Add New Download Field for Social Security Number/TIN Exceptions

Problem Statement or Business Need

The purpose of the change is to identify if applicants that choose the "No SSN" checkbox are international students, nonresident aliens, or other legitimate exceptions, that may not have, and/or may not be required to have, an SSN/TIN at the time of account creation or while applying to a California Community College.

Proposed Solution

This is an approved change request by the CCCApply International App Advisory Committee. A new downloadable data field (Y/N checkbox question) has been added to the OpenCCC Account (Page 1) in the Social Security Number/TIN section for international students, nonresident aliens, and other legitimate exceptions, that do not have a Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number at the time of account creation and/or applying to a California Community College. The new question and Yes/No checkbox data field will only appear if the user checks "Yes" to the preceeding question (SSN No), "I do not have a Social Security Number/Taxpayer Identification Number, or decline to provide one at this time."  If the new SSN Exceptions question and checkbox appears, the SSN Encouragement Language pop-up box will appear or not appear based on the user's answer to the new Exceptions question. If the user checks "Yes = I do not have a SSN/TIN because I am an international student, or other legitimate exception" THEN do not display the SSN Encouragement Language pop-up box and confirmation link. As long as the user has a check (= Yes) in the SSN Exceptions checkbox, the system will continue to not display the SSN Encouragement pop-up box even if the user edits their OpenCCC account settings in the future, If the user does not identify as an international student, or other legitimate exception, then display the SSN Encouragement Language pop-up box and maintain the existing validation specifications that are currently in place; "encouraging" the user to enter their SSN/TIN per the state and federal IRS regulations and penalties for students that do not provide this important information.

Requirements Summary

Change Specifications

Add new conditional question and downloadable data field to the Social Security Number section in the OpenCCC Account.

a. New downloadable data field: SSN Exception = <ssn_exception>

Data element: ssn_exception

Format: Checkbox question (1 = Yes/ 0 = No)

b. Conditional Checkbox Question & Text:

Only appears if the previous checkbox (SSN_No) is checked Yes (Yes = 1).

Question/prompt text reads:
<checkbox format>  I am an international student, nonresident alien, or other exception, and I do not have a Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number.

Alternate text below the checkbox text - this only appears if the ssn_no checkbox is selected (Yes = 1).
"Check this box only if you are an international student, or other legitimate exception, and not required to have a Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number."

c. Input Rules / Error Validation:

Optional user response.

If ssn_exception is checked (not empty), then DO NOT DISPLAY the SSN Encouragement Language pop-up box (upon clicking “Continue” to go to page 2 of Account Creation; or “Save and Return” to return to the application from the Edit Account Profile screen).

If ssn_exception is not checked (is empty), then DISPLAY the SSN Encouragement Language pop-up box and input rules (when applicant clicks “Continue” to go to page 2 of Account Creation, or “Save and Return” to go back to the application from Edit Account Profile screen) and enforce the input rules for the SSN Encouragement Language.

Update the “SSN No” data field question specifications

As follows:

a. Edit the additional question text that appears below the SSN No <ssn_no> checkbox question to remove the word “Undocumented” from the sentence. The new text reads as follows:

“International students, nonresident aliens, and other exceptions, may not have a Social Security Number (or Taxpayer Identification Number) and should check this box.”

b. Add new Condition 3 to the input rules to accommodate for the ssn_no field. New Condition 3 will read as follows:

“Condition 3: If ssn_no checkbox is not empty and the “ssn_exception” field is empty, then display the SSN Encouragement Language pop-up box (see language in ssn_no table), which prompts: “Enter SSN” to go back to change responses, or “I Decline” to acknowledge regulations and admonishments and to continue to Page 2: Account Creation:

*NOTE: This behavior should also happen in the Account Profile rules for SSN_No. If an "ssn_exception" applicant comes into the Account Mailing/Edit Account page from an Application and updates some of their profile account, do not display the "SSN Encouragement Language" when they finish and "continue".

Update the Download Client with SSN Exception date field

a.  See "Change to Download File" section for detailed specifications and "Update to the latest Download File Jar File" for latest .jar link.

Update the SSN Encouragement Language pop-up box rules and validation

 a.  Add new validation rules for the SSN Encouragement Language pop-up box based on the new SSN Exception data field response.

If user checks "Yes" - if ssn_exception box is not empty - then DO NOT display the SSN Encouragement Language pop-up box during Account Creation, or any time the user edits their Account profile (as long as the checkbox remains "not empty";

If user does not check the new checkbox - if ssn_exception IS EMPTY - the display the SSN Encouragement Language pop-up box and maintain the existing rules and validation that currently exist for users that do not provide a SSN/TIN at the time of Account Creation or any time the user edits their Account profile and does not provide their SSN/TIN or check the ssn_exception checkbox.
 

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Changes to Data Download File

This approved change request resulted in one new data field added to the OpenCCC Account/Edit Profile Account system. This field is downloadable and should be added to the college download file as described below.   

New Downloadable Data Field:  SSN Exception <ssn_exception>

Actions Required by College:  

1. See below for information on updating to the latest Download Client Jar File. This step should be completed first before modifying your Download Format XML files.
2. Modify your existing Download Format XML fiels to include the new SSN Exception data field listed above. NOTE: The SSN Exception field has been added to the OpenCCC Account, which means it will pass through the submitted application to your download file. To ensure this field will appear in each application download file (Standard Application, BOG Application, and International Application) all three Download Format XML files must be modified to include this data field.
3. To ensure the new data field will download in the correct format, refer to the new SSN Exception data element specifications in the CCCApply Data Dictionary v.2016.1, as well as the Download Client User Guide.  
4. This data field has been added to the OpenCCC Account table.
5. Map the new SSN Exception <ssn_exception> data field to your student information system as required.
   
   
   

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Changes to Logic

There are no changes to the CCCApply residency algorithm logic based on this new data field or change to Account Creation/Edit Account Profile specifications. 

Supporting Documentation 

Below is additional documentation (i.e., CCCCO legal opinions, residency and/or education code citations, legislation citations, supplemental information, etc.) to be referenced in support of this change request. 

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