Important Memos
Ohio War Orphans Certification (WO) File

M E M O R A N D U M

To: Financial Aid Liaisons and War Orphans Scholarship
Data Reporters

From: Harold Horton
Charles Shahid
Melissa R. Sponseller

Date: September 15, 2003

Subject: War Orphans Scholarship Certification (WO) and Adjustment (OA) Files

I am pleased to announce that the War Orphans Scholarship Certification (WO) File and the War Orphans Scholarship Adjustment (OA) File have been placed in production on the Higher Education Information System (HEI) website for the current academic year. This means that schools may now begin to request War Orphans payment for 2003-2004.

To view the WO file layout, refer to the following link:

http://regents.ohio.gov/hei/datasubdoc/finaid/wofile.html

To view the OA file layout, refer to the following link:

http://regents.ohio.gov/hei/datasubdoc/finaid/oafile.html

Please note that these files will appear in your institutions Data Entry Portal only after you have entered your academic calendar dates for 2003-2004. To confirm that your institutions academic calendar dates have been submitted to HEI, check with the Academic Calendar Administrator assigned at your campus. A list of campus Academic Calendar Administrators can be viewed by clicking on the following link:

http://regents.ohio.gov/hei/people.html

As always, if anyone should have any questions please contact Sarina Wilks at 614.752.9528 or via email at swilks@regents.state.oh.us, or Sue Minturn at 614.752.9536 or via e-mail at sminturn@regents.state.oh.us, or Melissa Sponseller at 614.728.8858 or via e-mail at mwright@regents.state.oh.us

MEMORANDUM

To: War Orphans Data Reporters, HEI Financial Aid Liaisons

From: Charles Shahid, Assistant Director, State Grants and Scholarships Department
          Melissa R. Sponseller, HEI Analyst

Date: November 14, 2003

Subject: War Orphans Certification File (WO) Change

As most of you are aware, the War Orphans Certification (WO) file was initially set up to accept only dollar amounts. Schools were instructed to round up to the nearest dollar when requesting benefits. The question we are now being asked, specifically by public institutions, is: “What should we do with the extra money?”

In response, we have changed the field layout to allow you to report cents. Effective Monday, November 17, 2003 the specifications for the field will now be (changes are in bolded red):

Award Amount: Enter the award amount for the year and term in the header record. Include cents. For example, an award amount of $1234.56 would be entered as "0123456".

If you are a public institution data reporter and have rounded up to the nearest dollar when requesting fall 2003 benefits, please use the War Orphans Adjustment (OA) file in order to return the overage you received. If you have not yet requested fall 2003 benefits, please use the new field layout. Beginning with the winter (spring) 2004 term, we ask that all institutions use the new layout.

Should you have any questions concerning this change, or the Ohio War Orphans Scholarship Program in general, please contact Sue Minturn toll free at 888-833-1133, extension 29536, in the Columbus area at 752-9536, by e-mail at sminturn@regents.state.oh.us, or Sarina Wilks at extension 29528, direct dial at 752-9528, or by e-mail at swilks@regents.state.oh.us.

Thank you for your patience as we try to make this system work effectively for you.