How to challenge your draft Cohort Default Rate

1. Be aware of your current CDR status.
If your school is under sanction or has submitted certain
challenges, adjustments, or appeals in the past, this will inf
which challenges and adjustments you can submit now.
1.

2. Locate your two most recent prior official CDRs.
Some sanctions or benefits are based on the three most
recent rates. This information can be found on the Three-
year Official CDRs for Schools page of ED's website.
2.

3. 3.
Prepare a spreadsheet.
Capture loan information for your school, including
enrollment status and date entered repayment.

4. 4.
Learn how to access key NSLDS reports.
Some reports you may need . . .
DRC016: Indicates the current repayment status of borrowers.
DER001: Provides the date students entered repayment.
DELQ01: Displays borrowers who are delinquent in making payments to one of the
federal loan servicers.
SCHPR2: Includes all of your school's FFELP and Direct Loans.
SCHDF2: Lists loans that currently have a defaulted status and a loan status date
that falls within the requested date range.

5. 5.
Access reports servicers provide to help you verify
CDR data.
For Great Lakes-serviced loans, you can learn more abo
how to use our Service Provider Loan Portfolio Detail
report, and other reports, on the Financial Aid
Professionals portal under Default Management >
Reports and Data

6. 6.
Save time up front by checking the NSLDS website.
Ensure that a student who is no longer eligible at your
school is not maintaining eligibility at another school.

7. 7.
Identify key student borrower data
Key Student Borrower Data
LDA: Last date of attendance
LTH: Less than half-time date
WD: Withdrawal date
DER: Date entered repayment
CPD: Claim paid date
DD: Default date

8. 8.
Keep tip sheets handy to help you decipher codes.
Save time by printing out pages 4-5 of ED's CDR Guide
Chapter 2.3, Part 2.

9. 9.
Need additional help?
Contact fsa.schools.default.management@ed.gov or call
the OPD hotline at (202) 377-4259, and keep a record o
your conversations.

10. Challenge!
You don't want to do all that work in identifying incorrect data
only to have your challenge miss a deadline or be unsubstantia
Consult Chapter 4 of ED's CDR Guide for valuable informatio
about the IDC and other challenges and appeals, too. Then kee
these important tips in mind as you submit your challenge.

11. 10. Submit your IDC challenge via eCDR Appeals, which you can access by using the Student
Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG). You'll need to register on the eCDR Appeals homepage, and from
there you can access User Guides and video demonstrations for each type of challenge,
adjustment, or appeal.
11. Include supporting documentation along with your IDC appeal; consult tables on pages 10-
13 of Chapter 3.1 of the CDR Guide to ensure that you include what you need to support your
allegation.
12. Send your challenge to the correct data manager, or you may miss your window to
challenge.
For Family Federal Education Loan (FFEL) program loans held by guaranty agencies, submit
your IDC to the guaranty agency data manager via eCDR, which can be accessed using
SAIG.
For FFEL loans held by ED and for Direct Loans, you'll need to submit your IDC to the
appropriate federal or not-for-profit servicer data manager by the deadline. If two entities are
listed for a loan, make sure you send your challenge to the correct entity (the one indicated
with a usage code of "B" not "E") to ensure that you meet the deadline.