Packaging
Student Financial Planning packages the student for each academic year in a student's program according to program and student eligibility.
Overview
The application determines the student's eligibility and Maximum Projected Award Amount for each fund. The application then goes through each fund the student is eligible to receive and adds it to the package based on the institution's configured awarding priority. Funds are added to the student's package until the configured limit is reached at which point Student Financial Planning sets the Maximum Projected Award Amount up to the Packaging Limit and Actual Fund Amounts.
What Student Financial Planning Does Automatically
Student Financial Planning automatically does the following things:
Determines the packaging start date and schedule
Student Financial Planning determines which date to begin packaging a student using the combination of the data in the SAFI and the FasPackagingStartDateEvent message, if needed. This event message includes Enrollment ID and Program Code elements. You can use these elements to assign a Packaging Start Date for a particular Enrollment ID or Program Code. If neither the Program Code element nor Enrollment ID element is populated, the Packaging Start Date applies to all enrollments.
- If the Program Code element is populated but the Enrollment ID element isn’t, the Packaging Start Date applies to all enrollments with the specified Program Code.
- If the Enrollment ID element is populated but the Program Code element isn’t, the Packaging Start Date applies only to the enrollment with that specific Enrollment ID.
- If there is not a program code or enrollment ID specified for the packaging start date, it will be used for all enrollments including future enrollments
- If a Packaging Start Date needs to be removed, the message can be sent with the Program Code element populated and a blank date in the Packaging Start Date element.
For a Scheduled Academic Year (SAY) Term Packaging Schedule:
- If there isn’t a Packaging Start Date associated to the Enrollment, packaging is based on the first Academic Year included in the SAFI in the Program Element, regardless of the program start date.
- If there is a Packaging Start Date associated to the Enrollment, packaging is based on the first Academic Year on or after the Packaging Start Date.
For a Borrower-Based Academic Year (BBAY) Term Packaging Schedule:
- If there isn’t a Packaging Start Date associated to the Enrollment, packaging is based on the first Term included in the SAFI in the Program Element, regardless of the program start date.
- If there is a Packaging Start Date associated to the Enrollment, packaging is based on the first Term on or after the Packaging Start Date.
For a Non Term Packaging Schedule where the student isn’t a re-entry, external transfer, or internal transfer:
- If there isn’t a Packaging Start Date associated to the Enrollment, packaging is based on the first course start date on or after program start date.
- If there is a Packaging Start Date associated to the Enrollment, packaging is based on the first course date on or after the greater of the Packaging Start Date and Program Start Date.
Packages the Student
Student Financial Planning evaluates all of the institution's configured funds and packages the student with all eligible Title IV funds, student resources, and Non-Federal Funds the student is eligible to receive. The student is packaged for each academic year of the student's program up to the Packaging Limit according to a configured awarding priority list. For funds that are automated, Student Financial Planning calculates them automatically to determine the eligibility and award amounts. For funds that are manual, Student Financial Planning checks to see if the fund has already been included in the student's package and includes the packaged amount.
With the exception of the Title IV Pell Grant, the application automatically reduces a fund source if adding it to the package causes the student to be over-awarded. If a manually awarded fund causes an over-award, Student Financial Planning packages the student according to the Actual COA. If an over-award is created and cannot be resolved, an Evaluate Overaward Packages task is created.
Student Financial Planning sets the disbursement amount, Maximum Projected Award Amount, and the Maximum Projected Award up to the Packaging Limit.
Student Financial Planning also determines if there is a projected shortfall or over-award after all eligible funds have been included in the student's package.
In the Student Financial Planning user interface, the application breaks out the student's package and illustrates the total amount the student is packaged for, the amount accepted and/or pending acceptance, whether the student's tuition and fees are being covered, and the amount used toward living and other expenses.
SFP Triggers the Packaging Process based Persistent and Non-Persistent Triggers
Persistent Packaging Triggers
The process is triggered when:
- A Student Academic and Financial Information (SAFI) message is received and the student exists in the application
- The minimum number of inputs are received to start packaging
- Explicitly requested by a user
- Requested via the packaging Application Program Interface (API)
Non-Persistent Packaging Triggers
The process is triggered when:
- A Financial Plan Web Service Request is received without a student ID and all required data; for example, SDI/Program/Course/ISIR data.
- A Financial Plan Web Service Request is received with student ID and some data. If data received in the Web Service Request is different than the data in the student record, the Packaging Engine uses the data received in the Web Service Request for the package.
- A user modifies an estimated ISIR prior to making an ISIR correction
- A user modifies estimated packaging inputs
- ISIR
- LOA
- Financial Aid History
- COA
- Course Changes (Schedule, Grades, Completion Date)
Triggers Repackaging
Student Financial Planning repackages a student when configured conditions are met as a result of updated information and saves and displays the repackaging reason each time a repackage is initiated.
Repackaging Hold
Student Financial Planning prevents a repackage from occurring if any of the following are true:
- The application is waiting for a response from COD on any of the student's disbursements in the package (Disbursement status is equal to Origination Sent to COD or Disbursement Sent to COD).
- There is an Evaluate Student Change of Program task pending completion for the student.
While the repackage is on hold, the application queues up every SAFI message that is received.
Once the hold reason is resolved, the application triggers a repackage for each SAFI that is received and uses the latest inputs for each package (i.e. ISIR, Fund Acceptance, and so on.
Repackaging Triggers
| Trigger Source | Trigger Description (i.e. Repackaging Reason) |
| SAFI Message | Student Academic and Financial Information Message was received |
| ISIR | ISIR status has been updated |
| Subsequent ISIR was not validated prior to Valid ISIR Deadline being reached | |
| Student Demographic Information Message | Student Demographic Message was received |
| Fund Acceptance | Fund Acceptance Message was received |
| Fund Acceptance was not received by due date | |
| SAP Status Updated | SAP Status was updated |
| LOA | LOA/Breaks Message was received |
| LOA | Student has begun LOA |
| COD Message Classes | PLUS Loan Application Message was received |
| Credit Status Response Message was received | |
| Credit Decision Override Message was received | |
| TEACH Grant Counseling acknowledgment Message was received | |
| ATS Note acknowledgment Message was received | |
| Disbursement Criteria | Disbursement Criteria not met by due date |
| Disbursements | Canceled Disbursement were re-evaluated |
| Aid Year Close Out | Award Year is closed and pending disbursement exists |
| Award Management | At least one fund has become Awarded |
| NFR | NFR Fund was added or modified |
| NSLDS | NSLDS/FAH Message was received |
| Package Detail Override | Package details were manually overridden |
| Package Detail Override | COA details were manually overridden |
| Academic Year / Payment Period Instructional Weeks and Credits have been met | Student's Academic Year / Payment Period Credits and Instructional Weeks have been met |
| External Transfer | Overlapping Loans for External Transfers Evaluated |
| Change of Program | Student Changed Programs |
| Re-Entry within 180 Days | Student re-entered within 180 days |
| Re-Entry after 180 Days | Student re-entered after 180 days |
| Student Record Hold | Student Record Hold was released |
| Sequester Reduction Required | Sequester Reduction was Required |
| Payment Period Disbursement Amount or Payment Period Max Disbursement Amount is Updated | Disbursements are updated, affecting projections for future loans. |
| Fund Allocation | Fund allocation has been reached and amount needs to be adjusted |
| At will repackaging | Student was repackaged at will |
| COA Adjustment | An adjustment was made to the student's COA |
| Academic Year Overrides | Academic year info overridden |
| Default Overpay Code Overridden | Borrower Default Overpay Code Manually Overridden |
| Student Record Manually Overridden | Student Record Details were manually overridden |
| Awarding Close Out | Awarding has closed and funds not Awarded |
| Student Ended PP After Credits and Weeks Met | Student Ended PP After Credits and Weeks Met |
| CommonLine | CommonLine Application Response was received for a CommonLine fund associated to the student |
| CommonLine Disbursement Amount updated due to receipt of a Disbursement Roster |
Sets the Packaging Status
Student Financial Planning determines the Packaging Status for an academic year based on the Fund Status listed in the package for that academic year, to make users aware of which academic year package is Estimated, Partially Awarded, Awarded, or Pending Repackage
Packaging Statuses
The packaging status is found on the Packaging screen under the Packaging Summary
| Status | Description |
| Estimated | All funds in the Academic Year are Estimated or Projected |
| Partially Awarded | At least one fund in the Academic Year is Awarded and at least one other fund in the Academic Year is not Awarded |
| Awarded | All fund statuses in the Academic Year are Awarded |
| Pending Repackage | If the package has been or needs to be manually repackaged |
Creates a New Packaging Version
Student Financial Planning creates a new Packaging Version when the student is initially packaged and each time the student is repackaged, in order to help you understand changes in the student's package from one period of time to another. Packaging Versions increase incrementally every time a package is generated for a student; for example, Version 1: 01/01/2018, Version 2, 01/02/2018).
You are able to view historical packaging versions, but by default, Student Financial Planning displays the current version for the current academic year.
Creates and Sends the Financial Plan Outbound (FPO) Message
Student Financial Planning generates a financial plan for all existing students per academic year for the student's program. The application makes financial projections for the entire program, in order for a student to gain insight into how their projected aid would be affected by a change in certain variables. The Financial Plan Outbound (FPO) message provides a snapshot of the student's financial aid package for the entire length of their program.
When Student Financial Planning receives a FPO request for an existing student's saved package via web-service request it sends the information for the requested packaging version. If a package version number is not requested, the application sends the student's latest package.
The application sends the FPO message when any of the following occurs:
- When a new Student Academic and Financial Information (SAFI) message is received
- The student is repackaged due to an award message being sent to a student or when a Fund Acceptance or Late Disbursement Acceptance message is received.
- When a Late Disbursement and/or Post Withdrawal Disbursement (PWD) Acceptance Message is received for a withdrawn or graduated student
See the latest Product Release Notes and review the API Updates to view the XSD files associated with the FasFinancialPlanOutbound.xsd and FasFinancialPlanOutboundV2.xsd. See Doc ID 2613016.1 on My Oracle Support.
Creates an Evaluate Overaward Packages Task
When a student resource fund causes packaged funds to exceed the Packaging Limit, Student Financial Planning creates an Evaluate Overaward Packages task so the package can be manually adjusted to resolve the over-award. If the funds and/or student resources are adjusted, the Packaging Status is updated. If a subsequent re-package resolves an over-award before the Evaluate Overaward Packages task is completed, Student Financial Planning cancels or completes the task associated with the previous packaging version.
Configurable Attributes
The institution can configure the Packaging Limit according to institutional policy so that Student Financial Planning can automate how packaged fund amounts are determined.
The institution can configure the Packaging Limit that the Packaging Engine uses to determine the default dollar amount to include in each academic year for a student. You can then choose to use the Total Cost of Attendance (COA) or Actual COA.
Student Financial Planning enables the school to configure all of the available funding sources that are supported at the institution. Configuration for the Fund Source Definition and award/refund priorities are required for each fund.
You can configure all funding sources and the associated rules that will be used by Student Financial Planning to determine:
- What the fund type, fund code, and fund description is; for example, "Title IV Grant", "Discount", and so on).
- Whether the fund reduces the student's need.
- What the priority of the fund is as it relates to all other available funding sources for awarding and refunding.
You can configure fund source description attributes for all funding sources used by the packaging engine.
You can configure fund priority attributes for all funding sources used by the packaging engine and Student Financial Planning supports an effective start date for the configuration to allow for updates as needed.
Required Role Permissions
The user must have a role with the following General Permission through Roles Management in order to view the following information.
- Student
See Set General Permissions Matrix for additional information.
Navigation to the Student Financial Planning User Interface Functionality
To view Packaging after querying a student:- Navigate to
- Click Package Summary and then:
- Click Cost of Attendance to view and edit COA details, including the Cost of Attendance Type.
- Click a Term link (for example, Term 11 - Fall Semester 2020) to view additional course details.
- Click FSA Data Summary and then:
- Click the Award Year (for example, 2020) to View ISIR Details.
- Click the Received Date (for example, 01/01/2020) to View NSLDS Details.
- Click Fund Information to view eligibility details, and
then:
- Click the Fund Type link (for example, Federal Pell Grant) to view disbursement and amount details.