1. FFEL Business Process and Data Standardization
April 28, 2008

2. Agenda
Panelist Introductions
Purpose
Project Mission
FFEL Data Standards Phased Approach
Phase I – Internal Analysis
Phase II – External Analysis
Questions

3. Panelist Introductions
Pam Eliadis – Federal Student Aid
Kristi Blabaum - GLHEC
Justin Draeger - NASFAA
Mark Putman - NCHELP

4. Purpose
Provide an overview of the FFEL Data Standardization and Business Process Improvement Project
What it is
What’s been done
Where we are today
Next steps

5. Project Mission
Develop FFEL process improvement recommendations and define data standards that will be exchanged between Federal Student Aid and its partners throughout the financial aid lifecycle for FFEL Program loans.

6. Proposed Business Process Improvements
Goals:
Streamline FFEL business processes for Federal Student Aid and the FFEL Community
Eliminate current process weaknesses across the financial aid lifecycle
Incorporate target state initiatives and concepts into FFEL business processes
Resolve information/data deficiencies

7. Proposed Data Standards
Goals:
Eliminate duplicative reporting through collection of the right data from the right data provider at the right time
Collect data based on business needs
Establish in the XML Registry and Repository (XML R&R) a common definition for data attributes that Federal Student Aid and the FFEL Community exchange

8. Benefits to Federal Student Aid and Partners
Improved accuracy and consistency of information
Reduced redundancy of information and processes
Improved timeliness of information
Improved completeness and accessibility of information
Improved ability to synthesize, report on and analyze information
Streamlined data collection and integrated end-to-end processes

9. Benefits to Students and Parents
Single integrated view of student information
Improved default prevention by predictive modeling to identify at-risk borrowers and early intervention to assist those borrowers
Reduced data entry burden through pre-population of information (e.g., consolidation application)
Improved security of individual information through reduced reliance on the Social Security Number
Information quality

10. FFEL Data Standards Phased Approach
The FFEL Data Standards project consists of 3
phases:
Phase I - Internal Analysis with Federal Student Aid and Department of Education Business Owners
Phase II – External Analysis with the FFEL Community of Interest
Phase III – Modify/Add Data Standards through Postsecondary Education Standards Council (PESC) Change Control Board
Phase 1:
Internal Analysis with Business Owners
Phase 2:
External Analysis
with FFEL
Community
Phase 3:
PESC CCB
Data Requirements
Gathering

11. Phase I: Internal Analysis Approach
Internal Analysis with Business Owners Process
Use feedback
Meet with
from Federal
business
Student Aid
owners to
business
review
owners to
baseline data 2
evaluate draft
Federal
requirements
Obtain approval
Baseline Data 1
data standards
Student Aid
from Federal
Draft Data
Requirements
Student Aid
Requirements 3 4
Submit updated
Develop updated
Analyzed Federal Student
requirements to
Aid Interfaces:
requirements and to -
business owners for •
DMCS
be business processes •
NSLDS
approval of draft •
FMS •
Consolidation/LVC
Phase 1:
Internal Analysis with Business Owners
Phase 2:
External Analysis
with FFEL
Community
Phase 3:
PESC CCB
Data Requirements
Gathering

12. Phase I: Internal Analysis Outcomes
FFEL Data Flows Requirements Document (V2 – Business Unit Lead Validated)
Draft “To-be” FFEL lifecycle business process maps
Draft FFEL data standard requirements
Phase 1:
Internal Analysis with Business Owners
Phase 2:
External Analysis
with FFEL
Community
Phase 3:
PESC CCB
Data Requirements
Gathering

13. Phase II: External Analysis Approach
Internal Analysis with Business Owners
Phase 2:
External Analysis
with FFEL
Community
Phase 3:
PESC CCB
Data Requirements
Gathering

14. Phase II: FFEL Community Representatives
6 Federal Student Aid representatives
21 FFEL Community representatives
Experience needed for workgroup
Loan Assignments
NSLDS Reporting
CommonLine Common Record
GA Financial Reporting
Lender Financial Reporting
Common Account Maintenance (CAM)
Collection Support Processes (i.e., TOP, NDNH, etc)
Consolidation
LVC Processing
Cohort Default Rates
Claims Processing
Discharge/forgiveness Processing
Perkins
Direct Loans
Federal Grants

15. Phase II: Federal Student Aid Representatives
Areas of the Federal Student Aid business representing
Ron Bennett
NSLDS
Financial Partners Systems
Financial Partners Services
Portfolio Risk Management
Program Operations
Holly Hyland
Lisa Elliott
Enterprise Data Management
CIO
XML Registry and Repository
Adele Gabrielli
Borrower Services – Default Resolution
Borrower Services – Systems
Borrower Services – Processing Group
Borrower Services – Non-Default Group
Angela Roca-Baker
Federal Student Aid CFO
Lender Financial Reporting
GA Financial Reporting
Budget Service
Zachary Vroman
Financial Partners Eligibility and Oversight
School Eligibility Channel
Enterprise Performance Management

16. Phase II: Meetings
Kickoff meeting: November 29, 2007 in San Diego Federal Student Aid Conference
Weekly external workgroup meetings
In-person external workgroup meeting: March 10, 2008
Phase II results meeting with internal stakeholders

17. Phase II: External Workgroup Activities
The external workgroup reviews data elements previously vetted with internal stakeholders during Phase I to support the FFEL financial aid lifecycle.
The external workgroup specifically analyzes:
Data element names
Data element definitions
Data element usage, field length and type
The external workgroup members are given a week to accept or reject the proposed data elements.
The external workgroup members determine whether some elements are duplicative or unnecessary

18. Phase II: Subgroups
From the external workgroup, 2 subgroups were formed to discuss:
Payment/Collection History: the subgroup will discuss the needs of Federal Student Aid to obtain borrower payment history to support loan assignment, financial reporting and program management.
Lender financial reporting (ED Form 799): the subgroup will discuss ways to reduce the burden of lender financial reporting through the collection of aid-level data elements.

19. Phase II: Communications Plan to the FFEL Community
A Communication Sub-Committee is responsible for developing and approving a monthly update to the FFEL community.
Updates on project progress are provided through a link on the Financial Partners Portal (
NCHELP, NASFAA and COHEAO provide the monthly communication to their respective listservs.
A dedicated address has been established for community comments and questions.

20. Phase II: Communications Plan to the FFEL Community
Communication Sub-Committee Members:
Ron Bennett (Federal Student Aid)
Mike Balogh (NCHELP)
Justin Draeger (NASFAA)
Mark Putman (NCHELP)

21. Target State Context of FFEL Data Standards
Data standards will lead to schema development for specific Target State Vision (TSV) implementations:
Student Aid History Management (SAHM)
Information Framework (IF)/Operational Data Store (ODS)
Debt Management Collection System (DMCS)/Conditional Disability Discharge Tracking System (CDDTS) reengineering
Loan Consolidation enhancements
Financial Management System (FMS) enhancements

22. Federal Student Aid Target State Vision

23. Target State Architecture

24. Frequently Asked Questions
Question: When does the FFEL Community have to begin reporting the approved data standards?

25. Frequently Asked Questions
Answer: The data standards will be implemented as Federal Student Aid reengineers or enhances its legacy systems (i.e., NSLDS, Debt Management Collection System [DMCS], Financial Management System [FMS]) with planned target state vision solutions. Federal Student Aid will not implement all target state solutions at once. Federal Student Aid will use a phased implementation approach over a multi-year timeframe.

26. Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Why do you have Perkins and Direct Loan representatives on a FFEL Data Standards workgroup?

27. Frequently Asked Questions
Answer: Federal Student Aid wants to ensure that common data reported across aid programs are consistently defined and create information parity for Title IV programs.

28. Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How can non workgroup participants provide feedback and input to the process?

29. Frequently Asked Questions
Answer: An address has been established to provide feedback and input,

30. Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Is this effort leveraging work already done for CAM, CommonLine Common Record, etc.?

31. Frequently Asked Questions
Answer: Yes. During Phase 1 of this project Federal Student Aid mapped data that is currently collected with data elements in the XML R&R to see where previous work could be leveraged. Additionally, during workgroup discussions the workgroup references data elements and definitions already defined in CAM and CommonLine. Additionally, there are members of our workgroup with detailed knowledge and experience with previous data standardization efforts.

32. Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How will the implementation of these standards impact schools?

33. Frequently Asked Questions
Answer: FFEL schools will still provide data to lenders and guaranty agencies using the CommonLine standard. Federal Student Aid will conduct a similar project for Perkins schools at a later date.

34. We appreciate your feedback and comments
Community Inquiries: