OFAX Dual Enrollment at Oregon State Rebecca Martinez Associate Director of Financial Aid & Tim Harris Systems Analyst May 3, 2005

OFAX Oregon Financial Aid Exchange Multiple-enrollment data exchange for financial aid purposes Allows combination of enrollment from multiple institutions for financial aid

Privacy… The student release on the FAFSA indicates okay to share data for determining financial aid eligibility The student authorizes sharing the data on the admission application Institutions may not report a student to OFAX unless they have signed up at that institution The data may only be used for Financial Aid purposes

OFAX Data Exchange Participating schools send in their data via a secure web site –Local programming is required to create this output file OFAX server processes file (uses Microsoft SQL Server/ASP technology) –Match on SSN –Return matching records sent in by other schools via password protected attachment

OFAX Data Layout Data is sent/received in comma delimited text file. The full layout is available from OSAC’s web site. see ml for more info. ml This file can be loaded into Excel and processed manually, or loaded into a database and automated via local programming. This allows schools to process the OFAX data anyhow they see fit.

Design Institution uploads encrypted file through secure SSL OFAX web page OFAX system creates output file for requesting institution Output file for requesting institution encrypted and password protected Matched file sent to requesting institution Financial Aid Office prepares file of eligible “multiple-enrolled” students Financial Aid receives file from OFAX system School’s Financial Aid Software System

For example… Our example student enrolls at Institution A and requests multiple- enrollment status. He signs a release form informing him that his data will be sent to any other institution that participates in OFAX where he has also signed a multiple-enrollment status release form. Because he has signed the release, the institution may transmit this student’s data to OFAX and may receive this student’s data from other schools from OFAX. A Our example student also enrolls at Institution B and requests multiple- enrollment status. He signs a similar multiple-enrollment status release form here. B In this example the data for both Institution A and Institution B would be sent to OFAX from both institutions because the student signed up at both and authorized the institution to send and receive his data. OFAX would transmit output to both institutions based upon the fact that the student information matched. Each institution can then decide whether or not to credit the classes from the other institution based upon institution policy. OFAX

And the matching… Institution A sends: Institution B sends: Institution C sends: Institutions A, B & C receive: Institution Name SSN Class Details… Institution A Dowd, E English 101 Institution A Dowd, E Math 101 Institution Name SSN Class Details… Institution B Dowd, E Art 101 Institution B Dowd, E History 101 Institution Name SSN Class Details… Institution C Dowd, E Biology 101 Institution C Dowd, E Anatomy 101 Institution Name SSN Class Details… Institution A Dowd, E English 101 Institution A Dowd, E Math 101 Institution B Dowd, E Art 101 Institution B Dowd, E History 101 Institution C Dowd, E Biology 101 Institution C Dowd, E Anatomy 101

Loading the Data into Banner (OSU’s version) We’ve written a local process that the Financial Aid Office runs It loads up the file returned from OFAX and assigns the correct local OSU term code –term codes are unique to each school yet we have to associate data for corresponding terms

What do we want to do with the data once we have it? Verify/More reporting. Report on – Home institution discrepancies – Continued enrollment at partner institution – Any other “oddball” things (like same course at two places at once) Disburse aid based on sum of OSU hours plus qualifying hours at participating institution(s) Report SSCR data accurately for those whom OSU is their “Home institution” Sat. Academic Progress processing after term has finished We’ve also written a display-only data form that the FAO can query…

OSU’s OFAX Data Form (1)

OSU Fin. Aid Status Screen

Resources OFAX Website – Contacts –Joyce Eaton

Questions? Thank You