Annual Update: 2015 March

Release Date

Friday, March 27, 2015

Release Scope

Release Summary 

CCCApply Standard Application

New Data Fields

The CCCApply Steering Committee approved three new data fields to the Standard, BOG, and International applications. All of them are optional and none of them will appear on screen to the applicant. Colleges can add these fields to their Format Definitions XML files and start downloading them right away. To learn more about adding download fields and updating the Download Client transfer-client.jar file in the Downloads section of the User Guides.
  

IP Address Capture Field

In an effort to protect our colleges against the threat of student financial aid fraud, Steering has approved a request by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Education to capture the IP address of each submitted application through an updated web service and store the data in the submitted_applications tables. A disclosure has been added to the OpenCCCApply Privacy Policy stating that the CCC Technology Center will be collecting this data when the student gives consent at the time of submission. The new data element, ip_address, will be stored in the following db tables:   

submitted_applications table: ip_address field
bogfw_application table: ip_address field
submitted_intl_application table: ip_address field

Enrollment Campaign Tracking Fields 

Correction:  Enhancements were made to all three applications to allow colleges to track enrollment campaigns. Up to three unique URL key/value pairs can be integrated into each application using: user1=x, user2=y, and user3=z (where x, y, and z are set to the name of your specific campaign). For example, when you provide an application URL link that includes the campaign value such as this one: https://www.opencccapply.net/cccapply-welcome?cccMisCode=231&user1=x&user2=y&user3=z, the "x,y,z" values are stored in the submitted_applications database and downloaded through your job and format XML files. The data dictionaries and the Download Client have been updated to include the new <campaign1>, <campaign2>, and <campaign3> (hidden) fields. 
 

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Bugs & Fixes

Session Timeout & Screen Readers
Session Timeout Pop-Up: The session timeout message that displays after a certain period of inactivity during OpenCCC Account Creation, or during the Standard, BOG, or International application process has been refactored to work correctly with the following screen reader/OS:web browser combinations:

• • JAWS/Windows: IE 11, Firefox, and Chrome
  • VoiceOver/OS X: Safari, Firefox, and Chrome
     

College Name Field Database Correction

A correction was made on February 20, 2015 to a recurring system process that resubmits applications when they are submitted by the student but prevented from updating the database due to an intermittent communication interruption. Due to an error in this system process, a small number of applications were resubmitted without the College Name field populating the college_id field in the database. This system process has been updated and now resubmits applications correctly, and the application_id field in the affected applications has been corrected and populated in the database. 

Resume Application to Last Saved Page

My Applications Page: When you click the Resume button to resume a previously-started application, focus is returned to the application page where you left off instead of the Introduction page. 
 

Application Timeout Return Link
Single-sign on and application time-out functionality have been updated so that when an application session times out, clicking the Return link directs you to the OpenCCC Account Log-In page instead of the Logout Success page.
 

OpenCCC Account Security Question Fix
A bug was fixed to allow applicants to enter a phone number with punctuation without error in the OpenCCC Account security question, "What was your childhood phone number including area code?"
 

Fixed Issues with the Session Time-Out Expiration Warning Pop-Up
When the Session Timeout pop-up box displays, clicking the "Yes, Keep Me Signed In" button functions correctly to keep your session alive.

Hover Help Text Changes

The following changes addressed missing or incorrect hover help in the Standard application.

• Added the correct hover help language to the 'Financial Assistance' field on the Needs & Interests Page
• Added Spanish hover help text to the Military Discharge Type field
• Updated the English hover help text throughout the Foster Youth Status fields
• Added missing English and Spanish hover help to each of the questions in the Special Residencies Categories section
• Added missing English and Spanish hover help to the Military Discharge Type field
• Updated the Spanish hover help to the College Enrollment Status field
• Added missing English and Spanish hover help to the Social Security Number / Taxpayer Identification Number, SSN Type, and the 'No SSN' fields  

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Residency & Validation Logic

Fix Error Validation for 'Date Stay Began in California' Field
Colleges are reporting that the question/field for "When did your stay begin in California" has error checking that is preventing students from applying for late-starting courses on their campus. The solution was to fix the third validation on the field <residency:ca_stay_began)> to check the date entered against the current date instead of the <RDD>. Example: Student A arrived in California after the start of the Term <RDD> but is here now. She is applying to "College" for a late-starting course. By changing the validation to check against the current date, she will be able to apply without being refused or forced to use false dates.

Fix Validation for Visa Type "Other" in Visa Types Table - Logic Fix
The eligibility status for the Visa type "Other" was changed from No to Yes in the Visa Types (Table F), which will set Class A2 and flag 51 in Step 6 of the Area A residency logic. Flag 51 will alert Admissions that the applicant's Visa Type may or may not establish residency and that futher proof, beyond self-reported data, is required. 

From Visa Types Table (Table F)  

From Area A Residency Logic: Step 6

Issues Fixed in Residency Area B Logic - Out of State Indicators & Foster Youth 
Fixed bug in Step 1 of the logic. New logic: If answer is "If No", then set B0 and continue to Step 2.
Fixed bug in Step 4 of the logic. New logic: If answer is "If No", then set B0 and end logic. The status for that area would be B0. If answer is "If Yes", then set Class B2 and go to step 5.

From Area B Residency Logic from CCCApply Submission Calculations Service Specification

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Education Page 

Restrict Enrollment Option for Applicants 22 Years or Older (SB11)
Per MIS SB11, students age 22 or older are prohibited from enrolling in high school or lower grades in California. Therefore, we've removed the response option, "1 = Will be enrolled in high school (or lower grade) and college at the same time" from the response options displayed in the College Enrollment Status <enroll_status> and High School Ed Level <hs_ed_level> fields. (Steering approved change request 2014-06B.)

Two solution requirements: 

• • If applicant is 22 years or older (birthdate against RDD) do not display the response option for "Y = Enrolling in high school (or lower grade) and college at the same time" from College Enrollment Status field (entry_level) options.
    
  • If applicant is 22 years or older (birthdate against RDD) do not display value: "1 = Will be enrolled in high school (or lower grade) and college at the same time" from the High School Education Level field (hs_edu_level).
    
     

Enforce Validation to Responses for Special Admits (SB15)
If an applicant selects the option, "Y = Enrolling in high school (or lower grade) and college at the same time" in the College Enrollment Status field, the system will default to display the equivalent response option in the High School Ed Level field, "1 = Will be enrolled in high school (or lower grade) and college at the same time".  The error validation will remain consistent; ensuring both fields match for Special Admits. (Steering approved change request 2014-06C.)
 

Fix Validation Errors for High School Completion Date Field #1

Two error validations were missing from the High School Completion Date field. The first one was allowing students to enter a graduation date in the future after indicating that their enrollment status and/or high school education level indicates they were in high school (or lower grade) on the day before the term begins <RDD>. Per Legal, the system should not allow the applicant to enter a graduation date that is a date beyond the current date, unless it is before the term <RDD>. 

Solution:  Added an error validation to <education: hs_comp_date> ensuring the date is before <RDD>; else error message, "Your High School Completion Date cannot be after <RDD >. Please correct your completion date and/or your High School Education Level.”

Add Missing Validation for High School Completion Date #2
If a student chooses the following option from the College Enrollment Status drop down box, “First time student in college (after leaving high school)”, there are 4 options in the High School Education Level drop down menu that should trigger the High School Completion Date field to be required.

Those 4 options are:
• Received high school diploma from U.S. school
• Passed the GED, or received a High School Certificate of Equivalency
• Received a Certificate of California High School Proficiency
• Received a diploma/certificate of graduation from a Foreign school

Solution: Ensure the High School Completion Date field appears ONLY when one of the options above are chosen, and ensure that if they don’t enter the High School Completion Date, they receive the following message: “You must specify your High School Completion Date. If unsure of the exact day, please estimate.”

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OpenCCC Account

  Session Timeout Pop-Up for Screen Readers

The Session Timeout pop-up message that displays after a certain period of inactivity for the Account Creation, CCCApply, and BOG applications has been re-factored to work correctly with the following screen reader/OS:web browser combinations:

• • JAWS/Windows: IE 11, Firefox, and Chrome
  • VoiceOver/OS X: Safari, Firefox, and Chrome

When the Session Timeout pop-up box displays, clicking the "Yes, Keep Me Signed In" button functions correctly to keep the session alive. 

Fix Error Message for the Under Age 13 Restriction in OpenCCC Account Creation
Per federal privacy laws (COPPA) it is unlawful for persons under the age of 13 to create an online account and provide personal information online. The OpenCCC Account creation is set up to prevent applicants under the age of 13 from creating an account, but the error message we were using was ambiguous, and according to one college "opens the door for dishonesty by the applicant to get past the question and continue on....the language of the error message should be revised for clarity and should cite federal privacy legislation."  No change was made to the validation itself, however the error message text was revised to read as follows: "We found some problems with the information you submitted: Federal privacy laws restrict applicants age 13 years and younger from creating an online account and applying to college using an online application. Please contact the college Admissions & Records office for assistance."

OpenCCC Account Security Question Fix: "What was your childhood phone number?"
A fix was made to one of the security questions in the OpenCCC Account creation process: "What was your childhood phone number including area code?" The issue has been addressed and students can now enter a phone number with punctuation without error.
 

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BOG Fee Waiver Application

The following corrections were made to the BOG Fee Waiver Application:

Fixed Display of Social Security Number from Edit Account/Mailing Information Page
Social security numbers now display correctly on the Account/Mailing Information tab when you edit your OpenCCCApply Account to include a social security number.

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International Application

Development of the CCCApply International admissions application has been on hiatus since August 2014; however any changes made in this release that apply to all applications were also made to the International application. 
 

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Accessibility

CCCApply is currently undergoing a routine 508 Compliance Audit by the State of California. Early results have allowed us to expedite a series of fixes to several key issues identified when using specific browser + screen reader combinations. To address these issues, we have defined browser/operating systems + screen reader combinations that will be supported and recommended for the best user experience.
 

508 Accessibility Issues Fixed - February 2015 Release

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System Infrastructure

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New College Support Email 

To better support the technical needs of Colleges Live or migrating to the new CCCApply applications, a new college support technician and designated support email address are now available to track and respond to staff issues and provide a second tier of IT support to the OpenCCC Help Desk. Colleges should submit bugs, report outages, and request IT-support directly to the new College Support email, Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:00pm PST. 

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Steering Committee Change Requests

The following list of change requests represents only the requests that have been approved or deferred in 2014-2015. 

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Release Information

The reason we schedule releases and other maintenance windows on Friday evenings is to give us the entire weekend to resolve an issue if it arises.  Friday evening is a low point in the weekly demand cycle.

As you can see below, normal daily activity drops in the evening. While not the lowest point in the day, combine this with Friday being a significant low activity day heading into the weekend, and add in the benefit of being able to mitigate risk by working on a problem over the weekend, if it arises, and you can see why Friday evening makes sense.

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