Student Financial Aid: Use of Middleware for Systems Integration 
Holds Promise (30-NOV-01, GAO-02-7).				 
								 
The Department of Education spent millions of dollars over the	 
past 10 years to modernize and integrate its nonintegrated	 
financial aid systems in an effort to provide more information	 
and greater service to students, parents, schools, and lenders.  
However, the department has met with limited success. Recently,  
Education's Office of Student Financial Assistance (SFA) began a 
new approach to database integration, using a software approach  
commonly referred to as middleware, to provide users with a more 
complete and integrated view of information in its many 	 
databases.  In selecting middleware, SFA has adopted a viable,	 
industry-accepted means for integrating and utilizing its	 
existing data on student loans and grants. To meet its human	 
capital needs, SFA has solicited the help of a private sector	 
"modernization partner" with experience in implementing and	 
managing middleware solutions--particularly in the financial	 
industry--and has also chosen to use a leading middleware	 
software product.						 
-------------------------Indexing Terms------------------------- 
REPORTNUM:   GAO-02-7						        
    ACCNO:   A02520						        
    TITLE:   Student Financial Aid: Use of Middleware for Systems Integration Holds Promise                                  
     DATE:   11/30/2001 
  SUBJECT:   Integrated software				 
	     Customer service					 
	     Data base management systems			 
	     Student financial aid				 
	     Dept. of Education National Student Loan		 
	     Data System					 
								 
	     Federal Family Education Loan Program		 
	     Pell Grant 					 
	     William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan		 
	     Program						 
								 

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GAO-02-7
     
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