4.5.0.0 - Product Brief

Product Release Summary

This Product Brief will include a summary of the following releases: 4.4.1.0 and 4.5.0.0.  The last major release was 4.4.0.0 and although release notes were provided to the community for that release, this Product Brief provides a full summary of both releases since then as well as direction to additional documentation and information.  

Product Release Description

Release 4.4.1.0

This release addresses product defects as listed in the “Bugs” section below, and also enhancements including:

• A new task to identify mid-Federal Award Year dependency status changes.
• Access to initiate reprocessing for MPNs, Entrance Counseling, ISIRs, and Roster Awards through the User Interface.
• Addition of ISIR Reject Codes for use in document assignment.
• Improved design for printed ISIRs.
• Support for additional ISIR corrections after initial corrections have been transmitted.

Release 4.4.2.0

This release addresses Access product enhancements including:

• Updates to support the 2019-2020 Federal Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculations.
• Annual FAFSA-related year reference updates for the new year.
• Inclusion of the calculated EFC on the downloadable PDF of the questionnaire.

Release 4.5.0.0

This release addresses product defects as listed in the “Bugs” section of the Release Notes, and also enhancements and new features including:

• Annual 2019-2020 regulatory updates to EFC calculations, ISIR import, Verification, ISIR Corrections, and SAR comment codes.
• For 2019-2020, introduction of the Master Verification Worksheet with improved DRT flow and a configuration option for the institution's financial aid office name and contact information to ensure all Regent Review clients benefit from all current and future improvements to the questionnaire.
• In support of fully automated disbursing, options to save and reuse parameter sets used repeatedly for processing.  Separately, users can request that processes with specific parameters be scheduled to run automatically. (4.6.0.0 is scheduled to include surfacing process scheduling capability for saved process parameter sets to provide users with more flexibility and control).
• Automatic inclusion of header/trailer TG numbers specific to CPS, COD, and NSLDS export files processed with TD Client.
• SULA support including a new SULA Data View and display of SULA-related information on the student History tab.
• TEACH sequestration reduction amount changed to 6.20% effective 10/1/2018.
• Support for new TEACH Exit Counseling Type on AC Response Files

Release Notes

Further details on enhancements/new features and complete list of bug fixes can be found in the Release Notes.   The Release Notes are made available externally via Customer Zone.

The Release Notes also contain information on new configuration options, and a list of updates to the Admin Guide and User Guide.

Other Documentation

In addition to the Product Brief, the following documentation is also available:

System Requirements

Any client currently using Regent Award may take the R4.5.0.0 version for UAT and ultimately production upgrade.

Any client currently using Regent Review may take the R4.5.0.0 version for UAT and ultimately production upgrade.

Any client currently using Regent Access may take the 4.4.2.0 or 4.5.0.0 version for UAT and ultimately production upgrade.

New Features Overview

• Master Verification Worksheet: For 2019-2020, Regent introduces the Master Verification Worksheet (VWS) as part of the Regent Review product.  Having a single "gold standard" questionnaire allows all Regent Review clients to benefit from any improvements or enhancements to the VWS in the future, rather than making changes to each client version separately upon request.  This 2019-2020 version also has an improved DRT flow to limit display of the tax transcript page only to those students who did not use DRT or were ineligible to use DRT.  As all clients will be using the same VWS, we added configuration for the name of the institution’s financial aid office and relevant contact information.  Regent will post a pre-recorded webinar on the features, use, and implementation of the 2019-2020 VWS in the Regent Customer Zone Knowledge Base.

• SAIG:  Even though each institution accesses their own SAIG mailbox, COD (TG71900), CPS (TG50002), and NSLDS (TG53163) files each have their own destination TG number embedded in the file header and trailer.  Beginning with Release 4.5.0.0, Regent will automatically add those specific TG numbers to the appropriate export files.  Also in 4.5.0.0 is the next step in Regent's support for fully automated disbursing.  Users can now save and reuse process parameter sets that are used repeatedly for processing.  Separately with 4.5.0.0, users will have the option to request that Regent IT Operations schedule process jobs with specific parameters (but not the saved parameter sets).  With Release 4.6.0.0, users will be able to schedule their saved process parameter sets, and will thus have more flexibility with and control over those schedules. Specifics on how to save and reuse the process parameter sets and on how to request scheduling for processes are included in the 4.5.0.0 release notes and FAQ. Regent will also post a prerecorded webinar on SAIG functionality in the Customer Zone Knowledge Base.

• SULA: Release 4.5.0.0  provides two new aspects of support for researching SULA details on students.  Student-specific SULA information on MEP, SUP, and REP, along with additional information on the student’s eligibility and program is surfaced from the ISIR, COD, NSLDS and Regent for display on the Regent Award History Tab.  Additionally, a new SULA dataview provides this and additional SULA-related information for institutional research and in support of support of SULA-related business processes.

• TEACH:  There are two TEACH-related enhancements in 4.5.0.0 Regent Award.  A TEACH Exit Counseling document can be auto-assigned and auto-satisfied by the new TEACH Exit Counseling Type in the COD AC file, and the TEACH sequestration reduction amount has been changed to 6.20% for first disbursements on/after 10/1/2018.

Known Issues & Updates