FFEL Business Process and Data Standardization

April 28, 2008

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Agenda

•Panelist Introductions

•Purpose

•Project Mission

•FFEL Data Standards Phased Approach

•Phase I – Internal Analysis

•Phase II – External Analysis

•Questions

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Panelist Introductions

• Pam Eliadis – Federal Student Aid • Kristi Blabaum - GLHEC• Justin Draeger - NASFAA• Mark Putman - NCHELP

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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

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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.

Project Mission

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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

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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

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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

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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

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FFEL Data Standards Phased Approach

The FFEL Data Standards project consists of 3phases:• 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 RequirementsGathering

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Phase I: Internal Analysis Approach

Submit updated requirements to business owners for approval of draft

Meet with business owners to review baseline data requirements

Use feedback from Federal Student Aid business owners to evaluate draft data standards

Develop updated requirements and to-be business processes

Internal Analysis with Business Owners Process

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Federal Student Aid Draft Data Requirements

Baseline Data Requirements

Obtain approval from Federal Student Aid

Analyzed Federal Student Aid Interfaces:•DMCS•NSLDS•FMS•Consolidation/LVC

Phase 1:Internal Analysis with

Business Owners

Phase 2:External Analysis

with FFEL Community

Phase 3:PESC CCB

Data RequirementsGathering

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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 RequirementsGathering

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Phase 1:Internal Analysis with

Business Owners

Phase 2:External Analysis

with FFEL Community

Phase 3:PESC CCB

Data RequirementsGathering

Federal Student Aid draft Data Requirements

Review Federal Student Aid draft data requirements with FFEL community

Use FFEL feedback to evaluate draft data standards

Update data requirements

External Analysis with FFEL Community

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34Receive Federal Student Aid and Community approval for updated requirements

Final Data Requirements

FFEL Data Standards Working Group with key stakeholder representatives:

•Guaranty Agencies•Lenders•Schools•Servicers•Standards Councils•Federal Student Aid Representatives

Phase II: External Analysis Approach

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Phase II: FFEL Community Representatives

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

• 6 Federal Student Aid representatives

• 21 FFEL Community representatives – Experience needed for workgroup

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Phase II: Federal Student Aid RepresentativesFederal Student Aid Representative

Areas of the Federal Student Aid business representing

Ron Bennett

Ron.Bennett@ed.gov

•NSLDS

•Financial Partners Systems

•Financial Partners Services

•Portfolio Risk Management

•Program Operations

Holly Hyland

Holly.Hyland@ed.gov

Lisa Elliott

Lisa.Elliott@ed.gov

•Enterprise Data Management

•CIO

•XML Registry and Repository

Adele Gabrielli

Adele.Gabrielli@ed.gov

•Borrower Services – Default Resolution

•Borrower Services – Systems

•Borrower Services – Processing Group

•Borrower Services – Non-Default Group

Angela Roca-Baker

Angela.Roca-Baker@ed.gov

•Federal Student Aid CFO

•Lender Financial Reporting

•GA Financial Reporting

•Budget Service

Zachary Vroman

Zachary.Vroman@ed.gov

•Financial Partners Eligibility and Oversight

•School Eligibility Channel

•Enterprise Performance Management

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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

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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

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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.

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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 (http://www.fp.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/fp/FFELDataStandProj.jsp).

• NCHELP, NASFAA and COHEAO provide the monthly communication to their respective listservs.

• A dedicated email address (DataStrategy@ed.gov) has been established for community comments and questions.

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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)

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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

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Federal Student Aid Target State Vision

Identity and Access Management

Enterprise Analytics and Reporting

Enterprise Shared Services

Student Aid History Management

Financial Management

Partner Payment and Reporting Management

Integrated Partner Management

Borrower Services

Campus BasedProgram Guidance & Information

Origination & DisbursementAid Awareness and Application

LendersState Agencies Schools

Aid Awareness & Application Aid Delivery Institution Participation Servicing

Guaranty Agencies

Determine Aid Eligibility

Establish Person Record

AidAwareness

School Aid Payments and Funding Level Management

Award and Disbursement Processing

Service CancellationsCB Award ProcessingApply for Funding

Partner OversightPartner Eligibility and Enrollment

State Agency Funding

Guaranty Agency Payment and Reporting Administration

Lender Payment and Reporting Administration

Financial ReportingFunds ManagementPayables ManagementReceivables Management

Recovery and Resolution

Consolidate Loans

ServiceDebts

Monitor Security Environment

Control Access to Systems and Resources

Create and Publish Materials

Outreach for Partners

Training for Partners

Aid Education Submission Eligibility Repayment Consolidation Collections

Org

aniz

atio

nsFe

dera

l Stu

dent

Aid

Pers

onLi

fe

Cyc

le

Phas

e

Other External PartnersDepartment of Education

App and Participation Mgmt Funding and Allocation Origination and Disbursement Servicing Reporting

General Public Applicants Borrowers

Produce Enterprise Reports and Queries

Calculations and Reporting

Default Rate ProcessesManage IF DataMonitor Aid Eligibility

Predictive Modeling

Fee Payment

Manage Identity Community

Manage Security Environment

Person Record Management Service

Application Customer Service

Application Reporting and Analytics

O&D Customer Service

O&D Reporting and Analytics

Organizational Record Management Service

Integrated View Retrieval Service

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Target State Architecture

IntegratedTechnical Architecture

FFEL Data Flows Initiative To-Be Application Architecture

Cust

omer

s &Pa

rtne

rs

Integrated Technical Architecture

Portal/Gateway

Schools/Servicers Lenders/ServicersGuaranty Agencies

Security Architecture

Security Architecture

Security Architecture

Enterprise Service Bus

Enterprise Service Bus

DLCSDMCS/CDDTS

FMSIF/ODS

Enterprise Applications/Services

CPS

Students, Borrowers, Applicants

PRMS

Security Architecture

DLSS

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Frequently Asked Questions

Question: When does the FFEL Community have to begin reporting the approved data standards?

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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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Why do you have Perkins and Direct Loan representatives on a FFEL Data Standards workgroup?

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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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How can non workgroup participants provide feedback and input to the process?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Answer: An email address has been established to provide feedback and input, DataStrategy@ed.gov.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

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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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How will the implementation of these standards impact schools?

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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.

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We appreciate your feedback and comments

Community Inquiries:Email: DataStrategy@ed.gov