Overview

Starting with Regent Award Release 5.4.0, Regent Award supports automated awarding and disbursement of Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) awards. Introducing automation into the state grant processing is expected to result in significant cost savings as well as increased awarding accuracy for schools. The process starts with a Maryland institution pulling down a roster from the Maryland College Aid Processing System (MDCAPS). That roster file is then uploaded by the institution to Regent (through either a manual or automated process) with the expectation that Regent will either add or update pertinent information to determine eligibility for a student - no data is updated in Regent at any point in this process. Data passes through Regent and is used to create export roster file(s) with updated student information (ex. GPA, credits, etc.). The resulting export rosters include a file to be uploaded back to MDCAPS and a file for the institution to review any records that failed to be updated (ex. Student does not exist in Regent, GPA is blank, etc.). This functionality also includes the consumption of the MHEC Award Roster, which will insert MHEC award amounts onto the student’s Academic Plan and cancel existing ineligible awards according to configuration settings.

Background

The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) is the State of Maryland's higher education coordinating board responsible for establishing statewide policies for Maryland public and private colleges and universities and for-profit career schools. MHEC administers a variety of statewide financial aid programs, including grants, scholarships, and tuition waivers, for Maryland residents attending two- or four-year public or private colleges/universities in Maryland. Most MHEC awards are based on financial need and/or merit and are awarded in addition to aid offered by the institution.

MHEC Award Eligibility

Information that may impact a student’s eligibility for state awards includes:

Housing status – on campus, off-campus, or with relatives
Enrollment status – full-time or less than full-time
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standing
Verification status/outcome – changes to a FAFSA due to conflicting data

Import Rosters

GPA Roster

The GPA Roster will use data from Regent to provide an updated GPA back to MDCAPS to determine a student's eligibility for an MHEC award.

Example file - GPA Roster-2020-2021_GPA_Roster_Sample, 20200927 (2).csv

Verification Roster

The Verification Roster will use data from Regent to provide housing plan, dependency status, EFC and verification status back to MDCAPS to determine a student's eligibility for an MHEC award.

Example file - Verification Roster-2020-2021 Verification Roster Sample, 20200927 (3).csv

Credit Completion Roster

The Credit Completion Roster will use data from Regent to provide credits back to MDCAPS to determine a student's eligibility for an MHEC award.

Example file - UC_FA_MHEC_CREDITS_RPT_UP_Regent_Sample_210107_v1 (2).csv

Billing Roster

The Billing Roster will use data from Regent to provide enrollment status, grade level, SAP, etc. back to MDCAPS to determine a student's eligibility for an MHEC award.

Example file - Billing ROster 2020-2021 Fall Billing Roster Sample, 20200928 (1).csv

Award Roster

The Award Roster will be used to add, update or cancel an MHEC award based on the above rosters determining eligibility information.

Example file - Award Roster-2020-2021 Fall Award Roster Sample, 20200927 (4).csv

Manual Import

To import an MHEC Roster via the UI, on the Processes menu → Import Process screen, select "Import State Grants" under the Process Type drop-down. Select "Maryland" under the State Province drop-down, and select the name of the Roster (e.g. Billing, GPA, Verification, etc.) to import under the File Type drop-down. Only users with the "Import State Grants" permission can access this process.

Customer Zone Knowledge Base > Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Centralized Awards > image2021-3-31_9-18-28.png

SFTP Folders

MHEC Award data that is not valid for RNA at time of import will be permanently deleted after the related MHEC Award Exception export is complete. The imported data is permanently deleted at the end of this extended process therefore no records will be available for review on the process log.

Folder Name	Process Type	Description
StateGrantLoadMD_MHECAward_FW	Import	State Grant MD files processing Files uploaded from the UI (where REM calls DEX to process them) Also, files that have processed via being loaded into the _FW folder Files only exist in this folder when they are processing
StateGrantLoadMD_MHECBilling_FW	Import	State Grant MD files processing Files uploaded from the UI (where REM calls DEX to process them) Also, files that have processed via being loaded into the _FW folder Files only exist in this folder when they are processing
StateGrantLoadMD_MHECCreditCompletion_FW	Import	State Grant MD files processing Files uploaded from the UI (where REM calls DEX to process them) Also, files that have processed via being loaded into the _FW folder Files only exist in this folder when they are processing
StateGrantLoadMD_MHECGPA_FW	Import	State Grant MD files processing Files uploaded from the UI (where REM calls DEX to process them) Also, files that have processed via being loaded into the _FW folder Files only exist in this folder when they are processing
StateGrantLoadMD_MHECVerification_FW	Import	State Grant MD files processing Files uploaded from the UI (where REM calls DEX to process them) Also, files that have processed via being loaded into the _FW folder Files only exist in this folder when they are processing
StateGrantExport	Export

MHEC File Layout

The following table contains the fields for all rosters that will be imported/exported for MHEC. The file must be in a Comma-Separated Values (CSV UTF-8) format to be consumed by Regent.

Field Name	Type	Size	Description	Example Values/Comments
MHEC ID	Integer	8	ID assigned to student by MDCAPS	123456
Academic Year	String	char(9)	Academic year description	2009-2010
Term Description	String	varchar(50)	Term description	Leading Summer Term, Fall Term 1, Spring Term 2, Trailing Summer Term
School Code	String	char(6)	6-digit Federal School Code	002000
School Name	String	varchar(100)	institution name	Name as it appears in MDCAPS
Program Group Short Name	String	varchar(25)	Name of the award program group, which includes both initial and renewal awards	EA, GA, WSSAG TE; see program codes for complete list
Program Short Name	String	varchar(25)	Name of the award program	EA - I, EA - R; see program codes for complete list
SSN	String	char(9)	Student's SSN	123456789 (no hyphens)
Last Name	String	varchar(30)	Student's Last Name
First Name	String	varchar(30)	Student's First Name
Middle Initial	String	varchar(1)	Student's Middle Initial
GPA Type	String	varchar(1)	Annual or cumulative GPA, as required by award program	A = Annual GPA C = Cumulative GPA
GPA	Float		Student's GPA	3.95
Major	String	varchar(200)	Major description	Required for WSSAG only; see Majors
Legislative District	String	varchar(100)	Student's Legislative District	1,2,3...47
Legislative Subdistrict	String	varchar(100)	Student's Legislative Subdistrict	A, B, C, blank
Submit Enrollment Doc	String	char(1)	Institution must send hard copy documentation of student's enrollment to MHEC	Y = institution must send enrollment documentation N = enrollment documentation not required
Program Status	String	varchar(50)	Current status for the program	Awarded, Paid, Incomplete, etc.
Award Amount	Integer	5	Award amount for the term	0, 2000
Paid Amount	Integer	5	Amount disbursed (net of refunds) for the term	0, 2000
Campus Student ID	String	varchar(15)	ID assigned to student by their institution	Optional
Housing Plan	String	char(1)	Student's housing for the term Use numeric code	1 = On-campus 2 = With parents 3 = Off-Campus
Dependency Status	String	char(1)	Dependency status	D = Dependent I = Independent
ISIR ID and Transaction	String	varchar(13)	Current ISIR ID and transaction number	999999999TE01 Update if using a different ISIR transaction
EFC	Integer		Current EFC	99999 Update if a different ISIR transaction provided
Verification Status	String	char(1)	Status of verification process	Y = Verified N = Not verified
Verification Comment	String	varchar(512)	Text field for comments regarding verification of student data	Optional
Grade Level	Integer	char(1)	Student's grade level Use numeric code	0 = 1st year undergraduate, never attended before 1 = 1st year undergraduate, attended before 2 = 2nd year undergraduate, sophomore 3 = 3rd year undergraduate, junior 4 = 4th year undergraduate, senior 5 = 5th year/other undergraduate 6 = 1st year graduate or professional 7 = Continuing undergraduate or professional
Degree or Certificate	String	char(1)	Degree or certificate program in which student is enrolled Use numeric code	1 = 1st bachelor's degree 2 = 2nd bachelor's degree 3 = Associate degree (occupational or technical) 4 = Associate degree (general ed or transfer program) 5 = Certificate/diploma less than 2 years 6 = Certificate/diploma 2+ years 7 = Teaching credential (non-degree) 8 = Graduate or professional degree 9 = Other/undecided
Enrollment Status	String	char(1)	Enrollment status for the term Use numeric code	1 = Full-time 2 = Three-quarter time 3 = Half-time 4 = Less-than-half-time N = Not enrolled
SAP	String	char(1)	Satisfactory Academic Progress	Y = making SAP N = not making SAP
Certification/Cancellation Code	String	varchar(30)	2-digit code(s) entered by Institution when certifying student's eligibility for the program	See Certification and Cancellation codes. Blank if updates to grade level, degree program, enrollment status or SAP will make the student ineligible.
Credit Clock Hours	Integer		Credit or clock hours in which student is registered for the term
New Award Amount	Integer		New term award amount based on need; must be less than award amount	1000, blank Cannot be 0. If student is not eligible, use one or more cancellation codes (See certification/cancellation code)
Campus ID	Integer	8	ID assigned to institution by MDCAPS	123
Program Group ID	Integer	8	ID assigned to program group by MDCAPS	For cross-reference to SAFERS codes, see program codes for all rosters
Program ID	Integer	8	ID assigned to program by MDCAPS	For cross-reference to SAFERS codes, see program codes for all rosters
Academic Year ID	Integer	8	ID assigned to academic year by MDCAPS	Last 4-digit year in the academic year minus 1900. e.g., academic year 2009-2010 = 110 (2010-1900)
Term ID	Integer	8	ID assigned to term by MDCAPS	1=Annual, 23=Leading Summer, 24=Fall, 25=Spring, 26=Trailing Summer
Checksumid	Integer	8		MDCAPS use
Last Change Date	Data	char(10)	Date last change was made to the award amount for the program	MM/DD/YYYY 01/01/2010

External Term Code

External Term Code in Term Setup will align with the MHEC term value + FAY. For example, Fall 2022 would be '242022' for matching purposes. The MHEC term values are listed below:

23 = Leading Summer
24 = Fall
25 = Spring
26 = Trailing Summer
1 = Annual (will not be used)

Configuration

MHECID - Unique Identifier

A new field in Regent Award has been created to display the unique MHECID provided via the import rosters. ‘RosterExternalID1’ is located on the Student Summary Tab in Regent Award. This field is non-editable and is an information only field. ‘RosterExternalID1’ is searchable from the Student Search page. Configuration of the ‘RosterExternalID1’ is located under Institution Setup -> Student ID tab.

For all rosters, Regent will match on the MHECID stored in Regent as ‘RosterExternalID1’. If 'RosterExternalID1' exists, then it will be used for matching purposes upon import to MHECID. If 'RosterExternalID1' does not exist, then Regent will match students on the Rosters using SSN AND Federal School Code and persist the MHECID in the 'RosterExternalID1' field.

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Alternate Enrollment Level Setup

Configuration has been added to Enrollment Level Setup to be used for MHEC export purposes. Alternate Enrollment Level Setup is used to calculate enrollment status for the billing roster export and for calculating enrollment status at the time of disbursement. The alternate anticipated enrollment fields are not required.

Institution State Tab

Under Institution Setup, there is a tab called ‘State’ where you can edit MHEC settings. If ‘Enable MHEC Settings’ is selected, then the subsequent fields on the page are editable.

Customer Zone Knowledge Base > Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Centralized Awards > image2021-3-24_9-48-0.png

‘Roster Student Matching’ – The selection in this field will be used to match the unique student roster ID to the RosterExternalID selected for roster processing.
‘Roster Fund Matching’ – The selection in this field will be used to match the award on the roster to the Agency Program ID on fund configuration.
‘Enrollment Level Setup’ – The selection in this field will determine if the Standard Enrollment Setup or the Alternate Enrollment Setup will be used when determining the enrollment status for roster processing.
‘Roster Processing Options’ – The selection in this field will be used to determine if all students on the roster should be processed or whether students for whom the only cancellation code is for insufficient enrollment status should be excluded from the resulting export file until the roster processing offset date for the term.
- ‘Offset Days for Roster Processing’ – The number of days represented by the value entered in this field will be added to the start date of the term to determine the date on which Regent will begin including all students on the resulting export file - even those for whom the only cancellation code is for insufficient enrollment status.
‘Housing Plan’ – The option selected for this field will be used for the Housing Plan for roster processing. If 'Always use ISIR' is selected, the housing plan from ISIR will be used. If 'Use Off Campus and 'With Parent only from ISIR' is selected, the housing plan from the ISIR will be used, except when On Campus or no value is listed and will default to Off Campus. If Always use Off Campus is selected, the housing plan will always default to Off Campus. If the Use UDF Housing Plan is configured and added to a student, this value will override the Housing Plan configuration for that student.
- ‘Use UDF Housing Plan’ – All UDFs configured for your institution will be available via a dropdown.

Export Rosters

GPA Roster

Two export .CSV files are created upon import of the GPA roster. The MHEC Export file plus the Exception Report will equal 100% of the students on the original imported file from MHEC.

GPA Roster MHEC Export
1. Filename format: {IOProcessTypeCode}_{FAY}_{DEX App Id}_{REM IOProcess TransactionId}_{Export date & time}.csv
GPA Roster Exception Report
1. Filename format: {IOProcessTypeCode}_{FAY}_{DEX App Id}_{REM IOProcess TransactionId}_{Export date & time}.csv

The GPA MHEC Export file updates 2 fields, Campus Student ID (with ExternalID1) and GPA. GPA is updated with current cumulative GPA as provided from the latest SBL imported into Regent. If a student’s program for the roster term is undergraduate, Regent will use the Cumulative Undergraduate GPA. Undergraduate includes programs configured with the programTypeCode equal to one of the following:

Undergraduate
Prep-Undergrad
Ed Licensure
Post Baccalaureate certificate
CTP Programs
Prep-Grad

If a student’s program for the roster term is Graduate, Regent will use the Cumulative Graduate GPA. Graduate types include programs configured with programTypeCode equal to one of the following:

Graduate
Post-Graduate

A student will appear on the GPA Roster Exception Report if any of the following exists:

Specified term does not exist
GPA is blank
Student does not exist in Regent

Verification Roster

One export .CSV file is created upon import of the Verification roster:

Verification Roster MHEC Export
1. Filename format: {IOProcessTypeCode}_{FAY}_{DEX App Id}_{REM IOProcess TransactionId}_{Export date & time}.csv

The Verification Roster MHEC Export is created for submission to MHEC and consists of an updated version of the imported file. If the imported row cannot match the student OR the student has no active ISIR for the FAY, Regent will still export the row so the import file is a 1:1 match with the export file. This export updates 6 fields as follows:

Campus Student ID with ExternalID1
Housing Plan using the Housing Plan configuration from the State tab
Dependency Status from the Active ISIR
ISIR ID and Transaction with ISIR Field #2 (Original SSN) + ISIR Field #3 (Original Name ID)+ ISIR Field #4 (Transaction Number)
EFC from the Active ISIR
Verification Status from the Active ISIR

Credit Completion Roster

Two export .CSV files are created upon import of the Credit Completion roster. The MHEC Export file plus the Exception Report will equal 100% of the students on the original imported file from MHEC.

Credit Completion Roster MHEC Export
1. Filename format: {IOProcessTypeCode}_{FAY}_{DEX App Id}_{REM IOProcess TransactionId}_{Export date & time}.csv
Credit Completion Roster Exception Report
1. Filename format: {IOProcessTypeCode}_{FAY}_{DEX App Id}_{REM IOProcess TransactionId}_{Export date & time}.csv

The Credit Completion Roster MHEC Export is created for submission to MHEC and consists of an updated version of the imported file. The Credit column is updated as follows:

Credit Column, uses totalSuccessfullyCompletedUnits CE Rollup in Regent Award for the term indicated on the roster as follows:
1. If term is 'Fall', sum the units for the Header Summer Term (MHEC Term ID = 23) and Fall Term (MHEC Term ID = 24).
  1. If sum of units = 0, report 0.
2. If term is 'Spring', sum the units for the Trailer Summer Term (MHEC Term ID = 26) and Spring Term (MHEC Term ID = 25).
  1. If sum of units = 0, report 0.
Identify 'Fall' and 'Spring' terms by using the beginning portion of the MHEC Term ID Roster value and matching to the External Term Code configured in Term Setup and applying the following logic:
1. If MHEC Term ID begins with 'Fall'; (i.e. Fall Term 1), match to a term where the External Term Code includes the number 23 + FAY (e.g. 232022 where the FAY is 2021-2022) to identify a Header Summer Term (Note: MHEC refers to this term as a Leading Summer term.).
2. If MHEC Term ID begins with 'Fall'; (i.e. Fall Term 1), match to a term where the External Term Code includes the number 24 + FAY (e.g. 242022 where the FAY is 2021-2022) to identify a Fall Term.
3. If MHEC Term ID begins with 'Spring'; (i.e. Spring Term 1), match to a term where the External Term Code includes the number 25 + FAY (e.g. 252022 where the FAY is 2021-2022) to identify a Spring Term.
4. If MHEC Term ID begins with 'Spring'; (i.e. Spring Term 1), match to a term where the External Term Code includes the number 26 + FAY (e.g. 262022 where the FAY is 2021-2022) to identify a Trailer Summer Term (Note: MHEC refers to this term as a Trailing Summer term.).

A student will appear on the Credit Completion Roster Exception Report where any one of the following exists:

Students with missing grades
1. Course is not completed
2. Course is not a transfer
3. Course is not withdrawn (any date)
4. Course is not repeat disqualified (use current repeat logic, see Remedial and Repeat Units)
5. Course has no Quality Points (QP >0, Total Successfully Completed Units)
Student does not exist in Regent Award
Specified term does not exist
Credits could not be determined

Billing Roster

Two export .CSV files are created upon import of the Billing roster. The MHEC Export file plus the Exception Report will equal 100% of the students on the original imported file from MHEC.

Billing Roster MHEC Export
1. Filename format: {IOProcessTypeCode}_{FAY}_{DEX App Id}_{REM IOProcess TransactionId}_{Export date & time}.csv
Billing Roster Exception Report
1. Filename format: {IOProcessTypeCode}_{FAY}_{DEX App Id}_{REM IOProcess TransactionId}_{Export date & time}.csv

The Billing Roster MHEC Export is created for submission to MHEC and consists of an updated version of the imported file.

Note: The following must be true for the record to appear on the MHEC Export file:

Student exists and is matched to a roster
Term exists and is matched to a roster
Fund exists and is matched to a roster
Enrollment record exists on the student's plan
- Could be an Enrollment = None or have 0 units
MHEC Enrollment Status can be determined (never blank)
- Depends on Enrollment + Alternate config existing
Fund Min Enrollment Level is configured (on Fund Setup, "Amount Per Payment Period" = Yes)

Customer Zone Knowledge Base > Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Centralized Awards > image2021-4-13_7-44-26.png

Institution roster processing option is configured (on the Institution → State tab)
Enrollment level setup (mapped from the Enrollment) has Alternate enrollment level min/max values configured
Student has a Disbursement record in Regent for the Term
Roster Processing Options evaluate to true
- Either = ‘ProcessAll’
- or ‘StudentsMeetMinimumFundEnrollmentStatus’ and offset date has been reached
- or ‘StudentsMeetMinimumFundEnrollmentStatus’ and Fund min Enrollment level has been met
The MHEC Degree or Certificate can be determined (never blank)

The Billing Roster MHEC Export file updates 9 fields as follows:

Enrollment Status
1. MHEC Value = 1 = Full-time in Regent
2. MHEC Value = 2 = Three-quarter time in Regent
3. MEHC Value = 3 = Half-time in Regent
4. MHEC Value = 4 = Less-than-half-time in Regent
5. MHEC Value = N = Not enrolled in Regent
Certification/Cancellation Code (if applicable, multiple cancellation codes must be separated by a comma with no spaces)
Campus Student ID (Data field maps to ExternalID1)
Housing Plan (use Housing Plan configuration from the 'State' tab to determine current Housing Plan)
Grade Level (Can be blank if Certification/Cancellation code is 'CX')
Degree or Certificate (cannot be blank on the output file)
Credits (leave blank unless reporting for "Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts" (VAIC))
New Award Amount (must be blank)
SAP

The Billing Roster Exception file identifies and includes the following:

No Registration
Mismatch Disbursement
Specified Term Does Not Exist
Does Not Meet Min Enrollment Status but prior to <Date>
1. All students that do not meet the minimum enrollment status from the MHEC Billing Roster Export due to today's date being prior to the calculated offset date.
  1. <Date> is equal to Today's date (date roster being imported).
Potential MSFAA
1. All students for whom no Active Valid ISIR is on file for the FAY
  1. Valid ISIR = ISIR with EFC (not rejected)
Insufficient MHEC Enrollment
Student does not exist in Regent
No Matching Fund
MHEC Enrollment Status cannot be determined
No Disbursement record in Regent for the Term
MHEC Degree or Certificate cannot be determined
<Configuration Name> is Missing
1. <Configuration Name> will include one of the following:
  1. Enrollment Level Setup
  2. Term Setup
  3. Fund Setup
  4. Program Setup

Award Roster

One export .CSV file is created upon import of the Award roster:

Award Roster Exception Export
1. Filename format: {IOProcessTypeCode}_{FAY}_{DEX App Id}_{REM IOProcess TransactionId}_{Export date & time}.csv

The Award Roster Exception Export includes both MHEC Roster values and Regent Award values. A 'Results' column identifies mismatched data between MHEC and Regent, Action Taken (e.g. Award Added) and No Action Taken. The Exception Report identifies the following:

Results
1. Award Increase
2. Award Decrease
3. Mismatch Award Status
4. No Matching Fund
5. Award Added
6. Disbursement to be Cancelled on or after <Date>
7. Student does not exist in Regent
8. Specified Term does not exist
9. Invalid Residency
10. No Results

Awarding

Awards are updated via the MHEC Award Roster. A student can have multiple award types/fund types listed in the file, and the file contains a separate record for each award/fund a student receives. A separate roster is received for each term. Regent will act on the MHEC Program Status as follows to:

Add an award (Awards in 'Accepted' status on the roster)
Cancel an award (Awards in 'Cancelled' or 'Declined' status on roster)
Adjust an award (Awards in 'Accepted' status on roster that exist in Regent but are different amounts)
Ignore an award (for awards that are neither added nor canceled)

Adding a Disbursement/Award

Awards will be added from the Award Roster to Regent if the following conditions are true:

If fund and term match for existing awards and term matches for new award
MHEC Status is 'Accepted'

Awards will be added during packaging in the order in which they are specified by the Packaging Philosophy. Repackage other awards following the MHEC award to ensure need and cost of attendance (COA) are not exceeded. If an award already exists in Regent, add a new disbursement to the already existing award for the corresponding term in a 'Scheduled' status. The FAY for the fund will be the same FAY as the roster FAY. Increase the Accepted and Offered amount of the fund to the total of the disbursement amounts.

Canceling an Award

Awards will be canceled from the Award Roster in Regent as follows:

Student, fund and term match, the award is on the student's plan and the MHEC status is 'Ineligible' (for all cancellation codes except 'CX', 'SK' and 'SX') or 'Declined'
Cancel disbursements depending on the configuration 'Offset Days for Roster Processing'
1. If 'Offset Days for Roster Processing' is configured under the State tab, then a value entered in this field will be added to the start date of the term to determine the date to begin cancelling disbursements for the 'CX', 'SK', 'SX' cancellation codes.
2. If no 'Offset Days for Roster Processing' is configured, 'CX', 'SK' and 'SX' cancellation codes will be included in the cancellation process for the Ineligible statuses

Adjusting an Award

Awards will be adjusted from the Award Roster in Regent as follows:

Adjust awards to the amount on the MHEC Roster for which the student and term match, the award is on the student’s plan, the MHEC status is Accepted, and the Regent Award disbursement amount for the term and the MHEC 'Award Amount' column are not the same.
1. Note: If award amount changes to $0, expectation is that it will have a cancellation code and will follow the cancellation process noted above. If for any reason an Accepted amount has a $0 Award Amount listed on roster, the disbursement in Regent Award would be updated to $0 and would remain in a 'Scheduled' status.

Ignoring an Award

Regent will not take action on an award if any of the following conditions are met:

Award Status does not equal 'Accepted', 'Ineligible', 'Declined' OR
Award Status = 'Ineligible' AND prior to the calculated 'Offset Days for Roster Processing'