We are pleased to announce that the 2020-21 Central Processing System (CPS) Web Applications Demonstration (Web Demo) System, located at https://fafsademo.test.ed.gov, and the mainframe portion of the 2020-21 CPS Test System are now available for your use. Most production version features of the 2020-21 fafsa.gov and FAA Access to CPS Online websites are available on the Web Demo system. The mainframe portion of the CPS Test System is designed to test application and correction data processing between your system and the CPS outside the production environment.
For additional information regarding the Web Demo system and the mainframe portion of the CPS Test System, see the sections below and the 2020-2021 CPS Test System User Guide, which is available in PDF format on the Federal Student Aid Download (FSAdownload) website, located at https://fsadownload.ed.gov, under “Technical References and Guides.”
Note: As announced in previous Electronic Announcements, we will retire the FSAdownload website later this year and relocate all site content to the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) website, located at https://ifap.ed.gov. We recommend that you monitor the IFAP website for upcoming Electronic Announcements related to this transition. Depending on the timing of the transition, you may need to go to the IFAP website to download the CPS Test System User Guide.
2020-21 Web Demo System
The 2020-21 Web Demo system, which is preloaded with test data, can be used to demonstrate electronic applications to parents and students or as an aid in training financial aid administrators to assist applicants. Financial aid administrators can also use the website to become familiar with FAA Access to CPS Online functionality and train their staff to use the system.
Note: You can access both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 versions of our websites in the demonstration system. For the fafsa.gov feature, the “My FAFSA” page includes a tab for the previous award year. Pre-loaded demonstration data is available for both award years.
Mainframe Portion of 2020-21 CPS Test System
The mainframe portion of the CPS Test System is designed to test application and correction data processing between your system and the CPS outside the production environment. You can use CPS test files of application records and matching Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs), or you can create and submit your own application records. To download the CPS test application and ISIR data files for 2020-21, go to the “Technical References and Guides” section of the FSAdownload website and click the “2020-2021” link under “CPS Test System.”
In particular, we encourage schools and servicers to test the 2020-21 correction process. To submit only test correction records you have created, you must contact CPS/SAIG Technical Support to request record IDs that will process successfully in the CPS Test System. Schools and servicers interested in using the CPS Test System should download and review the 2020-2021 CPS Test System User Guide for more information.
Note: We will post an Issues Log in Microsoft Excel format to the FSAdownload website identifying CPS changes that result in an update to the mainframe test system. Each entry in the log will include the date the item was identified, resolved, or resulted in a change, and will include the status of resolved and unresolved issues so that you can easily determine if and when previously identified issues were resolved. It will also indicate whether the specifications or test cases have been updated for 2020-21.
Contact Information
If you encounter any issues or have questions regarding the fafsa.gov component of the Web Demo system, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or by e-mail at StudentAidHelp@ed.gov.
If you encounter any issues or have questions regarding the FAA Access to CPS Online portion of the Web Demo system, or if you have questions regarding the 2020-21 CPS Test System, contact CPS/SAIG Technical Support at 1-800-330-5947, or by e-mail at CPSSAIG@ed.gov.