1. Using Student Aid Eligibility
  2. Configuration Administration

Configuration Administration

You can manage application setup done through Configuration Workbooks using Configuration Administration in the FAS (administrative) UI.

File Structure, Naming Conventions, and Workbooks

Setting up your instance of Student Financial Aid (SFA) is largely done through the management of Configuration Workbooks. To update your Configuration, Oracle recommends:
  • Download your current Configuration.
  • Making changes to the Workbook Comma-Separated Value (CSV) files and Groovy scripts, as needed.
  • Upload the entire updated Configuration back into your environment.
This automatically enforces the correct file loading hierarchy.

If you want to upload partial updates, you must follow the prescribed hierarchy and dependencies.

For example, if you want a new document to clear a particular ISIR C-Code, update the Document and Document Metadata Workbooks files before you update the ISIR C Code Workbook to reference the new document. When uploading only the files needed to clear the particular ISIR C-Code, upload the Document and Document Metadata files before you upload the ISIR C Code file.

This table illustrates the hierarchy structure with dependencies of Configuration Group Categories you must follow when updating your Configuration Workbooks. Each CSV file requires a standard naming convention and a .csv file type extension.

Here's some information about the Configuration Workbook table columns:

  • Group Category - The Group Categories are used as buckets for grouping Configuration Workbooks into processing areas to help with troubleshooting and prioritizing during implementation. The compressed file containing the Workbooks can include one or any combination of categories as the application sequences them automatically in hierarchical order during the upload process.

  • Workbook/Naming Standard - The column includes the name of the workbook and the naming standard to use when saving the CSV files. You must strictly adhere to the .csv naming standard in the Configuration File Guide for the application to recognize and accept the request to load the Configuration. You can add your own file identification data where the percent (%) symbol exists.

  • Description - This is what the Workbook is used for in SFP processing.

  • Workbook Dependency - This column indicates what Workbook, if any, needs to be populated before populating this Workbook.

  • Annual Updates - This column indicates which Workbooks require updating due to US Department of Education (ED) annual Award Year updates.

Note: Workbooks that are applicable to Student Financial Planning (SFP) only are noted in the Description column.
Group Category Workbook/Naming Standard Description Workbook Dependency Annual Updates
Documents Documents Guide/ %_DOCUMENTS.csv Use this workbook to define your institutional documents and set additional related parameters; for example, manual review required, student notification messages, and so on. N/A Yes
Documents Doc Metadata Guide/ %_DOCMETADATA.csv Use this workbook to define associated metadata fields for Document Codes based on the Documents workbook, and set additional related parameters; for example, data type, enumeration values, and so on. Documents Yes
ISIR ISIR Reject Codes Guide/ %_ISIR_REJECT_CODES.csv. Use this workbook to define code clearing logic and associate any additional student notification messages per SAR reject code. N/A Yes
ISIR ISIR C Codes Guide/ %_ISIR_C_CODES.csv Use this workbook to define code clearing logic, any document requests, and any additional student notification messages per SAR c-code. N/A Yes
ISIR ISIR Reject Codes To Fields Guide/ %_ISIR_REJECT_CODES_TO_FIELDS.csv Use this workbook to associate SAR reject codes to ISIR field names. N/A Yes
ISIR ISIR Reject To C-Codes Guide/ %_ISIR_REJECT_TO_C_CODES.csv Use this workbook to associate SAR reject codes to SAR comment codes. N/A Yes
ISIR ISIR C Codes to Fields Guide/ %_ISIR_C_CODES_TO_FIELDS.csv Use this workbook to associate SAR c-codes to ISIR field names. N/A Yes
ISIR ISIR Verification Codes Guide/ %_ISIR_VERIFICATION_CODES.csv Use this workbook to define verification clearing logic, any document requests, and any additional student notification messages per verification comment code and tracking group. N/A Yes
ISIR ISIR Discrepancy Guide/ %_ISIR_DISCREP.csv Use this workbook to define logic per ISIR field to determine discrepancies, for example, conflicting information, that should trigger ISIR corrections. N/A Yes
ISIR ISIR Assumptions Guide/ %_ISIR_ASSUMPT.csv
Note: Applicable to the 2023-2024 and prior Aid Years only.
Use this workbook to define code clearing logic and associate any additional student notification messages per ISIR assumption field.		 N/A Yes
ISIR ISIR Management Guide/ %_ISIR_MGMT.csv Use this workbook to define material change criteria to determine what record should be flagged when subsequent ISIR transactions are received, per award year. N/A Yes
ISIR ISIR Highlights Guide/ %_ISIR_HIGHLIGHT.csv Use this workbook to define code clearing logic and associate any additional student notification messages per ISIR highlight field. N/A Yes
ISIR Professional Judgment Guide/ %_PJ.csv Use this workbook to define their Professional Judgment types, and associate any initiating documents and criteria for each PJ process. N/A Yes
Packaging Fund Priority Guide/ %_FUND_PRIORITY.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to set the order at which SFP evaluates the student's eligibility for funds; for example, Pell is first, then other grants, and finally loans. N/A
Packaging FAS Fund Config Guide/ %_FAS_FUND_CONFIG.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to configure/define specific details around each fund, such as went to freeze the fund, the criteria required to be met before originating Title IV funds, and so on. Fund Priority No
Packaging Non Federal Fund Attributes Guide/ %_NFR_ATTRIB.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to configure any non-federal fund they would like to package students for (whether automated or manual). Fund Priority Yes
Packaging Package Schedule Guide/ %_PACKAGE_SCHEDULE.csv (SFP Only) For non-term institutions, this configuration determines whether a student's payment period or academic year can end in the middle of a course. N/A No
Packaging Package Schedule Attributes Guide/ %_PKGSCHEDATTRIB.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to configure calculation to determine the number of months for a student, and how to treat the summer term if there is enrollment in the summer. N/A No
Packaging COA Guide/ %_COA.csv (SFP Only) This workbook is where institutions configure the Cost of Attendance items. N/A Yes
Packaging COA Term Academic Year Guide/ %_COA_TERM_ACY.csv (SFP Only) This workbook defines what makes a student a full-time full year student. This will be used when determining the Pell COA. N/A No
Packaging Title IV Criteria Guide/ %_T4_CRIT.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to configure the awarding criteria for Title IV funds. N/A Yes
Packaging Origination Property Guide/ %_ORIGINATION_PROPERTY.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to configure the origination criteria for Title IV funds requiring COD communication. N/A No
Packaging CIP Code Rules Guide / %_CIP_CODE_Rules.csv (SFP Only) This workbook defines which CIP codes have changed from the 2010 to the 2020 year. Any changed CIP codes from 2018-2019 to 2019-2020 should include a row in this workbook. This configuration enables the correct CIP code for an academic program to be communicated to COD if its CIP code has been changed from the 2010 year CIP classification to the 2020 year CIP classification N/A No
Packaging COA College Financing Plan Guide / %_COA_CFP.csv (SFP Only) This workbook maps Cost of Attendance (COA) item types from your COA.csv workbook to defined COA categories within the College Financing Plan (CFP). It has a dependency on the COA.csv workbook. Cost of Attendance No
Packaging Fund CFP Guide/ %_FUND_CFP.csv (SFP Only) This workbook associates application Fund Codes with College Financing Plan (CFP) categories. N/A No
Disbursements Disbursements Guide/ %_DISB.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to define disbursement criteria per fund code. This is used with regulatory disbursement rules in the application. You can also define how long a disbursement has to meet the criteria before it is canceled and whether a disbursement message should be triggered upon disbursing the fund. N/A No
Disbursements Late Disbursement PWD Criteria Guide/ %_LATE_DISBURSEMENT_PWD_CRITERIA.csv (SFP Only) This workbook defines how to disburse late disbursements and post-withdrawal disbursements. N/A No
School School Guide/ %_SCHOOL.csv Use this workbook to establish general school level details necessary for processing financial aid. Some parameters defined here include: Federal School ID, OPEIDs, Right to Cancel Deadline, and so on. N/A No
School Regulatory Deadlines Guide/ %_REGULATORY_DEADLINE.csv Use this workbook to define the regulatory dates that should be considered per award year for transmitting files with FPS/CPS and COD; for example, ISIR Correction Start/End Dates and COD Origination Start/End Dates. N/A Yes
School Roles Guide/ %_ROLE.csv Use this workbook to define permissions for each user account role that should be established for accessing the application. N/A No
School Student Hold Guide/ %_STUDENT_HOLD.csv Use this workbook to define types of student record holds, and whether the valid ISIR process will run for each student on the respectively defined type of Student Record Hold. N/A No
School SAML Attribute Guide/ %_SAML_ATTRIBUTE.csv Use this workbook to define user-friendly names for data items used in the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) single sign-on feature for student self-service. N/A No
R2T4 R2T4 Charges Guide/ %_R2T4_CHARGE.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to define the charge types that should be used when determining charges in the R2T4 calculation. N/A No
R2T4 R2T4 Guide/ %_R2T4.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to define any time delay to consider when triggering an R2T4 calculation, based on the type of withdrawal; for example, Official versus Unofficial withdrawal. N/A No
R2T4 R2T4 Break Type Guide/ %_R2T4_BREAK_TYPE.csv (SFP Only) Non-term schools use this workbook to define how breaks should be treated when calculating the R2T4 Rate of Progression; in other words, whether unapproved course breaks are considered or whether LOA breaks should be inclusive of the LOA start date. N/A No
R2T4 R2T4 SAFI Request Guide%_R2T4_SAFI_REQUEST.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to define how many days after a student withdraws that the application requests the R2T4 SAFI; in other words, the SAFI that is flagged to trigger the R2T4 calculation. N/A No
R2T4 R2T4 CHBD Guide/ %_R2T4_CHBD.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to set additional criteria that should be considered when determining Could Have Been Disbursed criteria per fund code, based on Admissions and/or Academic statuses from the SAFI. Fund Priority, FAS Fund Config No
R2T4 Grant Repay Guide/ %_GRANTREPAY.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to define the repayment fund code that should be used to indicate a grant overpayment repayment in the SAFI. Fund Priority, FAS Fund Config No
Notifications Common Process Messaging Guide/ %_CCM.csv Use this workbook to define message content that should be populated in outbound messages for defined processes; for example, ISIR Verification. N/A No
Notifications Trigger Guide/ %_TRIGGER.csv Use this workbook to define criteria and student messaging for financial aid notifications' for example, when a Master Promissory Note or Entrance Counseling Completion is required. N/A No
Notifications Letter Guide/ %_LETTER.csv Use this workbook to associate letter codes that have been defined in the reporting tool, to the appropriate message triggering action. N/A No
Notifications Exit Counseling Guide/ %_EXIT_COUNSELING.csv (SFP Only) Use this workbook to define criteria and student messaging for exit counseling notifications. N/A No

Reviewing Your Configuration

You can download an exact copy of your current Configuration directly from the FAS user interface on the Configuration Administration page. This download is a compressed file containing every .csv and Groovy script that makes up your institution's latest Configuration.

Note:
  • If the Configuration files change structure from one release to the next, the structure is automatically updated when you download the current Configuration.
  • It’s important to look at updates to Baseline Configuration in the release notes to determine how you may want to implement the new Configuration for your institution; for example, new fields.

Required Role Permissions

The user must have a role with the following General Permissions through Roles Management to complete the manual processing steps:

  • Administration
  • Configuration Administration

See Set General Permissions Matrix for additional information.

Annual Award Year Configuration Updates

Anytime ED rolls out new or updated guidelines, Oracle automatically updates the Baseline Configuration as part of the product updates. Here are the Configuration Workbooks that require annual updates:

Here's how you update Configuration Workbooks that require annual updates:

  1. Download the latest configuration from the Configuration Administration page in the Student Financial Aid user interface.
  2. Open the .csv file.
    1. Copy each row of the latest Aid Year.
    2. Take note of the last row, before pasting the copied rows.
    3. Paste the copied rows after the last entry and do not leave any empty rows.
    4. Within each of the newly pasted rows, if there is an ID column, update the values in the ID column so that all IDs are unique and in order. For example, if the 2016 Aid Year ends with ID 450, then begin the 2017 Aid Year IDs with 451.
    5. Within each of the newly pasted rows, update all necessary column values to the new Aid Year values. This usually means updating the Aid Year and Program Start Date columns if they exist, but each work book is different. Any column that includes Aid Year specific information should be updated to the new Aid Year values. For example:
      1. Update the Aid Year column from 2016 (Old Aid Year) to 2017 (New Aid Year).
      2. Update the Program Start Date column from the 2016 values (for example, 01/01/2016) to the 2017 values (for example, 01/01/2017).
      3. Update any other columns that are Aid Year specific. This varies by workbook.

Additional Tips for Updating Configuration

  1. Baseline Configuration is uploaded to your environment during the provisioning process.
  2. At a minimum, you must update the following .csv files for your school:
    1. SCHOOL.csv.
      1. Federal School Code.
      2. OPEIDs.
      3. COD Routing ID,
    2. COA.csv.
      1. COA Breakdown.
  3. The Configuration Administration page only accepts compressed files with a ".zip" file extension.
  4. You must strictly adhere to the .csv naming standard in the Configuration File Guide for the application to recognize and accept the request to load the Configuration.
    1. You can add data where the percent (%) symbol exists.
  5. All dependent .csv files and Groovy directories must be included in the compressed file being uploaded.
  6. Don't compress a parent folder. Select only the .csv files and Groovy directories you want to upload, and only compress those files. Compressing a parent folder will break the path to the Groovy script that is documented in the .csv file.
  7. Don't remove Groovy scripts from their directory, change the directory name, or directory structure. This breaks the path to the Groovy script that is documented in the .csv file.
  8. You can't upload just a .csv file that references Groovy files. You must also provide all the relevant Groovy directories with the .csv file in the compressed folder.
  9. You can't upload just an updated Groovy file. The compressed file must contain the associated .csv file that references the Groovy script in the full Groovy directory.
  10. When you open a .csv file, some columns are automatically reformatted by Microsoft Excel. The format must be updated before you attempt to upload the Configuration or an error will be returned, and the upload will fail. Known data impacted by auto formatting:
    1. Number values with leading zeros (for example, C-Codes, Reject Codes, OPEIDs).
    2. Dates.
  11. All Date columns in the .csv files must be converted to YYYY-MM-DD. Example .csv files:
    1. FAS_FUND_CONFIG.
    2. FUND_PRIORITY.
    3. NFR_ATTRIB.
  12. The CODE_NUMBER in these .csv files must be converted to 3 digits in length, or the application returns an Invalid code length for entry error:
    1. ISIR_C_CODES.
    2. ISIR_C_CODES_TO_FIELDS.
    3. ISIR_REJECT_TO_C_CODES.
  13. These .csv files contain a CODE_NUMBER, but don't update the format to a 3-digit value:
    1. ISIR_REJECT_CODES.
    2. ISIR_VERIFICATION_CODES.
    3. ISIR_REJECT_CODES_TO_FIELDS.
  14. If you copy or type any data onto a new blank line in the .csv file and then clear the field/row contents, you must delete the entire row. Even if the .csv shows a blank record, Microsoft Excel stores hidden data within that row, which can result in an error.
  15. If you want the latest Baseline Configuration, download it from the latest Product Release Notes > Latest Release > Baseline Configuration Release Extract. See Document ID 2613016.1 on My Oracle Support.
  16. Don't upload the Baseline Configuration you download from the release notes in a Production environment, as it will overwrite important institutional data contained in your SCHOOL.csv. Extract the data or script from the baseline .csv or Groovy you want to implement and update your local Configuration files downloaded from the Configuration Administration screen.
  17. In the SCHOOL.csv, provide your school's OPEID. If your school has multiple OPEIDs, it is important that your main OPEID is listed first as it sets the SCHOOL_CONFIGURATION.
    1. In the csv provide all OPEIDs in the following format: opeid main~opeid2~opeid3 and so on.
    2. Make sure the main OPEID is first and then enter all other OPEIDs; understanding that the first one on the list has additional significance, and the SCHOOL_CONFIGURATION.

Manual Processing Steps

Log into the Student Financial Aid User Interface (UI)

  1. Navigate to Administration > System Management > Configuration Administration.
  2. Click the Download tab.
  3. Click the Generate Configuration ZIP File button. When the compressed file is generated, a Download Current Configuration button is displayed. You may need to refresh the page.
  4. Click the Download Current Configuration button.
  5. Extract the downloaded file.
  6. Open the .csv files you want to update.
  7. Update fields as needed.
  8. Format columns with Dates as instructed in Step 11 of Additional Tips for Updating Configuration.
  9. Confirm columns that reference Groovy files have the correct file path.
  10. Save the .csv file according to the CSV Naming Convention and File Structure as explained earlier in this topic.
  11. Open the Groovy files you want to update.
  12. Update the Groovy script as needed.
  13. Save the Groovy file.
    Note: The file name and path need to match the .csv file.
  14. Select all updated .csv files and all folders that contain dependent Groovy files.
  15. Compress files to a file with a .zip file extension.
    Note: Don't compress the parent folder.
  16. Select Files to Upload or drag and drop the compressed file on the drop here box.
  17. Click Submit.
  18. Enter a Comment.
  19. Click Save to proceed and upload the Configuration files.
  20. Click the Load History tab to view process status, Errors, and Successes.
    Note: If one file errors out, none of the .csv or Groovy files are uploaded to the environment.
  21. Click View Details to details by status: Failed, Skipped, or Successful.
  22. Correct any Errors as needed.
  23. Repeat steps 6-19 until the Configuration is uploaded successfully.