Processing Applications

Processing Applications Finance > Education Maintenance Allowance > Processing Applications  EMA P1 Processing Steps − 2013  Possible follow-up action that may be required  Direct to Deposit to School (EFT) information  Online Training Videos - for School EMA Administrators  Frequently Asked Questions EMA P1 Processing Steps − 2013

The EMA web system has been modified for 2013 to incorporate the changes announced in the 2012/13 Victorian State Budget. For more information, see: Education Maintenence Allowance

In addition, the following enhancements have been made to the EMA web system for 2013:  Government Schools – The CASES21/EMA student data download will now occur automatically when schools promote/rollover their students for 2013 and when subsequent student enrolment changes are made on CASES21.  Scanned documents can now be uploaded to the EMA web system. For Late Applications/ Special Consideration Applications, and Centrelink Validation Failures, schools can now upload a scanned copy of the supporting documentation – this will reduce the need for schools to fax/email documents to the EMA Unit. The EMA Unit will receive automatic notification when a scanned document has been uploaded. Step 1: CASES21 Data Task (Government Schools)

Government schools must ensure that CASES21 (Admin) accurately reflects current student enrolment details (i.e. that all students currently enrolled at your school are shown are active on CASES21).

Once CASES21 (Admin) has been updated for 2013:

NEW for 2013: The EMA web system has been enhanced for 2013 to automatically detect when your school administrator has completed the CASES21 student promotion/rollover task for 2013. Once the CASES21 promotion/rollover has occurred, the EMA web system will automatically schedule a download of the 2013 student data across to the EMA system overnight (24 hours). This task can also still be performed manually by following steps a and b below, but is not required unless system problems prevent the automatic scheduling of the student data. 1. Select Applications, Download CASES21 Students − this will update the EMA web system with the current student enrolment details. 2. This information is updated overnight into the EMA web system

Step 2: Copying Applications from a Previous Year:

A short method for processing applications is to copy the applications from the previous year (for parents who have applied for EMA previously). To do this: 3. Log into the EMA web system www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/ema 4. Select ‘Applications’ from the Menu Bar 5. Select ‘Search by Applicant’ 6. Select the year applicable to the application to be copied, from the drop down list e.g 2012. You can only choose from either of the two prior years. Optionally, you may also want to enter the parent surname to refine the search. 7. Click ‘Search’ 8. Locate the application which you want to copy and click on the 'Copy' link next to the parent's name. 9. This takes you to the Add Application page where the copied parent and student information from the prior year is displayed. 10. Check the parent’s application form against the system to ensure that all details are correct for the current year. You can add or delete students from the application and also make sure that the parent’s nominated payment method is selected. 11. By default, the ‘eligible periods’ setting for each student will be set to P1 and P2 – which means that the application is applicable to the whole year. Unless you know that a student should not receive a P2 payment, leave this setting as is. 12. Click the ‘Save Application’ button. Once you click the save button, the system will check that all mandatory fields have been completed and the application will then be created in the current year. The application will also be automatically validated against Centrelink’s database. Once successfully saved, the application will be displayed in View mode. Typically at this point you have successfully added the application. 13. Click the ‘Back to Search’ button if you wish to return to the search page to continue with copying other applications. 14. Once you have completed entering your school’s applications you will need to endorse the applications before payments can be made. NOTE: The EMA web system will immediately validate a CRN with Centrelink when you save the application. CRN validation is also carried out in the background every half an hour or overnight if for some reason the validation could not be completed immediately. Applications entered prior to 29 January 2013 (P1 EMA eligibility date), will not be validated with Centrelink until this date has been reached. Applications which successfully validate with Centrelink will then require 'endorsement'.

Step 3 – Adding New Applications (not copying)

To add a new application (not copy): 15. Log into the EMA Web System www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/ema 16. Select ‘Applications’ then ‘Add Application’ from the Main Menu. 17. Select the ‘Application Type’. By default, the value is set to ‘Parent has CRN’ as this is the most common application type. 18. By default, the ‘eligible periods’ setting for each student will be set to P1 and P2 – which means that the application is applicable to the whole year. Unless you know that a student should not receive a P2 payment, leave this setting as is. 19. Enter the parent (or guardian) surname and first name. This is not case sensitive, but the spelling must be identical to the spelling on the parent’s Centrelink concession card. Then (optionally) enter a school reference number. 20. Enter the Centrelink Reference Number (or CRN) of the applicant as per the application form or concession card. The CRN is mandatory for this application type. 21. Select the ‘preferred payment method’ as per the parent’s application form. 1.1. If ‘EFT’ is chosen, you must enter the parent’s BSB and Account details. 1.2. If ‘Pay Direct to School’ is chosen, you do not need to enter banking details. Payment will be made directly into your school’s bank account. 1.3. If Cheque is chosen, you can also (optionally) indicate whether the cheque has been signed over to the school. 1. Government schools − add the children to the application by entering the child’s surname in the ‘CASES21 Student Selection” search box, clicking the ‘search’ button then ticking the box next to the child’s name and clicking ‘select’. You may add multiple children to the application by ticking each child’s name.

Non-Government Schools − manually enter each child’s details into the student details section. 2. The ‘Eligible Periods’ setting for the children will default to ‘P1 and 2’. 3. Click the ‘Save Application’ button. Once you click the save button, the application will be created and automatically validated against Centrelink’s database. Once saved, the application will be displayed in View mode. 4. Once you have completed entering your school’s applications you will need to endorse the applications before payments can be made. EMA administrators with 'school approver' access can endorse applications by clicking on the 'Endorse/Authorise' option in the menu bar and following the steps displayed. Note: Applications entered prior to 29 January 2013 will not be validated with Centrelink until this date has been reached. Applications which successfully validate with Centrelink will then require 'endorsement'. Step 4: Endorse EMA applications

By ‘endorsing’ the applications, you are indicating that your school’s student enrolments in the EMA system are up to date. All endorsed applications will then be automatically validated with Centrelink’s database to check whether the parent/guardian’s concession card was valid on the Period 1 eligibility date, i.e 29 January 2013.

Note: Only users with ‘School Approver’ access are able to endorse applications.

To endorse applications for Period 1 (P1) processing: 5. Select ‘Endorse/Authorise’ from the Main Menu. 6. To endorse all applications, click on the ‘Endorse All’ button – or if you wish to view these applications first you can click on the ‘List Applications’ button. Once endorsed, applications with a CRN will be validated with Centrelink’s database within 30 minutes. 7. Applications which successfully validate with Centrelink will be paid in the next scheduled EMA payment run (the next payment run date is displayed on the EMA homepage). 8. Applications which fail the Centrelink validation will be displayed on your EMA Homepage under the heading of ‘CRN Validation Failed’. See Issue 1 for follow up action required for CRN validation failures. Possible follow-up action that may be required

Issue 1: CRN validation failures Applications which have an application type of ‘Parent has CRN’ are automatically validated with Centrelink‘s database to confirm that the parent’s concession card was valid on the EMA P1 eligibility date, i.e 29 January 2013.

Applications which fail the Centrelink validation are displayed on your EMA Homepage with a status of ‘CRN Validation Failed’. In addition, an automated email is sent to your school and/or EMA administrator to inform you of any CRN validation failures.

Action required − Notifying applicants regarding CRN validation errors

For all Centrelink error reasons, i.e. applicant’s Centrelink benefit has been cancelled (except CRN digit validation errors and name mismatch errors which can be corrected by the school), inform parent/guardian using the ‘Centrelink Validation Failure’ letter in: Forms

Advise the parent that if he/she believes that he/she was entitled to a card on the eligibility date (29 January 2013), a Q053 confirmation letter is required from Centrelink stating that the parent was the holder of a valid concession card on 29 January 2013 – for Period 1 eligibility.

New for 2013: When the school receives the Q053 confirmation letter from the parent, the letter can be scanned and attached to the parent’s application on the EMA web system. Under the ‘Documents’ section of the parent’s electronic application, click on ‘Browse’ to select the scanned document and then click ‘Upload Selected File’. The EMA Unit will then receive automatic notification that you have uploaded the scanned document – there is no need to also fax/email the document to the EMA Unit.

However, if you are unable to scan documents, as an alternative you can fax the Q053 letter to the EMA Unit on (03) 9637 2224, for processing Issue 2: EFT rejections

For parents who have chosen to have their portion of the EMA paid by EFT into their bank account, if there is a problem with the BSB/bank account number entered, the bank may return the payment to DEECD and the application will display a status of ‘EFT Rejected’ in the EMA system. Payments which are returned by the bank are displayed on your EMA Homepage with a status of ‘EFT Rejected’. In addition, an automated email is sent to your school and/or EMA administrator to inform you of any EFT Rejections. Action required: 1. Check the parent’s application form which was submitted to the school to make sure that the BSB /account number was entered into the EMA system accurately, or contact the parent to check the BSB /account number if necessary. 2. After obtaining the correct BSB /account number, view the parent’s application in the EMA system and correct the BSB /account number by double clicking on the incorrect digit(s) and amending or clicking the Clear button and adding the bank details. Once the amendment has been made, click on the ‘Save Changes’ button and the payment will then be resubmitted to the amended account number in the next scheduled EMA payment run. Issue 3: Possible duplicate detected

Each night, the EMA system checks applications for the current year to detect any students that may have been duplicated across schools. The check takes into account the student eligibility settings, so that a student’s eligibility can be set to 'P1 only' at one school, and the same student can be set as 'P2 only' at another school. This allows for the situations where a student leaves a school and transfers to another Victorian school. Where a duplicate is found, applications at both schools will be placed 'on hold by system' and will be displayed on your EMA Homepage as 'Possible duplicate detected'. When any duplicates are detected, each of the schools involved will receive a notification email to advise them of this. Action required: 3. Check whether the student was enrolled at your school on Period 2 Census Day (28 February 2013). 4. If the student was not enrolled at your school on Census day, view the parent’s application and amend the student’s eligibility setting to ‘P1 Only’ and click the ‘Save Changes’ button. Overnight, the system will re-check the duplicate status and if the duplication no longer exists the application will automatically have the ‘hold’ status removed. 5. If the duplication cannot be resolved at the school level or is not a legitimate duplication e.g twins attending two different schools, the EMA Coordinator at Department Head Office can resolve duplicates and if necessary, apply an action to mark the duplicates as valid. This will release both applications for further processing and will not detect them as duplicates again. In this scenario, you should email the EMA Unit with the details: [email protected] Issue 4: CASES21 Student data discrepancy (government schools)

When a CASES21 student data export into EMA is performed, the EMA system will check against students in relevant schools. Where an active student can no longer be matched using their CASES student key, they will be marked as such. The application will be placed on hold until the issue is resolved. On the homepage, any such applications will be included in the status summary under “CASES21 Student data discrepancy”. You can click on the link to see a list for your school. Action required: 1. On your EMA homepage, click on the CASES21 Student Data Discrepancy link to view the details of each application which has been placed on ‘hold'. 2. Click on the ‘view’ link to view the details of the parent’s application. 3. Scroll down to the ‘Students’ section and then click on the ‘Fix Unmatched’ button next to the child’s name. 4. Choose the appropriate option, then click on Update Student, then Proceed with changes. 5. If necessary, repeat step 4 for other children listed on the application. 6. Click the ‘Save Changes’ button. 7. The application will have the system ‘hold’ removed. Back to Top Direct Deposit to School Information The parent has ticked Direct Deposit to School option, how do I select this method of payment in the EMA system?

Select Pay Direct to School as the EMA preferred method of payment.

Do I need to enter the schools bank details for each application on the EMA system?

No, the schools bank details are stored in the Accounts Payable system and payment will be made accordingly.

When applications are copied from a previous year, will the preferred method of payment come across?

No, the EMA preferred method of payment will need to be selected for each application.

When applications are authorized for Period 2, will the preferred method of payment come across?

Yes, the current details from Period 1 will come across for Period 2.

Can the preferred method of payment for Period 2 be changed?

Yes, by doing a search for the application, click View, change the EMA preferred method of payment, Save.

Will the payment come through as a bulk payment or credited into the schools account as individual payments?

The payment will come through as a bulk payment, similar to the school portion payment in 2012.

Can this payment be receipted through CASES21 in Accounts Receivable?

Yes, similar to the school portion payment in 2012.

Do I get a remittance advice?

Yes, a remittance advice will be emailed or faxed (depending on how the school details are set up in Accounts Payable) when payment is made. How do I get a breakdown of the families paid?

On the EMA home page, under recent payment batches, click on the relevant batch for the breakdown (similar to the school portion payment in 2012).

If the school changes bank accounts, will the details be automatically updated in EMA?

No, DEECD should be made aware of any changes in writing. Online Training Videos - for School EMA Administrators

The following short training videos provide an overview of the upgraded EMA web system, together with step-by-step guides for processing EMA applications. Each module runs for approximately three minutes and uses MP4 Video (mp4) format. Period 1: 1. Introduction to the EMA web system (Module 1) (MP4 - 17.8Mb) 2. Adding EMA applications by copying (Module 2) (MP4 - 7.4Mb) 3. Adding EMA applications from scratch (Module 3) (MP4 - 7.4Mb) Period 2: 4. EMA processing for Period 2 - Government Schools (Module 4a) (MP4 - 28.1Mb) 5. EMA processing for Period 2 - Non-Government Schools (Module 4b) (MP4 - 21.8Mb) Centrelink CRN Validation Failures: 6. Centrelink CRN Validation Failures (Module 5) (MP4 - 13.3Mb) EFT Rejections: 7. EFT Rejections (Module 6) (MP4 - 9.4Mb) Back to Top Frequently asked questions

The EMA web system

The EMA web system is a web based system that provides: 8. a consistent method of registering applications across all government and non- government schools 9. an automated interface with Centrelink for the validation of applicants 10. the ability for all schools to review and modify applications 11. the ability to perform a central review of applications for corporate reporting 12. cheque and payment reconciliation 13. reporting, security and audit facilities 14. minimal human involvement in the generation and distribution of payments The EMA web system can be accessed from the EMA web system link on the menu to the left of this page. Assigning users to roles in the EMA system

A person who is has School Approver access to the EMA system at their School can add or remove users in all school roles at their school. An EMA Access Request form (PDF) is only required to be submitted for new schools or if there is no-one at your school with EMA access. There are two access levels in the EMA system: School Approver: This role can endorse and authorise payments, and add or remove School Administrators for their School. This role cannot add or copy applications.

School Administrator: This role performs most of the data entry in the EMA system for a school, such as entering EMA applications. The role does not have access to endorse/authorise applications, or to maintain role assignments. A user may be assigned to one (or both) of these roles, and schools may have multiple users set up with EMA system access. To add users to role in the EMA system: In the EMA system, click on Administration > Maintain Role Assignments then click Assign User to Role. Enter the staff member's user id (TO number for government schools, eduweb username for non government schools), select the required role, and then click the Add button to create the role assignment. The user will then have the assigned level of access to the EMA system. How do parents get an application form?

It is the school’s responsibility to make application forms available to parents. These can be downloaded from: EMA Forms For the first instalment payment in 2013, schools need to ensure that parents are made aware that they must submit their application form to the school by 28 February 2013. When do application form details need to be entered into the system?

For EMA, schools need to enter and endorse applications in the EMA system by 6 March 2013 in order to meet the first scheduled payment run for first instalment, 2013. Applications entered or endorsed after this date will be paid in the next payment run (dates are displayed on the EMA system homepage). Why do parents and schools receive 70 per cent at the start of the year and only 30 per cent for the second instalment?

This arrangement recognises that families incur the highest education costs at the start of the school year so − 70 per cent is provided in the first instalment. Microsoft Internet Explorer settings If the operating system on your computer is Windows XP Service Pack 2, the Pop-up Blocker function for Internet Explorer (IE) may prevent EMA reports and System menus from being displayed because they are loaded into IE pop-up windows. Follow the Instructions (PDF - 533Kb) to either disable the Pop-up Blocker or allow pop-ups for the EMA web system only. To check the Windows version on a computer: open Internet Explorer, click the Help menu item, then click About Internet Explorer. A small window will open with the version information. If XP or SP2 appears in the version information then you may need to Disable to the Pop-up Blocker (PDF - 533Kb) Is an electronic copy of an EMA Application scanned to a PDF file considered to be a legal document or does the school need to retain the paper copy?

Schools can scan EMA records if they want to. Pending further advice in relation to the Evidence Act 2008, schools should retain the paper copies until the seven years have elapsed. How long are government schools required to keep EMA Applications?

Government schools are governed by the Public Records Act 1973. The General Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Common Administrative Functions (PROS 07/01) provides information for the destruction of public records and prevents the premature destruction of records which need to be retained to satisfy legal, financial and other requirements of public administration. EMA records are treated as financial records that detail the receipt and expenditure of public monies. Based on Class 5.1.1 of the Authority, government schools are required to keep EMA records for 7 years. What are the guidelines for government schools around storage of EMA records which contain personal and confidential information?

The Information Privacy Act 2000 regulates the way government schools can collect, use, retain and secure personal information. Schools are responsible for the creation, management and disposal of records in relation to school administration. Principals should arrange for the secure storage of EMA records during the required document retention period. The Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide discusses the need for secure storage of records and information. The Privacy section gives directions and the Archives and records section details the need for secure storage of temporary records and mentions the issue of personal information being revealed. How long are non-government schools required to keep EMA Applications?

Non-government schools are not governed by the Public Records Act 1973, which governs government schools. Non-government schools must seek advice on record keeping procedures as part of regular business requirements from the Australian Tax Office (ATO). The ATO guideline specifies maintaining records for seven years as part of good general practice. What are the guidelines for non-government schools around the storage of EMA records?

EMA records contain personal, sensitive and confidential information. Collection and use of the information by the Department is governed by the Information Privacy Act 2000. Non-government schools are advised to manage the collection and storage of EMA records using their current procedures on managing confidential student information. back to top

Last Update: 08 January 2013  Copyright/Disclaimer  Contact Us  Accessibility  Privacy  Report an Issue  Sitemap  Add This  Share to Twitter