FSA Partner Connect – Automatic Assignment of Alternate E&O Roles for School Users to Occur June 3, 2024 (2024)

Posted Date

May 31, 2024

Author

Federal Student Aid

Electronic Announcement ID

GENERAL-24-64

Subject

FSA Partner Connect – Automatic Assignment of Alternate E&O Roles for School Users to Occur June 3, 2024

Federal Student Aid has been continuously working to address a high number of cases related to access to FSA Partner Connect. While we have made progress with system fixes, and many users have been able to access FSA Partner Connect, we are aware that some users are still unable to access the E-App. One of the causes preventing access to the system stems from schools that have not successfully designated a user with the necessary E&O administrative role who can then grant the different E&O user roles to other users at the school. To assist schools that may be in this situation, we are planning to update FSA Partner Connect on June 3, 2024, to automatically assign the Alternate E&O Administrator (Admin) user role to specific users at a school.

Alternate E&O Admin User Role Assignment

Alternate E&O Administrator Assignment – Schools

As part of the system update, FSA will automatically assign the Alternate E&O Admin role at each Title IV-eligible school to certain users meeting specific criteria. The auto-assignment of the Alternate E&O Admin role will only occur if the school does not already have this role assigned to someone; we will not override an existing assignment. If the school does not have an Alternate E&O Admin established, we will assign one in the following order:

First, we will review assignments for the Primary Administrator. For any Primary Administrator (for FSA Partner Connect) who is a user in FSA Partner Connect and does not already have the E&O Admin role, we will automatically assign the Alternate E&O Admin role to their FSA Partner Connect user profile.
Once the Primary Administrator assignments are made, we will move to the Secondary Administrator. For any Secondary Administrator (for FSA Partner Connect) who is a user in FSA Partner Connect and does not already have the E&O Admin role, we will automatically assign the Alternate E&O Admin role to their FSA Partner Connect user profile. Note: This auto-assignment will only occur if the Primary Administrator is not added as the Alternate in the first assignment process above.

What Happens After the Auto-Assignment Process Occurs

Depending on user status, there are different subsequent actions that must occur after the Alternate E&O Admin role is assigned.

Active Users (users who are currently active and using the system): Active users will not receive a system-generated email. However, the first time that Primary or Secondary Administrators who were auto-assigned the Alternate E&O Admin role sign in to FSA Partner Connect after June 3, 2024, they will be directed to the “Acknowledge and eSign” page. Users must read the Rules of Behavior and Privacy Act, check the box to acknowledge the rules, electronically sign their name, date the form, and click on “Submit.” After the review and acknowledge process is complete, the user will be able to facilitate account management and grant E&O access to other users at the school.
Inactive Users (users who are not yet fully authenticated in the system): Inactive users will receive a system-generated email. Users will need to complete the authentication steps and then will be directed to the “Acknowledge and eSign” page to complete the same steps as the “Active” user group. After all steps are completed, the user will be able to facilitate account management and grant E&O access to other users at the school. Note: Inactive users will receive an error message when attempting to log in to the system until they have completed the access form received via email.
Disabled or Deactivated Users (users who had access but had no activity in FSA Partner Connect for a specific period of time): Disabled or Deactivated users will not receive a system-generated email. If they try to log in to the system, these users will receive an error message noting the “Disabled” or “Deactivated” status. To reenable an account (90-day inactivity), users should contact the FSA Partner and School Relations Center for assistance (see contact information below). To reactivate an account (365-day inactivity), users must contact their organization’s Primary (or Secondary) Administrator for FSA Partner Connect for assistance. Once the user’s account status is resolved, the user will be able to facilitate account management and grant E&O access to other users at the school.

No Change for Third-Party Servicer Organizations

This update will only affect school users; we are not automatically assigning Alternate E&O Admin roles to any users at Third-Party Servicer organizations.

E&O User Roles Defined

As a reminder, there are four primary roles related to eligibility and case management-related work; a brief description of each role is listed below. Generally, all administrator roles are managed in the E-App itself, while the other roles are managed in the Account Access Management Center.

Eligibility & Oversight Administrator Role – The Eligibility & Oversight Administrator (E&O Admin) will facilitate account management and grant access to those who will edit and update the E-App and view specific eligibility and oversight-related cases. Each organization can have only one person designated as the E&O Admin.
Alternate E&O Administrator Role – This role has the same capabilities as the E&O Admin role described above. Each organization can have only one user assigned to this role.
School Eligibility Application (Edit) Role – This role is assigned to users who complete the organization’s eligibility application and submit supporting documentation. Each organization can have multiple users assigned to this role.
Case (Edit) Role – This role is assigned to users who complete the organization’s oversight-related case work. Each organization can have multiple users assigned to this role.

Note: Primary and Secondary Administrators will continue to be separate roles and remain responsible for managing users within their respective organizations by granting, removing, and maintaining (non-E&O Admin) FSA Partner Connect access.

Contact Information and Other Resources

School users can review additional information about FSA Partner Connect using the FAQs at https://fsapartners.ed.gov/help-center/fsa-partner-connect-frequently-asked-questions-faq. Other training material is available on the FSA Training Center (look for Partner Connect Training once signed in).

For further assistance, schools can send questions through the Customer Support form in the FSA Partner Connect Help Center, or contact the FSA Partner and School Relations Center at 1-800-848-0978.