Volume I, Section 2 - COD

Overview of Changes from

2005-2006 to 2006-2007

Overview of Changes from 2005-2006 to

2006-2007
The following tables provide an overview of the changes made from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 for
Common Origination and Disbursement. The change descriptions are organized by the following three
categories: Added, Modified, and Removed. The first column provides a description of each change.
The second, third, fourth and fifth columns indicate if the change affects the Pell Grant, Academic
Competitiveness Grant (ACG), National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART)
Grant, or Direct Loan Program respectively.

Note: The COD Technical Reference is being updated to introduce the Academic Competitiveness Grant
(ACG), the National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant, and the PLUS
loan for graduate and professional student borrowers (Grad PLUS) as provided by the Higher Education
Reconciliation Act of 2005 (the HERA). In regards to Grad PLUS, the HERA provision does not create
a new loan program, but, rather introduces a new type of borrower – an eligible graduate or professional
student – to borrow under the existing Direct PLUS Loan Program. The COD System processes Grad
PLUS for the 2005-2006 award year and forward, and processes the two new Grant programs for the
2006-2007 award year and forward.

The implementation of Grad PLUS, and the ACG and National SMART Programs is occurring in five
phases beginning on July 1, 2006 and lasting through April 2007. The July 1st implementation enables
Grad PLUS student borrowers to submit both a paper and electronic PLUS Master Promissory Note, and
enables schools to confirm paper and electronic MPN acceptance, initiate credit checks, and/or receive
credit decisions for Grad PLUS borrowers using the COD Web site. The July 29th implementation
provides initial funding for schools participating in the ACG and National SMART Programs. These
schools also receive an ESOA report when Current Funding Level (CFL) changes occur. The August 12th

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Volume I: Getting Started
 implementation enables schools to submit award and disbursement information to the COD System for
Grad PLUS borrowers. The December 16th implementation enables schools to submit award and
disbursement information to the COD System for the ACG and National SMART Programs. Finally, the
April 2007 implementation provides some ACG and National SMART reports, and introduces a new
Direct Loan discharge type for Identity theft, and changes to Direct Loan origination fees and loan
limits.

The COD Technical Reference will be updated through this phased implementation to convey
processing specific information to COD System users as it becomes available.

Table of Changes from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 for

Common Origination and Disbursement

Pell ACG National Direct

Description Grant Program SMART Loan
Program Program Program
Added (for July 1, 2006 Implementation)
Master Promissory Note business rules PLUS Loans made X
by graduate student borrowers (Grad PLUS).
Credit check borrower processing specific to Grad PLUS. X
HERA Addendum for Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized X
Loan MPN
HERA Addendum for Direct PLUS Loan MPN X
Revised Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan Plain X
Language Disclosure (PLD)
Revised Direct PLUS Loan Plain Language Disclosure X
(PLD)

Table of Changes from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 for

Common Origination and Disbursement

Pell ACG National Direct

Description Grant Program SMART Loan
Program Program Program
Added (for July 29, 2006 Implementation)
Funding Method information for the ACG and National X X
SMART Programs.
ESOA Report and print specifications for the ACG and X X
National SMART Programs.

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Volume I: Getting Started
 Table of Changes from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 for
Common Origination and Disbursement

Pell ACG National Direct

Description Grant Program SMART Loan
Program Program Program
Modified (for August 12, 2006 Implementation)
Direct PLUS Loans – modified to add a graduate or X
professional student borrower (Grad PLUS). Processing
rules for Grad PLUS are identical to PLUS except the
student and borrower are the same person.
Edit 16 – For award year 2005-2006 and forward, this edit X
does not apply for PLUS if the student grade level is 6 or
higher

Table of Changes from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 for

Common Origination and Disbursement

Pell ACG National Direct

Description Grant Program SMART Loan
Program Program Program
Added (for December 16, 2006 Implementation)
Origination and Disbursement Processing for Academic X
Competitiveness Grant (ACG).
• Business rules
• Edits
• Message Classes

Key Differences from Pell: Schools must submit the

Financial Award ID and Financial Number tags for
origination and disbursement processing, COD will not
correct data, and there is no POP.
Origination and Disbursement Processing for National X
Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent
(SMART) Grant.
• Business Rules
• Edits
• Message Classes

Key Differences from Pell: Schools must submit the

Financial Award ID and Financial Number tags for
origination and disbursement processing, COD will not
correct data, and there is no POP.

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Volume I: Getting Started
 Table of Changes from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 for
Common Origination and Disbursement

Pell ACG National Direct

Description Grant Program SMART Loan
Program Program Program
Added (for December 16, 2006 Implementation)
Introduce Schema Version 2.0e. X* X X X*
Created a new section: Volume V, Section 3: HERA X X X
School Testing Guide
Created a new section: Volume V, Section 4: HERA Test X X X
Cases
Created a new section: Volume VI, Section 9: Rigorous X X
Secondary School Programs of Study, and Eligible Majors
* ALL system generated responses are returned in Schema Version 2.0e.

Table of Changes from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 for

Common Origination and Disbursement

Pell ACG National Direct

Description Grant Program SMART Loan
Program Program Program
Added (for April 14, 2007 Implementation)
ACG and National SMART Reports. X X X
• Headers and Trailers
• Data Requests
• Multiple Reporting Record (MRR) – only for
concurrent enrollment
• Reconciliation Report
• Year-to-Date Record
• Pending Disbursement

ACG and National SMART data added to the Pell

SSN/Name/DOB Change Report to be a combined Grant
SSN/Name/DOB Change Report
Deobligation of ACG or National SMART funds for “No X X
Pell”
Apply five more existing COD Edits for ACG and X X
National SMART
Return MPN Expiration Date in Response Block X
• New tag <MPNExpirationDate>

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Volume I: Getting Started
 Table of Changes from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 for
Common Origination and Disbursement

Pell ACG National Direct

Description Grant Program SMART Loan
Program Program Program
Added (for April 14, 2007 Implementation)
Changes to Direct Loan Subsidized and Unsubsidized X
Loan Limits
• New tag <PreprofessionalCourseworkIndicator>
Changes to Direct Loan Subsidized and Unsubsidized X
Origination Fees
New Direct Loan discharge type for Identity Theft X

Table of Changes from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 for

Common Origination and Disbursement

Pell ACG National Direct

Description Grant Program SMART Loan
Program Program Program

Modified
Updated all Award Year indicators X NA NA X
• Message Classes
• Valid date ranges
Beginning on March 13, 2006, Master Promissory Notes NA NA X
(MPN) created on the electronic MPN web site contain
“07” in the MPN ID, and an eMPN acknowledgement is
sent to schools with message class CRPN07OP.
<DisbursementDate> Field 83 X NA NA
• For Pell Grant, changed the first valid Disbursement
Date to 7/1/2006 (6/21/2005 in 2005-2006)
Changed the layout/presentation of the Combination X NA NA X
System Record Layouts
• Added column heading: Field #
• Combined Field Name and Description into single
column
* Note: All changes in this table were made prior to the introduction of HERA. These changes were a
result of a change in award year processing.

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Volume I: Getting Started
 Table of Changes from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 for
Common Origination and Disbursement

Pell ACG National Direct

Description Grant Program SMART Loan
Program Program Program

Removed
All “Nearest Corresponding Phase-In Participant Edits” X NA NA X
(formerly the last column in the Edits section – Volume II,
Section 4)
Edit 10 “Phase-In Schools cannot submit Common Record X NA NA X
Documents” – this edit was valid for AY 2002-2003 only
Edit 96 “Total Disbursed amount cannot be greater than NA NA X
the lesser of the Award Amount or the Loan Amount
Requested” – this edit was valid for AY 2002-2003 only
Edit 112 “The loan amount on the PLUS Promissory Note NA NA X
is less than the sum of the accepted disbursements for this
PLUS award” – this edit was valid for AY 2002-2003 only
* Note: All changes in this table were made prior to the introduction of HERA. These changes were a
result of a change in award year processing.

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Volume I: Getting Started