Be aware of your current CDR status. If your school is under sanction or has submitted certain challenges, adjustments, or appeals in the past, this will influence which challenges and adjustments you can submit now.

1.

Locate your two most recent prior official CDRs. Some sanctions or benefits are based on the three most recent rates. This information can be found on the Three-year Official CDRs for Schools page of ED's website.

2.

3. Prepare a spreadsheet. Capture loan information for your school, including enrollment status and date entered repayment.

4. Learn how to access key NSLDS reports. Some reports you may need . . . DRC016: Indicates the current repayment status of borrowers.

DER001: Provides the date students entered repayment.

DELQ01: Displays borrowers who are delinquent in making payments to one of the federal loan servicers.

SCHPR2: Includes all of your school's FFELP and Direct Loans.

SCHDF2: Lists loans that currently have a defaulted status and a loan status date that falls within the requested date range.

5. Access reports servicers provide to help you verify CDR data. For Great Lakes-serviced loans, you can learn more about how to use our Service Provider Loan Portfolio Detail report, and other reports, on the Financial Aid Professionals portal under Default Management > Reports and Data

6. Save time up front by checking the NSLDS website. Ensure that a student who is no longer eligible at your school is not maintaining eligibility at another school.

7. Identify key student borrower data Key Student Borrower Data LDA: Last date of attendance LTH: Less than half-time date WD: Withdrawal date DER: Date entered repayment CPD: Claim paid date DD: Default date

8. Keep tip sheets handy to help you decipher codes. Save time by printing out pages 4-5 of ED's CDR Guide, Chapter 2.3, Part 2.

9. Need additional help? Contact fsa.schools.default.management@ed.gov or call the OPD hotline at (202) 377-4259, and keep a record of your conversations.

Challenge! You don't want to do all that work in identifying incorrect data only to have your challenge miss a deadline or be unsubstantiated. Consult Chapter 4 of ED's CDR Guide for valuable information about the IDC and other challenges and appeals, too. Then keep these important tips in mind as you submit your challenge.

10.

Submit your IDC challenge via eCDR Appeals You can access by using the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG). You'll need to register on the eCDR Appeals homepage, and from there you can access User Guides and video demonstrations for each type of challenge, adjustment, or appeal.

11.

Include supporting documentation along with your IDC appeal Consult tables on pages 10-13 of Chapter 3.1 of the CDR Guide to ensure that you include what you need to support your allegation.

12.

Send your challenge to the correct data manager, or you may miss your window to challenge.

For Family Federal Education Loan (FFEL) program loans held by guaranty agencies, submit your IDC to the guaranty agency data manager via eCDR, which can be accessed using SAIG. For FFEL loans held by ED and for Direct Loans, you'll need to submit your IDC to the appropriate federal or not-for-profit servicer data manager by the deadline. If two entities are listed for a loan, make sure you send your challenge to the correct entity (the one indicated with a usage code of "B" not "E") to ensure that you meet the deadline.

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