Disbursement Rules

PowerFAIDS has system-driven and system-defined rules that can be customized for both the COD Disbursement process and Disbursement Authorization Export process. These rules prevent aid from being disbursed at the wrong time to the wrong students based on your institutional needs and policies. If a disbursement can’t happen due to failing one of these checks, a message is displayed in the results report of the process you ran (COD orDisbursement Authorization).

System-Defined Customizable Rules

These system-defined rules are delivered as part of the system and are set to be enforced for all funds for both COD Disbursement and Disbursement Authorization processes. Each can remain as enforced for all funds or can be customized to apply to specific funds or no funds for each process individually to best suit your institution’s needs.

To edit a rule: 

  1. Select Import/Export in the top navigation bar to open the Import/Export menu along the left side of the page.
  2. Select Disbursement Rules in the left navigation menu
  1. Select the rule from the middle navigation window.
  2. Select the Award Year. You can have different settings in different award years.
  3. In Enforce for Disbursement Authorization, select how you want the rule enforced:
    • Enable for All Funds will enforce the rule for all funds that are run through the Disbursement Authorization Export process. This is the default for all rules in a new system.
    • Disable for All Funds will not enforce the rule for any funds that are run through the Disbursement Authorization Export process.
    • Custom by Fund allows you to specify the funds for which you want the rule enforced in the Disbursement Authorization Export process.
  4. Select Save.
  5. If Custom by Fund was selected:
    • Select + Add New.
    • In the Fund list, select the fund you would like the rule enforced for during the Disbursement Authorization Export process.
    • Set Enforce DA to Yes.
    • Select Save.
  1. Select the rule from the middle navigation window.
  2. Select the Award Year. You can have different settings in different award years.
  3. In Enforce for COD Disbursement, select how you want the rule enforced (if available):
    • Enable for All Funds will enforce the rule for all funds that are run through the COD Disbursement Export process. This is the default for all rules in a new system.
    • Disable for All Funds will not enforce the rule for any funds that are run through the COD Disbursement Export process.
    • Custom by Fund allows you to specify the funds for which you want the rule enforced in the COD Disbursement Export process.
  4. Select Save.
  5. If Custom by Fund was selected:
    • Select + Add New.
    • In the Fund list, select the fund you would like the rule enforced for during the COD Disbursement Export process.
    • Set Enforce DA to Yes.
    • Select Save.

      • Tip: Some of these rules are always enforced for COD Disbursement and cannot be edited.

Rules

Logic

Message if Fails
All C Flags Clear

All Resolution Required fields for C Flags on the ISIR for the award year associated with this disbursement have a value of No.

One or more C Flags need resolving in the associated award year.

At Least Half-Time Status

The Enrollment Status field on the payment period associated with this disbursement has a value of Half Time, Three Quarters Time, or Full Time.

Enrollment status for the associated payment period is less-than-half-time.

At Least Three-Quarter Time Status

The Enrollment Status field on the payment period associated with this disbursement has a value of Three Quarters Time or Full Time.

Enrollment status for the associated payment period is not at least three-quarter-time.

Award Not On Hold

The Hold field for the award associated with this disbursement has a value of No.

Associated award is on hold.

Disbursement Accepted at COD

The COD Disbursement Release Indicator field for the disbursement has a value of Yes.

Anticipated disbursement must be sent to COD and acceptance must be received before federal aid can be disbursed.

Caution: If you select Enable for All for Enforce For Disbursement Authorization, the Disbursement Accepted at COD rule will only be enforced for funds where the Government ID in System Administration is Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan, Federal TEACH Grant, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Parent PLUS Loan, or Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.

Although you can select Custom by Fund for this rule, it will be enforced for the types of funds listed above regardless of the funds selected.
Federal Rejects Clear

There are no active reject codes on the ISIR for the award year associated with this disbursement.

One or more federal rejects need resolving in the associated award year.

Full-Time Status

The Enrollment Status field on the payment period associated with this disbursement has a value of Full Time.

Enrollment status for the associated payment period is not full-time.

Fund Requirements Complete

All requirements associated with this fund have a Status value of Received, Reviewed, Appeal Approved, Appeal Not Approved, or Waived.

Requirements have not been completed for the associated fund.

Note: For COD Disbursement, the requirement must have the value of Fund for Required For on the student's requirements screen. If the requirement was assigned another way, then the required for fund is not enforced.

Caution: You must apply this rule to any fund with at least one requirement associated with it. If you do not apply this rule to your fund, it will disburse without fund requirements having been met.

Has ISIR

The ISIR Transaction Number field for the award year associated with this disbursement has a value greater than 0.

No ISIR on file for the associated award year.
ISIR Dependency Status Clear

The Dependency Status field on the ISIR for the award year associated with this disbursement has a value of Dependent or Independent.

Dependency status is rejected for the associated award year.

ISIR Update Not Required

The ISIR Update Required field on the ISIR for the award year associated with this disbursement has a value of No.

Federal funds cannot be disbursed to a student whose ISIR requires an update.

Meeting Federal SAP

The Federal SAP field on the payment period associated with this disbursement does not have a value of Ineligible.

Federal SAP status for the associated payment period is ineligible.

Private Loan Disbursement Roster Received

The Current Status field for the private loan associated with this disbursement has a value of Disbursement Roster Received.

Disbursement roster has not been received.

Caution: If you select Enable for All for Enforce For Disbursement Authorization, the Private Loan Disbursement Roster Received rule will only be enforced for funds where the Donor in System Administration is Private and the Type in System Administration is Loan.

Although you can select Custom by Fund for this rule, it will be enforced for the types of funds listed above regardless of the funds selected.

Transfer Student Monitoring Clear

Both the Errors/Warnings to Review and the Alert to Review fields on the NSLDS page have a value of No, and the Inform Status field does not have a value of Inform Sent.

The student has an unresolved Transfer Student Monitoring Alert
Valid Citizenship Status

The Citizenship Status field on the ISIR for the award year associated with this disbursement has a value of Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen.

Student citizenship status is blank of ineligible for the associated award year.

Valid Tracking Status

The Tracking Status for the academic year associated with this disbursement has a value of Ready for Disbursement, Disbursements Made, or In Disbursement, Fund Requirements.

Tracking status for the associated academic year is not valid for disbursement.

Caution: This rule is different from the Tracking Status eligibility check that determine if the student has at least one Academic Year in a disbursable status at the beginning of the process.

Verification Complete

The Verification Outcome field on the ISIR for the award year associated with this disbursement has a value of Verified or Without Documentation, or the Selected for Verification field has a value of Not Selected.

Verification has not been completed for the associated award year.

Within Cost of Attendance

For the academic year associated with this disbursement, the Cost of Attendance field minus the sum of the Total Accepted and Total Pending Aid fields on the Aid Package results in a value greater than or equal to 0, or the Packaging Behavior field for the fund associated with this disbursement has a value of Can exceed remaining unmet need and COA; excluded from EFA.

Total aid for the associated academic year is more than the cost of attendance.

Within Need

For the academic year associated with this disbursement, the Original Need field minus the Awards Satisfying Original Need field on the Aid Package results in a value greater than or equal to 0.

Awards satisfying original need for the associated academic year total more than the original need.