Understanding Repackaging Strategy and Rules

Before using Repackaging plans:

• Create related item type groups.

• Create a flat file to define the repackaging selection population using any flat file editor.

• Create a query to define the repackaging selection population using PS Query.

• Create an equation to define the repackaging selection population as Batch Repackaging Selection (A_SELECT) using the Equation Engine.

• Create an equation to define the repackaging plan assignment population as Fin Aid Packaging Select Eqtns (financial aid packaging select equations) (A_SELECT) using the Equation Engine.

• Review the Don't Repackage attribute on Financial Aid Item Types to determine which awards should be excluded from Repackaging. Set the attribute accordingly.

  Note: The Don’t Repackage attribute does not apply to packaging plans or to repackaging plans that use the “Original Package Plan” repackaging rule.

• Review the default disbursement plan and split code at the financial aid item type level. Repackaging uses this when inserting new or validating existing awards.

Repackaging, or reevaluating awards, maintains a package that adheres to the packaging philosophy of your institution. The objective of the repackaging strategy is to resolve unmet need or need overaward. When additional awards are posted for a student after an original set of awards is established, or when additional funding becomes available, Repackaging can automate the Re-Awarding process.

Factors that may necessitate Repackaging include, but are not limited to:

• Reevaluation of Pell Grant eligibility.

• Update of state awards.

• Receipt of outside scholarships.

• Posting of departmental awards.

• Notification from the Bursar Office.

• Loan Certification Requests.

• Funding increases.

• Attrition.

You can define repackaging rules based on the population being reevaluated. To structure repackaging rules to protect certain awards, use the Don't Repackage attribute on the financial aid item type.

The basic repackaging rules and uses are:

As with Packaging plans, Repackaging plans can include a single rule or a combination of rules. The options and available parameters vary by rule.

The Mass Packaging and Repackaging processes handle students with multiple careers similarly. For multiple repackaging plans for careers, the order in which these repackaging plans are invoked determines the award outcomes. As part of both repackaging setup and Repackaging processing, you must specify which career or the order of careers to reevaluate.

On the Repackaging Plan setup component, assign the processing order sequentially by career. Then, on the run control options for the Repackaging process, specify the careers that should be repackaged. For example, Career1 RPKG1, Career1 RPKG2, Career2 RPKG1, Career2 RPKG2 might be the order. The system repackages the student for each career based on the processing order associated with the repackaging plan.

For Auto Repackaging, select the career against which the student will be repackaged and then click the Repackage button. If you specify a repackaging plan before clicking the Repackage button, the system ensures that the selected plan matches the selected career before repackaging the student. If you do not specify a repackaging plan before clicking the Repackage button, the system evaluates the selection criteria and the processing order of the repackaging plan table, and then it processes the student for the first matching repackaging plan for that career. If it does not find an eligible repackaging plan, the student is not repackaged.

If a student has any remaining unmet need, use this rule to attempt to increase the student's existing package with a specific item type or related item type group. You must designate a default disbursement plan and split code at the FA item type level to repackage the student with this item type.

If the item type being evaluated already exists in the student's original package and the student demonstrates additional eligibility for the item type during repackaging, then a second instance of that item type is awarded. Eligibility includes checking aggregate limits, need determination, and federal eligibility requirements. Posting combines the two instances into a single instance. Posting also assigns attributes from the first (original) instance, such as sequence number, award status, and lock attributes, to the adjusted award. The disbursement plan must match for both instances or posting of the second instance fails. If the disbursement plans match, but the split code differs between the two, a custom split (XX) is posted.

If the item type being evaluated does not already exist in the student's original package and the student demonstrates eligibility for the item type during repackaging, the award is handled as a new award.

If the student does not demonstrate eligibility for the award during repackaging, the award is returned as a 0 USD award with a message describing the failed eligibility.

You can use the Increase rule to offer additional awards with an award action of Offer or Offer/Accept. This award action is only available for the Increase packaging rule. (Remember that when the first and second instances of an award are combined during posting, the combined award possesses the attributes of the first instance).

You can use multiple Increase rules in a repackaging plan to increase the student's package. You specify the sequence for these rules within the plan.

At the repackaging rule level, you can target your increase population by specifying a need threshold for the increase to occur. Need threshold can be based on Federal unmet need, Federal unmet Cost of Attendance (COA), Institution unmet need, or Institution unmet COA. For example, if all students who have a sizable unmet need have an increase applied to them, the threshold can be a Federal unmet need amount that is greater than 1,000 USD.

Use this rule for overaward situations, either overages in need or COA. You can reduce the student's package based on one of these decrease methods:

• Bottom-Up Reduction. The Repackaging process reduces the student's package by the overaward amount beginning with the highest sequenced award. It processes through to the lowest sequenced award until the student is no longer in an overaward condition. The system might cancel or reduce multiple awards to eliminate the overaward condition.

• Item Type. The Repackaging process reduces the student's package based on the selected item type. If the item type is in the original package, the item type is reduced or canceled based on the overaward amount. If the item type is not in the original package, no reduction occurs.

• Reduce Awards by type/source. The Repackaging process reduces the student's package based on award type, award source, or both. For example, the type might be Loan and the source might be Federal, Institution, State, or Private. The student package is reduced starting with the lowest sequenced award matching the type and source combination through to the highest sequenced award until the student is no longer in an overaward condition. The system might cancel or reduce multiple awards to eliminate an overaward condition.

At the repackaging rule level, you can target your decrease population by specifying a need threshold for the reduction to occur. Need threshold can be based on Federal overaward, Federal overaward COA, institution overaward, or institution overaward COA. For example, if all students who are in an overaward condition should have a decrease applied to them, the threshold can be a Federal overaward amount that is greater than zero.

You can choose to reduce or cancel awards below their disbursed amounts by overriding the Disbursement Protection attribute established on the FA Item Type 2 page.

Use this rule to repackage the student but maintain the award rules and percentage of awards of the original packaging plan used to package the student. The system reevaluates the student's package using the same eligibility rules and limit controls (aggregate, package plan, item type) as used in the packaging plan.

If the student was not previously packaged by the Auto Packaging feature or the Mass Packaging feature and no packaging plan ID exists, an attempt to repackage with this rule fails. This error message is sent: Bypassed during Repackaging Process - no assigned Packaging plan found.

You can choose to reduce or cancel awards below their disbursed amounts by overriding the Disbursement Protection attribute established on the FA Item Type 2 page.

For the Original Package Plan rule, the Repackaging process:

• Cancels all awards except those loaded by the External Award process and locked awards.

• Reduces all disbursement protection awards down to the disbursed amount or below if the Reduce/Cancel Disbursed Amount check box is selected.

• Repackages the student, reevaluating from lowest sequence number to highest sequence number.

For example, if a student was originally eligible for a Student Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG) because the student filed early and money was available but then during repackaging SEOG funds are no longer available or the student now fails to meet the eligibility criteria, the student is not awarded the SEOG during repackaging unless it is a locked award.

Use this rule to validate all awards contained in the package. This rule is useful when you must ensure continual eligibility and an award amount in the student's package. You can also use this rule when a student receives an external award and you must confirm that the outside scholarship has not created an overaward condition.

If you use this rule, also using an Increase or Decrease rule with need thresholds handles the case in which using this rule results in either an unmet need or an overaward condition.

To reevaluate your students for continued Pell Grant eligibility due to enrollment changes, you must insert a Validate Item Type Rule for your Pell item type. To accomplish this, you must specify two repackaging rules:

• Validate item type = Pell item type

• Validate entire package

This rule processes awards from the lowest sequenced award to the highest sequenced award, and it does not reduce locked awards. It protects external awards and disbursement-protected awards from changes.

Optionally, select the Reduce/Cancel disbursed amount parameter if you want to reduce or cancel awards below their disbursed amounts. This attribute overrides the Disbursement Protection attribute established on the FA Item Type 2 page.

Use this rule to validate any specific item type. To validate more than one item type, insert a rule for each item type in a repackaging plan. If you use this rule, you should also use an Increase or Decrease rule with need thresholds in case the use of this rule results in either an unmet need or an overaward condition.

Before using this rule, ensure that the selected financial aid item type has a default disbursement plan and split code value on the FA Item Type page or Repackaging fails. For example, when validating Pell Grants, you must have an associated default disbursement plan and split code value defined on the FA item type page setup.

To reevaluate your students for continued Pell Grant eligibility due to enrollment changes, you must insert a Validate Item Type rule for your Pell item type.