MySchoolApps Required Setup

Overview

Overview

This guide will walk you through every setting on the MSA Website & Client Software that is required in order to “Go Live” or start accepting applications.

If you are looking to do more advanced changes than the minimum requirements, please refer to our User Guides for MySchoolApps (web) and MSA Client or the HSS Learning Academy MSA Administrators Video Series (use code MSA1) .

 



Step 1: Log in to the Administrator Portal Website

Go to: http://www.myschoolapps.com/admin .
Sign in using the Login with MySchoolBucks button

Note: The first time accessing the Admin Portal you will have to log in with the previous information of Username: Firstname.lastname Password: Admin123, and tie your Admin portal to your MySchoolBucks account. Please contact Support if you need assistance with this step.

 


Step 2: Set Required Application Settings

  1. Click Setup.

  2. Select Application Settings from the top of the webpage.

Contact Info

Admin Contact - Heartland will contact this person if there is a problem with your MySchoolApps account.
Applicant Help Contact - Parents will contact this person if they have a question about the application process.

Public Assistance

SNAP Validation Method – Select the appropriate method for your District.
SNAP Case Number Min – The minimum required # of digits in a SNAP case number.
SNAP Case Number Max – The maximum required # of digits in a SNAP case number.

TANF Validation Method – Select the appropriate method for your District.
TANF Case Number Min – The minimum required # of digits in a TANF case number.
TANF Case Number Max – The maximum required # of digits in a TANF case number.

FDPIR Validation Method – Select the appropriate method for your District.
PDPIR Case Number Min – The minimum required # of digits in a FDPIR case number.
FDPIR Case Number Max – The maximum required # of digits in a FDPIR case number.

Note: When a parent is entering a case number for Public Assistance, it will use the rules entered to check if the number falls into the parameters you set.

Misc Setup

Auto Start Date – The application will be available to the public at around 1am on the date set.

Caution: 1am has likely already passed for today. To trigger the task we must set this date for at least one day in the future (and after July 1stof the current year)

 

Example 1: Today is 07/01/2022 and you want to go live as soon as possible. Enter 07/02/2022 in the field and you will go live at 1am on July 2nd.
Example 2: Today is 07/01/2022 and you want to go live 08/01/2022. Enter 08/01/2022 in the field and you will go live at 1am on August 1st.

End of Year Date – The website treats the End of Year date setting as the date on which to STOP accepting applications. So if a district wants to accept applications up to and including June 15th, they should set the EOY date to June 16th. The application will default to 06/01 of each year. We can modify this date back as early as 04/01 or as late as 06/30. It must be set for at least one day in the future from the present date in order to properly close the application. Please contact support if assistance is needed to close the application before April or closed the application early by mistake.

Meal Prices

Number of meal prices to display – How many meal prices do you want displayed?
Meal Price – Row #1-5: Each row shows a meal price point you charge at a specific site.

Note: Some Schools have the same price at all buildings and will only show 1 Row. Some Schools have a different price at certain buildings, and will show 2-5 Rows that are labeled accordingly.

 

 


Step 3: Add a New Language(s)

  1. Click Setup, then select Custom Strings / Languages from the drop-down menu.

  2. Click Activate next to the desired language.

Note: The 6 languages shown below have already been translated for you.


Step 4: Log in to MSA Client Software

Open MSAClient Icon on your Desktop.

User Name: firstname.lastname
Password: Admin123

Note: If user name/password is not working, please contact Support.


Step 5: Setting Required System Settings

Click the Admin & Maintenance tab, then select System Settings.

District Info

Enter your school district info on this page. District Code and District ID are non-editable fields.

Application Processing

  1. Set SNAP, TANF & FDPIR Validation Rules to the same as you set on the MSA website by selecting the desired setting from the drop-down menus.

  2. Click the blue gear to the right side of each SNAP, TANF & FDPIR & set the Minimum and Maximum values to the same as you set on the MSA website.

Note: These settings need to be set to the same rules as you set n Step 2 for Public Assistance. If they are not set the same, the import will automatically fail when importing applications into your Point of Sale system.


This document goes over the requirements for MySchoolApps to function properly. There are many settings in the Miscellaneous Setup section of the MSA Admin Portal Website that can be set to customize features to your liking. There are also many settings in MSAClient under Application Review that we highly recommend you take a look at and set to your liking. Just about every word is modifiable on an Application.

We have created an additional guide for the more commonly used settings that many Districts modify. Please reference that guide, or the video training series for more information. You may also contact your point of sale phone support representative for more assistance.