Revision as of 05:12, 29 January 2008

There are several stages to the production of T2202 and T4A receipts. Preparation simply ensures that the necessary data is available and set up. Data Extraction creates files suitable for merge printing using Word. Validation attempts to reconcile the totals generated through this technique with totals from AccPac. Production is actually merge printing. A chart of the first three steps are cyclical; Validation may require returning to preparation and repeating data extraction.

Preparation

Preparation simply ensures that the necessary data is available and set up. This means having four specific areas of CrossRoad should be reviewed.

Genstats historical files

The term stats from CrossRoad are created in part by the generation of a file named Genstats. Existing records are stored in an historical file that is named by the convention GS[first two year digits from academic year][last two year digits from academic year][term number].dbf. So the file for term 1 of 2004/05 would be GS04051.DBF. These need to exist for every term in the calendar year being considered for this process.

Clear Accounts Receivable Records

This is in the Current Students window, under the menu entries Students | Global Processes | Accounts Receivable. The effect is to remove all a/r entries for specified terms from the current file and to place them into a history file. The history files are used for the data extraction. So this process must be complete for each year and term of the calendar year for which receipts are to be produced. These files are named following the convention INVL[first two digits of academic year][term number].dbf. So the file for term 1 of 2004/05 would be INVL041.DBF.

Financial Aid Receipt Checkbox

In the financial aid window there is a checkbox called Receipt. Those financial aid items that are to be receipted on a T4A by the institution should have this checked. Those that are not should not be checked. There is a verification process as data extraction occurs, so it is helpful to have a list of item codes handy.

QIFees Receipt Checkbox

Edited from Support Tables, the Receipt checkboxes should be checked for those items that are to be included in T2202A receipts.

Data Extraction

Data Extraction creates files suitable for merge printing using Word. This uses a command line utility called gent2202.exe. The usage is

Gent2202 [yearterms to be included]~[threshold for fulltime]~

The year/terms covered in ~ delimited list, followed by the full time threshold in credits. So, for example, the 1999 calendar year at King’s would use the command line:

Gent2202 1999/002:01:04:09.00~1999/003:05:05:03.00~2000/011:09:12:09.00~

Through the process, the operator is asked about including financial aid items, as well as entries from invlog that cannot be identified as fees or courses. Anything that is a tuition charge, a refund of tuition, and mandatory fees (as defined by CRA) should be included.

Financial Aid items identified should only those for which the institution is responsible to issue the receipt.

This process produces several files:

Validation

Validation attempts to reconcile the totals generated through this technique with totals from AccPac. There are two sets of totals: those for T2202As and those for T4As. Subtotals can be created in a number of ways, but Excel is quite a useful tool in this process. The two files that should be used are: t2202inc.dbf, t202exct.dbf.

For the first a simple sum is usually sufficient. With the second, a Pivot Table report can be helpful as it can give an award by award breakdown of totals.

NOTE: It is at this point that remedial action may need to be taken. There may be fees or financial aid items that were missed, or included when they should not have been. This can usually be remedied by changing flags in 1.3 and 1.4 and rerunning 2. In other cases entries may have been missed or students may have been omitted from historical genstats files. These can be corrected by using DBU to construct the necessary entries in the relevant files.

There may also be errors on the AccPac side that are pointed up through this process.

Once corrections have been made, validation should be repeated. Only when validation agrees should the next step be completed.

Production

Production is actually merge printing. This involves creating a Word template document that conforms to CRA specifications. This can take two forms: a document that prints the entire receipt (which must be approved by CRA) or a form which only prints the data onto preprinted laser forms. The latter prints much more quickly as the former must have the appropriate government logo printed three times for each page. This is a mail merge document to which the following files need to be attached: t2202a.dat and t4a.dat.

In the archive file containing this document, there are some other Microsoft Word files. One demonstrates the layout for T4A receipts in a merge document using the t4a.dat file imported into an Excel spreadsheet. The other is the layout documents for T2202As, but these have not yet been converted to merge print documents. There are two of these, one with the original form as a background image to assist with layout, the other with the background image removed.

Finally, the archives.lst file lists those students for whom records have been produced. Presumably these cannot be distributed by delivery to students on campus and so need to be pulled after printing.

Fields in QIFEES and Financial Aid Section and Effect on T4A/T2202A Production.

Fee Table

This table is accessed through support tables.

The two items, then, that are critical to T2202A production are:

• field number 1, which matches the itemcode used in the A/R section as well as that used in AccPac.
• field number 10, which identifies fees which are to be included on the T2202A.

Financial Aid

This is accessed through the Financial Aid section.

T4A critical items are Field number 10, itemcode, which matches the itemcode used in the A/R section as well as that used in AccPac. Field number 15, which determines whether this is included in the T4A data.

Aside from field values for these two tables, the other critical factor in production of the T4A and T2202A data files is that records exist at the time of exporting the data. That is, a fee or financial aid item must be retained in the system even if it has been discontinued. Details except for those identified as "critical" above may be changed, but the record must be present. This usually translates to keeping records for an additional academic year beyond discontinuance.

T2202a.dat and T4a.dat field descriptions

T2202A.Dat fields

A couple of notes:

Winter is the first year term listed when you extract the data.

Spring/Summer are all the terms between the first year/term listed and the last.

Fall is the last term listed when you extract the data.

T4A fields