EDExpress Pell Import
Overview
The EDExpress Pell Import utility is designed to allow SONIS users to import Pell Grant disbursement files from EDExpress. It's located under the Financials tab. To import disbursement amounts from other types of awards, users should visit the ED Express Direct Import utility. Before these awards are disbursed, they must first be given to the students in the file from their Financial Aid page or imported through the Financial Aid Import utility, also located under the Financials tab. To read an overview of the ways in which SONIS integrates with EDExpress, click here.
To access Federal Student Aid training on using EDExpress, visit the FSA Training Center.
EDExpress File
In prior versions of SONIS, the EDExpress disbursement export file had to be modified significantly before it could be imported to SONIS. Only the three fields that SONIS imports could be displayed while the rest had to be hidden or deleted from the file. However, beginning with SONIS version 3.6 and carrying forward, the SONIS system can accept the EDX disbursement file with no additional manipulation required. SONIS now simply ignores that columns that are not needed and recognizes the columns that are imported.
SONIS Setup
Import Filter
Before importing an EDExpress file, administrators must ensure that their system is set up with the correct filter. Navigate to the Web Options utility and select the version of EDExpress being used from the Financial Aid Import Filter dropdown menu. If the school is using the pre-2018 version of EDExpress and creating a disbursement import file for school year 2017-18 or earlier, the Financial Aid Import Filter should be set to EDExpress2004-2017. If the school is using the 2018 (or later) version of EDExpress to create a disbursement import file for year 2018-19 or later, the Financial Aid Import Filter should be set to EDExpress2018-20xx.
Note: Schools running SONIS version 3.2 or earlier may not see EDExpress2018-20xx as an option. These schools will need to upgrade to 3.3 or contact Jenzabar SONIS Support to have this added.
Import Tcodes
Administrators will also need to set up Import Tcodes for use with the EDExpress system. Navigate to Business: Import Tcodes under the Systems tab and click Add to begin creating the codes.
Select "EDExpress Pell" from the Importer Code Desc dropdown menu and click the Submit button.
On the following page, select the appropriate Tcode from the Tcode dropdown menu. Tcodes can be added or deleted through the Tbl: Transaction Codes utility under the Systems tab.
Select the appropriate Loan Code and an Award ID that corresponds to the selected Loan Code and click the Submit button.
After submitting, the newly created Tcode Import will display for editing, as needed.
Importing to SONIS
Navigate to the Import: EDExpress Pell Import utility under the Financials tab in SONIS. Select a School Year and a Semester.
Set the Transaction Date. The Check No. box can be used for any notes about the file that need to be added or left blank.
Click the Browse button and select the file be imported.
Click Submit to import the file.
If the import file contains more than one distribution date, the following screen will prompt the user to Select Distribution Date from a dropdown menu. Select the date that will be imported and click the Submit button.
Once the file has been imported, SONIS will display the number of disbursements that match loans already in the system and the number of loans that do not match any existing loans. Click the Review button in the Unmatched row to view these records.
Unmatched records cannot be imported. Click Return to either import the matched records or import another file.
Click the review|Import link in the Matched row to view and import the matched records.
On the Matched page, a Check/Uncheck All box is included for quick changes to large lists.
Check the boxes for the disbursements that should be imported and click Submit.
Once the records have been imported, the results of the import are displayed.
