feb
2000
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Mar
2001

98. Why is that important to schools?
Schools need to implement XML business messaging to participate in Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) [Real-time in 2003]
Schools need to use Java to implement SFA’s Java based software components
Need analysis EFC, entrance and exit interviews, and Pell Grant computation
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99. Can Meteor access school systems?
We are briefing student information system vendors about the Meteor software and implementations
The Meteor sponsors will determine a schedule to release the software and documentation to vendors
Software developers may test using the Meteor development site--it is open to anyone for demonstration and testing
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100. Versions of the Meteor channel
0.7 - Current version support loan lists
National Student Clearinghouse pilot
0.9 - Access to lenders, guaranty agencies
NSC multiple guaranty agency, lender pilot
1.0 - Shared authentication, distributed data sources
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101. Recommendations to the community
Invest in the these technologies
XML as used for e-commerce
Java technologies
Focus on customer behavior and preferences
Students and parents (Student Channel)
Faculty and Staff (Professional Channel)
Keep an eye on the industry leaders
NCHELP - standards, industry directories
JA-SIG - Portal technology, Java and XML
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102. Meteor sponsors American Education Services
American Student Assistance
Bank One
College Foundation, Inc. [NC]
The College Board/CollegeCredit Education Loan Program
Connecticut Student Loan Foundation
Education Assistance Corporation
Education Funding Association
Florida Department of Education, OSFA
Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation
Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation
GuaranTec, LLP
Higher Education Student Assistance Authority
Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation
Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority
Key Education Resources
LoanStar Systems, Inc.

103. Meteor sponsors Michigan Higher Education Assistance Authority
Montana Guaranteed Student Loan Program
National Student Loan Program, Inc.
New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation
New York State Higher Education Services Corporation
North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority
Northwest Education Loan Association (NELA)
Oklahoma Guaranteed Student Loan Program
Oregon Student Assistance Commission
Panhandle-Plains Student Loan Center
Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority
Sallie Mae, Inc.
Southwest Student Services Corporation
Student Loan Finance Association
Student Loan Guarantee Foundation of Arkansas
Student Loans of North Dakota
Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation
United Student Aid Funds
Vermont Student Assistance Corporation

104. And we had help...
The National Student Clearinghouse’s Roberta Hyland and Joy Wang provided data access and programming assistance to make their database available to Meteor users.
Interactive Business Solutions Software Engineer (and Harvard University graduate student) Peter Karchenko joined the Meteor team working on the project.
Priority Technologies, Inc. extended the Meteor software and contributed the UDDI/WDSL implementation.
Credit Online’s Dennis Warnke and Glenn Leyba shared LoanML drafts and their experience implementing IFX SOAP messaging.
Great Lakes’ Steve Marganeau provided CommonLine XML as it was being produced in December 2000.
Sigma Systems Inc.’s Andy Sprague provided test data and design guidance and Randy Timmons gave Meteor briefings and demonstrations.

105. The end www. meteorproject. org www. meteorproject
The end and