For decades, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms were processed electronically by the legacy Central Processing System. In 2021 the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) initiated a system development effort and in December 2023 deployed a new system to process forms for the 2024-2025 school year. However, student aid…

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the entry ramp to federal grants and loans that many students depend on to afford college. Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act in 2020 in part to make it easier to apply for federal aid. However, Education's rollout of the new FAFSA has suffered from numerous challenges and delays.…

The author presents a seven-point approach to teaching information processing students how to document a system. The method focuses on requiring clear documentation for class projects and scheduling separate due dates for each document required in proper sequence. (CH)

Describes the Probabilistic Relational Universal Fuzzy (PRUF), a relation-manipulating language which serves the purposes of: (1) precisiation of expressions in a natural language; (2) exhibiting their logical structure; and (3) providing a system for the characterization of the meaning of a proposition by acting on a collection of fuzzy relations…

Based on action research of the Information Processing (IP) course at the bachelor programme HA/DOK at Copenhagen Business School, we investigate which barriers students experience when learning holistic systems development and why. HA/DOK has been developed to educate students who can facilitate between users and programmers and navigate within…

Chemical Abstracts Service developed and expanded a computer-based Chemical Registry System and operated it on a large-scale pilot basis. Some 1,744,319 registry transactions were made, resulting in the addition of 988,806 unique substances to the Registry Files. Continual effort has been made to improve computer capabilities and procedures, add…

Describes work in progress at the Smithsonian Institution in developing a system to understand and articulate the information needed to support collection related functions. The discussion covers the data modeling methodology used and the advantages of this methodology in structuring museum collections information. (one reference) (CLB)

Describes the computer field before the advent of CP/M (Control Program for Microcomputers), an operating system which facilitated compatibility between different computers. CP/M's functions and flaws and the advent of Apple DOS and UCSD Pascal, two additional widely used operating systems, and the significance of their development are also…

Examines various types of link list structures built on top of the traditional random access files for application to a database query technique involving multiple keys, and shows how the technique can improve performance of traditional random access files for the Grants Information System. (Author/CMV)

The Vocational Education Act of 1963 triggered the development of a number of computer based guidance projects. However a great majority of these projects have never been transplanted for field testing. Field implementation is essential in order to evaluate the systems and to provide information services which are lacking in many traditional…

This report reviews the basic characteristics of an information system to be used in statewide planning, and derives the objectives of such a system for the State of North Carolina. The design and implementation calls for three stages: (1) an initial demonstration system to provide experiences in the use and implementation of the system, (2) an…

In this paper the roles and functions of man in the evolution and development of two complex specific systems within the Army operational environment are discussed. It is pointed out that throughout the course of historical development, the basic system functions and objectives have remained unchanged even though the system equipments have varied.…

The US Department of Education's plan to redesign the systems used to deliver student financial aid--the Integrated Student Aid Delivery System (ISADS) Project--is discussed. Background on the origins of the ISADS project is provided and its broad implications for postsecondary institutions are considered. (MLW)

Describes development and implementation of microcomputer system for request handling, recordkeeping, and invoicing at the Centre for Scientific and Technical Information (CSTI) Document Delivery Service of the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Unforeseen advantages of the system are reviewed, including electronic…

A major problem in the design of screening systems for substructure searches of chemical structure files is the development of a methodology for selection of an optimal set of structural characteristics to act as screens. Distributions of several structural characteristics of the Chemical Abstracts Service Registry System are summarized. (13…