Certification: Financial Aid IPEDS Report Documentation

This article provides historical information regarding the 2021 Data Governance project focused on the validation of the accuracy of the Financial Aid IPEDS report.

Detailed Information

Issue Summary

This proposal is for a comprehensive review of all aspects of data definitions, sources, and calculations conducted with representatives from Financial Aid, Institutional Research, and IT. As Financial Aid data requests increase in frequency, in-depth reviews of our data definitions, coding, transformations, and aggregation processes can ensure accuracy for this critical area of reporting. In addition to ensuring accuracy for Financial Aid reporting, thorough reviews of reporting can build specifications and a roadmap for future Financial Aid data mart development.

To facilitate this review, the Data Certification process is being employed to verify and document the report.

March 2021 Proposal Forum

Resources

Financial Aid IPEDS Report Review Proposal

Presentation Slides 

Proposal Summary

Conduct a thorough review of UMS IPEDS Financial Aid reporting, including the system SQR report and several campus based processes (SQR and query) in order to revise data definitions, data sources, data transformations, and data calculations.

Background

Every institution reports several data sets to IPEDS annually. The Financial Aid reporting is done through a mix of system reporting and campus-based adjustment and/or completion of the required reporting. Over time, standardized reports can grown inaccurate as definitions and coding change, and several inconsistencies in the reported results have been identified within the Financial Aid community. The goal of this review is to ensure validity and reliability of reported data and build a foundation for upcoming Power BI reports and financial aid data mart(s). Together, the documented specifications, definitions, and data verification contribute to both our current reporting as well as the future analytics environment.

Solution & Next Steps 

The workgroup proposes a comprehensive review of the IPEDS Financial Aid Report, including the following:

  • Ensure common definitions in Data Cookbook
  • Investigate differences across system report results and campus reports
  • Create recommendations for revised report (and potentially execute)
  • Create specifications for future data mart

Comments & Questions

  • The legacy UMS SQR uses complex definitions and data; due to SQR format, reviewing any portion of the logic is very time-consuming
  • Many campuses do their own IPEDS Financial Aid reporting outside the SQR, but this is also time-consuming
  • Reviewing the System report will create alignment in definitions, decrease effort required to report, and create a foundation for a financial aid data mart.
  • Documentation will be a key deliverable and benefit of this project.
  • Question regarding the effect Unified Accreditation will have on the report:
    • Document discrepancies and ensure future reports take them into consideration UMS wide.
  • Support from Forum Attendees:
    • Focus on documentation and future foundation for a Financial Aid data mart are highly supported
    • No suggestions for modifications

Resources & Research

Related Links

Strategic Goals Addressed

  • Unified Accreditation - Review of UMS wide reports such as this increases the accuracy, consistency and ease of reporting. 

Audience

  • System-Wide
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