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Key Objectives

By the end of Section 1: Program Layout training, the user should be able to:

  • Know the difference between tabs and ribbons
  • Locate the Home tab and tell its primary function
  • Define what the Action tab does
  • Perform a student lookup
  • Define Application Review
  • Successfully key an application
  • Add a new student
  • Explain the process when merging students
What is the difference between a tab and a ribbon?
  •  Tabs are located at the top of the page and allow you to quickly navigate between major operations within the system. The Action tab appears when you are performing tasks. This allows you to toggle between tabs to perform other actions.

If you do not see all of the tabs as shown in the image below, it means your system role does not have permission to access or perform tasks in these tabs.

  • Ribbons consist of icons within a tab that allow quick access to tasks and daily operations. Ribbons are typically broken down into groups of actions that are performed in a sequence.

What's the Home tab all about?

 The Home tab is where the majority of your daily activity will take place.

  • Lookup students
  • Review applications
  • Key applications
  • Review households chosen for verification
  • Search for and review supporting documents
  • Scan applications
  • Recognize applications for accuracy
  • Complete the scanning q & a process by verifying scanned information is correct
  • Print various letters
  • Review printed letter batches

What's this Action tab about and why don't I always see it?

The Action tab is what allows you to perform the majority of the necessary actions you need to complete a task. If you do not see the Action tab, the task does not require an advanced level of actions or you have closed a task. Each task requiring an Action tab is customized to the necessary actions that can be performed. The program allows you to work on more than one task at a time. By toggling between tasks, you will see the available actions change.

If you were working on a task and suddenly notice your available actions are not there, do not panic. You may have inadvertantly clicked on another tab. Simply click on the Action tab again to continue.

How can I locate a student?
  1. Locate and click on the Home tab, select the Student Lookup menu.

  2. Enter the Search data in the Filter and Search section. Select Refresh or hit the <Enter> key to begin the search.

    • Name - Student's name (First, Last, or any portion)
    • Student # - Student's ID number
    • SIS Data - Student Information System Data
    • Application ID - Select the ellipses  next to the field to open the Application Search window.
    • School - Choose a school from the drop-down menu to filter the search by school.
    • Verif. Household - Search using Verification Household information. 
    • Advanced Filter - Select the ellipses  next to the field to open the Advanced Filter window. Double-click filters to add them to the filter expression. Filters can be combined by using keywords And, Or, and Not. The order of operations can be specified by using parenthesis.
  3. Use the scroll bar at the bottom of the screen to view additional column details about the student. 
  4. Double-click on the correct student or select the student and click the View/Edit Student button.

What is the Application Review process?

The application review process allows you to work though the list of scanned application issues and resolve problems. During the process you can also:

  • Edit/add additional students to the application
  • Adding household members and his/her information
  • Enter comments
  • View users who have worked on the application
  • View/add attachments
  • Move the application to a review queue (if applicable)

 

  1. Locate and click on the Home tab, select the Application Review option. A Search Section along with a list of all applications will be shown.
  2. Searching for Applications

    Enter the Search Terms in the Search and Filter section. Enter more information for a narrow search, or less information for a broad search.

    • Work Queue - Searches for Applications within a specific Work Queue (selected from the drop-down menu). Work Queues are user-defined in the Miscellaneous Setup section.
    • Application ID - Locates a specific application by Application ID.
    • Reference # - Locates a specific application by Reference Number.
    • Name Search - Locates a specific student by entering full or partial name.
    • Exception Filter - Locates applications containing a chosen Exception (selected from drop-down menu).
      Select the following options to include in the search:
      • Include Student Matches
      • Include Student Non-Matches
      • Include Scanned Apps
      • Include Online Apps
      • Include Keyed Apps


  3.  Editing Applications
    1. Highlight the application from the list and select the Edit Application option. Specific applications can be located using the Search function described above.
    2. Select the Edit option.
    3. Enter a Comment regarding the edit being made in the Comment Box (Required). Click OK when you have finished entering comments.

    4. Make any necessary edits to the Application Fields section. Make sure to Save Changes & Process before exiting.

      • Reference # - Refers to a specific application by Reference Number.
      • Signed - First/Last Name - Select if the application is signed and enter the First/Last name of the applicant.
      • Adult SSN- Select an SSN option from the drop-down menu and enter the SSN in the field provided.
        • Normal
        • No Adult SSN
        • Emancipated Child
        • Not Provided

      • SNAP Case # / Recp'nt - Enter the SNAP Case number and the recipient's name.
      • Tanf Case # / Recp'nt - Enter the Tanf Case number and the recipient's name.
      • Stated 'I do not qualify' - Select this option if the applicant has stated they do not qualify.
      • Total Mbrs - Enter the total number of household members.
      • Verification / Has Supporting Documentation- Select this option if Supporting Documentation is available. Select a Response Code from the drop-down menu (multiple responses can be selected).
        • Valid Response
        • Select All
        • No Adult SSN
        • Invalid Case Number
        • Missing Proof of Income
      • Ethnicity - Select the Ethnicity of the Applicant.
      • Info Release - Select to release Medical Information or other information (e.g. UserDefined1).
      • Problems - Check any problems associated with the application. 

  4.  Editing and Adding Students to an Application
    1. Open the application for editing as described in the Editing Applications section above.

    2. In the Students section, click on the asterisk * to add a student to the application.

      • Enter the SIS number or the student's name and then the Enter key.
    3. Locate the correct student and click Match Found to add the student to the existing application.
    4. Make sure to Save Changes & Process before exiting.

  5.  Adding Household Members

    1. Open the application for editing as described in the Editing Applications section above.

    2. Enter the member name in the space marked with an asterisk * (typically the last row)

    3.  Select the No Income option if this member provides no income for the household.  To enter an income, click the plus + sign next to the name. Multiple incomes can be entered.

      • Amount - Enter the amount earned by this household member.
      • Frequency - Select the frequency the amount is earned from the drop-down menu.
      • Source - Select the source of the income from the drop-down menu.

  6. Comments / Work Log

    1. While still in the Edit Application window, select the Comments / Work Log option. A list of all comments and actions regarding this record is displayed.
    2. Make the necessary edits to the Comments and Work Logs.
      1. To add a new Comment, click the Add Comment button. When you have entered your comment, click Ok.
        Select a Log Action related to the record from the Action list and click Ok.
        Enter a comment in regards to the Log Action and click Ok to submit the comment.
      2. To edit a comment or work log, select the appropriate comment and click the Edit button.
        Make changes to the comment and then click Ok.
      3. To remove a comment or work log, select the appropriate line and click the Remove button.
    3. After you have completed making changes, click Ok.

  7. Moving Application to Review Queue

    1. While still in Edit Application window, click the Move to Review Queue button.
    2. Select the review queue where you would like to move the application. Review Queues can be created in the Application Review Section in Miscellaneous Setup. Click Ok once you have selected a review queue.

  8. Viewing Application Attachments

    1. Open the application for editing as described in the Editing Applications section above.

    2. Select an option from the View section.


If an application is not scannable or we do not use a scanner, how can I key an application?

Keying an application is easy.

  1. From the Home tab, click the Add Keyed Applications button.

  2. Compete each section with the details provided by the household.

    1. Application Fields - Complete the following fields where applicable.

      • Reference # - The number of the application provided to the household. Not all Districts provide reference numbers on the application forms.
      • Signed - Mark this box if the application has a valid signature from the household member.
      • First Name
      • Last Name
      • Email Addx - The email address provided by the household member.

      • Adult SSN - Use the drop-down menu to choose options. If the SSN has been provided, enter the last 4 in the blank to the right.

      • SNAP Case# / Recp'nt - Enter the case number and person receiving benefits.
      • Tanf Case # / Recp'nt - Enter the case number and person receiving benefits.
      • Stated 'I do not qualify' - Mark this box if a household has indicated they do not qualify for benefits.
      • Total Mbrs - Enter the total number of household members. The Counted and Total Income fields will be calculated by information submitted in the Students and Household Members fields.
      • Verification/Response Code - This should only be completed if a student is in verification. For more information, refer to Verification Process instructions.
      • Special Circumstances - If the student has special circumstances, use the drop-down menu and select one or more of the special circumstance reasons:
        • (Select All)
        • Severe Need
        • Homeless
        • Indian Reservation
        • Migrant
        • Per Administrator
        • Runaway
        • Institutionalized
        • Headstart Free
        • Headstart Reduced
        • Disaster Relief
        • Foster Child
        • Declining Benefits - Check this box if the household has chosen not to accept benefits.
      • Language - Use the drop-down menu to select the primary language spoken in the household. Setting a language informs the system in which language various letters should be printed (if the additional language letters have be setup by the District).
      • Ethnicity - Check none, one, or more depending on information provided and your Districts requirements.
      • Info Release - If the household member has agreed to share information collected with other agencies, select which agencies information is allowed to be shared.

    2. Students - Complete the following fields where applicable.

      • Enter the student's name(s) under the Name column and click the Enter key to bring up the Student Lookup page.
      • If the student has been matched in the system, a check mark will appear in the Matched column.
      • If a student has been directly certified for benefits, a check mark will appear in the DC column.
      • Snap Case # - Enter the case number and person receiving benefits.
      • Tanf Case # - Enter the case number and person receiving benefits.
      • No Income - If the student has no income, click on the box to mark it.
      • Foster - If the child is a foster child, click on the box to mark it.

    3. Household Members - Complete the fields for each household member on the application that is not a current student.

      • Name - Enter the name of a household member and click the Enter button. Then, click the plus button to expand the household member income details.

      • No Income - If the household member has no income, click on the box to mark it.

  3. After you have completed keying all information from the application, click Save Changes & Process.

An application number and batch number will be assigned to the keyed application. If the application had any problems, it will be held for review.

I have an application for a student, but (s)he is not in our system. Can I add them?

A new student can be added to the system; however, this feature should be used sparingly unless you do not have an enrollment system. As new students are added to the Student Enrollment System (SIS), DataCenter pushes the information to other MCS software programs.

  1. From the Home tab, select Student Lookup.
  2. Select Add New Student.
  3. Enter the information provided in the appropriate sections.
    1. Identification and Enrollment
    2. Information Release
    3. Address
    4. Miscellaneous Data
  4. When you have completed entering information, click Save Changes.

I see the same student enrolled in the system twice. Is there a way to merge those records?

 Yes. You can merge two records into one record; however, before doing so, you must ensure both students are the same. There is no "Undo" for this process.

  1. Locate and click on the Home tab, select the Student Lookup menu.
  2. Find the student using the process described in Locating a Student Record. Select the student's name from the list and click the Merge Student button.
  3. Select the student records to be merged by choosing the Pick option.
    1. If the top record is incorrect, you can click Pick and conduct a search by typing the name and clicking Refresh. The top record (Old Student) will be deleted.
    2. Enter the name of the New Student and click Refresh. Choose the student from the list and click Ok. The bottom record (New Student) will be retained.
  4. When you are sure you have selected the same student for both records and they are in the proper order (Keep & Delete), select the I understand there is no undo for this option and click Ok. Click Yes on the Warning window to complete the merge.

You should now see only one record for the student.

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