PowerFAIDS User GroupTonya Davis, Anderson University

tdavis@andersonuniversity.edu

Carey Hunter Sinclair, PowerFAIDS Consultantcarey@apple314.com

One of my favorite sayings:

“PowerFAIDS protects us from

ourselves.”

Agenda:

Tips and Tricks

SIMULATION IS YOUR FRIEND!You can run any process in SIMULATION as frequently as you’d like.Will display errors/rejectsWill display records ready to

process

• F1 = User Guide• Ctrl H = Home (Student Module Only)• Ctrl F = Advanced Search• Ctrl Y = Search All Years• Ctrl W = Batch Wizard• Tab in grid mode (or shift+tab to move back)

Keystroke Shortcuts

Four different Search Options1. Simple Search2. Advanced Search3. Grid Search4. Selection Set Search

Did you know . . . PowerFAIDS saves our name lists? (At least until you close our of PF or change years)

Grid Functionality within PowerFAIDS• Export list from any grid in PF• Copy/Paste ID for batch posting or reporting• Sort within PF – header on column• Filter within PF – Grid view (and Report

Output view)

You can Export (almost) any list from the Grid screen in PF Grid Functionality – Export

Grid Functionality – Copy/PasteYou can Copy and Paste ID (or SSN) numbers for Batch Posting or Reporting.

Note: If you can see it on the screen you can copy if from the screen, but if your list is too long to see on the screen, you will need to export it into excel and then copy/paste.

Grid Functionality – Sort or FilterYou can sort any list by mnemonic, name, date, etc.

You can add custom Header and Footer details to any grid output from the ‘Print Preview’ screen?

Print from any Grid: Header and Footer

Views•Yearly Comparison•Collapse ‘General Info’ on Packaging•History and Award Year Totals•Packaging - Interim Results•Other Years•Initial View Option

Views: Other Years

Views: Initial ViewThis is workstation specific and does not affect any other user.

Option can be changed as frequently as needed.

Administration Custom Data

Activate/Inactivate Custom Data FieldsSort for Custom Data Fields

Custom Data

Activate/Inactivate

Sort

Tips and Tricks - Administration• Parameter X Ref

• Active Users – license maximum reached

• Automated Packaging – Fund Attributes invoked

Tips and Tricks – Report Writer

•Standard Report – Selection Sets

•Custom Report for Fund Gov ID

Additional Topics• Automated Packaging• Communication flow efficiencies• Direct Loan processing• Jenzabar integration• Multiple POE’s• Email open – cannot view student record without closing email

• Net Partner• QC’s• R2T4 Features• Scheduler (reports, etc)• Training Opportunities

PowerFAIDS allows for programming to automate awarding student records.

Once programming is setup, you can award one student at a time or do batch packaging for multiple students.

Communication flow efficiencies

Communications can be processed using the batch process functionality, including:

• Missing Information Letters• Award Letters• Loan Disbursement Notifications

Examples

Direct Loan ProcessingTips:Run any DL process (origination, disbursement to COD, transfer aid to student account) in SIMULATION for all students/all terms to determine who will reject and who thesystem says should go.

Jenzabar Integration•Jenzabar and PowerFAIDS are step-brother and sister. Almost as close to an integrated system as you can get (without actually being integrated).•Jenzabar’s ‘Configure Optional Student Data Elements for Transfer’ has a set number of field values that can be transferred. Strictly Copy & Paste function. No translations can take place.•The Configuration options are set & save – meaning that you can only have one configuration setting in the system at a time. If you want to push different pieces of data for different population groups, you can, but you must change the configuration settings between process runs.•There are other integration tools available including flat file format and xml

Multiple POE’sPowerFAIDS does allow for multiple POEs for a term (ie: mini-term/session)

HOWEVER: The PF award letter templates provided will not print more than 5 POE’s on an award letter.

Email Open- Cannot view student moduleIf your license maximum is not exceeded, open the PF Student module a second time (depending on what type of setup your IT department has).

REMEMBER TO CLOSE THE SECOND INSTANCE AGAIN RIGHT AWAY.

Net PartnerNet Partner is a financial aid portal that can be linked by single sign on to your current institutional website, or can be a stand alone financial aid portal that your student can log into directly.Can be managed at the aid office level.

Provides to the student up to the minute information (as defined by YOU) to: Awards Documents (with links to internal and external documents)

Financial Aid Disclosure (student specific) Messages Scheduled Disbursements

Online Application/Questionnaire

QCs – Quality Control RulesFor QC functions at the user level I recommend creating selection sets that can look for problems.

•Over awards•Registered hours vs Awarded hours•Class Level discrepancies•ATB Code discrepancies•MYTM Records•DR RR Tracking Status•Ready to Verify

R2T4 ProcessingEnsure your scheduled break dates are setup properly on the POE.

R2T4 ProcessingUpdate Student Record

Scheduler

NOTE: Scheduler service can only be run from one dedicated computer

Training OpportunitiesPowerFAIDS User Conference (precedes NASFAA every year)No cost except travel and meals

PowerFAIDS Online webinars and recorded trainingsPowerFAIDS listservePowerFAIDS Consultants*

*Contact The College Board for additional information

FA

Rocks!

Presenter Contact InformationTonya DavisAssistant Director – Financial Aid PlanningAnderson Universitytdavis@andersonuniversity.edu864.760.1157

Carey Hunter SinclairPowerFAIDS ConsultantApple Pi Consulting, limitedcarey@apple314.comapple314.com706.346.9961