Summary: This is an overview of big picture, recurring federal contract and system management. I handle most of these things and coordinate with campus officials for the pieces I don't directly manage. If I'm ever hit by a bus these will be things you will need to make sure are being handled.


Federal Contracts & Documents: 

  • The Program Participation Agreement (PPA)is the primary contractual document allowing us to be a FAFSA eligible school. Our last renewal was approved for ten years, we are scheduled to renew in 2022. 
    • This document must be updated if we start to offer programs in different locations (not the main campus) as well as other instances.
  • Eligibility and Certification Approval Report (ECERT) is a document that supplements the Program Participation Agreement. We update this more frequently and it has to be updated if an institution has a change of ownership, CFO, Financial Aid Director, VP of Human Resources, members of the board, or program levels offered by the institution, or type of federal aid program the institution is approved to process.
  • The FSA Handbook sections covering this are in Volume 2, Chapter 5 



System/Database Administration: 

  • Each institution is required to name a Primary Destination Point Administrator (PDPA) for federal systems. This is commonly the Financial Aid Director and I fill this role for Regent. I create/process/maintain documents for each staff member granted access to a federal system (NSLDS/COD/CPS/SAIG/EdConnect/SAVE). I remove users from these systems when they change roles and/or leave, and perform an annual review of all users (this falls in December) verifying they are still current. Each new employee who comes in needs this set up for them, and the signature of the University President is required. However Martha Smith has signature authority for Dr. Robertson and therefore signs each new set of employee forms each time my team hires a staff member.
    • Ashley Albertson is our Secondary Destination Point Administrator. She can do these things as a backup for me.
    • I would like to move this off of my plate eventually as its a routine administrative task that needs careful (and rather frequent) attention.



Designated Points of Contact: 

  • We have to list contact information in NSLDS/COD for: 
    • Enrollment Reporting (Tameka is listed)
    • Pell Grant Officer (I am listed)
    • Loan Officer (I am listed)
    • TEACH Grant Officer (I am listed)
    • NASFAA (I manage our institutional profile)