[ctcLinkfinaidsupport] FA Weeklyish Bulletin 12/20/2024

Fri Dec 20 10:07:56 PST 2024

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A Financial Aid Focus

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Friendly Reminders and Ticketing Housekeeping . . .

  *   When submitting tickets, please submit detailed screenshots with them.  For example, if you are encountering an error in the Message Log, errors posting aid, awarding, or processing of any kind, please please please grab a screenshot of it for the ticket.  Word descriptions are great, but we are looking to recreate the same error message you are seeing.  Screen shots of the actual message you are encountering, no matter how nonsensical the error message may be, we still want to see it!
  *   Before you submit a ticket, check your ticket history to see if this is something you have asked about before, maybe in a prior year.  That older ticket may have the solution from way-back-when!
  *   Remember to properly categorize your ticket request types so they are getting to the right tech in a timely manner.  For example, if you are submitting a ticket requesting help with a ctcLink technical issue, the Request type is:  ctcLink Support > Financial Aid > FA(specific function)  If you are requesting a training ticket, the Request Type is:  ctcLink Support > Training > Financial Aid > FA(specific process)

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Query Corner

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The following queries have been disabled in PRD as housing data is no longer provided on ISIRs: QCS_FA_RESIDENT_OTHER_GRANT and QCS_FA_NONRESIDENT_OTHER_GRANT

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Financial Aid Learning Opportunities

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Calendar invite with web ex log in information already sent out to the ctcLinkfinaidsupport list serv

Session:  RESCHEDULED! Fin Aid Training:  PLUS Loan Refresher

When:  Tuesday, 01/28/2025, 9:00AM - 10:30AM

Audience:  New Financial Aid staff (and current staff needing a refresher) who are responsible for processing PLUS loans in ctcLink

Presenters:  Kelly Forsberg, FA Functional Trainer

Objectives:

  *   Understand awarding the PLUS Loan
     *   performing a credit check
     *   brief discussion about using loan request form vs. PLUS Loan application on studentaid.gov
  *   Understand how to establish the Parent Record in ctcLink
  *   Understand how to establish a student parent relationship
  *   Understand how to link the parent record to the PLUS Loan record
  *   Understand how to work with PLUS-denied students by awarding addt'l unsub

Did you not receive a calendar invite?  As a reminder, you can go to the SBCTC Calendar<https://www.sbctc.edu/calendar> (filter by Calendar ctcLink Learning Opportunities > Financial Aid) to get the information and block out your own calendar for this time.

Calendar invites forthcoming:

Session:  Intermediate Fin Aid Training:  Loan Exit Counseling Processing

When:  Tuesday, 02/18/2025, 9:00AM - 10:30AM

Audience:  Loan processing staff who are responsible for managing exit counseling notifications and email bounces

Presenters:  Kelly Forsberg, FA Functional Trainer

Objectives:

  *   Understand the difference between the emailed Loan Exit Counseling notification and the paper print out Loan Exit Packet options
  *   Understand how to work email bounces using Communication Management
  *   Understand how to test Loan Exit communications before sending them through Communication Generation
  *   Understand how to print batch Loan Exit Packets using Communication Generation

Session:  Fin Aid Training:  ISIR Processing Refresher

When:  Tuesday, 03/18/2025, 9:00AM - 10:30AM

Audience:  New Financial Aid Staff (and staff who need a refresher) who are responsible for ISIR processing in the 25/26 AY

Presenters:  Kelly Forsberg, FA Functional Trainer

Objectives:

  *   Understand how to set/update User Defaults for the new AY
  *   Understand the steps in ISIR Processing
     *   Upload/download process
     *   FA Inbound
     *   Process Imported ISIRs
  *   Understand how to load ISIRs using the File List Driven process and the Single File process

Session:  Fin Aid Training:  ISIR Correction Fundamentals

When:  Tuesday, 03/25/2025, 9:00AM - 10:30AM

Audience:  New Financial Aid Staff (and staff who need a refresher) who are responsible for ISIR processing and file corrections in ctcLink for the 25/26 AY

Presenters:  Kelly Forsberg, FA Functional Trainer

Objectives:

  *   Understand how to make ISIR Corrections on specific scenarios
     *   Making Corrections on an Alien Registration Number
     *   Processing Dependency Override/Homeless Youth Determinations
     *   Processing Special Conditions/Special Circumstances/EFC Adjustment Request
  *   Understand how to Process ISIR Corrections in ctcLink using the following steps:
     *   Process ISIR Corrections
     *   Create Federal Data File
     *   Upload/Download File Process

Session:  Fin Aid Work Session:  EdConnect Show & Tell

When:  Thursday, 03/27/2025, 1:00PM - 3:00PM

Audience:  Only Financial Aid Staff with EdConnect access, geared towards newer users

Presenters:  Guest Speaker: Lorena Saucedo, Assistant Director of Financial Aid (Tacoma Community College) & Kelly Forsberg, (SBCTC) ctcLink FA Functional Trainer

Join your community colleagues to learn from our valued FA community member, Lorena Saucedo from TCC in a FA community Show & Tell on how to send/receive files in EdConnect, how to identify varying message class files, what to look for and just general functionality in a system YOU in FA need to perform your jobs.

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Team Updates

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FA Support Team

  *   The FA Support team is testing the latest PRPs containing FAFSA Simplification bug fixes and 2025-2026 processing functionality.

Training Team

  *   Updates to Canvas Training courses and QRGs are ongoing and will be worked up to include screen updates from the 24/25 FAFSA Simplification.  Announcements will be made in Canvas when as the courses are completed.  This work is expected through January.
  *   Updates to Business Processing Guides will be made as time and resources allows.
  *   Trainings are being planned out for 2025.  As Aid Year Rollover (AYRO) progresses through February/March, trainings will be held only 1x a month during the AYRO process.  Once AYRO is completed for all colleges, new trainings will be announced in March.  Trainings for 2025 will be offered twice a month, on Tuesdays at 9AM.

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Just for Fun!

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[cid:image002.png at 01DB52C7.0290DFA0]A Financial Aid holiday poem from ChatGPT: [cid:image003.png at 01DB52C7.0290DFA0]

In the heart of December, the office is bright,

With tinsel and garlands reflecting the light,

But amidst the cheer of holiday glow,

The Financial Aid team has SAP deadlines to go.

The students are frantic, their questions abound,

"Will my loan be approved?  Can my grant still be found?"

Emails and calls stack up in a heap,

As we sip on cold coffee, no time for a sleep.

FAFSA reminders and forms to be signed,

Missing documents we're desperate to find.

Scholarships pending, appeals on the rise,

And budgets that vanish before our own eyes.

The wreath on the door masks the flurry within,

Where calculators hum like a holiday hymn.

Yet, in all the chaos, there's warmth to be seen,

Helping dreams come alive, like a wintery scene.

For each worried student who walks through the door,

We offer them hope they can truly adore.

It's not just the funds, it's a future we aid,

In the spirit of giving, our work is displayed.

So as snow softly falls and the year comes to a close,

We push through the deadlines and emails that grow.

For the best gift of all, as we look to the year,

Is a student's bright smile , full of hope and good cheer.

Not bad, AI, not bad at all . . .

Thank you all for everything you do for Washington's community and technical college students, FA friends.

Wishing you a merry and bright holiday season,

FA Support & Training

[Title: SBCTC logo - Description: Compass]
Kelly Forsberg
ctcLink Functional Trainer | Financial Aid
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
kforsberg at sbctc.edu<mailto:kforsberg at sbctc.edu> * o: 360-704-1066
sbctc.edu<https://www.sbctc.edu/> * Twitter: @SBCTCWashington<https://twitter.com/SBCTCWashington> * Facebook: @WASBCTC<https://www.facebook.com/wasbctc/>

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