“Maximize User Specified Fields”

2006-07

Understand Maximize

Create &
populate
Developed by the QA
Program Team
Federal Student Aid
 Training Objectives

1 Understand User Specified Fields

Create and Populate User Specified

2
Fields

Maximize your analysis

3
capabilities with User Specified
Fields
 User Specified Fields
User Specified Fields allow a user to track
institutional information that pertains to
individual student records.

Institutional Criteria
Academic
Competitiveness
Grant & National
SMART Grant
Why is this a reason to celebrate?
Review User Specified Field(s) in Analysis of
Data
Create a User Specified Field
Create a User Specified Field
Filter on User Specified Field(s) in Analysis
of Data
Uploading User Specified Fields
Manually
Uploading User Specified Fields
Manually
Uploading User Specified Fields
Manually
Preparation is
everything…
when it comes to writing your flat file.
 What you need to Create a
FLAT ASCII FILE

Identify your User Specified Field

Populations

Obtain the Record Layout

Create your File

http://ifap.ed.gov/qamodule/guidance.html
 Identify your User Specified
Field
Populations

1. Parent Taxes Paid > 50% of Parent

AGI

2. Untaxed Income

3. Academic Competitiveness Grant

4. National SMART Grant

Know your Population
 250020001 H’Y 12 School
Verification. Flag
9 spaces 10,11
SSN NAME ID
 Prepare Flat ASCII File
1 Field to populate - EASY

If only one field to populate: Regardless of Field

Number, it can follow the Verification Flag.
If record not selected for institutional
verification– type N
 Activity #1
Create a flat ASCII file for the following
student:

G Test, Julia, 250-02-0003

User-Specified Field:01/N,02/Y,03/N, 04/N

250020003 G Y02Y

Why do we exclude User Specified Fields 01, 03 and 04?

 Prepare Flat ASCII File
If you have more than one field to populate, it is more
complex. Note the following:
 Prepare Flat ASCII File

Possible Resource: Text Pad

 Activity #2
Create a flat ASCII file for the following
student:

G Test, Julia, 250-02-0003

User-Specified Field:01/N, 02/Y,03/Y, 04/N

250020003 G Y02Y (Start Field for 03 would be 97

spaces) Why did we exclude 01
and 04?
Upload User-Defined Data via Data
Request to Populate User Specified
Fields
Uploading User-Defined Data to
Populate User Specified Fields
Create FLAT ASCII FILE
 DRIVE your Analysis

Identify Institutional Verification Criteria as a

User Specified Field and obtain detailed information
without having to run ad hoc reports.

D etermine Pell Impact

R un Field Increments
I dentify ISIR Fields that impact EFC
V iew Verification Tracking Flags
E valuate Student Detail Reports
Maximize
User Specified Field
Field Change Report
 2006-07 Timeline of Activities
for the ISIR Analysis Tool

February Latest Version of IA Tool on the Web

March – September Pull Random Sample; Begin &

complete verifying your applicants
October Prepare flat file, upload data;

November, December, Analyze Data; FSA collects school

January data; Notify QA Rep. of institutional
verification criteria
What have we learned?

What is a User Defined Field.

How to create a User Specified

Field and upload User Defined
Data.

What User Specified

Fields can do for your analysis.
 QA Regional Representatives

Regions 1, 2, and 5 – Holly Langer-Evans – (617) 289-0136

Holly.Langer-Evans@ed.gov

Regions 3 and 4 – Sharyn Hutson – (202) 377-4379

Sharyn.Hutson@ed.gov

Regions 6 and 7 – Anne Tuccillo – (202) 377-4378

Anne.Tuccillo@ed.gov

Regions 8, 9, and 10 – Michael Cagle – (206) 615-2586

Michael.Cagle@ed.gov
Training Available on QA Web Site

• QA Requirements for 2006 2007

• Getting Started in the QA Program
• What's New with the ISIR Analysis Tool for
2006 - 2007
• Creating Flat ASCII Files
• Maximize User-Specified Fields 2006 - 2007
• Making the Most of your Analysis
 Poll: Did you find this session
Informative
• [Live Meeting Multiple Choice Poll. Use Live Meeting > Edit
Slide Properties... to edit.]
• Very helpful - it answered all of my
questions
• Helpful - it answered most of my questions
• Not Helpful - didn't address my concerns