Close Out Dates

College Lobbyists Protest Move to Keep Them Off Panels Revising Student-Aid Regulations

January 14, 2002

Very Big Pipes

January 13, 2002

Student Loan Company Consolidation Benefits Students, Schools

January 14, 2002

Notice of the closing date for institutions to file an Application for Approval to Participate in Federal Student Financial Aid Programs (ED Form E40-34P, OMB #1845-0012) to participate in the Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant programs (known collectively as the campus-based programs) for the 2002-2003 award year.

January 16, 2002

Brown U. Approves 'Need-Blind' Admissions, New Faculty Positions, and Insurance for Graduate Students

February 25, 2002

State Street's Schoolhouse Capital Survey Indicates Americans Need More Education on College Savings

February 25, 2002

IN THIS EDITION - FCC Proposes New Rules for Broadband - FCC Requests Comments on Broadband - eRate and Networking Opportunities

February 25, 2002

ECSI On The Road

ECSI will be making a presentation at the 2002 EARMA conference in East Windsor, NJ in April. We will be discussing general topics relating to on-line exit interviews. If you are planning to attend, please make time to stop at our booth and say hello.

Happy New Year! Each year, many of us make new year's resolutions. We want to put on a new face on something.

One of my new year's resolutions was to put a new face on our web site. We have completely redesigned the web site's 'look and feel'. We have been standardizing our materials and wanted to bring the web site into line with the rest of our information. This is the first major design change to the web site since 1998.

The pages display best in Internet Explorer 4.0 or later. Older versions of Netscape have trouble rendering some of the complex pages. We are working to fix many of the Netscape problems as they are reported. If you like Netscape and don't like the thoughts of switching to Internet Explorer, upgrade to Netscape version 4.77 or 4.78. Earlier versions had known problems which are fixed in these later releases.

The latest version of Netscape Communicator can be found at: http://help.netscape.com/communicator/install_guide.html. Microsoft's Internet Explorer can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp.

If you are using our WebExit module, you will appreciate the latest addition. You can now see a list of your signed WebExits within a date range. You can select any WebExit and view the entire, completed WebExit. You will see everything the borrower did.

They say "all good things must come to an end", and that's just what happened to our Internet Service Provider (ISP). @Work is no more and we were forced to select a new service provider. Fortunately, we found a good one: Nauticom. They have been providing Internet service since 1994 and have an excellent track record. We will be feverishly changing many things internally to get this change completed.

Fortunately, most of you will notice little disruption. Our operations staff will begin changing your transmission scripts sometime in the last half of February.

Our web site address will stay the same (www.ecsi.net). As part of the changeover, we will be putting up a new FTP server to process your transmissions. This new box will provide the capacity we need today and into the future. It will also help to speed things along since the transmissions will not have to compete with our other web traffic. All around, this change should be good for everyone.

If you watch the "Site Changes" section of our web site, you're already aware that our planning for the 2002 User Conference is in full swing.

This year marks ECSI's 30th anniversary and we intend to make this conference special. We will try to pack even more information into our sessions.

We are going to introduce several exciting new technologies at the conference. Although the itinerary is not cast in stone yet, we have a few topics that we are sure to discuss. These include: the "new" Tuition Payment Plan extension to SAL, our full-service Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment service, our web site services (new and changed) and on-line web exits.

Of special note is our new optical imaging solution. If you attended last year, you'll remember the presentation on imaging solutions. ECSI has purchased an imaging solution. We will demonstrate this at our conference.

This year is the first time we are doing electronic registration. Finally, no more forms to fax back or mail! Everything you need is available on the web site in the Client section. Look for the topic "User Conference" on the client page and register today.

If you've never been to an ECSI conference, I promise you won't be disappointed. To get a feeling of what the conference will be like, look at the archives at the bottom of the User Conference page. You will find all the conference materials back to 1998.

Look for more information to be published in the next newsletter.

Learning Center

Process an NSF

Starting from the Primary Window

• Click on Adj
• Click on NSF
• Click on Check Number (enter the check number of the NSF entered into SAL)
• Click on Date (enter the date of the NSF check)
• Click on Fiscal "Y"es or "N"o
• Click on Send NSF Letter Yes or No
• Click on Search for Check
• Click on Check Detail (if you want to see how the payment was split on all of the loans)
• Click on Yes if it is the right check or click on No if it is incorrect. You can click on "History" to make sure the date and check is correct.
• Check the dues in the dues column if the check amount is over minimum payment. If so fix the account and input the correct dues.
• Click on Forms
• Click on Letters
• Click on Generate Letters
• Click on Yes (this process will overlay the Letter Merge File.)
• Double click on the NSF line this will bring up MS Word
• Click on Merge to New Document
• Click on Print
• Click on the X to close the window
• Click on No to save changes
• Click on the X to close the window
• Click on No to save changes
• Do not exit from the NSF Box until your letters have been printed
• Click on the X to close the window
• Click on Yes (has the mail merge process been completed on each of the letters?)

Process a Refund

Starting from the Primary Window

• Click on Adj
• Click on Refund (if the account is not eligible you will see a message)
• Click on Check Number (enter the check number of the Refund)
• Click on Date (enter the date of the Refund check)
• Click on Fiscal "Y"es or "N"o
• The amount of the refund will automatically be posted to equal the credit balance
• Click on Apply
• Click on Yes or No (if you want to process the transaction)

Process Adjustment within the Same Fund

Starting from the Primary Window

This is only used when the user is transferring monies within the same fund. EX: From Per to Per.
• Click on Adj
• Click on Adj Same Fund (make sure you are on the right fund)
• Click on Check Number and use an abbreviated code to let you know where and why the adjustment was done. EX: TPRFLF To Prin From Late Fee
• Click on Date(enter today's date)
• Click on Fiscal "Y"es or "N"o
• Click on the field you want to move the monies to and from EX: Prin 3.00- and Late Fee 3.00, make sure the amount is zero at the bottom of the column
• Click on Apply
• Click on Yes or No (if you want to process the transaction)
• Click on Quit
• Correct the dues in the dues column if needed.

Process a Transfer In/Out

Starting from the Primary Window

This is only used when the user is transferring monies from two different funds. EX: From Per to HPL.
• Click on Adj
• Click on Transfer In/Out
• Click on Next Loan type that the monies are to be transferred from
• Click on Check Number put the loan type the monies are being transferred to EX: To Per
• Click on Date (enter today's date)
• Click on Fiscal "Y"es or "N"o
• Enter the positive dollar amount in the area monies are coming from EX: Prin 30.00
• Click on Apply (this will be the first step of the adjustment, one sided at this time)
• Click on Yes or No (if you want to process the transaction)
• Click on Adj
• Click on Transfer In/Out
• Click on the loan type that the monies are to be transferred from (click on next loan button)
• Click on Check Number put the loan type the monies are being transferred from EX: Fr HPL
• Click on Date (enter today's date)
• Click on Fiscal "Y"es or "N"o
• Enter the negative dollar mount in the area monies are going to EX: Prin 30.00-
• Click on Apply (this will be the second step of the adjustment, second side at this time)
• Click on Yes (if you want to process this transaction) or No (if you don't want to process this transaction)
• Click on "Quit" to exit from this screen

Process a F.E. Adjustment

Starting from the Primary Window

• Click on Adj
• Click on Foreign Exchange
• Click on Check Number (Enter the check number of the Foreign Exchange)
• Click on Date(Enter the date of the Foreign Exchange)
• Click on Fiscal "Y"es or "N"o
• Post amount of the difference in principle EX: received a check for 30.00 pounds the bank said exchange would equal 40.00 US dollars. You would enter 10.00- to principle to credit the account correctly.
• Click on Apply (This is a one sided adjustment on your side. The bank made the second side of the adjustment)
• Click on Yes (if you want to process this transaction) or No (if you don't want to process this transaction)
• Click on Quit to exit from this screen