Student Level File: Add FVT/GE Data (8 minutes)

Learn about the student level file that’s partially prepopulated for you so you can download it, add FVT/GE data and reupload it. Note: If you change 80% or more of the information provided by the Clearinghouse in the student detail file, you will be unable to upload the file.

For FVT/GE reporting year 2026, FSA advised institutions can choose to “early-implement” STATS. Some student-level reporting data fields are optional and may be left blank. Warning codes 5151-5156 relate to fields FSA advised are optional to populate. Optional fields intentionally submitted with a blank value are for your institution to only acknowledge the warning. Otherwise, if data is populated in an optional field, it must be a valid value. For more information, review the 2026 FVT/GE Reporting Update: Optional Fields for Student Level Report and Clearinghouse Validations blog post.

Import a File Into Excel (Alternative to Don’t Convert)

The video mentions when opening the downloaded csv file in Excel there is a prompt asking if you want to convert leading zeroes. If you do not get the prompt or would prefer to import the file, you can import the file instead. When you import the file, set all columns with numbers to text format in the import window to retain the leading zeroes. After the file is imported, verify that the leading zeroes are retained.

This session is intended for post-secondary institutions active with FVT/GE Reporting.

Resources

• FVT/GE Reporting Knowledge Base
  • FVT/GE Reporting User Guide
  • Student Level Report Navigation Shortcut Guide
  • Student Level Reporting Specifications
• (GEN-24-04) Regulatory Requirements for Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment

Transcript

After you download your student detail reports, it’s time to add your financial aid data to it.  If working in Excel and prompted, make sure to click do not convert to retain the leading zeroes. While working the file, you may want to save it as a .xlsx. It is important to note that only programs with a minimum of 30 total completers (graduated students) in the last 4 award years (i.e., the program status effect date is between July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2024) will be included in the Standard or Transitional Student Level cohort files.  For those programs that meet this criterion, the report will include the student records. Some of the columns should already be populated with the data from the Clearinghouse data previously submitted by your school through Enrollment Reporting. Fill in columns A, P through U and Z through AI as applicable. For the most recent cohort year, in column A, you have the option to do an AA, meaning the student was enrolled or on a leave of absence through the fiscal year end of June 30^th, or TA, meaning the student graduated or withdrew from the program during the award year. For all other years, you will submit a TA. In Column N, indicate if it was a CTP. If the record is a gainful employment record, please populate column AI, GE program indicator. If the record is a TA record type, fill in columns P through U to provide the financial information. If the record is an AA record type, fill in columns Z through AG to provide the financial information. There are a few scenarios when a student/program will not need to be reported in the Student Level report. A few examples follow:

• If a student withdrew from a program and then re-enrolled in the same program during the same award year, you should report the student as enrolled as an AA record only.

• If a student did not receive Title IV aid for any programs at your institution, do not include them in your FVT/GE reporting.

• If a student received Title IV aid for a specific program (but not for other programs), the student should only be included in the reporting for the program(s) for which they received the federal aid.
• If programs are neither GE Programs nor Eligible Non-GE Programs. Please see FSA Dear Colleague Letter for more information.

If a student record should be removed from the report, do not delete the row or information. Instead, enter the accurate value in column AH, invalid flag. Follow the guide to make the field modifications. Note:

• If Invalid Flag = ‘R’, the GE Reporting Flag MUST be N and Program Attendance Status During Award Year MUST be ‘W’.
• If Invalid Flag = ‘T’, ‘X’, ‘R’, or ‘C’, you do not need to populate the financial aid data fields for the student record.

Do not add students onto the file. The system is not setup to intake new students on the file and will cause errors. Additional tips for a successful file upload:

• Use the Student Level Reporting Specifications to ensure accurate reporting and minimize errors and warnings.
• Do not edit the column headers. They are pre-populated to ensure structural validation rules are applied.

When you’re finished, save your updated Student Level Cohort file using the required file naming convention: 6digitOPEID_AwardYear.csv (e.g., 001234_20232024.csv). Now you’re ready to submit it via the File Upload on the student level report. For more information, refer to the File Layouts – Student Level report section of the FVT/GE user guide and Student level field specifications guide.