GADPIMainText

National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)

GADPIMainText

OMB: 1845-0035

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Guaranty Agency Data Provider Instructions

Contents

Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................... 1
1.1 About This Manual ..........................................................................................................................1
1.2 What Is NSLDS? ................................................................................................................................2
1.2.1 NSLDS Functions ....................................................................................................................2
1.2.2 Where NSLDS Data Comes From .....................................................................................8
1.2.3 NSLDS Users ......................................................................................................................... 10
1.3 Getting Help .................................................................................................................................... 11
Chapter 2: Guaranty Agency Responsibilities .............................................................. 13
2.1 Data Privacy ..................................................................................................................................... 14
2.2 Data Accuracy and Timeliness .................................................................................................. 14
Chapter 3: The Update Process ...................................................................................... 15
3.1 Files Used in the NSLDS Update Process ............................................................................. 18
3.2 Highlights of Guaranty Agency DataPrep Version 4.0 ..................................................... 21
Chapter 4: System Requirements................................................................................... 23
4.1 Estimating Required Disk Space .............................................................................................. 23
4.2 Setting Up Communications Links with NSLDS ................................................................. 24
4.3 Obtaining a Submittal Schedule .............................................................................................. 24
4.4 Initial Population ........................................................................................................................... 25
4.5 File Protection and Backups ...................................................................................................... 25
Chapter 5: Installation, Utilities, and Testing ............................................................... 27
5.1 Installation ....................................................................................................................................... 27
5.1.1 Installing DataPrep on a Windows-Based PC ........................................................... 27
5.1.2 Installing DataPrep on an z/OS LE Version 3.1 or Higher Mainframe ............. 28
5.2 Options and Utilities .................................................................................................................... 29
5.2.1 Changing Directory Paths ................................................................................................ 29
5.2.2 Delta Process Options ....................................................................................................... 31
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5.2.3 File Transfer ........................................................................................................................... 33
5.2.4 Help System .......................................................................................................................... 38
5.3 Running Test Files ......................................................................................................................... 39
5.3.1 Successful Extract Validation .......................................................................................... 40
5.3.2 Unsuccessful Validation .................................................................................................... 51
5.3.3 Load Process Error Report ............................................................................................... 53
5.4 Sample Files z/OS LE Version .................................................................................................... 58
Chapter 6: The Database Extract File............................................................................. 59
6.1 Business Rules ................................................................................................................................ 59
6.2 Record Types .................................................................................................................................. 61
6.2.1 Header Record ..................................................................................................................... 61
6.2.2 Detail Records ...................................................................................................................... 61
6.2.3 Past Period Change Records ........................................................................................... 63
6.3 File Standards ................................................................................................................................. 63
6.4 Field Standards............................................................................................................................... 64
6.4.1 Loans Assigned to the Dept of ED. ............................................................................... 64
6.5 Updating Identifier Data ............................................................................................................. 65
6.5.1 Loan and Student Identifiers .......................................................................................... 66
6.5.2 The Identifier Change Process........................................................................................ 67
6.5.3 Updating Identifiers on Multiple Records .................................................................. 68
6.6 Updating Non-Identifier Data .................................................................................................. 69
6.6.1 What NSLDS Does .............................................................................................................. 69
6.6.2 What You Do ........................................................................................................................ 75
6.7 Copy Your Database Extract File to the Extract Directory .............................................. 83
Chapter 7: Extract Validation and the Delta Process ................................................... 85
7.1 Extract Validation .......................................................................................................................... 85
7.1.1 Edits Performed During Extract Validation ................................................................ 86
7.1.2 Extract Validation on a PC ............................................................................................... 88
7.2 The Delta Process .......................................................................................................................... 98
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7.2.1 What Happens in the Delta Process............................................................................. 99
7.2.2 The Delta Process on a PC ............................................................................................. 101
7.3 Extract Validation and the Delta Process on a PC ........................................................... 106
7.4 Extract Validation and the Delta Process on an Z/OS LE Mainframe ....................... 110
Chapter 8: Sending and Receiving Files ...................................................................... 111
8.1 Sending the Submittal File ....................................................................................................... 111
8.1.1 Submittal Schedule .......................................................................................................... 111
8.1.2 Submittal File Format ...................................................................................................... 112
8.1.3 Transmitting Your Submittal File by SAIG ................................................................ 113
8.2 Receiving Files .............................................................................................................................. 116
8.2.1 Receiving Files by SAIG ................................................................................................... 116
Chapter 9: The NSLDS Load Process ............................................................................ 117
9.1 File-Level Edits .............................................................................................................................. 118
9.2 Domain-Level Edits ..................................................................................................................... 119
9.3 Record-Level Edits ...................................................................................................................... 119
9.3.1 Duplicates ............................................................................................................................ 120
9.3.2 Reasonability Edits............................................................................................................ 120
9.4 Load-Level Edits ........................................................................................................................... 120
9.4.1 Identifier Edits .................................................................................................................... 121
9.4.2 GA ID Edits........................................................................................................................... 122
9.4.3 Validate Codes ................................................................................................................... 122
9.4.4 Date Sequence Edits ........................................................................................................ 123
9.4.5 Online Updating ................................................................................................................ 123
Chapter 10: Generating Reports on Windows-Based PCs......................................... 125
10.1 Log Reports................................................................................................................................. 126
10.1.1 Extract Validation Log Report .................................................................................... 126
10.1.2 Delta Log Report............................................................................................................. 128
10.2 Error Reports .............................................................................................................................. 130
10.2.1 Error Files ........................................................................................................................... 130
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10.2.2 Generating Summary Error Reports......................................................................... 131
10.2.3 Generating Detail Error Reports ................................................................................ 133
10.3 Loan Detail Reports.................................................................................................................. 137
10.3.1 Loan Detail Files .............................................................................................................. 138
10.3.2 Generating Loan Detail Reports ................................................................................ 139
10.4 Selection Criteria ....................................................................................................................... 143
10.4.1 Adding Selection Criteria ............................................................................................. 146
10.4.2 Editing Selection Criteria ............................................................................................. 148
10.4.3 Deleting Selection Criteria .......................................................................................... 149
10.4.4 Adding Variable Selection Criteria ........................................................................... 149
10.5 Sort Options ............................................................................................................................... 155
10.5.1 Adding a Sort Option .................................................................................................... 158
10.5.2 Editing a Sort Option .................................................................................................... 160
10.5.3 Deleting a Sort Option ................................................................................................. 160
10.5.4 Sort Parameter Positions’ Syntax .............................................................................. 160
Chapter 11: Generating Reports on Z/OS LE Mainframes ........................................ 162
11.1 Extract Error Report.................................................................................................................. 162
11.1.1 Summary Report Sorting ............................................................................................. 162
11.1.2 Detail Report Sorting .................................................................................................... 163
11.2 Load Process Error Report ..................................................................................................... 163
Chapter 12: Using Reports ............................................................................................ 165
12.1 Log Reports................................................................................................................................. 165
12.1.1 Extract Validation Log Report .................................................................................... 165
12.1.2 Delta Log Report............................................................................................................. 165
12.2 Error Reports .............................................................................................................................. 165
12.2.1 Summary Error Reports ................................................................................................ 165
12.2.2 Detail Error Reports ....................................................................................................... 167
12.3 Loan Detail Reports.................................................................................................................. 169
12.4 Error Types .................................................................................................................................. 170
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12.4.1 File-Level Errors ............................................................................................................... 170
12.4.2 Domain-Level Errors ...................................................................................................... 170
12.4.3 Record-Level Errors........................................................................................................ 172
12.4.4 Load-Level Errors ............................................................................................................ 173
Chapter 13: Final Thoughts .......................................................................................... 177
Appendix A: Guaranty Agency Data Dictionary.......................................................... A–i
Appendix B: Guaranty Agency Coding Tables ............................................................ B–i
Appendix C: Past Period Change Record Layout ........................................................ C–i
Appendix D: Load Process Error File (Record Layouts) ..............................................D–i
Appendix E: Guaranty Agency TEF File Layout............................................................ E–i
Appendix F: Glossary of Terms .................................................................................... F–1
Appendix G: DataPrep JCL for Z/OS LE ........................................................................G–i
Appendix H: Technical Updates .................................................................................. H–1

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Figures
Figure 1–1, Sources of NSLDS Data ...................................................................................................... 10
Figure 1–2, Outflow of NSLDS Information ....................................................................................... 11
Figure 3–1, Data Provider Six-Step Process ....................................................................................... 17
Figure 3–2, Processing Flow for Guaranty Agency Updates to NSLDS ................................... 18
Figure 3–3, NSLDS Edit Process ............................................................................................................. 20
Figure 5–1, Directories Dialog Box ........................................................................................................ 28
Figure 5–2, DataPrep Main Menu with Directories Selected on the Options Menu .......... 30
Figure 5–3, Directories Dialog Box ........................................................................................................ 30
Figure 5–4, DataPrep Main Menu with Delta Processing Selected on the Options Menu
.................................................................................................................................................................. 32
Figure 5–5, Delta Processing Options Dialog Box ........................................................................... 33
Figure 5–6, Initial File Transfer Dialog Box for File Import ........................................................... 34
Figure 5–7, Initial Select NSLDS File Dialog Box for TEF File ....................................................... 35
Figure 5–8, Final Select NSLDS File Dialog Box for TEF File ......................................................... 36
Figure 5–9, Final File Transfer Dialog Box for File Import ............................................................. 37
Figure 5–10, Test files are manually copied into in a directory of your choice (e.g.
C:\DataPrep-GA\Samples) .............................................................................................................. 39
Figure 5–11, View of C:\DataPrep-GA Folder with subfolders in Windows Explorer.......... 40
Figure 5–12, DataPrep Main Menu with Extract Validation Selected ....................................... 41
Figure 5–13, Extract Validation Dialog Box ........................................................................................ 41
Figure 5–14, Extract Validation Process Dialog Box ....................................................................... 42
Figure 5–15, Log Report Dialog Box .................................................................................................... 43
Figure 5–16, Extract Validation Log Report ....................................................................................... 44
Figure 5–17, Error Report Dialog Box .................................................................................................. 45
Figure 5–18, Summary Extract Error Report ...................................................................................... 46
Figure 5–19, Extract Validation Dialog Box ........................................................................................ 47
Figure 5–20, Delta Process Dialog Box ................................................................................................ 48
Figure 5–21, DataPrep Main Menu with Loan Detail Report Selected .................................... 49
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Figure 5–22, Loan Detail Report Dialog Box ..................................................................................... 49
Figure 5–23, Extract Loan Detail Report.............................................................................................. 50
Figure 5–24, Submittal Loan Detail Report ........................................................................................ 51
Figure 5–25, Extract Folder ...................................................................................................................... 52
Figure 5–26, Extract Validation Dialog Box ........................................................................................ 52
Figure 5–27, Extract Validation Unsuccessful .................................................................................... 53
Figure 5–28, Initial File Transfer Dialog Box for Load Process Error File ................................. 54
Figure 5–29, Select NSLDS File Dialog Box for Load Process Error File ................................... 55
Figure 5–30, Final File Transfer Dialog Box for Load Process Error File ................................... 55
Figure 5–31, Error Report Dialog Box for Load Process Error Report ...................................... 56
Figure 5–32, Summary Error Report ..................................................................................................... 57
Figure 5–33, Summary Load Process Error Report.......................................................................... 57
Figure 6–1, Loan and Student Identifiers............................................................................................ 66
Figure 6–2, How to Update Loan Identifier Data ............................................................................. 68
Figure 6–3, NSLDS Update (1 of 2) ....................................................................................................... 71
Figure 6–4, NSLDS Update (2 of 2) ....................................................................................................... 71
Figure 6–5, Updating a Current Event ................................................................................................. 73
Figure 6–6, Updating Historical Events ............................................................................................... 74
Figure 6–7, Fields and History ................................................................................................................ 77
Figure 6–8, Events, Keys, and Values .................................................................................................... 80
Figure 7–1, DataPrep Error Path ............................................................................................................ 87
Figure 7–2, DataPrep Main Menu with Extract Validation Selected ......................................... 89
Figure 7–3, Extract Validation Dialog Box .......................................................................................... 89
Figure 7–4, Extract Validation Process Dialog Box .......................................................................... 91
Figure 7–5, Successful Extract Validation ........................................................................................... 94
Figure 7–6, Extract Validation Fails Because of a File-Level Error .............................................. 95
Figure 7–7, Extract Validation Fails Because of Excessive Domain-Level Errors ................... 96
Figure 7–8, TEF File Warning ................................................................................................................... 97
Figure 7–9, The Delta Process...............................................................................................................100
Figure 7–10, Extract Validation Dialog Box ......................................................................................101
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Figure 7–11, Rerun Current Month’s Delta Process ......................................................................102
Figure 7–12, Delta Process Dialog Box ..............................................................................................103
Figure 7–13, Halted Delta Process ......................................................................................................105
Figure 7–14, Successful Delta Process ...............................................................................................106
Figure 7–15, DataPrep Main Menu with Extract Validation Selected .....................................107
Figure 7–16, Extract Validation Dialog Box ......................................................................................108
Figure 7–17, Extract Validation Process Dialog Box .....................................................................109
Figure 7–18, Delta Process Dialog Box ..............................................................................................110
Figure 8–1, DataPrep Main Menu with File Transfer Selected ..................................................113
Figure 8–2, Initial File Transfer Dialog Box .......................................................................................114
Figure 8–3, Final File Transfer Dialog Box ........................................................................................115
Figure 9–1, NSLDS Load Process .........................................................................................................118
Figure 10–1, DataPrep Main Menu with Log Report Selected .................................................126
Figure 10–2, Log Reports Dialog Box.................................................................................................127
Figure 10–3, Extract Validation Log Report .....................................................................................127
Figure 10–4, DataPrep Main Menu with Log Report Selected .................................................128
Figure 10–5, Log Reports Dialog Box.................................................................................................129
Figure 10–6, Delta Log Report..............................................................................................................129
Figure 10–7, DataPrep Main Menu with Error Report Selected ...............................................131
Figure 10–8, Error Report Dialog Box ................................................................................................132
Figure 10–9, Summary Extract Error Report ....................................................................................133
Figure 10–10, DataPrep Main Menu with Error Report Selected .............................................134
Figure 10–11, Error Report Dialog Box ..............................................................................................135
Figure 10–12, Detail Extract Error Report .........................................................................................137
Figure 10–13, Detail Load Process Error Report ............................................................................137
Figure 10–14, DataPrep Main Menu with Loan Detail Report Selected ................................140
Figure 10–15, Loan Detail Report Dialog Box .................................................................................140
Figure 10–16, Submittal Loan Detail Report ...................................................................................142
Figure 10–17, DataPrep Main Menu with Selection Criteria Selected on the Options
Menu.....................................................................................................................................................144
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Figure 10–18, Selection Criteria Dialog Box ....................................................................................144
Figure 10–19, Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box............................................................................146
Figure 10–20, Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box............................................................................147
Figure 10–21, Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box............................................................................148
Figure 10–22, Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box............................................................................149
Figure 10–23, Selection Variable Edit Dialog Box..........................................................................150
Figure 10–24, Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box............................................................................151
Figure 10–25, Selection Variable Edit Dialog Box..........................................................................151
Figure 10–26, Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box............................................................................152
Figure 10–27, DataPrep Main Menu with Sort Parameters Selected on Options Menu .156
Figure 10–28, Sort Parameters Dialog Box ......................................................................................157
Figure 10–29, Preprogrammed Sorts for Detail Error Reports .................................................157
Figure 10–30, Preprogrammed Sorts for Loan Detail Reports .................................................158
Figure 10–31, Sort Parameter Edit Dialog Box ...............................................................................158
Figure 10–32, Sort Parameter Edit Dialog Box ...............................................................................159
Figure 10–33, Sort Parameters Dialog Box ......................................................................................159
Figure 10–34, Sort Parameter Edit Dialog Box ...............................................................................160
Figure 12–1, Summary Extract Error Report ....................................................................................166
Figure 12–2, Summary Load Process Error Report........................................................................166
Figure 12–3, Detail Extract Error Report............................................................................................169
Figure 12–4, Detail Load Process Error Report ...............................................................................169

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Introduction

Chapter 1: Introduction
Guaranty agencies (GAs) participating in the Federal Family Education Loan Program
(FFELP) are required to report detailed loan information to the National Student Loan
Data System (NSLDS). This operating manual explains FFELP loan reporting
requirements and the processes used to add or update FFELP loans on NSLDS. It
explains how to use the new NSLDS DataPrep software and is for the use of guaranty
agencies with administrative responsibility for the FFELP.

1.1 About This Manual
This manual is intended to assist users with the data provider portion of the NSLDS
update process, as well as, provide basic information about the entire process.
To make the instruction manual easy to follow, we have used the following icons to
identify key points:
This icon indicates a definition or explanation that you will need to keep
in mind throughout the discussion.
This icon indicates a special note, suggestion, or comment that will assist
you in running DataPrep or in providing insight into the NSLDS update
process.
This icon indicates a warning of which you should take special note.

NSLDS Requirement
All guaranty agencies in the Title IV aid programs are required to participate with NSLDS.
GAs with active FFELP loans are required to provide updated data to NSLDS.
The following loans are part of the FFELP:

•
•
•
•
•
•

Federal Stafford Loans
Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
Federal PLUS Loans
Federal Consolidation Loans
Federal Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS)
Guaranteed Student Loans (GSL)

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1.2 What Is NSLDS?
NSLDS supports ED in a variety of operational and research functions meant to improve
the administration and delivery of student aid through Title IV aid programs. Specifically,
the three main goals of NSLDS are:
1. To improve the quality and accessibility of student aid data
2. To reduce the burden of administering Title IV aid
3. To minimize abuse within the aid programs through accurate tracking of funds
appropriated to assist the postsecondary students for whom the programs were
designed
NSLDS is a national database of recipients, enrollment and loan data, Federal Pell Grant,
and overpayment information on student aid disbursed under Title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended. Data in NSLDS is provided by schools, guaranty
agencies, and ED agencies. The data includes information about the following:
•

The Federal Family Education Loan Program

•

The Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP)

•

Federal Perkins loans (including National Direct Student Loans, National Defense,
and Income Contingent Loans)

•

Federal Pell Grants

•

Overpayments from the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational
Opportunity (FSEOG), and FFELP Loan programs

•

Demographic and enrollment data on Title IV recipients

1.2.1 NSLDS Functions
NSLDS performs the following administrative functions:
•

150% Direct Subsidized Loan Limit — NSLDS uses subsidized usage data from
COD and Program Enrollment data from schools to calculate and maintain the
borrower Maximum Eligibility Period and Remaining Eligibility Period under the
150% Direct Subsidized Loan Limit. NSLDS evaluates SULA-eligible loans for Loss
of Subsidy under the limit, and notifies the appropriate Federal Loan Servicer of
any loan that has lost subsidy under this limit.

•

Aid Overpayment—The NSLDS Professional Access Web site Aid Overpayment
function allows data providers to update NSLDS when a student owes or repays
an overpayment on a Pell, ACG, National SMART, TEACH Grant, FSEOG, IASG, or
Perkins loan. This function also facilitates the reporting of fraud by schools and

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DMCS. Adding of an active overpayment triggers a message that borrowers are
ineligible for aid.
•

Audit Support—Audits and risk assessments are supported by a combination of
audit logs, audit reports, Web and database queries.

•

Cohort Default Rate (CDR) Calculations—NSLDS calculates draft and official
default rates for schools participating in FFELP and FDLP, lenders/lender servicers,
and GAs. NSLDS stores the numerator, denominator, and backup detail, and
processes appeal rates. The cohort default rates are made available to each
organization through the NSLDS Professional Access Web site. The school rates
are made available to schools through the electronic CDR (eCDR) process. NSLDS
determines eligibility for sanctions or benefits based on CDRs, and sends letters
to schools on behalf of the Operations Performance Division (OPD), notifying
schools of their sanction or benefit status. OPD users can override sanction or
benefit status or request CDR web reports on the NSLDS Professional Access site.

•

Credit Reform Act Support—The Credit Reform Act and related OMB circulars
require the Department to identify loans by loan program, cohort year, and risk
category. NSLDS is the Department’s only source of this loan-level data. NSLDS
makes available the data the Department’s Budget Services requires for this
purpose.

•

Customer Support—NSLDS personnel from the Customer Support Center (CSC),
Business Operations Support (BOS), Data Integrity Group (DIG), and Quality
Assurance (QA) document, research, negotiate, and resolve NSLDS data conflicts,
as well as assist data providers with data submissions and NSLDS users with all
web functionality.

•

Enrollment Reporting—NSLDS generates and sends Enrollment Reporting
Rosters to schools. Schools or their servicers (often the National Student
Clearinghouse) can respond to the reports by batch submission (via SAIG or
spreadsheet upload submittal) or by entering data online. NSLDS then updates its
database to reflect any changes in student enrollment status or program
enrollment data and forwards enrollment status change data to the loan-holding
community. Statistics for the percentage of students certified and the percentage
of students certified with program enrollment data, and Enrollment Submittal
Tracking information are available on the NSLDS Web site.

•

Exit Counseling—TEACH Grant Exit Counseling is provided on the NSLDS
Student Access Web site located at nslds.ed.gov. Through a secure logon,
students can access their financial aid information, as stored on NSLDS. The
TEACH Grant Exit Counseling tool explains the requirements to maintain grant
status and also details the relevant loan information if the TEACH grant is

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converted into a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. The tool requires students to
complete a quiz to ensure understanding, collects information to assist in the
activity of skip-tracing, and presents students with a budget calculator. NSLDS
only provides TEACH Grant Exit Counseling. Exit Counseling data (for Loan and
TEACH) is also reported to GAs, Federal Loan Servicers, and schools.
•

Gainful Employment (GE)—NSLDS collects data on students enrolled in gainful
employment programs from schools that participate in the Title IV Aid Programs.
Data collection is based on award year participation and is provided by
institutions through batch and online submissions.

•

Gainful Employment (GE) Rate Calculations—NSLDS calculates the various
rates and ratios for schools participating in Gainful Employment (GE) Programs.
NSLDS stores the numerator, denominator, and backup detail information
regarding these rates. The GE Rates and Ratios are made available to each
organization through the NSLDS Professional Access Web site.

•

Income Driven Repayment (IDR) Information—NSLDS processes and stores
information about electronic applications for IDR programs reported by COD,
Federal Loan Servicers, and participating FFEL lenders and lender servicers. This
information is used to create summary-level report extracts about IDR
applications and programs which are available for download by authorized users
on the NSLDS Professional Access Web site.

•

Loan Purchase Program (PUT)—NSLDS matches FFELP records that have been
purchased by ED and are now reported from a Federal Loan Servicer. NSLDS
applies the servicers’ loan identifier to the record to facilitate continued reporting
and updating by the servicer. NSLDS also provides online match resolution
options to allow the servicer to indicate loans for which they now have reporting
responsibility but was not updated based on data provided from the servicer.

•

Online Loan Update—NSLDS allows approved GAs, federal loan servicers, and
designated ED users to update their agency’s loan data via the Web. This
instantaneous update feature helps to reduce the turnaround time for problem
resolution and error corrections.

•

Postscreening for Title IV Aid Eligibility—For each award year, NSLDS
postscreens Title IV aid applicants to identify those whose eligibility status has
changed since the time of their original, or most recent SAR/ISIR, aid application.
The process screens for default, overpayment, and fraud convictions, as well as
loan eligibility criteria.

•

Financial Aid History (FAH) Information—NSLDS generates FAH information
and forwards a subset of a borrower’s history to CPS as part of the
prescreening/ISIR process. NSLDS also generates a borrower’s entire FAH,

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consisting of borrower-level flags/indicators, aggregate loan amounts, loan, grant
and overpayment details, outside the prescreening process in response to ad hoc
FAH requests from schools. These requests can be made online or by SAIG batch
submittal, and are part of Transfer Student Monitoring. GAs can make FAH
requests by SAIG batch submittal and the data response(s) are restricted to
borrowers with whom they hold or held a loan. The FAH information they receive
contains only borrower and loan data. No grant information is included in the
FAH for GAs.
•

Prescreening for Title IV Aid Eligibility—NSLDS prescreens all Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applicants for Title IV Aid, or when other criteria
is met subsequent SAR/ISIR transactions, to identify those applicants who go
into/out of default on an existing Title IV loan; who owe/paid overpayments on
Pell, ACG, National SMART Grants, TEACH Grants, FSEOGs, IASG, or Perkins loans;
or who have come close, exceeded or resolved aggregate loan limits, or other
changes in aid that impact a borrower’s eligibility.

•

Reaffirmation Information—NSLDS processes, stores and displays reaffirmation
information reported by FFELP lender/lender servicers and Federal Loan Servicers
(FLS) on the NSLDS Professional Access and the NSLDS Student Access Web sites.
This information is used by schools when considering the awarding of additional
Title IV aid. In addition, the NSLDS postscreening process monitors and provides
notification of reaffirmation changes to CPS for inclusion on the ISIR. Note:
Reporting reaffirmation data to NSLDS is required of our federal loan servicers
and optional for FFEL Program lenders and lender servicers.

•

Real Time Data Inquiries—NSLDS generates financial aid information in
response to “real time” requests from ED applications. The following applications
use this functionality:
–

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StudentLoans.gov using extensible markup language (XML)


Direct Loan Consolidation



FACT (Financial Awareness Counseling Tool)



IDR (Income Driven Repayment) Application

–

FSAIC Integrated Voice Response (IVR) System

–

StudentAid.gov using JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)

–

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) using JavaScript
Object Notation (JSON)

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•

Repayment (Notional) Information—NSLDS provides schools summary and
detail student repayment data for informational purposes.

•

Security Control—ED and Contractor User IDs, and the access these IDs have to
NSLDS resources, are maintained by the Systems Security Officer (SSO)/Alternate
via the NSLDS Professional Access Web site.

•

Security Monitoring—NSLDS provides monitoring tools that an organization’s
PDPA and FSA can use to ensure that users are compliant with the NSLDS rules of
access. NSLDS systematically monitors and provides e-mail notifications to PDPAs
so they are alerted and can take the appropriate and necessary actions. NSLDS
provides an ad hoc Adobe PDF reporting capability to help monitor user
activities, as well as reports delivered via SAIG mailboxes.

•

Subsidy Override—NSLDS allows approved ED users to override the Actual
Subsidized Usage Period values and the Subsidy Status values determined by
NSLDS for award origination records. This instantaneous update feature helps to
reduce the turnaround time for problem resolution and error corrections.

•

Transfer Student Monitoring (TSM)—NSLDS receives school profile and
transferring student information via NSLDS Professional Access Web site pages
and/or SAIG batch submissions. NSLDS monitors each of these students for
specific changes in loan and Pell, ACG, National SMART, and TEACH Grant status.
NSLDS reports these changes to schools via Web pages or SAIG batch files. TSM
alert e-mails are provided to the designated TSM point of contact. NSLDS
Customer Support and authorized FSA Program Compliance personnel have
access to view a school’s NSLDS Professional Access Web site TSM pages to
provide support and oversight.

•

Web Inquiries—NSLDS has 2 websites available for online inquires: one site is
for financial aid professionals and the other site is for students.
–

NSLDS provides the NSLDS Professional Access Web site for schools, state
grant agencies, eligible and approved GAs, Federal Loan Servicers, lenders
and lender servicers, and ED and its contractors to view NSLDS data.
Depending on user access, the Web site also provides a list of ad hoc or
scheduled reports that can be requested to receive organization-specific
data from NSLDS.

–

For students, NSLDS provides the MyStudentData Download option,
available on NSLDS Student Access Web site, where they can download
their entire grant, loan, and overpayment financial aid history with data
provider contacts. To help protect a student’s/borrower’s personally
identifiable information (PII) data, NSLDS masks SSNs on Web pages.

NSLDS performs the following operational support functions:
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Assessment of FFELP, FDLP, and Other Program Administration—NSLDS
supplies data used in short- or long-term studies aimed at determining the
effectiveness of particular loan program practices.

•

Audit and Program Review Planning—NSLDS supplies auditors and program
reviewers with data on specific organizations and on key indicators used to
schedule audits and program reviews for maximum effectiveness. ED’s contractor
supports various security audits.

•

Budget Analysis and Development—NSLDS data on loan program performance
are used to support assumptions for estimating the long-term budgets for FSA
programs. These data are also used to answer budget-related questions and to
support “what-if” analyses.

•

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests—NSLDS completes FOIA
requests when they meet established guidelines.

•

Loan Participation Program (LPP)—NSLDS contains data regarding Custodian
and Sponsor lending organizations that are part of the ECASLA enacted funding
process that allows participation interest agreements with ED. NSLDS links loans
on NSLDS with the Custodian or Sponsor records received from FMS.

•

Loan Transfer Tracking—NSLDS preserves historical data on loan holders and
loan sales dates used to understand secondary market activity, identify potential
problems with loan program participants, assist borrowers in locating lenders or
GAs associated with their loans, and assessing the administration and billing
practices of Title IV loan programs.

•

Monitoring GA and Lender Financial Reporting for Reasonability—NSLDS
supplies ED personnel with the detailed-level information needed to assess the
reasonability of financial reporting from GAs and lenders based on changes in
loan portfolios, loan status, loan balance information, and other loan details.
NSLDS performs monthly and annual reasonability calculations for GAs.

•

Payment Support of Account Maintenance Fees (AMFs) to GAs—NSLDS
provides data about Outstanding Principal Balance (OPB) on open loans that
support AMF payments by FMS. With the change to supporting origination of
only Direct Loans, the LPIF is no longer calculated for GAs.

•

Research Studies and Policy Development—NSLDS supports long-term
research studies and short-term policy development by providing ED with current
detailed and aggregated loan, grant, and student data.

In addition to these specific operational support functions, NSLDS performs the
following general activities:
•

Generates statistically valid extracts of the production database.

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Incorporates and supports data standardization.

•

Interfaces with Government-provided telecommunications links.

•

Maintains a training database.

•

Maintains demographic data on recipients and institutions.

•

Maintains organization contact information for ED Regions, the federal loan
servicers, schools, GAs, Lenders, Lender Branch servicers, and state agencies.

•

Meets data currency requirements.

•

Meets performance and response standards.

•

Monitors user access and provides FSA with data of users that fall outside of
acceptable usage parameters.

•

Preserves data security and confidentiality as required under the Privacy Act of
1974, as amended.

•

Provides output in formats that support executive information systems.

•

Provides subject matter experts (SMEs) to interface with the user community and
to provide input for new functionality.

•

Provides support for Web site access.

•

Receives and processes new, changed, and removed user information from
Participation Management.

•

Supports prevention and resolution of errors.

1.2.2 Where NSLDS Data Comes From
As a comprehensive repository of Title IV recipients and their loan, Pell Grant,
overpayment, and enrollment information, NSLDS receives data from many sources
(some external and some internal to ED) and makes it available to approved users for a
variety of purposes authorized by the Act. The principal sources of NSLDS data are the
following:
•

Federal Loan Servicers (Department contracted servicers)—Federal Loan
Servicers send weekly data files, as described in the NSLDS Data Provider
Instructions (DPI), containing data on FFELP loans that have been sold to the
Department as well as FDLP loans, TEACH grants and various other Title IV aid
data elements. NSLDS sends Enrollment Reporting data and Exit Counseling
Completion data to Federal Loan Servicers on a weekly basis. Federal Loan
Servicers (also identified on the NSLDS Professional Access Web site as ED
Servicers), include the original Title IV Additional Servicers (TIVAS) and Not For

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Profit (NFP) organizations. The Federal Perkins Servicer, which services federally
held Perkins loans, is included in this group.
•

Guaranty Agencies provide loan data on FFELP loans from loan origination until
the loan is paid in full. Some of the information guaranty agencies provide, such
as loan balances, is received from lenders who report on loans through their
guaranty agencies. Guaranty agencies submit their data monthly and daily
through online updates.

•

Schools (or their servicers) provide enrollment data via the Enrollment
Reporting process.

•

Schools (or their servicers) that participate in the Federal Perkins Loan Program
provide monthly updates of loans.

•

The Debt Management and Collection System (DMCS) provides data weekly on
loans and overpayments assigned to ED and on lenders and lender servicers.

•

The Postsecondary Education Participant System (PEPS) provides daily data on
schools.

•

The Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) provides monthly data on loans with
permanent and conditional disability discharges.

•

The Central Processing System (CPS) provides daily demographic data on
students in the NSLDS database.

•

The Common Origination Disbursement System (COD) provides daily updates
on Grant payments (Pell, ACG, and National SMART Grant), Direct Loan
Origination data and Loan Exit Counseling information.

•

The Lender Reporting System (LARS) provides demographic information on
lenders and lender servicers.

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LARS

Lender and Lender Servicer Data

Schools

TPD

Enrollment Reporting,
Aid Overpayments, Exit Counseling,
Gainful Employment

Total and Permanent Disability

Perkins Schools

Perkins Loan Information

CPS

Student Demographic Data

PEPS

School Demographic Data

DMCS

Aid Overpayments,
Lender and Lender Servicer Data,
Loans Assigned to ED

COD

Pell/ACG/SMART Grant, Direct Loan
Origination data and Loan Exit
Counseling information

Federal Loan Servicers

Student

TEACH Exit Counseling, Address

Guaranty Agencies
FFEL Loan Information

FDLP, Perkins and FFEL Loan
Information

Lenders/Servicers

Figure 1–1, Sources of NSLDS Data

1.2.3 NSLDS Users
NSLDS users include personnel from ED, other Federal agencies, guaranty agencies,
lenders, schools, and state scholarship agencies.
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NSLDS provides its users with batch processing, as well as access by means of the
Internet. The system’s products are designed to provide efficient access to NSLDS data
for a variety of user levels and purposes. See Figure 1–2 for the flow of data from NSLDS
to various users.
CPS

Student Aid History

Students

Department of Education

Financial Aid Review,
Exit Counseling

Queries, Reports, and Data Extracts

Schools

COD

Enrollment Reporting Information
Error Reports
Queries, Reports, and Data Extracts

FAH Information, Enrollment
Reporting Roster Queries, Reports,
Data Extracts, and Exit Counseling

FSAIC

Guaranty Agencies

Enrollment Reporting Information
Error Reports, Queries, Reports,
and Data Extracts

Other Government
Agencies

Federal Loan Servicers

,
and Data Extracts
Queries
,
Reports

Enrollment Reporting Information
Error Reports, Queries, Reports,
and Data Extracts

Figure 1–2, Outflow of NSLDS Information

1.3 Getting Help
The NSLDS Customer Support Center (CSC) is available to answer all your questions. The
CSC offers comprehensive assistance on all aspects of using DataPrep software, from
step-by-step installation questions to receiving error reports. The CSC can help you
identify and correct Extract problems resulting from file- and domain-level edits, or

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NSLDS update problems resulting from record-level and load-level errors. The CSC will
address your guaranty agency data provider set-up and
scheduling questions.
In addition, the CSC can help:
•

Identify other data providers to resolve identifier
conflicts

•

Clarify Data Provider Instructions

•

Schedule initial and ongoing data loads

•

Troubleshoot problems with DataPrep installation

•

Discuss submittal requirements

•

Explain specific error codes

•

Review your submittal frequency

When you call the CSC you may be asked to provide specific
information, including:

Customer Support
Center
Contact the CSC at
(800) 999-8219
between 8 a.m. and 9
p.m. Eastern time,
weekdays except
Federal holidays.
Customer Service
personnel will log your
call, issue a
confirmation number,
answer questions, and,
if possible, resolve
problems immediately.
If the problem requires
further research, the
representative will
estimate when you can
expect a return call.

•

Your GA ID code and agency name and phone number

•

Whether you are using the mainframe or Windowsbased version of the software

•

The Version/Release number and release date of the DataPrep software you are
using

•

The nature of the problem

•

The part of the process you were working with at the time the problem occurred

•

Whether you have been able to duplicate the problem and, if so, what the
conditions were at the time

•

Error messages or other indicators of the source of the problem.

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Chapter 2: Guaranty Agency Responsibilities
Guaranty Agencies must provide information to NSLDS on FFELP loans and regularly
report on new loans and changes to existing loans. These reports must be submitted on
an ongoing basis and on a regular schedule established between the guaranty agency
and the U.S. Department of Education (ED).
Guaranty agencies must:
•

Meet all NSLDS reporting requirements as detailed in this operating manual.

•

Report all FFELP loans that were open or closed on or after October 1, 1989.

•

Report new loans or updates to existing loans at least monthly on a schedule
established by NSLDS. Data reported must be current and not extracted more
than 14 days before the scheduled load date for the guaranty agency.

•

Create a Database Extract file meeting the specifications contained in Appendix
A. Guaranty agencies are responsible for coding and testing their software as
needed to properly format the Database Extract file.

•

Use the NSLDS provided DataPrep software to perform Extract Validation and
create a Submittal file.

•

Send the Submittal file to NSLDS on an established schedule.

•

Retrieve the Load Process Error file for each submittal. Guaranty agencies must
review errors and correct as many as possible before the next submittal. Guaranty
agencies are responsible for the accuracy of their data as well as for the timely
reporting of loan data to NSLDS.

•

Work with other data providers—including other guaranty agencies, the Direct
Loan Program, the Debt Management Collection System, Perkins schools, and the
Pell Grant System—to resolve identifier conflicts.

•

Receive and process reconciliation files provided by NSLDS. Reconciliation of loan
data between NSLDS and the guaranty agency’s system of record can be done
voluntarily upon request from the guaranty agency or mandated by ED if it
determines reconciliation is necessary to meet data quality standards.

In summary, guaranty agency data must meet NSLDS reporting requirements and
quality standards. All data submitted to NSLDS must be as complete and correct as
possible. Guaranty agencies that fail to meet their NSLDS reporting requirements are
subject to the limitation, suspension, and termination regulatory provisions.

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2.1 Data Privacy
NSLDS data is subject to the protections of the Privacy Act of
1974, as amended. Maintaining the security and confidentiality
of the personal data supplied by those applying for and
receiving loans is of paramount concern to NSLDS. Both
NSLDS and its data providers are responsible for preserving
the security of any NSLDS data in their possession.
You must be constantly vigilant in assuring the security of data
being prepared for, sent to, and received from NSLDS. You
must also protect student loan data against intentional or
inadvertent disclosure or destruction. You should label
sensitive materials—such as data, software documentation,
operation manuals, and handbooks—as such and store them
in a secured location. Failure to follow these steps can lead to
personal liability under the Privacy Act.

Privacy of Data
All NSLDS data is
subject to the
protections of the
Privacy Act of 1974, as
amended. Failure to
preserve its
confidentiality can lead
to personal liability
under that act.

2.2 Data Accuracy and Timeliness
In order for NSLDS to meet the needs of its user community, the submittals it receives
from data providers must be timely, complete, and accurate. To help ensure the best
possible data quality, NSLDS monitors submittals in two ways:
1. Submittal Tracking—NSLDS monitors late and missed
submittals on a continuing basis.
2. Error Tracking—NSLDS calculates the percentage of
records in a submittal that contain errors and maintains
a record of all errors until the error condition is
resolved. Error rates are monitored on a regular basis to
ensure data accuracy.

Calculating the Error
Rate:

The error rate is calculated by dividing the number of loan
records containing errors by the total number of open
loans. If a record contains more than one error, the system
still only counts it as a single record with errors when
calculating the error rate. Thus, the total number of errors
will not necessarily equal the number of records with errors.

Example:

Data providers that do not meet NSLDS reporting
requirements will be subject to sanctions enforced by ED.

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The error rate uses the
number of records that
contain errors, not the total
number of errors (there can
be more than one error in a
record).
If there are a total of 25
errors, but those errors
appear in only 19 records
out of 456 open loans on
NSLDS, the calculated
error rate is:
19 / 456 = 4.2%

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The NSLDS Update Process

Chapter 3: The Update Process
The NSLDS update process is comprised of six steps:
1. Data Providers Create the Database Extract File—You
create a copy of your loan portfolio in a format specified by
NSLDS. This copy, called the Database Extract file, includes all
open loans and all loans closed on or after October 1, 1989,
formatted according to the guidelines established in
Appendixes A and C.
2. Data Providers Run Extract Validation and the Delta
Process Using DataPrep—You run the Database Extract file
through the NSLDS DataPrep Extract Validation process to
check for file-level and domain-level errors. If there are filelevel errors (such as an incorrect header or a guaranty
agency code for any record that does not match the header
record guaranty agency code), the process stops, and you
must correct any file-level errors before proceeding.
If the rate of domain-level errors (such as a non-numeric
character in a numeric field, an invalid date, a missing
identifier, or a missing new identifier) is above one of the
specified threshold levels, the process also stops and the
complete Database Extract file is rejected. You must correct
the error(s) before proceeding.

Warning: Your
Responsibility
You are responsible
for submitting data to
NSLDS using the edit
rules, format, and
processing flow
specified by ED.
Caution should be
exercised when using
specifications or
software applications
developed by other
organizations or
vendors. Regardless
of whether third party
software or
procedures are used,
data providers remain
responsible for the
accuracy of their data
and for using
procedures approved
by ED. GAs and third
party guarantor are
responsible for
compliance.

If the rate of domain-level errors is within the prescribed
limits, DataPrep creates a new file called the Validated Extract
file and runs it through the Delta Process, in which it is
compared to the Prior Validated Extract file in order to identify changes. The output
of this process is your Submittal file.

3. Data Providers Create Error Reports—Using the Extract Error file produced by
DataPrep, you create Extract Error reports (both a summary and detail report are
available) and use this information to make all necessary file-level and domain-level
changes to your database. You can also use the Extract Validation Log report to
perform a test of reasonability—a review of the data comparing the current data
with previous submittals to look for the number of records processed and loan
amount totals.

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If you make corrections, you then start again at step 1 by recreating the Database
Extract file, running Extract Validation and the Delta Process, and generating Extract
Error reports.
4. Data Providers Send the Submittal File—Once a Submittal file has been
successfully created (after all file-level errors are corrected and after the number of
domain-level errors is below the specified thresholds), you send it to NSLDS.
5. NSLDS Runs the Load and Update Process—NSLDS receives your Submittal file
and runs file-level edits on it. If the file passes all file-level edits, NSLDS then checks
each loan record for domain-, record-, and load-level errors. Loan records that pass
all edits are matched against records already existing in the NSLDS database.
Depending upon the outcome of that match, NSLDS either creates new student or
loan records, or updates existing records. Loan records that fail one or more edits are
added to the Load Process Error file NSLDS returns to you after loading your data.
6. Data Providers Retrieve Error Files and Run Load Process Error Reports—If your
Submittal file passes all file-level edits and is loaded onto NSLDS, NSLDS sends: A
Load Process Error file containing all the domain, record, and load-level errors
detected during the Load Process. Then use DataPrep to create Load Process Error
reports (both summary and detail reports are available) which will help you make
corrections to your database and resolve data conflicts prior to your next monthly
extract.
If you fail to send NSLDS a Submittal file at the scheduled time or if the file you send
is not loaded because of file-level edits, NSLDS notifies you that your file was not
received or was not loaded. In this case, NSLDS does not send you a Load Process
Error file.
7. Threshold, Error Code and Field Code (TEF) File—contains error codes and
messages. The file must be imported into your Data Prep software every 90 days. The
file is available for downloading at https://ifap.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools. The
TEF is periodically updated to add any new error codes or error messages to assist in
record and load-level error resolution.

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Viewed as a linear sequence, the six-step update process looks like this:

STEP 1

Data Providers create a Database Extract File
from their own databases, using their own
software and ensuring that it meets NSLDS
system requirements.

STEP 2

Data Providers run the Extract Validation
Process against their Database Extract File using
DataPrep software.

STEP 3

Data Providers perform Extract Error Report
Generation.

Fix database(s) and/or
Extract Validation process to
correct file-level and
domain-level errors. Re-run
steps 1-3.

Use information to correct
database(s) and/or Extract
Validation Process

Extract Error
Reports

STEP 4

Data Providers send Submittal File to NSLDS.

STEP 5

NSLDS runs Load and Update process against
Data Providers’ Submittal Files, updates NSLDS
database, and creates error files for Data
Providers.

STEP 6

Data Providers retrieve error and TEF files from
NSLDS and generate Load Process Error Reports
to correct record level errors in their database.

Note: On regular intervals (roughly every 90 days), NSLDS posts the
TEF files for Data Providers, and the Data Prep software, to
FSADownload.

Figure 3–1, Data Provider Six-Step Process
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Viewed as an ongoing or cyclical process, the update process can also be illustrated in
the following way, with the shaded boxes representing guaranty agency responsibility
and the darkened boxes representing operations handled by DataPrep.
GA Database
Update
Procedures

Database
Extract File

Database Extract
Procedure

Existing GA
Database(s)

Extract
Validation
Procedure

Extract
Validation Log
File

Extract
Validation
Error File

Validated
Extract File

Detail Error
Report Procedure

Summary Error
Report Procedure

Extract
Validation Detail
Error Report

Extract
Validation
Summary Error
Report

Threshold,
Error Code,
and Field Code
(TEF) File

Delta
Processing

Submittal
File

Delta
Processing
Log File

Loan Detail
Report Procedure

NSLDS Load Process

Load
Processing
Error File

Detail Error
Report Procedure

Prior Validated
Extract File

NSLDS Loan
Detail File

Summary Error
Report Procedure

Extract Loan
Detail Report

Submittal Loan
Detail Report

Loan Detail
Report Procedure
NSLDS Responsibility

Load Processing
Detail Error
Report

Load Processing
Summary Error
Report

NSLDS Loan
Detail Report

DataPrep Responsibility
GA Responsibility

NSL-1060

Figure 3–2, Processing Flow for Guaranty Agency Updates to NSLDS

3.1 Files Used in the NSLDS Update Process
The following files are created or updated in the update process:

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•

•

Database Extract File (extract.ff)—This is the
formatted Database Extract file you create from your
loan database. It includes Header and Detail records and
can include Past Period Change records to correct data
stored as history in the NSLDS database. This file is the
input to the Extract Validation process.
Validated Extract File (valextr.ff)—This is the output
of the Extract Validation process and one of the inputs
to the Delta Process. DataPrep creates this file if there
are no file-level errors in the Database Extract file and
the rate of domain-level errors is below acceptable
threshold levels.

The NSLDS Update Process

File Names
You can determine the
naming conventions for
files used and created
exclusively at your own
site. But Windows users
cannot alter the names
used by DataPrep;
otherwise, the program
will not work properly.
We strongly recommend
that mainframe users use
the suggested file names
provided by DataPrep
and used in the sample
Job Control Language
(JCL) in Appendix G.

•

Prior Validated Extract File (priorextr.ff)—This is your
Validated Extract file from the previous month, against
which the Delta Process compares your current
Validated Extract file to identify changed loan data for
reporting to NSLDS.

•

Submittal File (submit.ff)—This file is created by the Delta Process. It contains all
current records that have changes, forced records and all Past Period Change
records. You submit this file to NSLDS, where it becomes input to the Load Process.
This file can contain four record types: Header, Detail, Past Period Change, and
Trailer. The Trailer record is added by DataPrep.

•

Extract Error File (extrerr.ff)—This file is an output from the Extract Validation
process. It contains an error record for each domain error listing the field in which
the error occurred, the value and description of the error. The contents of this file
can either be viewed on-screen or printed.

•

Load Process Error File (loaderr.ff)—This file is an output of the load process. It
contains an error record for each domain, record and load level error that failed
NSLDS edits. It identifies errors detected during the Load process and also contains
header and trailer records. The contents of this file can either be viewed on-screen
or printed.

•

Threshold, Error Code, and Field Code (TEF) File (TEF.ff)—This file contains
software parameters for Load Process Error processing and error field names and
messages for the processing of the Load Process Error file.

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Figure 3–3 shows the edit process, some of the problems that arise during that process,
and possible solutions.
Edit Process

Problem

Solution

File-Level Edits

DataPrep
Extract
Validation
Process

Extract Validation
Aborted

Domain-Level Edits

Threshold Failure

1. Incorrect Header
2. GA Code does
not match Header

Correct database
and/or extract process
and rerun Extract
Validation

1. Numeric Field Error
2. Invalid Date
3. Missing Identifier
4. Missing New Identifier

Correct database
and/or extract process
and rerun Extract
Validation

1. Numeric Field Error
2. Invalid Date
3. Missing Identifier
4. Missing New Identifier
5. Reasonability Error
6. Duplicate Record

Correct database and/or
extract process
before next submittal

1. Date Sequence Error
2. Identifier Conflict

1. Submit PPC record
2. Resolve with other
data provider
3. Correct database or
extract process

Domain and
Record-Level Edits

NSLDS
Load
Process

Record Rejected

Load-Level Edits

Record Not
Loaded/Updated

NSLDS Updated

3. Invalid Codes

NSL-1061

Figure 3–3, NSLDS Edit Process

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3.2 Highlights of Guaranty Agency DataPrep Version 4.0
The DataPrep software was modified for Version 4.0. National Student Loan Data
System (NSLDS) Guaranty Agency DataPrep (GA DataPrep), Version 4.0, is software
designed for Windows 2000 or newer to assist GAs in reporting Federal Family
Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans to NSLDS. GAs participating in the FFELP are
required to report detailed loan information to NSLDS at least a monthly basis.
The software allows a GA data provider to:
1. Validate Extract File-GA DataPrep examines their Database Extract file verifying that
its format is acceptable. Data Prep checks for proper header records, 640-byte record
lengths, and matching GA codes.
2. Edit Extract File-GA DataPrep checks the Extract file for errors using the NSLDS Data
Prep Extract Validation function. If the number of errors is within the prescribed
limits, GA Data Prep creates a new file called the Submittal file.
3. Perform Delta Processing-GA Data Prep determines which loans have changed
between the current and previous extract files. Only records with changes are
included in the Submittal file.
4. Create Submittal File-The Submittal file contains new loans, changes to existing
loans, and loans being forced through to NSLDS. The Submittal file is transmitted to
NSLDS via SAIG.
5. Generate Error Reports-GA Data Prep analyzes errors received by NSLDS. The two
load-processing error reports, Summary and Detail, list the errors identified while
processing Submittal files.
6. A Thresholds, Error Codes, and Field Codes File (TEF file) (tef.ff) has been added to
the Data Prep process. The TEF file is used by Data Prep software during the Extract
Validation process and in various report creation programs that contain threshold
standards, field codes and messages, error codes and messages, and Loan Status
codes and their status (i.e., open or closed). The file is updated as changes occur, but
not less often then every 90 days. The TEF file is available for download from
https://ifap.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools.
Software Enhancement- GA Data Prep has been enhanced to process and display the
following fields in the Load Process Detail Error Report:
– Code for Current Holder Lender
– Code for Servicer
– Conflict Value
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–

The NSLDS Update Process

Date of Loan Status
Supplemental Error Data

NSLDS added these fields to the Load Process Error Data File to help GA’s resolve errors.

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System Requirements

Chapter 4: System Requirements
This manual is written for guaranty agencies that use the ED-provided DataPrep
software to prepare data for submittal to NSLDS from either a mainframe (Z/OS LE
Version 3.1 or higher) batch environment or a Windows-based personal computer (PC).
Agencies that use other platforms or who want to develop
their own software should contact ED for more information.
Software developed by data providers must meet the
standards established in this manual.
To run the DataPrep software and submit your data, the
minimum system requirements are either:

Z/OS LE Runtime
Library

If you’re running in the
Z/OS LE environment,
your LE Runtime
Library must be in
your standard system
program library
concatenation.

•

An IBM or IBM-compatible mainframe running the Z/OS LE
Version 3.1 or higher operating system and an appropriate
sort utility, or

•

An IBM-compatible personal computer with at least a 200
MHz Pentium processor; 64 MB of available memory; 8 MB
of hard disk space to store the program and data files, with additional hard disk
space to store data files and backups. For optimal viewing of reports, you may have
to set your monitor’s resolution to 1024 x 768 pixels. The new version of GA
DataPrep is fully compatible with Windows 2000 and newer.

4.1 Estimating Required Disk Space
You will need approximately 8 MB of disk space to store the DataPrep software and its
associated test data files. This is the minimum disk space required and does not include
storage space for your data files. You should also allow enough space in which to sort
data files.
Estimate your space requirements by adding the following:
Database Extract files

N * 640 bytes * Y

Submittal Files

[(N * 640 bytes) + (PPC * 640 bytes)] * Y

Extract Error Files

X * 640 bytes * Y

Extract Error Reports

X * 132 bytes * Z * 1.1

Load Process Error Files

X * 640 bytes * Y

Load Process Error Reports

X * 132 bytes * Z * 1.1

Threshold Error File

32,000 bytes

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Loan Detail File

N * 640 bytes * Y

Loan Detail Reports

N * 132 bytes * Z * 1.1

(Equals)

_____ bytes of space required

System Requirements

Where:
N

Number of records extracted from your database.

Estimated number of errors.

PPC

Estimated number of Past Period Change (PPC) records.

Number of Backup files created and stored.

Number of Reports Created.

All the mainframe examples in this document assume use of a Direct Access Storage
Device (DASD).

4.2 Setting Up Communications Links with NSLDS
Guaranty Agencies can access NSLDS through the Student Aid
Internet Gateway (SAIG) using EDConnect software. Agencies
that do are assigned a mailbox, which they use to request and
retrieve data from NSLDS.
The SAIG Customer Support Center is responsible for setting
up new user accounts on the SAIG. You can obtain enrollment
information at https://fsawebenroll.ed.gov, or by calling (800)
330-5947.

4.3 Obtaining a Submittal Schedule

Enough Disk Space?
Database Extract files
can be quite large. So it is
very important that you
evaluate whether your
computer has enough
disk space to store both
the DataPrep software
and the data files it
processes.

NSLDS no longer assigns submittal schedules. Your
organization can submit at any time during the month, but is expected to submit at
regular intervals. These intervals are indicated by the submittal frequency selected on
the NSLDS website by selecting the Data Provider Schedule link on the Organization
page. The submittal frequency intervals available are:
•

Monthly – Guaranty Agency will provide loan submittals once per month
(examples: the 6th of each month or the 1st Sunday of every month).

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•

•

System Requirements

Semi-Monthly- Guaranty Agency will provide loan submittals two times per
month (examples: every 10th and 25th of each month or the 1st Tuesday and 3rd
Tuesday of every month).
Bi-Weekly- Guaranty Agency will provide loan submittals once every two weeks
(example: every other Friday).
Weekly- Guaranty Agency will provide loan submittals once a week (example:
every Monday).
Every Weekday- Guaranty Agency will provide loan submittals every work day
(example: every day, Monday through Friday)
Every Day-Guaranty Agency will provide loan submittals every day (7 days/week).

The submittal frequency can only be selected and/or
modified by the NSLDS user associated with the TG mailbox
number for the GA Loan Data Batch Service. Any user from
your organization can check the frequency at any time by
selecting the Data Provider Schedule link on the
Organization page of the NSLDS website
(https://nsldsfap.ed.gov).
For more information, or discuss the frequency options,
contact the NSLDS Customer Support Center (CSC) at (800)
999–8219.

Signing Up for NSLDS
To sign up for NSLDS
you must use the SAIG
Enrollment Document.
For more information,
phone the SAIG
Customer Support
Center at (800) 3305947.

4.4 Initial Population
The first-time transfer of information from a guaranty agency or other data provider to
NSLDS is called the initial population. In addition to current loan data, the initial
population also includes data for loans that are closed. See Appendix A for detailed
information about what data to include in an initial population Database Extract file.
Except for the addition of closed loan data and a slight difference in data reporting
requirements, the process for an initial population submittal is the same as the one you
follow for subsequent updates.

4.5 File Protection and Backups
Files are subject to corruption, especially during transmission. Therefore, we recommend
that you keep backups of at least your last two Database Extract files and Submittal files
in case errors occur during transmission of the Submittal file or during the Load process.

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System Requirements

While we recommend a minimum of two generations, the sample JCL for Z/OS LE
Version 2.4 or higher environments provided in Appendix G allows for four generations
of backups. Mainframe operators who use the sample JCL provided in Appendix G will
find that a backup of the Submittal file, named NSLDS.SUBMIT.BKUP, is created
automatically by the software.

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Chapter 5: Installation, Utilities, and Testing
After you have made sure that you meet the system requirements for DataPrep you are
ready to install DataPrep, set up its utilities, and run test files designed both to test
whether you have installed DataPrep properly and to familiarize you with how DataPrep
works.

5.1 Installation
5.1.1 Installing DataPrep on a Windows-Based PC
NSLDS Guaranty Agency DataPrep, Version 4.0 (GA DataPrep) has been released. This
version incorporates the following updates:
•

Downloading—Beginning with this version, GA DataPrep is available at
https://ifap.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools. This method replaces the
distribution of the GA DataPrep on CD-ROM.

•

Operating System—GA DataPrep, Version 4.0, is fully compatible with Windows
2000 or newer operating systems.
(This new version of GA DataPrep is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows
98, or Windows NT. If you are using Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT,
you can only use the previous version of GA DataPrep and cannot take advantage
of the enhancement to GA DataPrep as listed below.)

•

Software Enhancement—GA DataPrep has been enhanced to process and display
the following fields in the Load Process Detail Error Report:
−

Code for Current Holder Lender

−

Code for Servicer

−

Conflict Value

−

Date of Loan Status

−

Supplemental Error Data

NSLDS added these fields to the Load Process Error Data File to help GAs resolve errors.
You can download the new GA DataPrep software at https://ifap.ed.gov/software-andother-tools. On the GA DataPrep download page, in the Documentation area, you can
click either the Cover Letter or the Installation link to read step-by-step instructions on
how to download GA DataPrep.

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During the setup procedure, you must specify where the DataPrep system files are
installed. We strongly recommend that you use the default path C:\DataPrep-GA.
When starting PC DataPrep for the first time, the Directories dialog box (Figure 5–1)
appears, prompting you to select where DataPrep’s work files are located. DataPrep
supplies default directory paths, but you can change them
as needed. It is essential that you supply the paths to where
your data files are in fact located, or DataPrep will be unable
to find your data. You must also specify the correct
directory paths if you submit your data to NSLDS via SAIG.
When you are satisfied with the directory paths listed in the
Directories dialog box, click OK.

Figure 5–1, Directories Dialog Box
If you have named a path that does not currently exist,
DataPrep will ask you if you want to create it.

Directories

These are the folders
where DataPrep working
files are stored:

•

Temp—the location
of your temporary
sort data files (*.tmp)

•

Extract—the location
of your Database
Extract file (extract.ff)

•

Current—the location
of the TEF file
(TEF.ff), system files
used to select and
sort data for reports,
and DataPrep output
files (*.ff)

•

Backup—the location
of your backup file
folders

•

Loan—the location of
the Loan Detail file
obtained by special
arrangement
(loandtl.ff)

Click Yes to do so. If you do not create a separate Loan folder, DataPrep will select your
Current folder as the default destination when you use the File Transfer utility to move
(or copy) a Loan Detail file into DataPrep.

5.1.2 Installing DataPrep on an z/OS LE Version 3.1 or Higher
Mainframe

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To install DataPrep on your mainframe, you must first install the Installation JCL that
appears in Step 1 of Appendix G. This Installation JCL is not included on the tape that
contains the rest of DataPrep for z/OS LE version 3.1 or higher so you must create your
own copy. Your site will probably have a JCL file for
executing IEBCOPY that closely resembles the
Installation JCL. To create the Installation JCL, make a
copy of the IEBCOPY JCL and modify it so it contains
z/OS LE, Version 3.1 or
the same file names as the Installation JCL in Step 1 of
Higher
Appendix G.
In order for DataPrep to
work on your mainframe,

Run the Installation JCL once to unload Unload JCL that
you must be running z/OS
appears in Step 2 of Appendix G from the DataPrep
LE, Version 3.1 or higher.
tape. Then run the Unload JCL once to unload and
install the actual libraries and software that will allow
you to run DataPrep. If you need to run the Unload JCL again to reinstall DataPrep, be
aware that step PSTEP005 will delete all data sets previously created.

Note that by installing DataPrep JCL for z/OS LE version 3.1 or higher, you will be
creating data set names on your system. The second and last node in all data set names
created by DataPrep contain identifying information (Version Release Date) meant to
track which release of DataPrep you are using. We strongly recommend that you
retain this naming convention.
The Unload JCL can be referenced from the library created by the Installation JCL with
CUTTAPE as part of the name. The library member name is UNLOAD.

5.2 Options and Utilities
5.2.1 Changing Directory Paths
If at some time after installation you decide to change the directory path for any of
DataPrep’s working files, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Options and then Directories.

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Directories and
Folders

Figure 5–2, DataPrep Main Menu with Directories Selected on the
Options Menu
2. The Directories dialog box appears.

The terms “directory”
and “folder” refer to the
same object but viewed
from different
perspectives. Both refer
to a place where files
are stored. That place is
a directory when it is
viewed from the point of
view of a computer or
network’s total file
structure. The directory
path is the route a
program takes through
that file structure to find
an individual file. A
folder is the visual
representation of the
directory as an
individual icon, such as
a desktop shortcut or
within My Computer or
Windows Explorer.

Figure 5–3, Directories Dialog Box
3. Select new directory paths in one of two ways:
A. Type the new path into the text box.
B. Press the Browse button to the right of the text box and use the Select File
Directory dialog box that appears to select the new path.
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4. Click OK to save your changes.
Note, however, that if you change the directory path for your Current folder, you must
use Windows Explorer or My Computer to copy the
following files from your old Current folder to your new
Current folder:
•

TEF.ff

•

ERRDTL.sel

•

ERRDTL.srt

•

ERRDTL.var

•

LOANDTL.sel

•

LOANDTL.srt

•

LOANDTL.var

Initial Run Requires
Full Submittal
Be sure to select the
Full Submittal option
when creating your first
Submittal file with the
new DataPrep software.

If you fail to copy these files to your new Current folder, DataPrep will be unable to sort
your detailed Extract Error report or Load Process Error report.
In addition, you may wish to copy any additional files that you wish to retain.

5.2.2 Delta Process Options
DataPrep offers you three Delta Process options. Two are
marked Persistent, which means that they stay in effect until
you change them. One is marked This Run Only, as it is
automatically deselected after you run the Delta Process.
The two persistent options are:
•

Keep Validated Extract File—If you select this option,
DataPrep saves a copy of the Validated Extract file
produced by Extract Validation in the Current folder
when the Delta Process is complete. If you deselect this
option, DataPrep deletes the Validated Extract file when
the Delta Process is complete.

•

Back up Prior Extract to Directory—If you select this
option, DataPrep saves a copy of the old Prior Validated
Extract file to the Backup, Current, or Extract folder when
the Delta Process is complete. It also creates a new Prior
Validated Extract file from the Validated Extract file and
saves it to the Current folder. If you deselect this option,
DataPrep creates a new Prior Validated Extract file as

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Copy Your Sort Files
If you use the
Directories dialog box to
change the directory
path for your Current
folder after you have
installed DataPrep, you
must be sure to copy
the files containing sort
parameters from your
old Current directory to
your new Current
directory. Those files
have names that end
with the following
suffixes:

•
•
•

.sel
.srt
.var

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part of the Delta Process and saves it to the Current folder, where it overwrites the
old Prior Validated Extract file.
Selecting both options means that you can re-run the Delta Process without first rerunning Extract Validation. On the other hand, deselecting both options will save some
space on your hard drive.
The option marked This Run Only is:
•

Create Full Submittal File—If you select this option, the Delta Process will produce
a Submittal file containing all the loans you report on, not just the ones that have
changed since the previous month. Be sure to select this option before creating your
first Submittal file with DataPrep. After that, do not select this option, as you should
only submit changed load data from month to month.

To set Delta Process options, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Options and then Delta Processing.

Figure 5–4, DataPrep Main Menu with Delta Processing Selected on the Options Menu
2. The Delta Processing Options dialog box appears.

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Figure 5–5, Delta Processing Options Dialog Box
3. Select the options you want and click OK.

5.2.3 File Transfer
DataPrep’s File Transfer utility allows you to import or export
specific files associated with DataPrep and the NSLDS update
process. You can import the following files sent to you by
NSLDS:
•

Threshold, Error Code and Field Code File

•

Load Process Error File

•

Loan Detail File

Message Class
Input and Output
Files
Regardless of what
file name you insert
in the input screen,
DataPrep will change
the output name so
DataPrep can
recognize the file.

When you import a file, the File Transfer utility copies (or moves) it to the folder defined
in the directories setup for files of that type and renames it so DataPrep will recognize it.
You can also use the File Transfer utility to export a Submittal file created by DataPrep
to a folder from which it can be sent to NSLDS. For detailed instructions, see Section
8.1.4.
To import a file using the File Transfer utility, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click File Transfer. The File Transfer dialog box
appears.

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Figure 5–6, Initial File Transfer Dialog Box for File Import
2. Select the Action you want to perform. DataPrep displays the default directory path
for files of that type as the DataPrep File Output (Figure 5-6). You cannot change this
default path. However, if you are importing an NSLDS Loan Detail file (Section
10.3.1), DataPrep does give you the option of assigning it a version name.
3. Press the Browse button to the right of the NSLDS File Input box to display the Open
dialog box. It will display with the File of type option at the bottom of the dialog box
set to the kind of file you seek.
For example, the first time you select Import Threshold, Error Code and Field Code
File as an action and click Browse, you should see a dialog box similar to the one in
Figure 5–7. Notice that the File of type option is automatically set to Received TEF
File (teffilop.*).

Browsing for Files
When you browse for files, make sure that the Files of type box is set to the file type you
seek or to All Files (*.*).

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Figure 5–7, Initial Select NSLDS File Dialog Box for TEF File
4. Use the Look in option at the top of the dialog box to locate the folder that contains
the NSLDS file you want to import. You can select any folder you have access to on
your computer or network.

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Figure 5–8, Final Select NSLDS File Dialog Box for TEF File
5. Select the file you want to import. Whatever file you select will be displayed as the
default NSLDS File Input option the next time you import the same type of file. Click
Open to return to the File Transfer dialog box.

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Figure 5–9, Final File Transfer Dialog Box for File Import
6. Clicking on the blue information “i” icon to the right of the Browse buttons for the
NSLDS File Input and DataPrep File Output boxes displays a File Information dialog
box you can use to check that you are transferring the right file and that is it more
recent than any file it might replace.

Copy or Move
When you use
DataPrep’s File Transfer
utility to copy a file,
DataPrep copies and
pastes the file to a new
location. When you use it
to move a file, DataPrep
cuts and pastes the file to
a new location.

7. If you displayed the File Information dialog box, click Exit to return to the File
Transfer dialog box.

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8. Check that the directory paths in both the NSLDS File Input and DataPrep File
Output boxes are correct and click Copy or Move. If a file of the type you are
transferring already exists in the destination folder, a message similar to the
following displays:

9. Click Yes to continue. If the copy or move is successful, DataPrep displays a message
similar to the following:

5.2.4 Help System
The PC version of DataPrep contains a full-featured Help system covering these topics:
•

All the menus, commands, and buttons on the DataPrep Main Menu

•

The input files, output files, controls, and processing options associated with each
DataPrep dialog box

•

Built-in shortcut keys available in DataPrep

The Help system documents all DataPrep’s functions and includes material not
contained in this manual. It is your best source for detailed information about specific
DataPrep functions.

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5.3 Running Test Files
Included in both the Windows-based and mainframe installation
software are test files to help verify that you have installed the
software correctly, and to illustrate how DataPrep works.
For Windows-based DataPrep, TEF and test files are available for
download from https://ifap.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools:
•

Two Database Extract files (extract-fail.ff and extractpass.ff)

•

A Prior Extract file (priorextr.ff)

•

A Threshold, Error Code, and Field Code (TEF) file (TEF.ff)

•

A Load Process Error file (loaderr.ff).

File Locations
Here, and throughout this
manual, instructions for
copying or moving files
presuppose that you
installed DataPrep’s work
folders in the following
default locations:

•

Samples Folder**—
C:\DataPrepGA\Samples

•

Backup Folder—
C:\DataPrep-GA\Backup

•

Current Folder—
C:\DataPrep-GA\Current

•

Extract Folder—
C:\DataPrep-GA\Extract

•

Loan Folder—
C:\DataPrep-GA\Loan

If you chose different folder
locations during installation
or moved these folders after
installation, you will need to
adjust accordingly as you
copy files, then test and use
DataPrep.
**folders manually created
and maintained using
Windows Explorer or My
Computer.

Figure 5–10, Test files are manually copied into in a directory of
your choice (e.g. C:\DataPrep-GA\Samples)
For mainframes, the Running Test Files JCL is in Appendix G; it was unloaded when you
installed DataPrep.

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5.3.1 Successful Extract Validation
Extract Validation
First, test Extract Validation using the sample Database Extract file. To test Extract
Validation on DataPrep for Windows, follow these steps:
1. Use Windows Explorer or My Computer to copy the good Database Extract file
(extract-pass.ff) from the Samples folder to the Extract folder (C:\DataPrepGA\Extract) and rename it extract.ff. DataPrep will only validate files called extract.ff.

Figure 5–11, View of C:\DataPrep-GA Folder with subfolders in Windows Explorer
2. Copy the Prior Extract file (priorextr.ff) from the Samples folder to the Current
folder.
3. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Extract Validation.

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Figure 5–12, DataPrep Main Menu with Extract Validation Selected
4. The Extract Validation dialog box appears.

Figure 5–13, Extract Validation Dialog Box

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5. Check that the Input directory paths point to the folders where the Extract and TEF
files are located and click Run. The Extract Validation Process dialog box displays the
Extract Validation Log Report containing a message telling you that Extract
Validation was completed successfully.

Figure 5–14, Extract Validation Process Dialog Box
If you get any other message, or if Extract Validation did not run, check the following:
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•

When you copied the file originally called extract-pass.ff to the Extract folder, you
renamed it extract.ff.

•

There was a valid TEF file in your Current folder.

•

The Extract Validation dialog box showed the correct directory path for the extract.ff
file.

If you get a message that the Database Extract file was processed successfully, click
Close to return to the DataPrep Main Menu.
Extract Validation Log Report
If you wish to redisplay or print the test Extract Validation Log report, do the following:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Log Report. The Log Report dialog box appears.

Figure 5–15, Log Report Dialog Box
2. Select the Extract Validation Log file (C:\DataPrep-GA\Current\extrlog.ff) in the
Log Files list by clicking on it, and then click View. DataPrep’s report print preview
window displays the Extract Validation Log report.

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Figure 5–16, Extract Validation Log Report
When the Log report displays successfully, click Exit twice to return to the DataPrep
Main Menu.
Extract Error Report
You are now ready to produce test Extract Error reports. To do so, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Error Report. The Error Report dialog box
appears.

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Figure 5–17, Error Report Dialog Box
2. Select Extract Validation as the Error Source.
3. Select Summary as the Report Type.
4. Select the error file listed in the Error Files box
(C:\DataPrep-GA\Current\extrerr.ff).
5. Click Generate. The Generate Summary Error Rpt
dialog box displays a message saying, “The Error
Summary Report has been successfully generated.

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Selecting Files for
Reports
In order for DataPrep to
create an Extract Error
report (or any other
report), you must select
the individual file from
which you want to create
the report. Select a file
from the Error Files list
by clicking on it. Files
that have been selected
will appear highlighted on
your monitor screen.

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6. Click View. The software report print preview window displays the Summary Extract
Error report.

Figure 5–18, Summary Extract Error Report
If this report appears, you have successfully generated the Extract Validation Summary
Error Report.
To create an Extract Validation Detail Report, follow the same steps as outlined above
changing the select in Step 3 to Detail.
Now that you have verified that you installed DataPrep successfully, and have created
Extract Error Reports and an Extract Error report, you should strengthen your familiarity
with DataPrep by returning to the DataPrep Main Menu and running error reports using
different sort criteria and view in the report print preview window. Then look over the
reports to get a good idea of what they are like. You can also check Chapters 10–12 for
more information about reports.

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The Delta Process
After Extract Validation, you must run the Delta Process.
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, select Extract Validation. The Extract Validation
dialog box displays.

Figure 5–19, Extract Validation Dialog Box
2. Select Delta Only as the Process Option.
3. Check that the Input directory paths point to the folders containing the Validated
Extract and Prior Validated Extract files (valextr.ff and priorextr.ff) and click Run.
The Delta Process dialog box first displays the status of the Delta Process and then
displays a message informing you whether the Delta Process was successful.

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Figure 5–20, Delta Process Dialog Box
If you did not get this message, close the screen, which should take you back to the
Extract Validation dialog box, and check to see that you used the correct file. Before you
rerun the Delta Process, you may have to rerun Extract Validation to create the Validated
Extract file required for the Delta Process.
Extract Loan Detail Report
The Extract Loan Detail report allows you to view the entire contents of your Database
Extract file as a formatted report.
To create a test Extract Loan Detail report, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Loan Detail Report.

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Figure 5–21, DataPrep Main Menu with Loan Detail Report Selected
2. The Loan Detail Report dialog box displays.

Figure 5–22, Loan Detail Report Dialog Box
3. Select Extract Loan Detail as the Source. The Detail Files box displays all the files in
the Extract folder.
4. Select the good Database Extract file (it should be named extract.ff)
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5. Select any selection criteria and sort parameters you want.
6. Click Generate. The Generate Loan Detail Report dialog box displays a message
informing you whether the Extract Loan Detail report was generated successfully.

7. Click View to display the report in your default report print preview window.

Figure 5–23, Extract Loan Detail Report

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There is also a Submittal Loan Detail report that you can create by selecting Submittal
Loan Detail rather than Extract Loan Detail as the Source option on the Loan Detail
Report dialog box. The Submittal Loan Detail report allows you to view the entire
contents of your Submittal file as a formatted report.

Figure 5–24, Submittal Loan Detail Report

5.3.2 Unsuccessful Validation
Now you are ready to run the second test and see what happens when a Database
Extract file contains too many errors. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Rename the extract.ff file in the Extract folder extract-pass.ff.
2. Copy the file named extract-fail.ff from the Samples folder (C:\DataPrepGA\Samples) to the Extract folder and rename it extract.ff.

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Figure 5–25, Extract Folder
3. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Extract Validation. The Extract Validation dialog
box appears.

Figure 5–26, Extract Validation Dialog Box

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4. Check that the Input directory paths point to the folders where the Extract and TEF
files are located and click Run. The Extract Validation Process dialog box displays the
Extract Validation Log Report containing a message informing you, “The percentage
of domain errors exceeds the allowable tolerances. Therefore, no Validated Extract
file was created” (Figure 5–27).

Figure 5–27, Extract Validation Unsuccessful
If this message appears, return to the DataPrep Main Menu and run the Extract Error
reports using the directions in the previous subsection. You may also want to print the
Extract Validation Log Report as explained in a previous subsection.
If you want to know more about reports, use the instructions in Chapter 10 to create
detailed Extract Error reports with different sort criteria, then view them in the print
preview window available in DataPrep (Section 5.2.3).

5.3.3 Load Process Error Report
Now you are ready to create a sample Load Process Error
report. Before you can do so, you must import the sample
Load Process Error file into the Current folder.
You could use Windows Explorer or My Computer to copy
these files, but instead we will use DataPrep’s File Transfer
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Mainframe Testing
For testing the Load
Process Error Report
function for mainframes,
refer to Appendix G.

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utility as a way of introducing you to that useful capability.
Import the Load Process Error File and TEF File
To import the Load Process Error file, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click File Transfer. The File Transfer dialog box
appears.
2. Select Import Load Processing Error File as the Action. DataPrep will change the
default DataPrep File Output to C:\DataPrep-GA\Current\loaderr.ff (Figure 5–28).

Browsing for Files
When you browse
for files, make sure
that the Files of
type box is set to
the file type you
seek or to All Files
(*.*).

Figure 5–28, Initial File Transfer Dialog Box for Load Process Error
File
3. Press the Browse button to the right of the NSLDS File Input box to display the Select
NSLDS File dialog box.
4. Set the Look in option to the Samples folder (C:\DataPrep-GA\Samples) and the Files
of type option to Load Process Error Files (loaderr.*.*) or to All Files (*.*).

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Figure 5–29, Select NSLDS File Dialog Box for Load Process Error File
5. Select the Load Process Error file (loaderr.ff) and click Open to return to the File
Transfer dialog box.
6. Check that the directory path in the DataPrep File Output box appears as it does in
Figure 5–30 and click Copy.

Figure 5–30, Final File Transfer Dialog Box for Load Process Error File
7. If the copy is successful, DataPrep displays the following message:
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If you have successfully tested Extract Validation, there is already a TEF file in your
Current folder (C:\DataPrep-GA\Current). If there is not one there, you should use
DataPrep’s File Transfer utility to copy it there from the Samples folder now.
Create the Load Process Error Report
After you’ve successfully imported the Load Process Error file and (if necessary) the TEF
file, you are ready to create a Load Process Error report. To do so, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Error Report. The
Error Report dialog box appears.
Creating Reports
Creating reports is a
three step process:
1. Copy the file
containing data for the
report into the Current
folder (C:\DataPrepGA\Current).
2. Generate the report.
3. View the report.

Figure 5–31, Error Report Dialog Box for Load Process Error Report
2. Select the Error Source, Report Type, Selection Criteria, and Sort Sequence options
shown in Figure 5–31.
3. Highlight the Load Process Error file (C:\DataPrep-GA\Current\ loaderr.ff).
4. Click Generate. The Summary Error Report dialog box displays a message saying,
“The Error Summary Report has been generated.”

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Delete All Sample Files

Figure 5–32, Summary Error Report
5. Click View. Your default report print preview window displays
the Load Process Error report.

Once you are finished
testing DataPrep, you
should delete from
DataPrep’s data folders
(C:\DataPrep-GA and its
folders) all the sample
files you used and
reports you created
during testing. That way,
you won’t confuse them
with real data once you
begin processing your
Database Extract file.
Do not delete the TEF
File nor the sort and
selection files with a *.xrt,
*.xel, and *.var type.
Leave the TEF file
(TEF.ff) as well as the
sort and selection files in
the Current folder
(C:\DataPrepGA\Current) because you
will need them to process
your first live Submittal
file. The most recent
version of the TEF.FF file
is available from
https://ifap.ed.gov/softwa
re-and-other-tools.
And Remember

Figure 5–33, Summary Load Process Error Report
After looking over the report, try to create other Load Process
Error reports, including detail reports with different sort options.
Refer to Section 10.2 for more information about generating
error reports.

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You may need the
sample files for later
testing or diagnostic
purposes, so make sure
that you have copies of
them in the Samples
folder (C:\DataPrepGA\Samples). If
necessary, copy sample
files back from the data
folders to the Samples

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Copying Test Files
Before you test DataPrep, you must copy two files from the Samples folder (C:\DataPrep-GA\
Samples) to the Extract folder (C:\DataPrep-GA\Extract):
1. A file that should pass Extract Validation (extract-pass.ff)
2. A file that should fail Extract Validation (extract-fail.ff)
You must also copy one file from the Samples folder to the Current folder:
1. A Prior Extract file (priorextr.ff)
Be sure to copy (copy and paste) these files rather than move (cut and paste) them from one
folder to the other, so backup copies remain in the Samples folder if you need them later.
Use Windows Explorer or My Computer to copy these files. For more information about copying
or renaming files, refer to the Help for Windows.

5.4 Sample Files z/OS LE Version
The JCL for mainframes (IBM or fully compatible CPU)
running z/OS LE Version 3.1 or higher executes Extract
Validation, the Delta Process, and error file generation.
Appendix G contains the JCL for these functions. It can be
referenced from the library created with JCLLIB as part of the
name. The library member name is PRBD1000.
The JCL references a sample Database Extract file containing
50 student/loan records of which 2 are in error. This should
be reported in the Extract Validation Log report, the Detail
Extract Error Report, and the Summary Extract Error Report.

Problems?
If you have any problems
with installation or testing,
call the CSC at 800-9998219 between the hours of
8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern
Time, Monday through
Friday excluding Federal
holidays.

A second sample Database Extract file contains 50 student/loan records. Nineteen are in
error, and which causes the file to exceed the ED established error threshold levels.
When you run this sample file, no Validated Extract File is created. To use the second
sample, you must change the JCL to reference the sample extract containing DBEXTERR
as part of the name.
The JCL also references a sample Load Process Error file containing 11 student/loan
records. This should be reported in the summary and detail Extract Error reports.

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The Database Extract File

Chapter 6: The Database Extract File
The first step in the NSLDS update process is for you to
create a Database Extract file that accurately reflects the
contents of your guaranty agency’s database(s) at the time
of the extract. The Database Extract file you create must
follow the standards defined in this chapter and the record
layouts in the Guaranty Agency Data Dictionary (Appendix
A). Remember that the Database Extract file must be named
extract.ff for DataPrep to work properly.
DataPrep does not create a Database Extract file, so you are
responsible for determining how to create the file from your
guaranty agency’s records or database(s). The Database
Extract file you create is subject to audit by ED.

6.1 Business Rules

GA Requirements
You must create a
Database Extract file that
conforms to the detailed
specifications in
Appendix A at least once
a month, or based on the
GA’s loan reporting
frequency, no more than
fourteen days prior to the
load date scheduled by
NSLDS. The file must be
an exact reflection of
your database and
should not be edited or
changed. The Database
Extract file is fully
auditable, field by field, to
your database.

As a data provider, you must observe these rules:
•

Report all FFELP loans there were open or closed on or
after October 1, 1989. Do not report loans that were
closed before October 1, 1989. An edit will reject any
loan closed before October 1, 1989; you can prevent
unnecessary rejects by not extracting such loans.

•

Report new loans or updates to existing loans at least
monthly, or based on the reporting frequency
established by the GA which could be more often than
monthly.

•

Report on all the loans in your portfolio, from the time a
loan is guaranteed until:

Initial Population
If you are a data provider
submitting data to
NSLDS for the first time,
that submittal is referred
to as the Initial
Population. During that
submittal, you must
report to NSLDS not only
all outstanding (open)
loans, but also any loans
that have been closed on
or after October 1, 1989.

− The loan is closed and successfully reported to NSLDS with a Closed loan status.
If you report the loan to NSLDS but the loan record is not accepted because of
error conditions, continue reporting the loan until it is accepted. Valid closed loan
status codes are listed in Table B–2 in Appendix B.
− Your agency transfers the loan to another agency.
− Your agency has assigned the loan to ED and has received notice from ED that it
has accepted the assigned loan. Once you receive notice that an assigned loan
has been accepted, do not extract or report that loan.
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•

Do not report closed loans already reported and
successfully loaded into the NSLDS database. Once you
know from your Load Process Error report that a loan
record has updated the NSLDS database, you should
not extract it again when you create future Database
Extract files. If an error was made in closing the loan and
you need to reopen it, add the loan to your next
Database Extract file with the new information. If the
loan record passes all edits, NSLDS will load it and
update the loan accordingly.

The Database Extract File

Less than One Dollar
If a loan has a positive
outstanding principal
balance of less than one
dollar, but not zero, you
should report an amount
of one dollar until the
loan is closed.

•

The Database Extract file you prepare from your own
records must contain one Header record, followed by one Detail record for each of
the loans in your portfolio. It also may contain Past Period Change records if
historical data in NSLDS is being modified during that submittal. It should not
contain a Trailer record. DataPrep will create a Trailer record for the Submittal file.

•

Once you create a Database Extract file, you are not permitted to alter the data in it,
or in any of the files subsequently created from it by DataPrep.

•

You must submit each record in the Database Extract file to Extract Validation using
the NSLDS-provided DataPrep software, and you must correct the errors identified
during that process in your databases (not in the Database Extract file or current
Submittal file).

•

You must supply loan information for all the fields included in these specifications,
unless the associated event has never occurred (or unless otherwise noted). For
example, a loan cancellation may or may not occur over the life of a loan. The fields
Amount of Cancellation and Date of Cancellation might therefore never need to be
reported. However, if a cancellation does occur, those fields become mandatory and
you must report information for them.

•

Because the Detail records in the Database Extract file concern individual loans, you
must report (and update) all information at the loan level. This means, for example,
that if you report on three loans for the same student and the loans were first
reported with the wrong Date of Student’s Birth, you must update the New Date of
Student’s Birth on each of the three loans. Updating the New Date of Student’s Birth
on only one loan will not update the erroneous date of birth on the other two loan
records.

•

The data you report must be current and not extracted earlier than shown on your
established reporting schedule (that is, no more than 10 days before the scheduled
load date).

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•

If you report a loan with an open status, the sum of the Outstanding Principal
Balance, Outstanding Accrued Interest Balance, and Ending Balance on Claims of
Other Fees must be positive. If the loan has a balance of
less than one dollar but not zero, you should report the
Outstanding Principal Balance as one dollar. If the loan
Negative Numbers
is being maintained in an open status because of a
NSLDS does not support
negative balance on the account (that is, a credit
negative numbers. If the
balance), you should also report a balance of one dollar
outstanding balance on a
loan becomes negative
until the loan is closed.

•

NSLDS does not support negative numbers. If the
outstanding balance on a loan becomes negative, you
must report the balance as one dollar and keep the
status open until you can set the balance to zero. For
example, if you report the Amount of Outstanding
Principal Balance as negative, NSLDS will read this as a
positive value.

(i.e., a credit balance),
you must report the
balance as one dollar
and keep the status open
until you can set the
balance to zero.
If you report the Amount
of Outstanding Principal
Balance as negative,
NSLDS will read this as a
positive value.

6.2 Record Types
The Database Extract file contains three types of records:
1. Header Record
2. Detail Records
3. Past Period Change Records
The Database Extract file must not have a Trailer record, as DataPrep will create a Trailer
record during the Validation process.

6.2.1 Header Record
The Header record is for identification and tracking
purposes. It contains your guaranty agency code; the
submittal, initial load, and submittal receive dates; the
software version and release number; and the record type.
The capital letter H must appear in position 61 of the
Header record as the record type.

6.2.2 Detail Records

Version and Release
Number
DataPrep will
automatically insert its
version and release
number in the Header
record, so you should
leave this field blank
when creating the
Header record for your
Database Extract file.

The Database Extract file must contain a separate Detail

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record for each loan record in your guaranty agency’s database(s) that belongs to one
of the following categories:
Loans that are currently open
•

Loans that were closed on or after October 1, 1989 but not successfully reported as
closed to NSLDS

Individual Detail records must reflect the exact contents of your database without
editing or other changes.
Continue extracting and reporting loans to NSLDS until one of the following occurs:
•

The loan is closed and successfully reported to NSLDS with a Closed loan status. If
you report the loan to NSLDS but the loan record is not accepted because of error
conditions, you must continue reporting the loan until it is accepted. Valid closed
loan status codes are listed in Table B–10 in Appendix B.

•

Your agency transfers the loan to another agency.

•

Your agency has assigned the loan to ED and has received notice from ED that it has
accepted the assigned loan. In addition, you have successfully reported the loan to
NSLDS (i.e., contains no errors).

Once one of these events occurs, you should no longer extract that particular record
when you create your Database Extract file.
Let’s look at an example. When a borrower makes the final
payment on an FFEL loan, perform the following actions:
1. Extract the record from your database.
2. Report the activity with a valid closed loan status code
(see Appendix B–10).
3. Include the record in your next submittal to NSLDS.
You should continue reporting this loan until it is accepted
without errors by NSLDS. Then your guaranty agency
should stop reporting on this loan and no longer include it
in future Database Extract files.

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Make Sure Your
Changes Update
NSLDS
If an error occurs when
you submit a record to
NSLDS, make sure you
keep resubmitting it until
NSLDS accepts it and
loads it onto the
database.
Do not simply assume
that a record that passes
Extract Validation will be
loaded onto the NSLDS
database. For that to
happen, the record must
pass the domain-,
record-, and load-level
edits that are part of the
Load Process.

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6.2.3 Past Period Change Records
Past Period Change (PPC) records enable you to correct reporting errors for events that
are stored in NSLDS as history and therefore cannot be
corrected by a Detail record. Use PPC records:
1. To delete historical events that were reported in error (for
example, an event reported for the wrong borrower)
2. To correct historical events that cannot be adjusted simply
by updating current data fields (for example, a previously
reported loan status that should have been reported with
another value at the time it was originally reported)
3. To delete duplicate loans from NSLDS which were created
in error.
PPC records can be added to the Database Extract file
anywhere after the Header record, so you can easily append
them to the file after extracting Detail records from your
database.

6.3 File Standards

Past Period Changes
When you develop a
process to extract
records from your
agency’s database(s), be
certain it includes the
ability to identify and
create PPC records in
the Database Extract file.
PPC records require the
previously reported event
date so that the specific
posting can be corrected.
Appendix C identifies
which attributes require
this special transaction
for proper correction.

Each record in the Database Extract file must be in a 640-byte layout without carriage
returns and line feeds between records. However, if you are a Windows user, you can
leave carriage return and line feed combinations in the Database Extract file because
DataPrep will strip them out before creating a Submittal file.
Database Extract files should be in the following formats:
•

Fixed-Length EBCDIC for mainframes running Z/OS LE

•

ASCII for PCs running Windows

Multiple Databases

You must combine all loan records you report on into a single
Database Extract file, even if you have loan data stored in
multiple databases.
As you extract Detail records, keep in mind the following
considerations:
•

Even if you have loan
data stored in multiple
databases, you must
combine all the records
you report into a single
Database Extract file.

Once you create your Database Extract file, you must use the DataPrep software to
validate it for submittal to NSLDS. Use the Extract Error report created by DataPrep
to correct any errors in your database before the next time you create your Database
Extract file. Do not correct errors by editing or otherwise altering the Database
Extract file or any subsequent files created by DataPrep.

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•

All data (including identifiers) must be reported until the record containing that data
passes all associated NSLDS edits. Verify that a record has been loaded onto NSLDS
by checking the Load Process Error report for errors against that record.

•

6.4 Field Standards
The standards for populating the fields of your Database Extract file are as follows:
•

Character fields can contain letters, numbers, or blanks.

•

Numeric fields must contain numbers only. Blanks, alpha, or other characters will
cause errors.

•

Date fields must contain eight digits, be valid dates, and appear in the format
CCYYMMDD (for example, 19990131 for January 31, 1999), where:
− CC

= 2 digits for the century

− YY

= 2 digits for the year

− MM

= 2 digits for the month

− DD

= 2 digits for the day

•

A valid date is any acceptable calendar date. Invalid dates would be dates such as
February 30, February 29 of a non-leap year, or September 31.

•

NSLDS does not accept cents in amount fields. Dollar and cents amounts should be
rounded to the nearest dollar.

Appendix A describes the default values accepted by character, numeric, and date fields.
Appendix B contains a complete account of the various codes you will need to fill some
fields in the Database Extract file.

6.4.1 Loans Assigned to the Dept of ED.
All assigned loans are to be assigned at the loan level—not the disbursement level—and
should not be rolled up within or across programs. You should keep in mind that:
•

Generally, claims are paid to the lender at the loan level. The loan level detail
reported to DMCS should correspond to what had been originally reported to
NSLDS.

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The Database Extract File

•

You may create a single account or record to maintain multiple loans for a single
borrower on your system. This roll up of multiple loans does not correspond to the
method by which the individual loans were reported to NSLDS.

•

You must confirm that loans have been successfully reported to NSLDS, without
pending unresolved errors, before the loans may be assigned to DMCS.

•

When loan level detail is reported to NSLDS for such items as loan balances and
collections, you may prorate the reported amounts.

•

When rolled up loans have been reported to DMCS as a subrogation submittal, they
must be assigned to DMCS and reported to NSLDS at the individual loan level.

•

Once the loans have been successfully assigned to DMCS (the loan is not listed on a
Debt Management Collection System (DMCS) error/reject report and has been listed
on the DMCS assignment acceptance report), DMCS will begin reporting to NSLDS.
You must cease reporting the loans or payment activity to NSLDS.

•

In order for NSLDS to transfer the GA’s responsibility to DMCS, DMCS loan identifiers
must match the identifiers that the GA provided to NSLDS. To avoid creating a
duplicate record or causing the loans to error out of the system, these identifiers
must match. If you reported loans to NSLDS at the loan level, but subsequently
report to DMCS as a rolled up account or at the disbursement level, these identifiers
will not match. Under these circumstances NSLDS cannot transfer the GA
responsibility for the underlying loans to DMCS.

•

In certain conditions, the borrower may have defaulted loan records at both DMCS
and the GA.

To prevent these kinds of exceptions:
•

Always assign at the original loan level.

•

Assign the entire loan and not disbursements.

•

Ensure that the loans were successfully reported to NSLDS before subrogation.

•

Ensure that the loan identifiers reported to NSLDS are the same as the identifiers
given to DMCS.

•

Ensure that the loans are accepted by DMCS, have been acknowledged on their
confirmation report, and have not been listed as a reject.

6.5 Updating Identifier Data
After NSLDS has successfully loaded data from your guaranty agency for the first time,
thus completing the Initial Population, processing rules apply to any subsequent
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attempts to update or change the data that was loaded. These rules are designed to
maintain the integrity of the data in NSLDS.
There are two sets of rules governing changes to data in NSLDS. One governs changes
to the fields that contain loan identifier data; the other governs changes to the fields
than contain non-identifier data.

6.5.1 Loan and Student Identifiers
Loan identifiers are the values contained in positions 4–60 of Detail or Past Period
Change records. They uniquely identify a loan, distinguishing
it from the millions of other loans stored in NSLDS. Although
loan identifiers appear on both Detail and PPC records, you
must use a Detail record to change them.
A particularly important subset of loan identifiers is made up
of student identifiers, which uniquely identify a student as
loan identifiers uniquely identify a loan.
Figure 6–1 lists the fields that constitute the loan identifier
portion of a Detail record and which of them also serve as
student identifiers.

Loan Identifiers
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•

Field

Position

Student’s SSN
Date of Student’s
Birth
Student’s First Name
Type of Loan
Date of Guaranty
Indicator of Separate
Loan
Code for Original
School
PLUS Borrower’s
SSN

Type

Student’s Social Security
Number

4–12

Loan/Student
Identifier

Date of Student’s Birth

13–20

Student Identifier

Student’s First Name

21–32

Student Identifier

Type of Loan

33–34

Loan Identifier

Date of Guaranty

35–42

Loan Identifier

Code for Original School

44–51

Loan Identifier

PLUS Borrower’s Social
Security Number

52–60

Loan Identifier

Indicator of Separate Loan

Figure 6–1, Loan and Student Identifiers

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Section 9.4.1 presents an overview of how NSLDS goes
about matching the identifiers for newly submitted loan
records against student and loan information already in the
NSLDS database. The Identifier Match Criteria used in that
process are described in detail by the entry for the Student’s
Social Security Number field in the Data Dictionary
(Appendix A).

6.5.2 The Identifier Change Process
You must use the identifier change process to update loan
identifier data already loaded on NSLDS. Failure to follow
this process can create duplicate loan records that
compromise the data integrity of NSLDS and can cause
students to be denied Title IV aid to which they are entitled.

The Database Extract File

Identifier Change
Process
Changing identifier
information without
submitting full sets of
both original loan
identifiers and new loan
identifiers can create
duplicate loan records
that compromise the data
of NSLDS and cause
students to be denied
Title IV aid to which they
are entitled.

Because the entire string of information contained in the
identifier fields is needed to singularly identify a loan, loan identifiers are processed as a
block. When you update one identifier, you must reconfirm the values of the other
identifiers. To this end, you must supply a complete set of new identifiers.
To update identifiers, the Detail record must contain the identifier values currently
loaded on NSLDS in the original identifier fields (positions 4–60). Then use the new
identifier fields (positions 63–119) on the same record to report changes. Whenever you
update one or more identifiers, you must fill in all the new
identifier fields, regardless of whether the values in them are
new ones or ones that you have been reporting all along.
The new loan identifier fields are:
•

New Student’s Social Security Number

•

New Date of Student’s Birth

•
•

•

New Student’s First Name

•

New Type of Loan

•

New Date of Guaranty

•

New Indicator of Separate Loan

•

New Code for Original School

•

New PLUS Borrower’s Social Security Number

•

New Loan Identifiers

•
•

Figure 6–2 gives an example of how to update identifier
information on a loan that currently exists in the NSLDS
June 2020

New Student’s SSN
New Date of
Student’s Birth
New Student’s First
Name
New Type of Loan
New Date of
Guaranty
New Indicator of
Separate Loan
New Code for
Original School
New PLUS
Borrower’s SSN

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database.
Assume that the following loan information currently exists on
the NSLDS database:
•

Student’s Social Security Number = 111223333

•

Date of Student’s Birth = 19600508

•

Student’s First Name = Robert

•

Type of Loan = SF

•

Date of Guaranty = 19910903

•

Indicator of Separate Loan = A

•

Code for Original School = 00876500

•

PLUS Borrower’s SSN = 999887777

Then you discover that the Type of Loan/ code is incorrect. To
update the erroneous identifier, submit the data exactly as
shown above in positions 4–60 of the record and, at the same
time, also report the following values in positions 63–119 of the
record:
•

Student’s Social Security Number = 111223333

•

Date of Student’s Birth = 19600508

•

Student’s First Name = Robert

•

Type of Loan = SU

•

Date of Guaranty = 19910903

•

Indicator of Separate Loan = A

•

Code for Original School = 00876500

•

PLUS Borrower’s SSN = 999887777

Note: Only the Type of Loan was changed. All other values must
be resubmitted as before.

Figure 6–2, How to Update Loan Identifier Data

6.5.3 Updating Identifiers on Multiple Records
Remember that all information on NSLDS, including identifier information, must be
updated at the loan level. This means that your Database Extract file must contain a
separate Detail record, with full sets of old and new identifier data, for each loan record
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whose identifiers you want to update. This is the case even if you are making the same
change—typically a change to student identifiers—to a number of loans.
After you submit the updated information to NSLDS, review the Load Process Error
report to see that all the Detail records containing the updates were loaded into NSLDS.
If any records erred out, correct and resubmit them with both the original loan
identifiers and new loan identifiers until they load successfully.

6.6 Updating Non-Identifier Data
The process for updating loan identifier data is described in Section 6.5. A completely
different set of rules applies when you report new data in fields that are not part of the
loan identifier.
To follow those rules, you must answer two questions:
1. Is the field you want to update one for which NSLDS keeps history? (See Figure 6-7
for a list of fields for which history is kept.)
2. If NSLDS keeps history for the field, are you trying to update the current value of the
field or an earlier historical value?
Depending on how you answer these two questions, you face three possible scenarios:
1. History Is Not Kept for the Field—In this case, the new data should be captured by
your normal extract process and included in your regular submittal as part of the
Detail record for that loan. You do not have to do anything special to report the new
value to NSLDS. As long as the new value passes all applicable edits, it will be loaded
onto NSLDS.
2. History Is Kept for the Field, and You Are Updating the Current Value for That
Field—In this case, the new data should be captured by your normal extract process
and included in your regular submittal as part of the Detail record for that loan. You
do not have to do anything special to report the new value to NSLDS. As long as the
new value passes all applicable edits, it will be loaded onto NSLDS.
3. History Is Kept for the Field, and You Are Trying to Update an Historical Value
for That Field—In this case, create a Past Period Change record to report the new
data.

6.6.1 What NSLDS Does
How NSLDS Creates History
When NSLDS updates a field for which history is not kept, the updated value becomes
the current value and the old current value is discarded by the system. When NSLDS
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updates a field for which history is kept, the updated value becomes the current value
and the old current value becomes the historical value. As further updates occur, each
current value becomes, in turn, an historical value, and all the historical values are
stored, in order, as history for that field.
Figure 6–3 and Figure 6–4 will help illustrate how history is created as part of the update
process.
In Figure 6–3, the NSLDS database contains a record for Loan X that has been loaded
into the database but never updated. Each data element for the loan (A, B, C, and D) has
the same value it did when the loan was first loaded onto the database; those are the
current values A1, B1, C1, and D1.
The data provider then sends NSLDS a Submittal file that contains updates to two of the
fields for Loan X. Those updates are denoted by B2 and D2. The updates pass all the
relevant edits and are loaded onto the database. Because history is kept for field D but
is not kept for field B, the following occurs:
•

The current value of field B is updated to B2, and the old current value B1 is
discarded.

•

The current value of field D is updated to D2, and the old current value is stored in
history as D1.

Loan X

Submittal File

Database Before Update

C1 D2

Loan X

C1 D1

- Current Values

Loan X

C1 D2

- Current Values

Database After Update

- History (Prior Event)

NSL - 1097

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Figure 6–3, NSLDS Update (1 of 2)
In Figure 6–4, the data provider sends another Submittal file to NSLDS. This time, the
Submittal file contains updates to fields A, C, and D. Those updates are denoted by A2,
C2 and D3. The updates pass all the relevant edits and are loaded onto the database.
Because history is kept for fields A and D but not for C, the following occurs:
•

The current value of field A is updated to A2, and the old current value is stored in
history as A1.

•

The current value of field C is updated to C2, and the old current value is discarded.

•

The current value of field D is updated to D3, the old current value is stored in
history as D2 (which is also part of the prior event), and the original current value is
stored in history as D1.

D1 is now strictly history and can only be changed by a PPC record.

Loan X

Submittal File

Database Before Update

Loan X

C1 D2
D1

Loan X
Database After Update

A2
A1

C2 D3

- Current Values
- History (Prior Event)

- Current Values

- History (Prior Event)

- History
NSL - 1098

Figure 6–4, NSLDS Update (2 of 2)

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Events
While history is stored for some fields that are not part of events, the fields that can be
updated by a PPC record are part of events.
An event is made up of a key, usually a date, and one or more associated values. The
key and values are linked together because they give each other meaning. For example,
a Date of Loan Status is not meaningful without an accompanying Code for Loan Status.
Together they constitute a discrete event, Loan Status.
Notice in Figure 6–3 and Figure 6–4 that the event immediately preceding the event that
created the current value in a field for which history is kept is known as the prior event.
It can be updated either by a PPC record or by a Detail record, but only if the purpose of
the Detail record is to delete the current value for the field and reinstate the value of the
prior event as the current value.
How NSLDS Updates Current Events
Figure 6–5 shows what happens when you attempt to update a current event (key and
values) using a Detail record.
Case
1

When the Key (Usually Date)
Stays the same.

When Value(s)
Changes to new value.

NSLDS Does This
Updates the value associated
with the current event.

Events
Events are made up of
keys and associated
values. Keys and values
are treated as if they were
linked because they give
each other meaning. For
example, a Date of Loan
Status is not meaningful
without an accompanying
Code for Loan Status.
Together they describe a
discrete Loan Status
event.
Events can be classified
as current, prior, or
history.

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Case

When the Key (Usually Date)

The Database Extract File

When Value(s)

NSLDS Does This

Changes to earlier date not
before the date of the prior
event.

Stays the same.

Updates the date associated
with the current event.

Changes to a later date.

Stays the same.

Updates the date associated
with the current event.

Changes to a date before the
date of the prior event.

Stays the same.

Returns a date sequence error
and does not update the
record.

Changes to an earlier date, but Changes to new value.
one still after the date of the
prior event.

Changes to the same date as
the prior event stored on
NSLDS.

Stays the same.

Deletes the current event, and
the prior event becomes the
current event. Updates with
value.

Changes to the same date as
the prior event stored on
NSLDS.

Changes to a new value.

Deletes the current event, and
the prior event becomes the
current event. Updates with
values.

Changes date to default value
(zeros), where there is no
previous event in history, and
the field being changed is not
part of a loan.

Changes to default value
Deletes the current event.
(zeros for numeric field, blanks
for character field).

Changes date to default value Changes to default value
Returns a date sequence error
(zeros), and there is a previous (zeros for numeric field, blanks and does not update the
event in history.
for character field).
record.

Changes date to default value
(zeros), where there is no
previous event in history, and
the record being changed is a
loan or student status event.

Changes to default value
Returns an error and does not
(zeros for numeric field, blanks update the record. (Deletion of
last loan or student status is
for character field).
not allowed.)

Changes to a later date.

Changes to new value.

Updates the date and value
fields associated with the
current event.

Creates a new event on
NSLDS, which becomes the
current value. What had been
the current event now
becomes prior event/history.

Figure 6–5, Updating a Current Event

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Notice what happens if, as in Case 4, you attempt to change a current key (date) so it is
earlier than the key (date) of the prior event. This illustrates one of the two things you
must keep in mind when updating events, whether you are updating their current values
or historical values:
1. You cannot change the chronological order of events stored in history. That is, you
cannot re-date an event (for example, the event of which data element D2 in Figure
6–4 is part) so that it predates an event that occurred before it (D1) or postdates an
event that occurred after it (D3).
2. You cannot re-date events so they overlap in time.
Cases 6 and 7 illustrate the prior event exception. Normally, an historical event can
only be modified by a PPC record. However, you can delete a current event and update
the values of what was the prior event using a Detail record. Do this only when you want
to delete the current event and make the old prior event the current event. If, on the
other hand, you want to change some value of the prior event without deleting the
current event, you must use a PPC record.
How NSLDS Updates Historical Events
Figure 6–6 shows what happens when you attempt to update the various parts of an
historical event (keys and values) using a PPC record.
Case

When the Key

When Value(s)

NSLDS Does This

Stays the same.

Provides defaults (zeros or
blanks, as per record layout
specifications).

Deletes event.

Stays the same.

Provides new value.

Updates value if it passes
validation edits.

Changes to a new date within
the range of acceptable dates.

Stays the same or changes to
default value(s).

Updates date to new date,
keeps existing value(s).

Changes to a new date within
the range of acceptable dates.

Provides new value(s).

Updates date, and value if it
passes other edits.

Changes to a new date not
within the range of acceptable
dates.

Stays the same or changes to
default value(s).

Change not accepted. Date
Sequence Error is reported on
Load Process Error report.

Changes to a new date not
within the range of acceptable
dates.

Provides new value(s).

Change not accepted. Date
Sequence Error is reported on
Load Process Error report.

Figure 6–6, Updating Historical Events

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6.6.2 What You Do
Does NSLDS Keep History for the Field?
To update a loan record on NSLDS successfully, you must be able to answer the two
questions posed in Section 6.6:
1. Is the field one for which NSLDS keeps history?
2. If NSLDS does keep history for the field, are you trying to update the current value
for the field or an historical value?
To answer the first question, check Figure 6–7 or the History Kept box for the field in the
Data Dictionary (Appendix A).
History Kept

History Not Kept

Amount of Cancellation

Amount of Guaranty

Amount of Claim Paid to Lender

Amount of Outstanding Accrued Interest Balance

Amount of Disbursement

Amount of Outstanding Principal Balance

Amount of Ending Balance on Claims of Other Fees Code for Originating FFEL Lender
Amount of Guaranty Agency Bankruptcy Claim
Refunds

Date Enrollment Period Begins

Amount of Guaranty Agency Interest Collections

Date Enrollment Period Ends

Amount of Guaranty Agency Principal Collections

Date Entered Repayment (Date of Maturity)

Amount of TOP Interest Collections

Date of Outstanding Accrued Interest Balance

Amount of TOP Principal Collections

Date of Outstanding Principal Balance

Amount of Refund on Claims

Date of PLUS Borrower’s Birth

Amount of Refund From School to Lender
According to Lender

Indicator of Lender-of-Last-Resort Loan

Amount of Reinsurance Claim Requested

Indicator of Origination Fee Payer

Amount of Supplemental Claim Requested

Indicator of Subsidy

Amount of Supplemental Pre-Claims Assistance
Payment

Interest Rate

Amount Repurchased

PLUS Borrower’s First Name

Claim Reason for Guaranty Agency Claim

PLUS Borrower’s Middle Initial

Claim Reason for Lender Claim

PLUS Borrower’s State of Residence

Code for Current Holder Lender

Reinsurance Reimbursement Rate

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History Kept

History Not Kept

Code for Current School

Student’s Academic Level

Code for Enrollment Status

Student’s Driver’s License Number

Code for Guaranty Agency

Student’s Driver’s License State

Code for Loan Status

Student’s Middle Initial

Code for Original School

Type of Interest Rate

Code for Servicer

Students DOB

Date Claim Paid
Date Deferment Starts
Date Deferment Stops
Date Enrollment Status Effective
Date Guaranty Transferred
Date Loan Sold
Date of Anticipated Completion
Date of Cancellation
Date of Disbursement
Date of Guaranty Agency Bankruptcy Claim
Refunds
Date of Guaranty Agency Principal / Interest
Collections
Date of TOP Principal / Interest Collections
Date of Loan Status
Date of PCA/Supplemental PCA Flag
Date of Refund on Claims
Date of Refund to Lender
Date of Servicer Responsibility
Date of Supplemental Pre-Claims Assistance
Payment
Date Reinsurance Claim Filed
Date Reinsurance Claim Paid
Date Repurchased
Date Supplemental Claim Requested
Indicator of Rehabilitated Loan

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History Kept

The Database Extract File
History Not Kept

PLUS Borrower’s Last Name
PLUS Borrower’s Social Security Number
PLUS Borrower’s Social Security Number Indicator
Pre-Claims Assistance (PCA) / Supplemental PCA
Flag
Student’s First Name
Student’s Last Name
Student’s Social Security Number
Student’s Social Security Number Indicator
Type of Deferment

Figure 6–7, Fields and History
If history is not kept for the field you want to update, the update should be caught by
your normal extract process and submitted to NSLDS in a Detail record without any
special effort on your part. As long as the update passes all edits, it will be loaded onto
NSLDS.
If, on the other hand, history is kept for the field you want to update, you must know
whether you are updating a current value or an historical value.
Are You Updating a Current Value or an Historical Value?
Most of the updates you submit to NSLDS will be to current values. This is as true for
fields for which history is kept as it is for fields for which history is not kept. So even if
history is kept for the field you want to update, you will normally be updating the
current value for that field. If that is the case, the update should be caught by your
normal extract process and submitted to NSLDS on a Detail record without any special
effort on your part.

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On the other hand, you will sometimes know you want to update an historical value
because you are aware that a mistake was made when reporting on an event prior to
the event that supplied the current values for a field.
More often, you will discover that you want to update an historical value because of the
following sequence:
1. You submit a change to a current value on a Detail record, but it errs out of NSLDS.
2. When you check your Load Process Error report, you discover that the change you
submitted was valid, but that it conflicted with some
other value stored in history on NSLDS.
Depending on the nature of the change you want to make,
you may need to know more about the historical values
already on NSLDS.
Checking History Online
To learn the historical values associated with specific events,
view the loan record detail which can be accessed through
the NSLDS website (https://nsldsfap.ed.gov). After you log
onto the site, retrieve the student and select the loan detail
button of the loan in question.
Past Period Events

Changing History
When data is submitted
to NSLDS, the system
first processes Detail
records, then PPC
records. For this reason,
if you want to change
historical information on
a loan whose identifiers
are also being modified
at the same time, the
PPC record must refer to
the new identifiers, not
the old ones.

Past Period Change records update events stored in history on NSLDS. Events are made
up of two components:
•

The key that identifies the event

•

The associated value(s) that describe the event

You can use PPC records to update the following events:
Event

Key

Associated Values

Bankruptcy Claim Refund

Old Date of GA Bankruptcy Claim New Date of GA Bankruptcy Claim
Refunds
Refunds
New Amount of GA Bankruptcy
Claim Refunds

Cancellation

Old Date of Cancellation

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New Amount of Cancellation

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Event

Key

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Associated Values

Collection From Borrower

Old Date of GA Principal /
Interest Collections

New Date of GA Principal / Interest
Collections
New Amount of GA Interest
Collections
New Amount of GA Principal
Collections

Current School

Old Code for Current School

New Code for Current School

Deferment

Old Date Deferment Starts

New Date Deferment Starts
New Date Deferment Stops
New Type of Deferment

Disbursement

Old Date of Disbursement

New Date of Disbursement
New Amount of Disbursement

Enrollment Status

Old Code for Current School
Old Date Enrollment Status
Effective

New Code for Current School
New Date Enrollment Status
Effective
New Code for Enrollment Status

Holder Lender

Old Code for Current Holder
Lender
Old Date Loan Sold

New Code for Current Holder
Lender
New Date Loan Sold
New Indicator of Origination Fee
Payer

Insurance Claim Payment

Old Date Claim Paid

New Date Claim Paid
New Claim Reason for Lender
Claim
New Amount of Claim Paid to
Lender

Insurance Claim Refund

Old Date of Refund on Claims
(formerly Old Date of Refund
from Lender on Claims)

New Date of Refund from Lender
on Claims
New Amount of Refund on
Claims(formerly New Amount of
Refund from Lender on Claims)

Lender Servicer

Old Date of Servicer
Responsibility

New Date of Servicer
Responsibility
New Code for Servicer

Loan Status

Old Date of Loan Status

New Date of Loan Status
New Code for Loan Status

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Event

The Database Extract File

Key

Associated Values

PCA / SPA Request

Old Date of PCA / SPA Flag

New Date of PCA / SPA Flag
New PCA / SPA Flag

Refund to Lender

Old Date of Refund to Lender

New Date of Refund to Lender
New Amount of Refund from
School to Lender According to
Lender

Reinsurance Claim Payment

Old Date Reinsurance Claim
Requested

New Date Reinsurance Claim
Requested
New Date Reinsurance Claim Paid
New Claim Reason for GA Claim
New Amount of Reinsurance Claim
Requested
New Reinsurance Reimbursement
Rate

Repurchase

Old Date Repurchased

New Date Repurchased
New Indicator of Rehabilitated
Loan
New Amount Repurchased

SPA Payment

Old Date of Supplemental PreClaims Assistance Payment

New Date of Supplemental PreClaims Assistance Payment
Amount of Supplemental PreClaims Assistance Payment

Supplemental Claim Request

Old Date Supplemental Claim
Requested

New Date Supplemental Claim
Requested
New Amount of Supplemental
Claim Requested

TOP Offset Collection

Old Date of TOP Offset Principal
/ Interest Collections

New Date of TOP Offset Principal /
Interest Collections
New Amount of TOP Offset
Interest Collections
New Amount of TOP Offset
Principal Collections

Transfer

Old Date Guaranty Transferred

New Date Guaranty Transferred

Figure 6–8, Events, Keys, and Values

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Creating Past Period Change Records
Past Period Change records must contain the following
elements:
•

A complete set of loan identifiers

•

The key that enables NSLDS to identify the event to be
updated

•

Any new values with which you want to update the
event

Only report the loan identifiers, the key, and any new
values for the event you want to change. Use default values
for fields that you are not changing. There is no need to fill
all the Old/New fields as you would for changes to loan
identifiers.

Old and New
When a PPC field name
starts with the word Old
(for example, Old Date of
Loan Status) you must
report the exact value
already contained in the
field you are changing.
When the PPC field
name says New (for
example, New Date of
Loan Status), you report
the new value you want
that data element to
contain.

For PPC record layouts and detailed instructions explaining how to apply specific
updates to each PPC event, see Appendix C.
Changing Event Dates
Updating an event key normally involves updating a date. There are two important
things to remember when making date changes with a PPC:
1. You may not change the chronological order of events contained in history. Do not
re-date an event so it predates one that occurred before it or postdates one that
occurred after it.
2. You may not change the date of an event so that it equals the date of a pre-existing
event. For example, if there is a loan status effective date of 3/1/98, you cannot
correct another loan status effective date to 3/1/98.
To change a date that is the key to an event, send NSLDS a PPC record containing the
loan identifiers, the “Old” date that serves as the key, and the “New” date with which you
want to update NSLDS.
To change a date that is an event value, send NSLDS a PPC record containing the loan
identifiers, the event key stored in NSLDS, and the new date with which you want to
update NSLDS.

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Example
The following is an example of a valid change of key date in a Loan Status event.
In this example, the Date of Loan Status (key) is changed from April 1, 1994 to March 1,
1995. Notice that it was not necessary to provide the Code for Loan Status (value)
associated with the April 1, 1994 event because it did not change.
For simplicity, here and in the examples that follow, loan identifiers are represented by
Loan XYZ, when in fact they consist of all the information contained in positions 4–60 of
the loan record.
Old Date of Loan
Status

Loan Identifiers
Loan XYZ

19940401

New Date of Loan
Status
19950301

New Code for Loan
Status
BLANKS

Changing Event Values
To change the value(s) associated with an event, send NSLDS a PPC record containing
the loan identifiers, the event key stored in NSLDS, and any new value.
Example
In this example, the Code for Loan Status associated with the April 1, 1994 Loan Status is
changed to RP, so the New Code for Loan Status will replace the former value for the
event. Since the date of the event is not changing, it is not necessary to provide a New
Date of Loan Status.
Loan Identifiers
Loan XYZ

Old Date of Loan
Status
19940401

New Date of Loan
Status
ZEROS

New Code for Loan
Status
RP

Changing Both Date and Value
To change both the key date of the event and associated data, send a PPC record
containing the loan identifiers, the event key (date) stored in NSLDS, the new key (date),
and the new value.
Example 1
Assume the following values for a series of Loan Status events exist on the NSLDS
database:

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Date

The Database Extract File

Code

02/01/98

03/01/98

04/01/98

If you want to correct the 02/01/98 Date of Loan Status to 02/02/98 and the Code for
Loan Status from ID to FB, use the following PPC:
Loan Identifiers
Loan XYZ

Old Date of Loan
Status
19980201

New Date of Loan
Status
19980202

New Code for Loan
Status
FB

The New Deferment End Date contains the default value 00000000 because the value
isn’t being changed.
Example 2
If you want to change the date of a Loan Status event from April 1, 1994 to March 1,
1995 and the Code for Loan Status to RP, use the following PPC:
Loan Identifiers
Loan XYZ

Old Date of Loan
Status
19940401

New Date of Loan
Status
19950301

New Code for Loan
Status
RP

Deleting Historical Data
To delete an event, submit a PPC record that contains the loan identifiers and event key
stored in NSLDS, along with default values (given in the PPC record layouts in Appendix
C) in all the New fields.
Example
To delete a Loan Status event from history, use the following PPC record:
Loan Identifiers
Loan XYZ

Old Date of Loan
Status
19940401

New Date of Loan
Status
ZEROS

New Code for Loan
Status
BLANKS

6.7 Copy Your Database Extract File to the Extract Directory
When you have created a Database Extract file that meets the standards outlined in this
chapter, you must copy it to DataPrep’s Extract folder (C:\DataPrep-GA\Extract) and
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name it extract.ff. Extract Validation will fail if PC DataPrep does not find a file named
extract.ff in the Extract folder.

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Extract Validation and Delta Process

Chapter 7: Extract Validation and the Delta Process
Once you have created your Database Extract file and copied it to the Extract folder
(C:\DataPrep-GA\Extract), you are ready to run Extract Validation and the Delta Process.
These tasks are performed entirely by DataPrep.

7.1 Extract Validation
In the Extract Validation process, DataPrep first examines your Database Extract file to
make certain its format is acceptable. DataPrep checks for a proper header record, 640byte record lengths, and matching guaranty agency code. These are called file-level
edits.
If the header format is not correct, DataPrep cannot continue the process, and an error
message appears informing you that there was a header error and that processing was
aborted. The Extract Validation process will also abort if any Detail or PPC record has a
guaranty agency code that does not match the Header
record guaranty agency code.
If your Database Extract file passes the file-level edits,
DataPrep performs domain-level edits by examining all
Detail and PPC records in the file to ensure that each data
element meets domain requirements (see box). If the
percentage of domain errors exceeds the threshold levels
set by ED, DataPrep will issue an error message informing
you that you have exceeded the threshold levels and that no
Submittal file was created. All domain-level errors are noted
in an Extract Error file from which you can create an Extract
Error report. If your Database Extract file contains too many
domain-level errors, use this report to correct your database
or extract program. Then create a new Database Extract file
and rerun Extract Validation.
If your Database Extract file passes the file-level edits and
the percentage of domain errors is below the maximum
threshold levels established by NSLDS, DataPrep creates a
Validated Extract file that then goes through the Delta
Process.

Domain-Level Errors
There are four kinds of
domain-level errors:
1. Numeric Field
Errors—Character
other than a number
in a field requiring all
numbers
2. Invalid Date Errors—
A date that does not
exist on a calendar or
is not zeros
3. Missing Identifiers in
one or more loan
identifier fields
4. Missing New
Identifiers on records
with identifier changes

Extract Validation produces three output files:

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Extract Validation and Delta Process

1. Extract Validation Log File (extrlog.ff)—A file
containing a summary of the data processed, including
the number and percent of domain errors, file record
counts, open loan amount totals, process results, and
processing time. The file is used to produce an Extract
Validation Log report.
2. Extract Error File (extrerr.ff)—A file from which you
can create a report listing all domain errors. It is created
only if the Database Extract file passes file-level edits.
3. Validated Extract File (valextr.ff)—A file containing no
file-level errors and a percentage of domain-level errors
below the threshold levels established by ED. This file
serves as input to the Delta Process, which compares it
to the Prior Validated Extract file to produce the
Submittal file.

Successful Extract
Validation
For Extract Validation to
create a Validated
Database Extract file,
your Database Extract
file must not contain any
file-level errors, and its
percentage of domainlevel errors must be
below the thresholds
established by ED.

7.1.1 Edits Performed During Extract Validation
DataPrep performs two sets of edits during Extract Validation:
1. File-level edits
2. Domain-level edits

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Extract Validation and Delta Process
Problem

Edit Process

Solution

File-Level Edits

DataPrep
Extract
Validation
Process

Extract Validation
Aborted

Domain-Level Edits

Threshold Failure

1. Incorrect Header
2. GA Code does
not match Header

Correct database
and/or extract process
and rerun Extract
Validation

1. Numeric Field Error
2. Invalid Date
3. Missing Identifier
4. Missing New Identifier

Correct database
and/or extract process
and rerun Extract
Validation

1. Numeric Field Error
2. Invalid Date
3. Missing Identifier
4. Missing New Identifier
5. Reasonability Error
6. Duplicate Record

Correct database and/or
extract process
before next submittal

1. Date Sequence Error
2. Identifier Conflict

1. Submit PPC record
2. Resolve with other
data provider
3. Correct database or
extract process

Domain and
Record-Level Edits
Record Rejected

NSLDS
Load
Process

Load-Level Edits

Record Not
Loaded/Updated

NSLDS Updated

3. Invalid Codes

NSL-1062

Figure 7–1, DataPrep Error Path

File-Level Edits
File-level edits check whether the Database Extract file is a legitimate file with the
correct Header record, 640-byte records, and a guaranty agency code in each Detail or
PPC record that matches the code in the Header record. If DataPrep detects any one of
these file-level errors, the Extract Validation process aborts and an error message, with a
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description of the error, appears on the screen. If this happens, you must correct your
database and/or extract process and create a new Database Extract file. You would then
rerun Extract Validation. See Appendix B–16 (PC users) or B–15 (OS 390/LE users) for a
complete list of all the file-level and Header record errors that cause Extract Validation
to abort.
Domain-Level Edits
Domain-level edits check for four kinds of errors:
•

Numeric Field Errors—A character other than a number in
a field requiring all numbers

•

Invalid Date Errors—A date that does not exist on a
calendar and is not all zeros

•

Missing Identifiers in one or more loan identifier fields

•

Missing New Identifiers on records with identifier
changes

Domain Error Rate
DataPrep validates the
entire record and can
detect multiple domainlevel errors on a single
input record. The error
rates are calculated by
DataPrep based on the
number of records with
one or more errors, not
on the total number of
errors detected.

If the percentage of the records with these errors exceeds the
threshold levels established by ED, DataPrep will not create a
Validated Extract file and will not run the Delta process to
create the Submittal file. You must correct your database
and/or extract process, create a new Database Extract file, and rerun Extract Validation.

7.1.2 Extract Validation on a PC
Before you can run Extract Validation, you must perform the
following tasks:
•

Install DataPrep and define the directory paths for
DataPrep’s data files (Section 5.1.1)

•

Create a Database Extract file named extract.ff and copy it
to the Extract folder (Chapter 6)

•

Copy the most recent TEF file to the Current folder.

Naming the Extract File
Remember that your
Database Extract file
must be named extract.ff
in order for DataPrep for
Windows to locate and
process it.

Ensure that you have the latest TEF file downloaded from
https://ifap.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools. Once you have a current TEF file, use the
software’s File Transfer option (Section 5.2.3) to help with placement and naming of the
file.
Once you have performed these tasks, you are ready to run Extract Validation.

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1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Extract Validation.

Figure 7–2, DataPrep Main Menu with Extract Validation Selected
2. The Extract Validation dialog box appears.

Figure 7–3, Extract Validation Dialog Box
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3. Select Validation Only as the Process Option.
4. If you click any of the Information Icons on the far right
next to the file date, the File Information dialog box
appears. This box shows the file name, the date and time
the file was created or last modified, and the number of
bytes in the file.

5. Click Exit to return to the Extract Validation dialog box.

While Extract
Validation Is in
Progress
While Extract
Validation is in
progress, you can
use other software
to perform tasks.
When Extract
Validation is done,
the Extract
Validation Process
message box will
show that 100% of
the process was
completed.

6. Click Run. Once Extract Validation begins, the Extract
Validation Process dialog box appears, showing you how much of the process is
complete. While Extract Validation is in progress, you can close the Extract Validation
dialog box and perform other DataPrep tasks. In addition, you can use other
software to perform tasks while Extract Validation runs. If you decide to terminate
Extract Validation before it is complete, return to the Extract Validation dialog box
and click Stop.
When processing is complete, the Extract Validation Process dialog box shows a
Processing Status of 100% and displays information about the Extract Validation
process that is repeated in the Extract Validation Log report.

Halting Extract Validation
Once you have started to run Extract Validation, you cannot stop it from the
Extract Validation Process dialog box.
If you want to stop the Extract Validation process before it has completed, you
must return to the Extract Validation dialog box and click Stop.

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Figure 7–4, Extract Validation Process Dialog Box
Once you are satisfied that Extract Validation has run successfully, click Close to return
to the Extract Validation dialog box. Then click Exit to return to the DataPrep Main
Menu. From there you have several options, including generating reports.

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Using the Extract Validation Log Report
Section 10.1.1 explains how to view and print the Extract Validation Log report. This
report repeats the information displayed by the Extract Validation Process dialog box
when Extract Validation is complete. Check this report to verify that the Validated Extract
file created by Extract Validation contains data that accurately reflects the contents of
your database.
The Extract Validation Log report contains the following information:
•

Version and release numbers for DataPrep

•

When Extract Validation began

•

Whether Extract Validation was successful and what to do next

•

GA Code

•

Extract Date

•

Record counts for the Database Extract file
− Number of Detail records
− Number of PPC records

•

Counts and percentages of domain-level errors
− Date/numeric errors
− Identifier errors
− New identifier errors

•

Totals for open loans
− Number of open loans
− Amount of guaranty
− Amount of cancellation
− Amount of Disbursement
− Amount of school refund

Error Numbers

− Amount of outstanding principal balance

Remember that
DataPrep calculates the
number of records
containing errors if there
are multiple errors in a
single record, not the
total number of errors
(which could be
considerably higher).

− Amount of accrued interest balance
− Amount of other fees
− Amount of claim paid to lender
− Amount of reinsurance claim requested
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− Amount of GA principal collections
− Amount repurchased
The record counts for the Database Extract file are useful when you do reasonability
checks. Look, in particular, for unusually large changes in the number of Detail records
from one submittal to the next.
DataPrep totals the number of records that contain domain-level errors and the
percentage they represent of the records in the Database Extract file. If the percentage
of the records with these errors exceeds the threshold levels established by ED,
DataPrep will not create a Validated Extract file and will not run the Delta process to
create the Submittal file. You must correct your database and/or extract process, create
a new Database Extract file, and rerun Extract Validation.
Extract Validation Is Successful
If your Database Extract file processes successfully, the Extract Validation Log report
states:

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Checking Reasonability
The Extract Validation
Log report will tell you
whether the Extract
Validation process was
successful. If it was,
compare the report with
reports from prior
Validations to make sure
the number of Detail
records and totals for
open loans are
reasonable.
Large changes in the
number of Detail records
or totals for open loans
could indicate that you
have duplicated records
or extracted records
incorrectly.

Figure 7–5, Successful Extract Validation
Compare this report to the reports for prior Extract Validation processes to make sure
the numbers in the Validated Extract file are reasonable. In particular, look at the
following:
•

Number of Detail Records

•

Number of Open Loans

•

Amount of Guaranty

•

Amount of Disbursement

•

Amount of Outstanding Principal Balance

Large, unexplained changes in any of these figures could indicate that your Database
Extract file contains flawed data, even though it processed successfully.

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Extract Validation Fails Because of File-Level Errors
If DataPrep detects a file-level error, it stops Extract Validation and does not create a
Submittal file. The Extract Validation Log report announces that DataPrep has detected a
file-level error and terminated Extract Validation. It also describes the error and suggests
possible remedies.

Figure 7–6, Extract Validation Fails Because of a File-Level Error
Among the possible causes for a failed Extract Validation
are the following:
•

No Header record

•

An incorrect format

•

Data that shifted because you inserted a space or a
character

•

Records were not the required 640-byte length

•

Mismatch between the GA Code in a Detail record
and the GA code in the Header record

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What to Do When
Extract Validation Is
Halted

If Extract Validation failed
because a file-level error
caused the process to
abort, check to see that
you’ve used the correct
Database Extract file,
that it has a Header
record, is in the proper
format, and that the
records are all 640 bytes
in length.

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Extract Validation Fails Because of Domain Errors
If the percentage of domain-level errors in your Database Extract file exceeds the
allowable threshold levels, the Extract Validation Log report states that no Submittal file
was created and reports the number and percentage of domain-level errors.

Domain Error
Threshold Levels
ED has set the threshold
levels for domain errors
at:
• Combined Date and
Numeric Field Errors10
• Missing Identifier 5%
• Missing New
5%
Identifier
These percentages are
subject to change at ED’s
discretion.

Figure 7–7, Extract Validation Fails Because of Excessive
Domain-Level Errors
When you receive this message, you must correct the
domain-level errors on your database so that the
percentage of errors is acceptable. Use the Extract Error
report to see what corrections must be made. But
remember that the Database Extract file must be an exact
reflection of your database, so you should correct all errors
by updating your database, not by editing the Database
Extract file or any file created by DataPrep.
There are a number of possible reasons for domain-level
errors. Some of the following causes and corrections might
explain yours:
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What to Do When Your
Domain Errors Are in
Excess of a Threshold
Level
If the percent of domain
errors Extract Validation
finds in the Detail and
PPC records exceeds the
threshold defined by ED,
it rejects the whole
Database Extract file.
The Extract Validation
Log report contains your
error rates. To learn
more detail about what
caused the errors, create
an Extract Error report.

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•

Your Data Is Stored Incorrectly on Your Database—The solution is to correct the
appropriate fields on your database. For example, if your database accepts six digit
dates, correct it so it stores the eight digit dates required by NSLDS or make sure
your extract process converts six digit dates to eight digits.

•

Your Extract Process Calculates Fields Incorrectly—Review and correct any
programming logic in your extract process. For example, when you calculate Date
Entered Repayment by adding one day to the end of the enrollment period, make
sure you are not producing invalid dates such as February 29, 1999 (rather than the
valid March 1, 1999).

•

Your Extract Process Only Picks up Changed Fields—Change your process to
populate the other fields with the current data for those fields.

TEF File Is out of Date
If your TEF file is more than 90 days old, DataPrep will display a message warning that
the threshold error values it contains may be out of date. However, DataPrep will
perform Extract Validation and create a Submittal file, assuming that your Database
Extract file meets the other standards described in this manual. Update your TEF file by
downloading the latest version from https://ifap.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools and
importing it into the DataPrep working folders via File Transfer utility (Section 5.2.3).

Figure 7–8, TEF File Warning
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7.2 The Delta Process
The purpose of the Delta Process is to reduce the number of records you send to NSLDS
by only including new or changed records in the Submittal file. The process compares
each record in the current month’s Validated Extract file (valextr.ff) to the prior month’s
Validated Extract file, called the Prior Validated Extract file (priorextr.ff). Any Detail
records that have been added, deleted, or changed from
one Validated Extract file to the next are identified and
written to the Submittal file (submit.ff), along with all
forced records and Past Period Change records. The
Duplicate Records
Submittal file then reflects the delta or changes in your
database.
If there are duplicate
As part of the Delta Process, DataPrep creates a new Prior
Validated Extract file from the current Validated Extract file.
The old Prior Validated Extract file is either deleted or
backed up, depending on how you set your Delta Process
options (Section 5.2.2). In this manner, one month’s
Validated Extract file becomes the next month’s Prior
Validated Extract file.

records in the current
Validated Extract file,
both records are written
to the Submittal file.
However, neither record
will load onto the NSLDS
database; instead, both
will be written to the Load
Process Error file.

The Delta Process produces three output files:
1. Delta Log File (deltalog.ff)—A file produced during the Delta process that
contains a summary of data processed such as file record counts, process results,
and processing time. The file is used to produce a Delta Log report.
2. Prior Validated Extract File (priorextr.ff)—This month’s Validated Extract file, to
which you will compare next month’s Validated Extract file the next time you run
the Delta Process.
3. Submittal File (submit.ff)—The file you send to NSLDS. The Delta Process
generates it by comparing the Validated Extract file to the Prior Validated Extract
file.

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7.2.1 What Happens in the Delta Process
DataPrep begins the Delta Process by reading the Header
record in the Validated Extract file to make certain it is a
Header record, that the file format is correct (640-byte
record), and that the GA code and submittal dates are
valid. If the file passes these file-level edits, DataPrep
compares the identifiers for each Detail record in the
Validated Extract file to the identifiers for the records in
the Prior Validated Extract file.

Records with DomainLevel Errors
Records with domainlevel errors are written
from the Validated
Extract file to the
Submittal file during the
Delta Process. However,
records with these errors
do not update NSLDS
and instead appear in
your Load Process Error
file.

•

If the identifiers for a validated extract record do not
match a prior validated extract record, the record is
identified as an add record and written to the
Submittal file.

•

If the validated extract Record Type Indicator is “Z”
(indicating a PPC record) or the Action Code is “F”
(indicting a forced record), the record is written to the Submittal file.

•

If the identifiers match and the Record Type Indicator is “N” (a normal Detail record)
or “Y” (a Detail record with domain errors), DataPrep performs a field-by-field
comparison of the current and previous Detail records.
− If it detects any changed data, the validated extract record is identified as a
change record and written to the Submittal file. This is true regardless of
whether the record contains any domain-level errors, although records with
domain-level errors do not update NSLDS.
− If it does not detect any changed data, the record is considered unchanged and is
not written to the Submittal file.

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Delta Process
Compare

Current
Validated
Extract File

Prior
Validated
Extract File

Duplicates

Check for
duplicate loan
Identifiers
Becomes Prior
Validated
Extract File for
Next Cycle

No Duplicates

Check Record
Type
Indicators

If Record Type
Indicator = Z

Check If Z

If Record Type Indicator
Does Not = Z

Check Action
Code

If Action
Code = F

Check If Action
Code = F

If Not = F

Check Field
Values

Yes,
Changes

Changes in
Field Values?

No
Changes

Record Not
Written to
Submittal File

Submittal
File
NSL-1065

Figure 7–9, The Delta Process

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7.2.2 The Delta Process on a PC
You can run the Delta Process with Extract Validation or separately. To run it separately,
you must already have run Extract Validation and created a Validated Extract file
(valextr.ff), which should be placed in the Current folder (C:\DataPrep-GA\Current).
To run the Delta Process, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Extract Validation. The Extract Validation dialog
box displays.

Figure 7–10, Extract Validation Dialog Box
2. Select Delta Only as the Process Option (Figure 7–10).
3. If you want to rerun the current month’s Delta Process,
select that as the Delta Processing Option. DataPrep will
automatically look for this month’s Prior Validated Extract
file in the Backup folder, rather than the Prior Validated
Extract file in the Current folder that DataPrep created
when you previously ran the current month’s Delta process.

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Rerun Current
Month’s Delta
Process
When you select Rerun
current month’s Delta
Process as the Delta
Processing Option,
DataPrep automatically
looks for your previous
Prior Validated Extract
file in the Backup
folder. This saves you
the effort of manually
restoring that file to the
Current directory. But it
only works if you back
up your Prior Validated
Extract files (Section
5.2.2).

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Figure 7–11, Rerun Current Month’s Delta Process
4. Click Run. Once the Delta Process begins, the Delta Process dialog box appears,
showing you how much of the process is complete. While Delta Process is in
progress, you can close the Extract Validation dialog box and perform other
DataPrep tasks. In addition, you use other software to perform tasks while the Delta
Process runs. If you decide to terminate the Delta
Process before it is complete, return to the Extract
Validation dialog box and click Stop.
When the Delta Process is complete, the Delta Process
dialog box shows a Processing Status of 100% and
displays information about the process that is repeated
in the Delta Log report.

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While the Delta Process
Is in Progress
While the Delta Process
is in progress, you can
use DataPrep or other
software to perform
tasks. When the Delta
Process is done, the
Delta Process dialog box
informs you that the
process is complete.

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Figure 7–12, Delta Process Dialog Box
Click Close to return to the Extract Validation dialog box. Then click Exit to return the
DataPrep Main Menu. From there you have several options, including generating the
Delta Log report.
Using the Delta Log Report
Section 10.1.2 explains how to view or print the Delta Log report. This report repeats the
information displayed by the Delta Process dialog box when the Delta Process is
complete. Check this report to verify that the Submittal file created by the Delta Process
contains valid data that will load onto the NSLDS database.
The Delta Log report contains the following information:
•

Version and release numbers for DataPrep

•

When the Delta Process began

•

Delta Process options
− Delta run type

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− Validated Extract file (keep or not keep)
− Back up Prior Extract
− Submittal type
•

When the Delta Process finished sorting records on the Validated Extract File

•

Whether the Delta Process was successful and what to do next

•

Validated Extract File record counts
− Records read
− Detail records read
− PPC records read

•

Submittal File record counts
− Submittal records written
− Duplicate records
− Duplicate keys
− Detail records forced
− Detail records added
− Detail records changed
− PPC records
− PPC deletes

•

When the Delta Process ended

The Delta Process Is Halted
If you stop the Delta Process before it is complete, the Delta Log report states:

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Halting the Delta
Process
Once you have started
the Delta Process, you
cannot stop it from the
Delta Process message
box.
If you want to stop the
Delta Process before it
has completed, you must
return to the Extract
Validation dialog box and
press Stop.

Figure 7–13, Halted Delta Process
Once you have started the Delta Process, you cannot stop it from the Delta Process
message box.
If you want to stop the Delta Process before it has completed, you must return to the
Extract Validation dialog box and press Stop.

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The Delta Process is Successful
If the Delta Process is successful, the Delta Log report states:

What To Do When the
Delta Process Is
Successful
The Delta Log report will
tell you whether the Delta
Process was successful.
If it was, before sending
your Submittal file to
NSLDS, compare the
Delta Log with prior Delta
Logs to make sure the
number of records
processed is reasonable.

Figure 7–14, Successful Delta Process
Compare the summary data on this Log with the summary data on Delta Logs you ran in
prior months to make sure the numbers are reasonable. Look at the number of records
processed to make sure they are close to the numbers for prior Delta Process runs.

7.3 Extract Validation and the Delta Process on a PC
Together, Extract Validation and the Delta Process produce six output files:
1. Extract Validation Log File (extrlog.ff)— A file containing a summary of the
data processed, including the number and percent of domain errors, file record

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counts, open loan amount totals, process results, and processing time. The file is
used to produce an Extract Validation Log report.
2. Delta Log File (deltalog.ff)— A file produced during the Delta process that
contains a summary of data processed such as file record counts, process results,
and processing time. The file is used to produce a Delta Log report.
3. Extract Error File (extrerr.ff)—A file from which you can create a report listing
all domain-level errors in the Database Extract file. It is created only if the
Database Extract file passes file-level edits.
4. Validated Extract File (valextr.ff)—A file containing no file-level errors and a
percentage of domain-level errors below the threshold levels established by ED.
This file serves as input to the Delta Process, which compares it to the Prior
Validated Extract file to see which Detail records have changed.
5. Prior Validated Extract File (priorextr.ff)—The previous month’s Validated
Extract file, against which the current month’s Validated Extract file is compared
during the Delta Process.
6. Submittal File (submit.ff)—The file you send to NSLDS. The Delta Process
creates it from the Validated Extract file and Prior Validated Extract file.
Section 7.1 and Section 7.2 discuss Extract Validation and the Delta Process in detail and
give instructions for running them separately.
To run Extract Validation and the Delta Process at the same time, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Extract Validation.

Figure 7–15, DataPrep Main Menu with Extract Validation Selected
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2. The Extract Validation dialog box appears.

Figure 7–16, Extract Validation Dialog Box
3. Select Validation and Delta as the Process Option.
4. Check that the directory paths listed in the Input box point towards the folders that
contain your Database Extract file and the current TEF file.
5. If you click any of the plus signs on the far right next to the file date, DataPrep
displays a message telling you when the file was created or last modified and the
number of bytes it contains.

6. Click Exit to return to the Extract Validation dialog box.
7. Click Run. The Extract Validation and Delta Process dialog boxes appear in turn as
first Extract Validation and then the Delta Process run. While they are in progress,
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you can close either dialog box and use other software to perform tasks while Extract
Validation and the Delta Process run. If you decide to terminate them before they are
complete, return to the Extract Validation dialog box and click Stop.
When Extract Validation is complete, the Extract Validation Process dialog box shows
a Processing Status of 100% and displays information about Extract Validation that is
repeated in the Extract Validation Log report.

Figure 7–17, Extract Validation Process Dialog Box

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When the Delta Process is complete, the Delta Process dialog box shows a
Processing Status of 100% and displays information about the Delta Process that is
repeated in the Delta Log report.

Previous Data Sets
The first step in the JCL
will delete any data sets
previously created. If you
want to save your
previous Submittal file,
you must copy it to
another file name.

Figure 7–18, Delta Process Dialog Box

7.4 Extract Validation and the Delta Process on an Z/OS LE
Mainframe
The JCL for Z/OS LE Version 3.1 or higher executes DataPrep procedures that perform
Extract Validation, Delta process and create an error file. Appendix G contains the JCL for
these functions. It can be referenced from the library created with JCLLIB as part of the
name. The library member name is PRBD1000.

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Chapter 8: Sending and Receiving Files
8.1 Sending the Submittal File
You are required to send a current Submittal file to NSLDS
based on the selected submittal frequency. Because of the
number of data providers and the size of some Submittal
files, it is critical that you submit your data according to the
frequency established by your organization.
Make sure that the file you send meets the following
standards:
•

It is a Submittal file (named submit.ff), not a Database
Extract or some other file.

•

It was created no more than 10 business days before
your scheduled load date. If you are not sure, use
Windows Explorer or DataPrep’s File Transfer utility to
check when the file was created.

8.1.1 Submittal Schedule

Meeting Your
Scheduled Submittal
Date
GAs and other data
providers have specific
submittal windows within
which they should submit
their Submittal files to
NSLDS. If you do not
submit within your
window, your submittal
may be rejected by
NSLDS.
ED keeps track of all
missed submittals as well
as error rates in
determining an agency’s
ability to properly
manage Title IV student
aid programs.

NSLDS does not assign submittal schedules. Your
organization can submit at any time during the month, but
is expected to submit at regular intervals. These intervals are indicated by the submittal
frequency selected on the NSLDS website by selecting the Data Provider Schedule link
on the Organization page.
Your Submittal file should arrive at NSLDS no later than 1 p.m. Central Time the day
before it is scheduled for Load processing. The data it contains cannot have been
extracted from your database more than 10 business days before your scheduled load
date.

Data Provider Schedule available on the Professional Access website
You can check your submittal frequency at any time on the Organization page of the
NSLDS website (https://nsldsfap.ed.gov/).

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8.1.2 Submittal File Format
The Submittal file created by DataPrep contains:
•

Header Record

•

Detail Records

•

PPC Records (optional)

•

Trailer Record

The Trailer record, which is created by DataPrep, marks the end of the submittal and
contains basic information about the number of records processed and the number of
records in error at each level of validation.

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8.1.3 Transmitting Your Submittal File by SAIG
Guaranty agencies can, if they choose, transmit their Submittal file
to NSLDS by the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG).
Transferring the Submittal File
DataPrep automatically puts the Submittal file created by the Delta
Process in the Current folder (C:\DataPrep-GA\Current). From there,
use DataPrep’s File Transfer utility (Section 5.2.4) to transfer it to
the folder (normally C:\NSLDS\FILES from EDConnect) from which
you submit files to NSLDS via SAIG.
To transfer a Submittal file from the Current folder to the Data
folder, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click File Transfer.

Directory Paths
These instructions
assume that you chose
the default directory
paths when you installed
DataPrep (Section 5.1.1).
If you did not, you will
need to adjust
accordingly. Section
5.2.1 contains
instructions for changing
directory paths after you
have installed DataPrep.

Figure 8–1, DataPrep Main Menu with File Transfer Selected

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2. The File Transfer dialog box displays.

Help!
If you have problems
with DataPrep or
NSLDS, contact the
NSLDS CSC at (800)
999–8219.
If your problem is
with the EDConnect
software, SAIG
transmission, or TG
mailbox password
issues contact the
CPS/SAIG Technical
Support at (800) 3305947

Figure 8–2, Initial File Transfer Dialog Box
3. Select Export Submittal File as the Action. DataPrep automatically selects the file
named submit.ff in your Current folder as the DataPrep File Input option. You
cannot change this option.
4. Enter the full directory path, including folder and file names, for a Submittal file and
the folder where you keep it for transmission to NSLDS by SAIG (normally
C:\NSLDS\FILES\submit.ff) as the NSLDS File Output option. There are two ways you
can do this:
A. Type the full directory path in the NSLDS File Output box.
B. Click the Browse button to the right of the NSLDS File
Output box and use the Select NSLDS File dialog box
that then displays to select the folder.
Storing Files for SAIG
If you performed a
default installation of the
EDConnect software, you
use the C:\NSLDS\FILES
folder to store files for
transmission to NSLDS
by SAIG. So a Submittal
file stored in the default
folder for such files is
C:\NSLDS\FILES\
submit.ff.

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Figure 8–3, Final File Transfer Dialog Box
5. Click Copy to copy the Submittal file from your Current folder to the folder where
you put files before sending them to NSLDS by SAIG. If the copy is successful,
DataPrep displays the following message:

You can then use the EDConnect software supplied by ED to transmit your Submittal file
to NSLDS.
Submitting by SAIG
Once you have transferred your Submittal file (submit.ff) to a folder where EDConnect
software is able to find it, you are ready to transmit the file to NSLDS using EDConnect
software and the SAIG. If you chose the default installation for EDConnect, send the
Submittal file from C:\NSLDS\FILES. Send it as message class GASLDSIN.
For full instructions on how to submit a file using SAIG, see the SAIG/EDConnect Desk
Reference available from the SAIG Customer Support Center.

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If some problem with DataPrep or NSLDS prevents you from submitting your Submittal
file successfully, contact the NSLDS CSC at (800) 999–8219.
If your problem is with the EDConnect software, SAIG transmission, or TG mailbox
password issues contact the CPS/SAIG Technical Support at (800) 330-5947.

8.2 Receiving Files
NSLDS sends all output files to you in the same format
you use to send your Submittal file to NSLDS, with one
exception:
•

The Thresholds, Error Codes and Field Codes File (TEF)
must be downloaded from
https://ifap.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools. The file
should be saved into the DataPrep\Current directory
with the file name TEF.ff. You can also download the
TEF file and use DataPrep’s File Transfer utility
(Section 5.2.3) to help with placement and naming of
the file. This file is updated any time NSLDS includes a
new or removal of error code(s).

8.2.1 Receiving Files by SAIG

Message Classes
Import message classes
used by GAs and
NSLDS:
• GASLDSIN - GA’s to
send loan reporting
file to NSLDS
• GASLDSOP NSLDS to send the
Load Process Error
File for GAs to
process
• AHSLDEOP –
NSLDS Loan Detail
File, sent by NSLDS

If you receive files from NSLDS by SAIG, they are sent as the following message classes:
•

Message Class GASLDSOP—Load Process Error File. NSLDS sends you this file after
successfully loading your Submittal file onto the database.

•

Message Class AHSLDEOP—NSLDS Loan Detail File. NSLDS sends you this file by
special arrangement only. This file is used for reconciliation and is requested through
the NSLDS Customer Support Center (CSC).

If you have problems with DataPrep or NSLDS, contact the NSLDS Customer Support
Center (CSC) at (800) 999–8219.
If your problem is with the EDConnect software, SAIG transmission, or TG mailbox
password issues contact the CPS/SAIG Technical Support at (800) 330-5947.

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Chapter 9: The NSLDS Load Process
Upon receipt of your Submittal file, NSLDS performs the
following edits:
•

File-Level Edits

•

Domain-Level Edits

•

Record-Level Edits

•

Load-Level Edits

Submittal Window

NSLDS performs file-level edits to determine whether
there are errors in the Submittal file that prevent it from
being processed at all. Such errors can include:
•

Sending the wrong file

•

Files that are incorrectly formatted

•

Data that was corrupted during transmission to NSLDS

Your submittal window
runs from 14 days before
your Submittal file is
scheduled for processing
to 13 days after. Your
Database Extract file
should not have been
extracted more than 14
days before the
scheduled load date.

If your Submittal file contains file-level errors, NSLDS contacts you and explains why it
was unable to process your submittal. NSLDS then takes no further action, so it is up to
you to create a successful Submittal file and send it to NSLDS within your processing
window.
After it verifies that your Submittal file does not contain any file-level errors, NSLDS
performs domain-level and record-level edits on each record within the file. Domainlevel edits check for records that contain non-numeric characters or spaces in a
numeric field, invalid dates (other than all zeros), missing identifiers, or missing new
identifiers. Record-level edits check for duplicate records and for records that violate
reasonability rules or ED regulations. If NSLDS detects either a domain-level error or a
record-level error in a record, it writes the error to the Load Process Error file but does
not perform any further processing on the record.
If records pass domain- and record-level edits, NSLDS performs load-level edits that
check for invalid codes, and for any date sequence errors or identifier conflicts that
would be caused by loading those records onto the NSLDS database. Records that pass
the load-level edits are then loaded onto NSLDS and update the database.
For more information about edits, see the Guaranty Agency Data Dictionary (Appendix
A), which describes all the edits applied to each field in a Guaranty Agency record, and
Appendix B–6 and B–7, which list all the error messages created by DataPrep and the
Load Process.

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Problem

Edit Process

Solution

File-Level Edits

DataPrep
Extract
Validation
Process

Extract Validation
Aborted

Domain-Level Edits

Threshold Failure

1. Incorrect Header
2. GA Code does
not match Header

Correct database
and/or extract process
and rerun Extract
Validation

1. Numeric Field Error
2. Invalid Date
3. Missing Identifier
4. Missing New Identifier

Correct database
and/or extract process
and rerun Extract
Validation

1. Numeric Field Error
2. Invalid Date
3. Missing Identifier
4. Missing New Identifier
5. Reasonability Error
6. Duplicate Record

Correct database and/or
extract process before
next submittal

1. Date Sequence Error
2. Identifier Conflict

1. Submit PPC record
2. Resolve with other
data provider
3. Correct database or
extract process

Domain and
Record-Level Edits

NSLDS
Load
Process

Record Rejected

Load-Level Edits

Record Not
Loaded/Updated

NSLDS Updated

3. Invalid Codes

NSL-1063

Figure 9–1, NSLDS Load Process

9.1 File-Level Edits
File-level edits check whether NSLDS has received a Submittal file on schedule, and
whether it will be able to process that file as a whole. NSLDS checks for the following
file-level errors:
•

The first record in the file is not a Header record

•

The GA Code on a Detail or PPC record does not match the GA Code in the
Header record

•

There are no Detail records in the Submittal file

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•

The NSLDS Load Process

The record length is not 640 bytes

In addition, NSLDS checks for a series of Header record errors. For a complete list, see
Appendix B–15.
If your Submittal file fails any file-level edit, NSLDS will not process the file and will,
instead, send you an Error Submittal Summary Notification file.

9.2 Domain-Level Edits
Domain-level edits check individual records for the following errors:
•

Non-numeric characters or spaces in a numeric field

•

Invalid dates (other than all zeros)

•

Missing identifiers

•

Missing new identifiers

DataPrep applies the same domain-level edits to your
Database Extract file as part of Extract Validation, but it
does so only to calculate your domain-level error rates and
to determine whether the rates exceed the threshold levels
established by ED. As long as they stay below the threshold
levels, DataPrep creates a Submittal file, even though some
of the records in the file contain domain-level errors.
The Load Process, on the other hand, applies domain-level
edits to determine whether individual records within your
Submittal file should be loaded onto the database. If a
record contains a domain-level error, NSLDS writes it to the
Load Process Error file but does not process it any further.
This means that load-level edits are not applied to records
that have failed domain-level edits.
Records that pass domain- and record-level edits are then
edited for load-level errors before being loaded onto the
database.

9.3 Record-Level Edits
Record-level edits check the Submittal file as a whole for
duplicate records and then each individual record for
reasonability errors. If a record contains a record-level error,
NSLDS writes it to the Load Process Error file but does not
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Why Perform DomainLevel Edits Twice?
If DataPrep has already
performed domain-level
edits as part of Extract
Validation, why does
NSLDS perform them
again as part of the Load
Process? DataPrep
performs domain-level
edits to determine
whether your Database
Extract file exceeds the
domain error threshold
levels established by ED.
If it stays below that
threshold levels,
DataPrep creates a
Submittal file, even
though some of the
records in that file
contain domain-level
errors. The Load
Process, on the other
hand, performs domainlevel edits to determine
whether the individual
records within the
Submittal file meet
NSLDS standards and
should be loaded onto
the database.

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process it any further. This means that load-level edits are not applied to records that
have failed record-level edits.
Records that pass domain- and record-level edits are then edited for load-level errors
before being loaded onto the database.

9.3.1 Duplicates
NSLDS sorts the records in the Submittal file and compares
sequential rows to determine if the loan identifiers match.
If any two Detail records have the same loan identifiers, it
rejects both records as duplicate records. If you have
populated the Data Provider Loan ID field for each record,
you will be able to determine which record should be
reported under those identifiers for the next submittal. No
record will pass this duplicate edit process if another record
on the same submittal has the same loan identifiers.
Neither duplicate record will update the database since
NSLDS has no way of knowing which loan record is correct.

9.3.2 Reasonability Edits
Reasonability edits check that data is contained in proper
fields according to specific edit criteria. Such edits include
checking that required fields have been filled, such as the
Date Entered Repayment field.

Duplicate Records
If two Detail records have
the same loan identifiers,
both records will be
rejected since NSLDS
has no way of
determining which record
is correct. You will have
to resubmit the record in
a later submittal.
Duplicate loan records
will have an Error Code
of 671 (Identifiers must
be unique on each detail
record) on Field Code
025 (Date of First
Disbursement).

Reasonability edits also check all date and amount fields on each record to ensure that
the data they contain is both reasonable and in compliance with ED regulations. For
example, if a loan is reported as a SL loan (Supplemental Loan) with a Date of Guaranty
of 19970115, it is rejected because SLS loans did not exist in 1997.

9.4 Load-Level Edits
NSLDS only applies load-level edits to records that have already passed domain- and
record-level edits. Records that fail domain- or record-level edits are written to the Load
Process Error file but not processed further by NSLDS. This means that you cannot assume
that records that failed domain- or record-level edits would otherwise have passed loadlevel edits and been loaded onto the database.
Records that pass both domain- and record-level edits, but fail load-level edits are
written to the Load Process Error file.

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Records that pass domain-, record- and load-level edits are loaded onto NSLDS and
update the database.

9.4.1 Identifier Edits
NSLDS reviews the student and loan identifiers in the records you submit against those
of records on the database. If the Student’s SSN in an individual record does not match
an SSN on NSLDS, either current or in history, the student is considered a new student.
If the record then passes all the remaining edits, NSLDS creates a new student and
assigns a new loan to that student on the basis of the data you submitted.
If the Student’s SSN on a record you submitted matches an SSN
on the NSLDS database, NSLDS uses Identifier Match Criteria to
match the loan identifiers on the record to the identifiers for a
loan currently on the system. If it matches an existing loan
record on six criteria—Student’s SSN, Code for Original School,
Type of Loan, Date of Guaranty, Indicator of Separate Loan and
PLUS Borrower’s SSN—the record you submitted is considered
an attempted update. If all other edits are successful, the record
updates the NSLDS database.
If a record you submitted does not match on the loan identifiers
(Student’s SSN, Code for Original School, Type of Loan, Date of
Guaranty, Indicator of Separate Loan and PLUS Borrower’s SSN),
but does match on the Student’s SSN, NSLDS uses Identifier
Match Criteria to match the student identifiers on the record to
the identifiers for a student currently on the system. If a match is
made and successive edits are passed, NSLDS creates a new
loan record for the existing student on the basis of the data you
submitted.

Correcting Student
Identifier Conflicts
Submitting records that
match an existing record
on Student’s SSN but not
on the other student
identifiers (Date of
Student’s Birth and
Student’s First Name)
causes an identifier
conflict. To correct this
error, you must resolve
the conflict with the data
provider whose data
conflicts with yours.

If the record you submitted does match a current Student’s SSN but a student match
cannot be made based on the Identifier Match Criteria, NSLDS rejects the record. If that
occurs, you must resolve the identifier conflict by contacting the data provider whose
data conflicts with yours.
If you submit a record that causes a student identifier conflict, NSLDS writes the record
to the Load Process Error file. The error record contains the following information from
your Submittal file:
•

Student’s SSN you supplied

•

Date of Student’s Birth you supplied

•

Student’s First Name you supplied

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In addition, the error record contains the following information for the student record
that conflicts with yours:
•

Error Code

•

Data Provider Code

•

Data Provider Name

•

Existing Student’s SSN

•

Existing Date of Student’s Birth

•

Existing Student’s First Name

•

Existing Student’s Last Name

•

Data Provider City

•

Data Provider State

This information will help you resolve the conflict with the data provider for the record
already on NSLDS.
For a more detailed discussion of the Identifier Match Criteria for student matches, see
the discussion of the Student’s Social Security field (positions 4–12 in the Detail record)
in the FFELP Data Dictionary (Appendix A).

9.4.2 GA ID Edits
NSLDS reviews original and current guaranty agency codes in the records you submit
against the most current ED data. If the GA ID code on a record does not exist in the
NSLDS database, NSLDS rejects the record and does not update the database.

9.4.3 Validate Codes
NSLDS reviews all code fields to ensure that the codes they
contain are valid. See Appendix B for lists of the following
codes:
•

Academic Level

•

Claim Reason

•

Deferment Type

•

Deferment Type Usage

•

Enrollment Status

•

Detail and PPC Record Errors

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Codes
NSLDS rejects records
submitted with invalid
codes. To correct code
errors, you must correct
either your database or
your extract process.

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•

Guaranty Agency

•

Interest Rate Type

•

Loan Status

•

Loan Type

•

Reinsurance Reimbursement Rate

•

State

The NSLDS Load Process

9.4.4 Date Sequence Edits
In addition to storing the current values for the individual fields that make up a loan
record, NSLDS also stores historical values for selected fields. Often, those historical
values are stored as part of an event. This is because changes to some fields are only
meaningful when accompanied by a change to another field or fields. For example, a
new Date of Loan Status is only meaningful when accompanied by a new Code for Loan
Status. Together they constitute a Loan Status event. While you can update historical
values, you cannot change current or historical values so that you change the
chronological order of events stored in history.
Therefore, NSLDS reviews records you submit against
current and historical values already stored on NSLDS for
the same record to ensure that any date changes do not
alter the sequence of events. If they do, NSLDS writes the
record to the Load Process Error file and does not update
the database with it.
If NSLDS rejects a record because of a date sequence error,
first check that the data you have submitted is correct. If it
is, you must submit a PPC record to update the historical
data already on NSLDS that is making your record cause a
date sequence error.

Correcting Date
Sequence Errors
Records you submit that
do not conform to date
sequence logic will not
update NSLDS. To
correct the records
already on NSLDS that
cause these errors, you
may need to submit a
PPC record (Section
6.6).

For more detailed discussions of how NSLDS stores history
and of how to update historical data using PPC records, see Section 6.6.

9.4.5 Online Updating
GAs are able to update individual or groups of records online, as well as through the
normal submittal process. Authorized GA users can use the Loan Detail Update page on the
NSLDS website (https://nsldsfap.ed.gov) to:
•
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•

Change PLUS borrower identifiers

•

Change the status and maturity date of a loan with disbursements after the
borrower’s program completion

•

Change loan status

•

Change the status of a loan to Default and enter claim information

•

Transfer loans to other Guaranty Agencies

•

Correct inaccurate loan data

•

Cancel a loan after disbursements have been made

•

Place a loan in default, then repurchase and move the loan to RP status

•

Delete a loan

This powerful customer service tool gives your agency direct update access to NSLDS.
This enhancement will improve your ability to respond quickly to schools and students
when corrections or updates are needed that affect a student’s eligibility. For security
reasons, only five users from each GA will be granted this authority at one time.
To use online updating, GAs must enroll for NSLDS online access. You can do so
through the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) site at https://fsawebenroll.ed.gov/.
1 At the SAIG website, follow the SAIG site’s instructions to enroll for NSLDS access.
2 When your application is approved, you will receive your NSLDS user ID and a
default password via e-mail.
3 All current users must fill out a new SAIG form, checking the Online Loan Update
box to ensure continued security access. It can be completed quickly and easily
on the Web.
For more information about using online loan updating, call the NSLDS Customer
Support Center at 1-800-999-8219 or send an e-mail to [email protected].

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Chapter 10: Generating Reports on Windows-Based
PCs
From Extract Validation onward, the NSLDS update process creates a series of data files
that you can use to create reports. These reports will help you verify the contents of
your database and of your submittals to NSLDS. If necessary, they will help you fix
problems with your database or extract procedures, a topic discussed in detail in
Chapter 12.
Using files produced by either the Extract Validation process or NSLDS, DataPrep can
create the following reports:
•

Extract Validation Log Report—This report is created from the Extract Validation
Log file created by Extract Validation. It is identical in contents to the text displayed
by the Extract Validation Process dialog box after Extract Validation is complete.

•

Delta Log Report—This file is created from the Delta Log file created by the Delta
Process. It is identical in contents to the text displayed by the Delta Process dialog
box after the Delta Process is complete.

•

Extract Error Report—This report is created from the Extract Error file created by
Extract Validation and is available in either summary or detail format.

•

Load Process Error Report—This report is created from the Load Process Error file
returned to you by NSLDS after it has processed your Submittal file. It is available in
either summary or detail format.

•

Extract Loan Detail Report—This report is created from the Extract Loan Detail file
created by Extract Validation.

•

Submittal Loan Detail Report—This report is created from the Submittal file
created by the Delta Process.

•

NSLDS Loan Detail Report—This report is created from the Loan Detail File NSLDS
can send you, by requesting it through the NSLDS Customer Support Center at 800999-8219. The Loan Detail file can be used to identify and resolve error conditions
within your GA system/database when comparing the data on NSLDS. It is
recommended you request this file at least every six months to help you with the
reconciliation process.

DataPrep for PCs offers advanced users a particularly rich set of selection and sort
options for detail Error reports and Loan Detail reports. Those options are discussed at
the end of this chapter.

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10.1 Log Reports
10.1.1 Extract Validation Log Report
The information that appears in the Extract Validation Process
dialog box after Extract Validation is complete (Figure 7–4) is
also written to the Extract Validation Log file, where is it
available to you for further examination or storage. From this
file you can view or print a report that provides a useful
overview of Extract Validation. For a detailed discussion of the
report’s contents, see Section 7.1.2.
To view or print the Extract Validation Log report, follow these
steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Log Report.

Extract Validation Log
The Extract Validation
Log file created by
DataPrep includes the
following information:
• The number of
domain-level errors
detected
• Whether the rejection
threshold has been
exceeded
• The number of
records in the
Database Extract file
The log report can help
you identify problems in
your system or database.

Figure 10–1, DataPrep Main Menu with Log Report Selected

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2. The Log Report dialog box appears.

Figure 10–2, Log Reports Dialog Box
3. Select the Extract Log file in your Current folder (it will be named extrlog.ff), and
click View. DataPrep displays the log in the report print preview window.

Report/File Viewers
When you use DataPrep,
it automatically displays
reports within the
software’s report print
preview window. For
those reports generated
and saved within
DataPrep’s
directory/folders, they
can also be viewed with
Windows text viewing
software (e.g. Notepad,
WordPad, TextPad, etc.)

Figure 10–3, Extract Validation Log Report

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If you want to print the report, you can do so directly from the report print preview
window, or you can return to the Log Report dialog box and click Print.

10.1.2 Delta Log Report
The information that appears in the Delta Process dialog box
after the Delta Process is complete (Figure 7–12) is also written to
the Delta Log file, where is it available to you for further
examination or storage. From this file you can view or print a
report that provides a useful overview of the Delta Process. For a
detailed discussion of the report’s contents, see Section 7.2.2.

Delta Log Report

To create and view the Delta Log report, follow these steps:

The Delta Log file
created by DataPrep
includes the following
information:

1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Log Report.

•

The number of
records read

•

The number of
records written to
the Submittal file

Figure 10–4, DataPrep Main Menu with Log Report Selected

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2. The Log Reports dialog box appears.

Figure 10–5, Log Reports Dialog Box
3. Select the Delta Log file in your Current folder (it will be named deltalog.ff), and
click View. DataPrep displays the Delta Log report in the report print preview
window.

Figure 10–6, Delta Log Report

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If you want to print the report, you can do so directly from the report print preview
window, or you can return to the Log Report dialog box and click Print.

10.2 Error Reports
The NSLDS update process includes two error reports:
•

The Extract Error report identifies records that erred out of Extract Validation. It is
created from the Extract Error file produced by Extract Validation, and it will help you
identify and correct errors in your Database Extract file.

•

The Load Process Error report identifies records that erred out of the NSLDS Load
Process. It is created from the Load Process Error file NSLDS sends you after it has
loaded your Submittal file onto the database, and it will help you identify and correct
errors in your Submittal file.

Both reports will help you to identify and correct errors in your database and in your
extract process.
You can create either error report in a summary or detail format. Both summary and
detail reports can be sorted by preprogrammed sort parameters, and you can create
your own additional sort parameters for detail reports. In addition, you can use selection
criteria to limit which records are included in the detail error reports. DataPrep includes
a set of preprogrammed selection criteria for detail reports, but you can also create your
own, including variable criteria that you assign a value each time you run the report.

10.2.1 Error Files
DataPrep can only create error reports from error files located in your Current or Backup
folders. This does not present a problem in the case of the Extract Error file, which
DataPrep automatically creates and places in your Current folder whenever a Database
Extract files passes the file-level edits performed by Extract Validation.
However, before you can create a Load Process Error report, you must use DataPrep’s
File Transfer utility (Section 5.2.4) to transfer two files to your Current folder:
•

The Load Process Error File

•

The TEF File

NSLDS will send you the Load Process Error file by SAIG. The format of this file has not
changed from DataPrep. The SAIG message class for the Load Process Error file is
GASLDSOP.
The TEF file is available to download at https://ifap.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools.

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10.2.2 Generating Summary Error Reports
To create a summary error report, the following files must be placed in your Current
folder.
For the Summary Extract Error report:
•

The Extract Error file created by DataPrep

•

The latest TEF file downloaded from https://ifap.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools

For the Summary Load Process Error report:
•

The Load Process Error file sent to you by NSLDS

•

The latest TEF file downloaded from https://ifap.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools

Once these files are in your Current directory, follow these steps to create a summary
error report:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Error Report.

Figure 10–7, DataPrep Main Menu with Error Report Selected
2. The Error Report dialog box appears.

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Extract Error Report or
Load Process Error
Report

Figure 10–8, Error Report Dialog Box
3. Select Extract Validation or Load Processing as the Error Source.
4. Select Summary as the Report Type.

The Error Report dialog
box allows you to create
either an Extract Error
report from your
Validated Database
Extract file or a Load
Process Error report from
the Load Process Error
file NSLDS sends you
after processing your
Submittal file. Be sure to
specify the correct Error
Source for the report you
want.

5. Highlight the error file from which you want to create a report
(here C:\DataPrep-GA\Current\extrerr.ff). If you double-click on a file listed in the
Error Files list, a File Information dialog box appears showing you the date and time
the file was created or last modified and the number of bytes in the file.

If you do, click Exit to return to the Error Report dialog box.
6. Select a Sort Sequence (Section 10.5). If you select ‘Not Sorted’, the report is sorted
in the same order as the error file from which it is created.
7. When you are satisfied with the options you have selected on the Error Report dialog
box, click Create. A status message appears informing you the report has been
generated.
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Viewers

8. Click View. If you chose the options depicted in Figure 10–8,
you should see a report that looks something like this when
viewed in the DataPrep report print preview window:

DataPrep’s built-in report
print preview window
produces a correctly
formatted report. If you
use one of the other
viewers to view or print a
report, you may have to
adjust the font and size
to fit on a page or print
your report using
landscape rather than
portrait format.

Figure 10–9, Summary Extract Error Report

10.2.3 Generating Detail Error Reports
To create a detail error report, the following files must be placed in your Current folder.
For the Detail Extract Error Report:
•

The Extract Error file created by DataPrep

•

The latest TEF file downloaded from https://ifap.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools

For the Detail Load Process Error Report:
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•

The Load Process Error file sent to you by NSLDS

•

The latest TEF file downloaded from https://ifap.ed.gov/software-and-other-tools

Once these files are in your Current directory, follow these steps to create a detail error
report:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Error Report.

Figure 10–10, DataPrep Main Menu with Error Report Selected
Extract Error Report or
Load Process Error
Report

2. The Error Report dialog box appears.

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Figure 10–11, Error Report Dialog Box
3. Select Extract Validation or Load Processing as the Error Source.
4. Select Detail as the Report Type.
5. Highlight the error file from which you want to create a report (here C:\DataPrepGA\Current\extrerr.ff). If you double-click on a file listed in the Error Files list, a File
Information message dialog box appears showing you the date and time the file was
created or last modified and the number of bytes in the file.

If you do, click Exit to return to the Error Report dialog box.
6. Select a Sort Sequence (Section 10.5). If you select No Sort, the report will be sorted
in the same order as the Extract Error file or Load Process Error file from which it was
created.
7. Select one or more Selection Criteria (Section 10.4). If you select a selection criteria
containing one or more variables, their current values will be shown in the Variables
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list. You can click on a variable to bring up the Set Variable Value dialog box.
Change the variable value to the new required value and click OK.
You should only run a single report using a selection criteria, since only one set of
variable values is stored for a given selection criteria option. In addition, please
remember that DataPrep only retains the latest version of a selected report.
Therefore, at any given time, only the report that was run with the latest variable
values will be available.
8. When you are satisfied with the options you have selected on the Error Report dialog
box, click Generate. A status message appears informing you the report has been
generated.

9. Click View. If you chose the options depicted in Figure 10–11, you should see a
report that looks something like Figure 10–12 when viewed in DataPrep’s report
print preview window:

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Figure 10–12, Detail Extract Error Report

Figure 10–13, Detail Load Process Error Report

10.3 Loan Detail Reports
Generating loan detail reports is not a routine step in the NSLDS update process.
However, loan detail reports are useful for researching and resolving problems with
individual loan records that you have already identified from the Extract Error report or
Load Process Error report.
There are three loan detail reports:

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•

The Extract Loan Detail report is created from the
Database Extract file, and it allows you to review all or
selected records in your file.

•

The Submittal Loan Detail report is created from the
Submittal file, and it allows you to review all the records in
that file field-by-field.

•

Do Not Change the
Database Extract File
If you view or review your
Database Extract file, be
certain you do not make
any changes to it. The
Database Extract file
must be a mirror image
of your database.

The NSLDS Loan Detail report is created from the Loan
Detail File that NSLDS sends you after it is requested
through the NSLDS Customer Support Center. The Loan
Detail File can take the form of a Reconciliation file
containing all the loans on NSLDS that you report on, or it
can include only loans that meet certain conditions. The
NSLDS Loan Detail report allows you to view every field of each record it contains.
Comparing the contents of the NSLDS Loan Detail report to the contents of your
database will help you reconcile any conflicts between your data and that on NSLDS.

10.3.1 Loan Detail Files
DataPrep looks for Extract Loan Detail files in these folders:
•

Extract

•

Backup

DataPrep looks for Submittal files in these folders:
•

Current

•

Backup

DataPrep looks for NSLDS Loan Detail files in these folders:
•

Loan (or Current)

•

Backup

Unless you have transferred your Database Extract file out of
your Extract folder or your Submittal file out of your Current
folder, you will not have to transfer any files before creating the
Extract or Submittal Loan Detail files.

Loan (or Current)
If you selected the
default directory paths
when you installed
DataPrep, DataPrep
looks for NSLDS Loan
Detail files in the Loan
and Backup folders. If
you did not specify a
directory path for Loan
Detail files, DataPrep
looks for them in the
Current folder
(C:\DataPrepGA\Current). For
information about
changing default
directories paths, see
Section 5.2.1.

However, when you receive the NSLDS Loan Detail file, you must
load the file onto your computer or network and then use
DataPrep’s File Transfer utility (Section 5.2.4) to move or copy the file to your Loan (or
Current) folder.
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The File Transfer dialog box allows you to give version names to NSLDS Loan Detail files.
This is useful if you receive more than one Loan Detail file in a single month. If you give
a version name to an NSLDS Loan Detail file, DataPrep will assign the file a name of the
form loandtlVersionname.ff, where:
loandtl is the constant name for Loan Detail files
Versionname is the version name you assign to the file
.ff is the constant for DataPrep files
For example, loandtlVersion2.ff.
Do not change such names, as doing so will prevent DataPrep from finding and
processing the files.

10.3.2 Generating Loan Detail Reports
To create a loan detail report, the following files must be in the following folders:
For the Extract Loan Detail report:
•

A Database Extract file in the Extract folder

For the Submittal Loan Detail report:
•

A Submittal file in the Current folder

For the NSLDS Loan Detail report:
•

An NSLDS Loan Detail file in the Loan (or Current) folder

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To create a loan detail report, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Loan Detail Report.

Figure 10–14, DataPrep Main Menu with Loan Detail Report Selected
2. The Loan Detail Report dialog box appears.

Figure 10–15, Loan Detail Report Dialog Box
3. Select Extract Loan Detail, Submittal Loan Detail, or NSLDS Loan Detail as the Source
option.

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There are several ways to see when a file in the Detail Files list box was created or
last modified and the number of bytes in the file. This can be useful if you have
several Database Extract or NSLDS Loan Detail Files and are not sure which one you
want to view or print.
A. Use the horizontal scroll bar to scroll to the right of the Detail Files list box.
B. Double-click the file name, or select a file name in the Detail Files list box and
then click the blue plus sign to the right of the file name in the Report File
section. Either action causes a File Information message to appear.

4. When you know which Database Extract, Submittal, or NSLDS Loan Detail file you
want to create an Extract Loan Detail report for, select it in the Detail Files list box of
the Loan Detail Report dialog box.
5. Choose a Selection Criteria (Section 10.4). If you select a selection criteria containing
one or more variables, their current values will be shown in the Variables list. You
can click on a variable to bring up the Set Variable Value dialog box. Change the
variable value to the new required value and click OK.
You should only run a single report using a selection criteria option with variables at
a time, since one set of variable values is stored for a given selection criteria option.
In addition, please remember that DataPrep only retains the latest version of a
selected report. Therefore, at any given time, only the report that was run with the
latest variable values will be available.
6. Select a Sort Sequence (Section 10.5). If you select No Sort, the report will be sorted
in the same order as the file from which it was created.
7. Click Generate. DataPrep displays a message notifying you that the report has been
successfully generated.

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8. Click View to display the Loan Detail Report. Viewed in the DataPrep’s report print
preview window, it should look something like Figure 10–16.

Figure 10–16, Loan Detail Report
From the report print preview window, you can view or print the report as you please.
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10.4 Selection Criteria
DataPrep gives you the option of generating detail error reports and loan detail reports
using different selection criteria. Several selection options have been preprogrammed.
For error reports:
•

Data Fields in Error

•

Identifier Fields in Error

•

New Identifier Fields in Error

•

No SSN Conflict Records

•

Only SSN Conflict Records

•

Selected Error Code

•

Selected Error and Field Code

•

Selected Field Code

For loan detail reports:
•

Loan Has Amount Repurchased

•

Loan Has Amount of Cancellation

•

Loan Has Amount of Disbursement

•

Loan Has a New Identifier

•

No Data Provider Loan Identifier

•

Selected Date of Guaranty

•

Selected Loan Status

•

Selected Loan Type

•

Selected PLUS Borrower SSN

•

Selected Student SSN

•

Student SSN Changes

DataPrep allows you to create new selection criteria, and to change or delete existing
selection criteria.

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To update selection criteria, follow these steps:
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Options, then Selection Criteria.

Figure 10–17, DataPrep Main Menu with Selection Criteria Selected on the Options Menu
2. The Selection Criteria dialog box displays.

Figure 10–18, Selection Criteria Dialog Box

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3. Select Error Detail Records or Loan Detail Records as the Record Type option. The
Selection Criteria dialog box displays the selection criteria available for that record
type.

From this populated dialog box you can Add, Edit, or Delete any selection criterion for
the following detail reports:
•

Extract Error Report

•

Load Process Error Report

•

Loan Detail Report

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10.4.1 Adding Selection Criteria
To create new selection criteria, follow these steps:
1. From the Selection Criteria dialog box (Figure 10–18),
select a Record Type option and click Add. The
Selection Criteria Edit dialog box appears.

Greater than sign “>”
Use caution when using
the > sign in the Sel Key
and Description fields. If
using it, a space must
precede the > sign
Used correctly it
successfully works.
Another way to represent
> is “GT”, for >= try “GE”.

Figure 10–19, Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box
2. Enter up to 10 characters that name the selection
criteria in the Sel Key box. The Sel Key generally includes
the field name; for example, if you want to select for all
loans with an in repayment status, you could use
“LoanStatRP” as the Sel Key.
3. Enter up to 35 characters that describe the selection
criteria in the Description box, for example, “Loan Status
in Repayment.” If you select the Available for selection
option, this description appears in a dropdown list on
the Error Report or Loan Detail Report dialog box when
you go to run a report.

Use of Spaces
Do not insert any spaces
after position numbers. If
you do, the program will
assume the selection
criterion you’ve specified
has ended. If you want to
add any comments (for
example additional
description) you can put
comments after a space.

4. Enter the codes that specify which records are to be included in the report:
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•

Field Positions (Refer to Appendix A for field positions)

•

Comparison Operator (e.g., less than, equal to, greater than)

•

Comparison Value

5. Click OK.
One Criterion
To add a selection criterion for all loans with loan status in repayment, enter these
values:
Sel Key

LoanStatRP

Description

Loan Status in Repayment

Comparison

142–143,EQ,RP

Note: Loan Status is position 142–143.

Figure 10–20, Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box

Two Criteria
To add selection criteria for all loans with loan status in repayment and a date of
disbursement equal to January 1, 1998, enter these values:
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Sel Key

RP=DisbDt

Description

Loan in RP and Disb = 01011998

Comparison

(142–143,EQ,RP,&,158-165,EQ,‘19980101’)

Notes: From the 640 loan record file layout, 142–143 is the Loan Status position, 158165 is the Date of Disbursement position, & is the AND connector, and EQ is the equal
to condition. You must surround the comparison with parentheses when including an &
sign.

Figure 10–21, Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box

10.4.2 Editing Selection Criteria
To edit an existing selection criterion, follow these steps:
1. From the Selection Criteria dialog box (Figure 10–18), select the selection criterion
you want to edit and click Edit. The Selection Criteria Edit dialog box appears
populated by the criterion you selected.

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Figure 10–22, Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box
2. Edit the criterion values as necessary and click OK to return to the Selection Criteria
dialog box.

10.4.3 Deleting Selection Criteria
To delete a selection criterion, select it on the Selection
Criteria Dialog box (Figure 10–18) and click Delete.

10.4.4 Adding Variable Selection Criteria
Perhaps you want to create an Error report that selects all
loans equal to a given value. But rather than establishing
that value in advance, you want to set it each time you run
the report. You need a report with a variable selection
criterion.
To create one, start from the Selection Criteria Edit dialog
box (Figure 10–19) and follow these steps:

Adding a Variable
Criterion
To create a report with a
criterion that varies each
time you run the report,
fill in the upper portion of
the Selection Criteria Edit
dialog box. Then click
Add to access the
Selection Variable Edit
dialog box. Fill in its fields
to define the variable
criterion.

1. Fill in the fields of the Selection Criteria Edit dialog box as described in Section
10.4.1.
2. Click Add. The Selection Variable Edit dialog box appears.

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Figure 10–23, Selection Variable Edit Dialog Box
3. Enter a name of up to 10 characters in the Name field.
4. Enter the length of the data element to which the selection variable is to be
compared in the Length field.
5. Enter up to 35 characters that describe the variable in the Description field.
6. Enter the initial value of the selection variable in the Value field. The initial value
must be a valid value for that field, for example ‘RP’ for the Loan Status field
(positions 142–143).
7. Click OK to return to the Selection Criteria Edit dialog box.
One Variable Criterion
First, enter the following values in the Selection Criteria Edit dialog box:
Sel Key

SelLoanSt

Description

Selected Loan Status

Comparison

142–143,EQ,*LoanStat

Notes: Position 142–143 is the Loan Status field, EQ is equal to, and * indicates that the
following is the name of the variable you will set when you select the specific report (for
example, RP or FB).

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Figure 10–24, Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box
To add the variable, click Add to bring up the Selection Variable Edit dialog box. Enter
the following values:
Name

LoanStat

Length

Description

Loan Status Code

Value

Figure 10–25, Selection Variable Edit Dialog Box
Click OK to return to the Selection Criteria Edit dialog box, which now displays the
LoanStat variable criterion in the text box at its bottom.
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Figure 10–26, Selection Criteria Edit Dialog Box
For more information about adding, editing, and creating your own selection criteria,
refer to the Help for the Selection Criteria and Selection Criteria Edit dialog boxes and to
the discussion of Comparison Syntax that follows. When using the Variable Selection
Criteria for the corresponding report(s), enter in the corresponding Value within the Set
Variable Value window dialogue box.
Selection Criteria Comparisons Syntax
Comparisons
Comparisons are made up of one or more comparison parameters linked using the AND
connector within commas (,&,) or the OR connector within commas (,|,), and grouped
using parentheses ().
Square brackets ([]) indicate optional items.
[(]comparison1[)][[,connector2,[(]comparison2[)]]…[,connectorN,[(]comparisonN[)]]][)]
[comments]
( ) pairs

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Without parentheses, the comparisons ‘A,|,B,&,C,|,D’ would be
interpreted as ‘((A,|,B),&,C),|,D’, but you will need to use parentheses
if the intent is either ‘(A,|,B),&,(C,|,D)’ or ‘A,|,(B,&,C),|,D’ or
‘A,|,((B,&,C),|,D)’.
comparison1

First comparison parameter.

connector2

Second compare parameter connector. (optional)
Use ampersand (&) for the AND connector, and use bar (|) for the
OR connector.

comparison2

Second comparison parameter (optional)

connectorN

Nth compare parameter connector. (optional)
Use ampersand (&) for the AND connector, and use bar (|) for the
OR connector.

comparisonN

Nth comparison parameter. (optional)

comments

Comments. (optional)
At least one space between last compare parameter and start of
comments.

Comparison Parameters
A comparison parameter is made up of one or more compare parameters linked using
the AND connector within commas (,&,) or the OR connector within commas (,|,).
Square brackets ([]) indicate optional items.
compare1[[,connector2,compare2]…[,connectorN,compareN]]
compare1

First compare parameter

connector2

Second compare parameter connector (optional)
Use ampersand (&) for the AND condition, and use bar (|) for the
OR condition.

compare2

Second compare parameter (optional)

connectorN

Nth compare parameter connector (optional)
Use ampersand (&) for the AND connector, and use bar (|) for the
OR connector.

compareN

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Compare Parameters
A compare parameter is made up of a record character position, a compare condition,
and a compare value linked by commas (,).
Square brackets ([]) indicate optional items.
compare => start[-end|:length|:1],condition,string|position|*variable
start

Data Element starting position.
A number from 1 to 640.

end

Data Element ending position (optional).
A number from starting position to 640.

length

Data Element length (optional).
A number from 1 to 1 + 640 - starting position. Defaults to a length
of 1 when neither the ending position nor the length is given.

condition

The code identifying the compare condition.
One of the following two-character compare conditions—not case
sensitive:
EQ = Equal to
NE = Not Equal to

string

= Greater than

= Greater than or Equal to

= Less than

= Less than or Equal to

The character string that is to be compared with the Data Element.
A string of characters whose length is equal to that of the Data
Element.
If a string’s first character is a number, an asterisk (*), pound sign
(#), or its last character is a space, then the string must be enclosed
in single quotation marks (‘string’).
When a quoted string is less than the length of the Data Element,
the string is padded out to the correct length using the last
character in the string. {You can use ‘ ’ to check for spaces and ‘0’ to
check for zeros.}

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When a pound sign (#) prefixes a quoted string that is less than the
length of the data element, the string is shifted to the right and
padded with zeroes. {You could use #’500’ to check for the number
000500 in a six character field or for the number 00000500 in an
eight character field.}
If you want to include a single quote (‘) in the comparison string,
then you will need to enter two single quotes (“).
position

The starting position of a second Data Element within the record that is
to be compared with the first Data Element.
A number from 1 to 1 + 640 - length of Data Element.

variable

The variable name that is replaced with a value at report generation
time.
The variable name must be prefixed with an asterisk (*) and defined
in the Variable Name list.

Examples
166–171,gt,‘0’

Amount of Disbursement is greater than zero.

(63–71,NE,‘ ’,&,63–71,NE,4)

New SSN is not spaces, and it is not equal to current SSN.

4–12,eq,*ssn

Student SSN is equal to the variable value.

10.5 Sort Options
Summary error reports can be sorted by count, error code, or field code. Detail error
reports and loan detail reports, however, can be sorted by any sort parameter you
select. Sorting allows you to focus on specific types of errors or to distribute sections.
DataPrep has provided the following preprogrammed sort parameters for detail error
reports:
•

Data Provider Loan Identifier

•

Error Code

•

Field Code

•

PLUS Borrower’s Name (Last, First)

•

PLUS Borrower’s Social Security Number

•

Student Name (Last, First)

•

Student Social Security Number

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The preprogrammed sort parameters for loan detail reports are:
•

Amount of Guaranty

•

Borrower Name (Last, First)

•

Borrower Social Security Number

•

Data Provider Loan Identifier

•

Date of Guaranty

•

Loan Status Code

•

Student Name (Last, First)

•

Student Social Security Number

For detail reports you can also select No Sort, which causes the records in the report to
be listed in the same order as they were in the file from which the report was created.
DataPrep allows you to create new sort options, and to change or delete existing sort
options.
To update sort options, follow these steps.
1. From the DataPrep Main Menu, click Options, then Sort Parameters.

Figure 10–27, DataPrep Main Menu with Sort Parameters Selected on Options Menu
2. The Sort Parameters dialog box appears.

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Figure 10–28, Sort Parameters Dialog Box
3. Select Error Detail Records or Loan Detail Records as the Record Type. The Sort
Parameters dialog box displays the sort parameters available for that type of record.

Figure 10–29, Preprogrammed Sorts for Detail Error Reports

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Figure 10–30, Preprogrammed Sorts for Loan Detail Reports
From this dialog box you can add, edit, or delete any sort
option for the following reports:
•

Detail Extract Error Report

•

Load Process Error Report

•

Loan Detail Report

Use of Spaces

10.5.1 Adding a Sort Option
To create a new sort option, follow these steps:

Do not insert any spaces
after position numbers. If
you do, the program will
assume the sort
parameter you’ve
specified has ended. If
you want to add any
comments (for example,
additional description),
you can put comments
after a space.

1. From the Sort Parameters dialog box (Figure 10–28),
click Add. The Sort Parameter Edit dialog box appears.

Figure 10–31, Sort Parameter Edit Dialog Box
2. Enter up to 10 characters that name the sort in the Sort Key box, for example
“FldCde” for a report sorted on Field Code.

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3. Enter up to 35 characters that describe the sort sequence in the Description box. If
you select the Available for selection option, this description appears in the drop
down list on the Error Report or Loan Detail Report dialog box.
4. Enter up to 60 characters in the Positions box that define the positions in the record
by which the report will sort. Use commas between fields. Refer to the Guaranty
Agency Data Dictionary (Appendix A) for a complete account of data fields and the
positions they occupy.
5. Click OK.
For example, if you want a report that sorts by Loan Type and Social Security Number,
follow these steps:
1. Enter Type-SSN in the Sort Key box of the Sort Parameter Edit dialog box.
2. Enter Loan Type & SSN in the Description box.
3. Enter 33–34,4–12 in the Positions box.
Available for Selection
Option

Figure 10–32, Sort Parameter Edit Dialog Box

Check the Available for
Selection box if you want
the new Sort Parameter
to be listed in the Sort
Sequence drop down list
on the Error Report or
Loan Detail Report dialog
box.

4. Click OK. The Sort Parameters dialog box displays with
the new sort parameter that you have just created.

Figure 10–33, Sort Parameters Dialog Box
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This sort parameter will now be listed as a sort sequence option on the Error Report or
Loan Detail dialog box.

10.5.2 Editing a Sort Option
To edit an existing sort option, follow these steps:
1. From the Sort Parameters dialog box (Figure 10–28), select the sort option you want
to edit and click Edit. The Sort Parameter Edit dialog box appears populated by the
sort option you selected (in this case, the Type-SSN sort created in Section 10.5.1).

Figure 10–34, Sort Parameter Edit Dialog Box
2. Edit the sort values as necessary and click OK to return to the Sort Parameters dialog
box.

10.5.3 Deleting a Sort Option
To delete a sort option, select it on the Sort Parameters dialog box (Figure 10–28) and
click Delete.

10.5.4 Sort Parameter Positions’ Syntax
Note: Parameters in brackets [ ] are optional.
Positions are made up of one or more position parameters linked together with commas
(,).
positions => position1[[,position2]…[,positionN]] [comments]
position1 First data element position parameter
position2 Second data element position parameter (optional)
positionN Nth data element position parameter (optional)
comments Comments (optional) {At least one space between last position parameter
and start of comments.}
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A position parameter is made up of a data element’s starting position, and optionally its
ending position or length.
position =>start[-end|:length|:1]
start Data element starting position {A number from 1 to 300.}
end Data element ending position (optional) {A number from starting position to 300.}
length Data element length (optional) {A number from 1 to 1+300 – starting position.
Defaults to a length of one when neither the ending position nor length are given.}
Example: 39-73,21-32 Sort by 35 byte field starting in position 39, then by 12 byte field
starting in position 21.

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Generating Reports on Z/OS LE Mainframes

Chapter 11: Generating Reports on Z/OS LE
Mainframes
11.1 Extract Error Report
The JCL for Z/OS LE Version 3.1 or higher executes DataPrep procedures that perform
Extract Validation and create the Extract Error report (Appendix G).
You have the following options for generating the Extract Error report:
•

To create both the summary and detail report, leave the Extract Validation JCL as it
appears in Appendix G.

•

To create the detail report only, remove the asterisk (*) from the line immediately
before this line in the JCL shown on page G–13.
PSTEP080 EXEC PGM=UTD300PB

•

To create the summary report only, comment out (that is, add an asterisk after the
double slashes on) every line after this line
PSTEP050 EXEC PGM=TIRIOVFI

and before this line

PSTEP80 EXEC PGM=UTD300PB

in the JCL shown on pages G–11 through G–13.
•

To prevent DataPrep from generating any report, remove the asterisk from the line
immediately before this line in the JCL shown on page G–11:
PSTEP050 EXEC PGM=TIRIOVFI

11.1.1 Summary Report Sorting
The sort JCL offers three options for sorting the Summary
Extract Error report
•

By Error Count

•

By Error Code

•

By Field Code

Error count is the default, which is why the other two options
are commented out by the addition of an asterisk after the
two slashes at the beginning of the lines on which they
appear.
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Main Frame Users:
Extract Report Sorting
The Summary Extract
Error report for
mainframes can be
sorted by count, error
code, and field code.
However, the Detail
Extract Error report for
mainframes is only
sorted by Social Security
Number.

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//*
//*

ERROR COUNT ORDER

SET SORTPARM=PUTD4001

//*
//*

FIELD CODE ORDER

//*

SET SORTPARM=PUTD4002

//*
//*

ERROR CODE ORDER

//*

SET SORTPARM=PUTD4003

//*

If you want to change this default, you must add an asterisk after the two slashes in the
JCL line for the error count option
//

SET SORTPARM=PUTD4001

and delete the asterisk in the JCL line for the sort option you want to use.
For field code order, remove the asterisk from this line:
//*

SET SORTPARM=PUTD4002

//*

SET SORTPARM=PUTD4003

For error code order, remove the asterisk from this line:
Whenever you change sort options, remember to select an
option by removing the asterisk from that line of JCL and to
deselect the other options by adding asterisks after the double
slashes at the beginning of those lines of JCL.

11.1.2 Detail Report Sorting
The Detail Extract Error report is automatically sorted by SSN.
This is the only sorting option available for the detail report.

Data sets Deleted
The first step in the JCL
will delete any data sets
previously created. If you
want to save your
previous error files, you
should rename them.

11.2 Load Process Error Report
Appendix G contains the JCL used to create the Load Process Error report from the Load
Process Error file that you retrieve from NSLDS after each submittal. This JCL also creates
the Extract Error Report.
This JCL can be found in the library created with JCLLIB as part of the name. The library
member name is PRBD2000.

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As with the Summary Extract Error report, you can sort the Summary Load Process Error
report in three different ways by changing the SET statement:
•

By Error Count

•

By Error Code

•

By Field Code

See the in-stream documentation in Appendix G. Note that the Detail Load Process Error
report can be sorted only by SSN.

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Chapter 12: Using Reports
12.1 Log Reports
12.1.1 Extract Validation Log Report
The Extract Validation Log report is discussed in detail in Section 7.1.2 as part of the
Extract Validation process. Use it to verify that a successful Extract Validation has, in fact,
produced a Validated Extract file that passes reasonability checks when compared to
previous months’ Validated Extract files.

12.1.2 Delta Log Report
The Delta Log report is discussed in detail in Section 7.2.2 as part of the Delta Process.
Use it to verify that a successful Delta Process has, in fact, produced a Submittal file that
passes reasonability checks when compared to previous months’ Submittal files.

12.2 Error Reports
12.2.1 Summary Error Reports
Both the Summary Extract Error report and the Summary Load Process Error report list
the following information for each field on your Submittal
file containing one or more errors:
•

The number of errors that occurred for that field

•

The percentage those errors represent of the total
number of errors in the file

•

The field code

•

The error code

•

The field name

•

The error message

You can use summary
error reports to focus
quickly on the types of
errors your Submittal file
contains.

There is one significant difference between the two
summary error reports. The Summary Extract Error report
summarizes only the domain-level errors in your Database
Extract file, while the Summary Load Process Error report
summarizes all the domain-, record-, and load-level errors
in your Database Extract file. Thus, the Summary Load
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For example, if a large
portion of your errors
come from the DOB field,
that will show up in the
summary error reports.
You can then create
detail error reports to
show individual records
that need to be
corrected.

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Process Error report offers a fuller picture of the types of errors that occur in your
Submittal file. However, the Summary Extract Error report identifies domain-level errors
earlier in the NSLDS update process, and it is invaluable if you need to lower your rate
of domain-level errors beneath the ED-established threshold levels in order to create a
Submittal file at all.
Use the summary error reports to help you quickly spot problem areas in your Database
Extract file. Then use detail error reports to research how those problems affect
individual loan records. Once you have diagnosed problems in this fashion, you should
be able to resolve them at the source by updating your database or extract procedures.

Figure 12–1, Summary Extract Error Report

Figure 12–2, Summary Load Process Error Report

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12.2.2 Detail Error Reports
Both the Detail Extract Error report and the Detail Load Process Error report supply the
following information for each error in your Submittal file:
•

Student’s SSN

•

Date of Student’s Birth

•

Student’s Last Name

•

Student’s First Name

•

Type of Loan

•

Date of Loan

•

Loan Status

•

School Code

•

Data Provider Loan Identifier

•

Error Level

•

Name of Field in Error

•

Value of Field in Error

•

Error Message

View the Summary
Reports First
We suggest that you
create and view
summary error reports
before viewing detail
reports. The summary
reports will quantify the
types of errors in your
Database Extract file,
making it easy for you to
spot large problems.

In addition, the Detail Load Process Error report provides the following information for
each SSN conflict caused by a record on your Submittal file:
•

Student’s SSN you supplied

•

Date of Student’s Birth you supplied

•

Student’s First Name you supplied

•

Error Code

•

Error Message

•

Existing Student’s SSN

•

Existing Date of Student’s Birth

•

Existing Student’s First Name

•

Existing Student’s Last Name

•

Data Provider Code

•

Data Provider Name

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•

Data Provider City

•

Data Provider State

Using Reports

There is one significant difference between the two detail error reports. The Detail
Extract Error report contains all the domain-level errors in your Submittal file, while the
Detail Load Process Error report contains all the domain-, record-, and load-level errors
in your Submittal file. Thus, the Detail Load Process Error report offers a fuller picture of
the types of errors that occur in your Submittal file. However, the Detail Extract Error
report identifies domain-level errors earlier in the NSLDS update process, and it is
invaluable if you need to lower your rate of domain-level errors beneath the EDestablished threshold levels in order to create a Submittal file at all.
Use detail error reports to research how problems in your database or extract procedure
affect individual loan records. DataPrep’s range of selection and sort options (Section
10.4 and Section 10.5) will help you zero in on how general types of problems affect
specific loan records. Once you have diagnosed problems in this fashion, you should be
able to update your database or extract procedures.
It is essential that you correct your database or extract procedures rather than editing or
otherwise massaging the Database Extract file. If you don’t, the errors will remain in your
database and reappear in your next Database Extract file, which will then be out of sync
with the correct data loaded onto NSLDS as a result of your previous submittal.
Appendix B contains a detailed list of all error messages, a cross-reference to the fields
to which they refer, and the error message associated with each edit applied against a
data element. You can also refer to the Field Code and use Appendix A to review the
requirements for reporting on the specific field.

Correct Your Database
Use error reports to correct your database or extract procedures, not the
Database Extract file itself. Editing your Database Extract file to correct errors
violates ED policy, which requires your Database Extract file to be an exact
image of your database, and it perpetuates errors, since any errors that
remain on your database get reported to NSLDS again the next month.

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Figure 12–3, Detail Extract Error Report

Figure 12–4, Detail Load Process Error Report

12.3 Loan Detail Reports
The Extract Loan Detail report, Submittal Loan Detail report, and NSLDS Loan Detail
report list in a readable format the value for every field of every record they contain. In
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the case of the Extract Loan Detail report, the records are those contained in your own
database. In the case of the Submittal Loan Detail report, the records are those in your
Submittal file. In the case of the NSLDS Loan Detail report, the records are contained in
the NSLDS database. Together, these reports are useful for researching discrepancies
between the data on your database and the data on the NSLDS database.
While error reports are useful for identifying types of errors and specific records with
errors in your database, loan detail reports are useful for establishing the full contents of
those records that contain errors. DataPrep’s select and sort options will help you
identify and categorize the records that appear in loan detail reports.

12.4 Error Types
12.4.1 File-Level Errors
File-level errors that result from faulty data in your database or flawed extract
procedures should be caught by Extract Validation and prevent DataPrep from creating
a Validated Extract file. Such errors cause Extract Validation to create an error message
that identifies what went wrong and suggests how you might be able to correct it. You
must remedy such errors and rerun Extract Validation in order to create a Validated
Extract file.
File-level errors that prevent the NSLDS Load Process from processing your Submittal
file are normally the result of faulty file handling or data corruption. Often, these
problems can be resolved by resending your Submittal file or by sending the correct
Submittal file to NSLDS.

12.4.2 Domain-Level Errors
There are four types of domain-level errors:
1. Numeric Field Errors
2. Invalid Date Errors
3. Missing Identifiers
4. Missing New Identifiers
DataPrep checks for domain-level errors as part of Extract Validation, and NSLDS checks
for them again as part of the Load Process.
If the rate of domain-level errors in your Database Extract file exceeds the threshold
levels established by ED, DataPrep will not create a Submittal file. However, it will create
an Extract Error file that you can use to create Extract Error reports and correct your
database before creating a new Database Extract file and rerunning Extract Validation.
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Even if your domain error rates are below the thresholds, you can still create Extract
Error reports and get a head start on correcting any domain-level errors Extract
Validation does identify in your Submittal file.
While Extract Validation will process records with domain-level errors as long as your
domain error rates remain below the threshold levels, the Load Process will not load
such records onto NSLDS. Instead, it will write them to the Load Process Error report,
which you should use to correct your database or extract procedure.
Numeric Field Errors
A numeric field error occurs when a field requiring all numeric characters is populated
by some other character or space. This type of domain error can indicate extraction of
the wrong data, an incorrect result in a calculated field, truncated data, incorrect field
length, or some other type of data problem. The Extract Error report will identify the
data that erred, and you can use either the Summary Report or the Detail Report to
identify the data in your system needing correction or to trace it back to the source of
the corruption. You can also use the Extract Loan Detail report to review the entire
record.
Invalid Date Errors
An invalid date error occurs when an invalid date appears in a field requiring a date. This
can be caused by an incorrect character in the date field (for example, a non-numeric
character) or a date that is not a calendar date (for example, 19980230—February 30th is
not a valid date).
An invalid date error will not occur if the date is valid, regardless of whether or not it is
reasonable. For example, a student date of birth of 19980228 will pass this domain-level
edit, although clearly 1998 is not a reasonable birth date for a current student. That
record-level error will be picked up later when NSLDS processes your Submittal file.
You should note that a date field with all zeros will pass the domain edit, but it may err
in the Load Process if a date is required.
Missing Identifiers
Identifier errors occur when one or more loan or student identifier fields are left
unpopulated. Examples of identifier errors are Loan Type with spaces or Date of
Student’s Birth with zeros. These create a loan record with an invalid format. Identifier
errors can occur when there is data missing from your database or when your extract
process is not working properly. It is essential you review the cause of this error so it
does not continue to occur.
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Missing New Identifiers
New Identifier errors occur when one or more of the new identifier fields are populated
by valid data, but the remaining new identifier fields are not. This occurs if you try to
perform an identifier change but fail to fill in all of the new identifiers. New identifier
errors indicate an identifier change process that is not working properly, so it is essential
you review the cause of the error.

12.4.3 Record-Level Errors
NSLDS first checks for record-level errors as part of the Load
Process. Individual loan records that contain record-level
errors are not loaded onto the database and are, instead,
written to the Load Process Error report. You can then use
that report to correct your database or extract procedure
before extracting the records again the following month.
There are two types of record-level errors:
1. Duplicate Records

Correcting RecordLevel Errors
There are two types of
record-level errors:
duplicate records and
reasonability errors.
To correct them, you
must correct the data in
your database. When
you next extract the data
using DataPrep, the new
Submittal file should
have the corrected
information. Once that
data has passed the
edits described in
Chapter 9, NSLDS will
load it onto the database.

2. Reasonability Errors
Duplicate Records

If two Detail records in the same Submittal file have the same
loan identifiers, NSLDS rejects them both because it has no
way of telling which is correct. Remedy problems with
duplicate records by removing duplicates from your database
or by checking your extract process for any step that may be
creating duplicate records even though they don’t exist in
your database. The Loan identifier that DataPrep allows you to assign to individual loans
can help you track duplicate records and identify their cause.
Reasonability Errors
Reasonability errors result from data that doesn’t make logical sense. To correct these
errors you must correct the information in your database. When you next run Extract
Validation, the Submittal file produced by DataPrep should contain the corrected data.
Once that data has passed the edits, NSLDS updates its database to reflect the
corrected, and reasonable, data.
The following are two examples of Reasonability Errors:
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1. Loan Type equals SL (Federal Supplemental Loan for Students). Date of
Guaranty submitted equals 19970120 (January 20, 1997)—This is not reasonable
since the Federal SLS program did not exist in 1997.
2. Date of Guaranty equals 19950905. Date of Student’s Birth submitted for
student equals 19910713—A student cannot have received a Stafford loan at age
four. Correct the information in your database as needed. (Date of Student’s Birth
must be at least 12 years before Date of Guaranty.)
Reasonability errors usually require that you make changes to the respective field(s) in
your database before your next extract.
For example, the Load Process Error report might contain a record with the
typographical error 20960125 (January 25, 2096) in the Date of Guaranty field
instead of the correct 19960125 (January 25, 1996). NSLDS would reject this date as
being in the future. In your next Submittal file, you must resubmit the record that
contained the error with a valid Date of Guaranty.
However, they can also require changes to your extract process.
For example, you might extract a record with a valid Cancellation Date but a
Cancellation Amount of zeros, even though the correct Cancellation Amount is in
your database. Although the Cancellation Date is valid, it will err out of NSLDS
because the record that contains it fails the companion field edit on Cancellation
Amount. To fix this error, you must change your extract process so it extracts
Cancellation Amount along with Cancellation Date.

12.4.4 Load-Level Errors
Load-level errors occur when records in your Submittal file contain data that conflicts
with data already in NSLDS. When there is a load-level error, the entire record is
rejected. NSLDS checks for load-level errors during the Load Process and writes records
that contain them to the Load Process Error report.
To correct load-level errors, you must correct the information in your database before
you create your next Submittal file. Normally, you must resubmit corrected data in Detail
records. However, if you need to change historical (rather than current data) in NSLDS,
you must resubmit corrected data in a PPC record.

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There are four types of load-level errors:
1. Identifier Conflicts
2. GA ID Code Errors
3. Invalid Codes Errors
4. Date Sequence Errors
Identifier Conflicts

Correcting Date
Sequence Errors

Identifier conflicts occur when a new loan record is
Records you submit that
submitted for a Student’s SSN already on the NSLDS
do not conform to date
sequence logic will not
database, but a student match cannot be made based
update NSLDS. To
on the Identifier Match Criteria (Section 9.4.1). This kind
correct the records
of error can be caused by a number of factors: typos, a
already on NSLDS that
cause these errors, you
student reporting two different first names to two
may need to submit a
different data providers, (for example, a student who
PPC record (Section
6.6).
uses a middle name as a first name), two different
students mistakenly using the same SSN, or even fraud.
Regardless of the reason for the conflict, you must resolve the conflict for the record to
load successfully onto NSLDS.
Loan records erring due to identifier conflicts should be compared with the data the
record erred against in the Load Process. The Load Process Error report will show the
conflicting identifiers and the data provider that supplied them. You should check to see
what the conflict is and if it results from something that should be corrected on your
database.
If it appears your data is accurate but it conflicts with data from another data provider
anyway, you’ll have to contact the other provider and resolve the conflict before NSLDS
can be updated. You can find contact information for the other data provider on the
Organization Contact page of the NSLDS website (https://nsldsfap.ed.gov). When you
contact the other data provider(s), you might have to compare your data for the student
with theirs to determine which is correct. To correct name or DOB information on
NSLDS, use the identifier change process described in Section 6.5.2.
GA ID Errors
NSLDS reviews original and current guaranty agency codes in the records you submit
against the most current ED data. If the GA ID code on a record does not exist in the
NSLDS database, NSLDS rejects the record and does not update the database.

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Invalid Codes
NSLDS reviews all code fields to ensure that the codes they contain are acceptable to
NSLDS. See Appendix B for complete lists of the following codes:
Academic Level
•

Claim Reason

•

Deferment Type

•

Deferment Type Usage

•

Enrollment Status

•

Detail and PPC Record Errors

•

Guaranty Agency

•

Interest Rate Type

•

Loan Status

•

Loan Type

•

Reinsurance Reimbursement Rate

•

State

Date Sequence Edits
In addition to storing the current values for the individual fields that make up a loan
record, NSLDS also stores historical (or past) values for selected fields. Often, those
historical values are stored as part of an event. This is because changes to some fields
are only meaningful if they are accompanied by a change
to another field or fields. For example, a new Date of Loan
Status is only meaningful if it is accompanied by a new
Code for Loan Status. Together they constitute a Loan
Status event. While you can update historical values, you
Correcting Invalid
cannot change either current or historical values so that
Codes
you change the chronological order of events stored in
NSLDS rejects records
submitted with invalid
history.
codes. To correct code

Therefore, NSLDS reviews records you submit against
errors, you must correct
either your database or
current and historical values already stored on NSLDS for
your extract process.
the same record to ensure that any date changes do not
alter the sequence of events. If they do, NSLDS writes the
record to the Load Process Error file and does not update the database with it.

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If a record you submit is rejected by NSLDS because it causes a date sequence error,
first check that the data you have submitted is correct. If it is, you must submit a PPC
record to update the historical data already on NSLDS that is making your record cause
a date sequence error.
For more detailed discussions of how NSLDS stores history and of how to update
historical data using PPC records, see Section 6.6.

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Final Thoughts

Chapter 13: Final Thoughts
We hope this Data Provider Instructions manual has helped you learn how DataPrep
functions. We also hope its description of how DataPrep interacts with NSLDS gives you
a useful overview of the entire NSLDS update process.
If you have any questions, use the full-featured Help system. The Help system
documents all DataPrep’s functions and includes material not contained in this manual.
It is your best source for detailed information about specific DataPrep functions.
If you still have questions about using DataPrep or about the NSLDS update process,
please call the NSLDS Customer Support Center at (800) 999-8219 between the hours
of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern Time, weekdays except Federal holidays.
In addition, if you have any suggestions about how this manual can be improved, please
call the NSLDS Customer Support Center and let them know.

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File Type	application/pdf
File Title	Guaranty Agency DPI- Main Overview
File Modified	2020-06-16
File Created	2020-06-16