The Monthly Memo

Dear Colleagues,

Again, I encourage the submission of names of other staff members within your department or school who would like to be included on the mailing list for this monthly memo.

1. 1997-98 notification lists and other associated reports were printed 10/9/98 (mailed 10/10/97) and 10/22/97 (mailed 10/23/97.) Due to a required conversion of file data from tape storage to mainframe, we experienced a one day delay in the printing of the 10/9/97 list. Originally we had scheduled it for 10/8/97. November print dates have been scheduled for 11/5/97 and 11/19/97. Please continue to cross reference your student record data with the notification list information. Most recently we uncovered a number of records that we never received from the federal processor even though everything indicated that we should have received the data. We have also found that in some cases it is taking as long as three weeks after the student's school has received their federal data before HEAB receives it. We are currently investigating why this is occurring and hope to resolve the issues.

2. We continue to run the vouchering process on Tuesday and Friday nights. We did, however, collapse the 10/3/97 and 10/7/97 runs into the 10/8/97 run due to the conversion described above that delayed the printing of the notification list. We will only run one voucher job Thanksgiving week. It will be run on 11/25/97. One will not run 11/27/97. Please keep in mind that it takes two to three business days after the vouchering process runs before checks are physically printed. So please plan accordingly. Contact me if you have any questions. Please request funds for students who are registered or who you know will indeed be attending your school. This will assist in reducing the number of refunds that are processed. Please refer to your October Monthly Memo, under point three, which references what must be included when submitting refunds to HEAB and the timeframe in which funds must be returned.

3. By the time this memo reaches your office, you will have had the opportunity to attend the interest session "HEAB - Moving into the Electronic Age." Depending on the rate of responses from schools requesting to convert processes as soon as possible, we may need to phase in "certain types of processes" before others. We will keep you posted.

4. Once again for the few schools that are using tapes or cartridges, we encourage you to try to convert as soon as possible to FTP, email, or diskette. We will soon not be able to accommodate the use of either. Please let me know if there is anything HEAB can do to assist you in the conversion. Thank you.

5. The WISSIS data was due 10/15/97. There are a few who have not submitted their data to date. We will be doing follow-up phone calls to those schools in the coming weeks. I thank all of you who have already submitted the needed information!

6. You will soon receive the first substantial batch of vouchered checks for the Academic Excellence Scholarship Program. You will also receive an updated list of recipients. If you have not already vouchered funds for this program, we encourage you to do so at this time.

7. Given staffing changes most recently at HEAB, I thought that it might be helpful to provide you with a current listing of staff that you will be in contact with most along with other pertinent information.
   Lee Hellickson, Information Systems Manager, 608.267.2211, email: lhellick@mail.state.wi.us

   Mary Lou Kuzdas, Program Coordinator (Minority Teacher Loan, Minority Retention Grant, and WI Tuition Grant) 608.267.2212, email: mkuzdas@mail.state.wi.us

   Cindy Lehrman, Program Coordinator (MN-WI Reciprocity and Paul Douglas Scholarship) 608.267.2209, email: clehrman@mail.state.wi.us

   Lowell Maves, Administrator (Administrative and Fiscal Affairs) 608.266.1658, email: lmaves@mail.state.wi.us

   Barb Moermond, Program / Information Systems Assistant (Nursing Student Stipend Loan) 608.266.3091, email: bmoermon@mail.state.wi.us

   Sherrie Nelson, Program Coordinator (Talent Incentive Program) 608.267.2944, email: snelson4@mail.state.wi.us

   Val Olson, Secretary, 608.267.2206, email: volson@mail.state.wi.us

   Sandra Thomas, Program Coordinator (Handicapped Student Grant, Indian Student Grant, and WI Higher Education Grant) 608.266.0888, email: thomas2@mail.state.wi.us

   Alice Winters, Program Coordinator (Academic Excellence Scholarship and Independent Student Grant) 608.267.2213, email: awinters@mail.state.wi.us

8. The State Biennial Budget did pass. I have attached a document which includes budget details that relate to HEAB and the programs it administers. Given the changes in funding for the WHEG, WTG programs and others, I ask that you return the form dated 10/21/97 requesting data related to "expected dollars to be vouchered" by its NOVEMBER 5TH due date. This will assist in determining whether or not program formulas should be changed, etc. for the remainder of 1997-98. Given the appropriation for the Minority Retention Grant, I will not be going out with a revised allocation memo. Please use the figures indicated on the "estimated" version. PLEASE RETURN REFUNDS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! This will not only assist in determining what funds are truly available to spend but will also allow schools to voucher funds for students that are attending their school rather than waiting for the school who is holding the funds to refund them back to HEAB.

9. Just a reminder that our general HEAB email address that all file maintenance changes, adds, and voucher requests should be sent to is:
   HEAB@mail.state.wi.us

I thank you once again for your feedback! I appreciate your thoughts! My phone number is 608.264.6181, FAX: 608.267.2808, EMAIL: hojanj@mail.state.wi.us and snailmail: HEAB, P.O. Box 7885, Madison,WI 53707-7885.