FSA has released an Issue Alert that impacts the calculation of FISAP Total Income for dependent and independent students on the Application Processing and Packaging versions of FISAP reports. The issue only impacts records that have a null or negative value for FISAP Total Income on the active ISIR transaction or Packaging record in EDExpress.
The issues are:
- The Application Processing versions of the dependent and independent FISAP reports exclude imported ISIR transactions with a blank (null) or negative (less than zero) value for the FISAP Total Income sent in the ISIR.
- The Packaging versions of the dependent and independent FISAP reports are calculating null (blank) or negative FISAP Total Income values as zero.
Issue Workaround
FSA recommends the same EDExpress workaround for both modules: create a query to identify impacted student records (ISIR or Packaging), create a file format to extract key student record fields used to calculate FISAP Total Income, then perform an external export to create a data file of student records you can analyze to complete the necessary FISAP questions (or to correct values submitted previously).
- You can define an Application Processing or Packaging query in EDExpress to identify imported ISIRs with null or blank for FISAP Total Income in EDExpress 2024–25. Your query should specify records with FISAP Total Income = Null OR FISAP Total Income < (Less than) 0. Your completed query should appear as follows in Query setup:
- ((FISAP total income IS NULL) or
- (FISAP total income < 0))
- Define separate Application Processing or Packaging file formats in EDExpress setup for dependent and independent students that include the data fields you need to analyze and complete the FISAP. In addition to the student’s “SSN” and “first/last name” fields, we recommend selecting the Student 1st Bachelor’s Degree before 24–25, Max Pell Indicator, Student Adjusted Gross Income, Parent Adjusted Gross Income (dependents only), and the FISAP Total Income fields.
- Apply the file formats and query to separate dependent and independent ISIR or Packaging external exports in EDExpress. Select “Active” as the Transaction Preference in the Export dialog box.
- Open the exported file in a text editor or spreadsheet viewer (such as Microsoft Excel) and use the exported data to complete the FISAP or correct values that you submitted previously.
As noted in the Sept. 12, 2025 Electronic Announcement, FISAP corrections can be submitted until Dec. 15, 2025.