Data Element Required for 2025-26:

Institution-Assigned Student Identifier (DD194).   This variable was introduced as optional last year, for 2025-26 it is required.   It must have 20 characters and must be padded with leading 0s if the institutionally assigned-number is not 20 characters.  If the institutionally assigned student identifier is more than 20 characters, institutions are responsible for ensuring the values reported in DD194 are:  1) consistent over time and throughout all collections and 2) unique to the student so there is no risk of duplicates.

This data element replaces Local Campus Student ID (DD8), which is discontinued for 2025-26 for MHEC collections, but institutions may continue to use this field for their own internal purposes. 

Data Element Required for 2025-26:

Advanced Standing (DD170) was added to DIS as optional during 2024-25.  It is required for 2025-26 reporting. 

DIS Data Elements discontinued:

These data elements remain in the layout, but are no longer required for DIS:

• Cumulative Degree Credits Hours Awarded (DD114)

• Cumulative Native Credit Hours Earned (DD44)

• Credit Hours Required to Earn Award (DD105)

Effective for 2025-2026 these fields must be blank.

DIS Prior Degree Flag to be discontinued

Prior Degree flag (DD115) will be discontinued.  For 2025-2026 institutions may continue to populate this field, but it must be reported as blank for the 2026-27 collection year.

MHEC continues to work through clarification details to share for EDS.  Please stay tuned.

EIS Clarification #1 - Reporting a first-time (DD37) Graduate student: 

A student should be reported as a first-time of 3 if it is the first time a student is enrolled in a graduate program at an institution. For example, if a student's first enrollment at an institution was in a Master's program (first-time=3), and then that student remained to enroll in a second Master's or a Ph.D. program, that subsequent enrollment would be first-time=4. If a student was enrolled as an undergraduate (first-time=1 or 5) at an institution, and then remained at the institution for a graduate program, the student would be a first-time=3.

EIS Clarification #2 - Degree Sought (DD30) = 48:

Degree Sought = 48 is for an undeclared degree level, rather than an undeclared major. It is primarily used by community colleges who do not know if a student is pursuing a Certificate (10) or an Associates (20). If you have students pursuing a bachelor's degree but have not yet declared a major, they should be degree sought = 40 with a program taxonomy = 909901. Only use 48 if the degree level is unknown.

EIS Clarification #3 - Degree Sought (DD30) 47 & 87:

Use 47 and 87 for DD30, Degree Sought, for students enrolled as nondegree-seeking or noncredit students taking credit courses. The first-time flag may be any value OTHER than 0. The term level must be 7 or 8. The Freeze flag may be any value.

EIS Clarification #4 - Degree Sought (DD30) & Term Student Level:

When degree sought (DD30) = 47, term student level (DD35) must equal 7. Credit accumulation is not reported for non-degree undergraduates. Any value other than 7 will result in a fatal error.

EIS Clarification #5 - Degree Sought (DD30) & Term Student Level:

When degree sought DD30=10, 20, 30 or 40, term student level (DD35) must be reported with the value 1 to 4. Any student enrolled in a degree program, including lower and upper division certificates, must have a term student level that reports the credits accumulated. Reporting DD35 with the value of 7 when DD30=10, 20, 30 or 40 will result in a fatal error.

EIS Clarification #6 - Freeze Flag (DD2.1):

DD2.1 Freeze Flag - The existing coding options for freeze flag will remain in effect for FY26. We will continue to work on improving the data definitions for freeze flag over the next year.

EIS Clarification #7 - Dually enrolled students:

EIS must include all students who are dually enrolled. This includes high school students taking college courses at the college and high school students taking college courses at the high school. It also includes all students taking college courses through career and technical education and youth apprenticeships.

EOTS Clarification #1 - Dually enrolled students:

EOTS must include all students who are dually enrolled. This includes high school students taking college courses at the college and high school students taking college courses at the high school. It also includes all students taking college courses through career and technical education and youth apprenticeships.

FAIS Acknowledgement:

MHEC acknowledges that the loss of AGI in the FAIS file creates a data gap for critical work to study student outcomes for those at lower income levels. MHEC will be forming a work group to discuss and pilot a new data element (either in EIS or EOTS) to compensate for this loss. The pilot will take place in FY2026, with the intention of rolling the data element out to all institutions in FY2027.

FAIS Category Codes:

MHEC is currently working on updating the chart to include new financial aid codes.

FAIS Student Aid Index (DD175) is required

This variable is required and must be reported by institutions. It replaces the discontinued Expected Family contribution (EFC) field. 

FAIS Revised Data Elements:

Due to a change on the FAFSA, the values reported for Parent 1 Highest Grade Level Completed (DD142) and Parent 2 Highest Grade Level Completed (DD143) must be revised.  The name for DD142 has been changed to "Parent Education Status."  FAFSA simplification resulted in the level of education previously defined with two variables for two parents to be reported as single value for both parents. 

Effective immediately, there are five new codes for DD142 to align to the change in the FAFSA.  The original five codes have been discontinued.

5:  Neither Parent Attended College

6:  One or Both Parents Attended, Neither Completed

7:  One or Both Completed

8:  Don't Know

0:  FAASTAT (DD77)=0

Effective immediately, DD143 is discontinued.  All records included in FAIS must report 9 for DD143.

9 = No longer collected

Discontinued FAIS Data Elements:

Family Size (DD78) - Must report "99"

Commuter Status (DD80) - Must report "9"

EFC (DD81) - Must report "7777777"

AGI (DD83) - Must report "77777777"

SCRS Clarification #1 - Calendar Year and Records reported

The collection year in SCRS is the calendar year and should be the same year for all records reported. SCRS reports courses from January 1st to December 31st.

SCRS Clarification #2 - Student Academic Level and timing

Student Academic Level (DD177) in SCRS, is intended to capture the academic level of the student at the time the course was attempted. The intention of adding 08 (non-credit workforce training student) was to distinguish students who are at the institution enrolled in a non-credit workforce sequence (course or courses related to job preparation, an apprenticeship, licensure, certification, or job skill enhancement, or a registered apprenticeship program workforce) who happen to be taking a credit-based course but are otherwise engaged in a non credit pathway. We see this flag as a way to assist us in answering why a record from SCRS might not link to other enrollment or degree data for that student because a non credit student is not visible in all of our collections - only WTRS. MHEC is considering adding another value to DD177, 09=concurrent credit and noncredit student, but will wait to make revisions to this DD until a second year of data is submitted.

SCRS Clarification #3 - Courses and timing

The SCRS data submission is for courses offered between January 1st and December 31st of the calendar year. Any class that begins and ends during this period is to be reported. If the course begins during the period (for example, begins December 1, 2025) but ends in the next calendar year (for example, February 15, 2026), hold that course to report with the next calendar year (January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026).

SCRS Clarification #4 - Include Courses on a Transcript

Course Number (DD120) included in SCRS should include all those that would appear on a transcript. So, if a student registers and drops/withdraws but the timing or reason for that action would exempt it from appearing on the student's transcript, that course should NOT be in SCRS. If drop/withdrawal would appear on the transcript as a W (or similar) or Incomplete (or similar) then DO include it in SCRS.

 SCRS Clarification #5 - One record per GRADED course

Course Number (DD120) in SCRS should be one row per GRADED course per student. If a student is taking a course that has both a scheduled class session and a scheduled lab section, AND the lab section is rolled into the grade for the main course, only include the main course.

SCRS Clarification #6 - Reporting Course Quality Points

For Course Quality Points (DD182), report the quality points earned. A maximum of 4 digits (inclusive of a decimal point) are allowed. For example, if a C+ is worth 2.5 points in a 3 credit class, report 7.5 or if an A is worth 4 points in a 4 credit class, report 16.  Report 0 if no quality points earned.

Leave blank if your institution does not use quality points or course attempted does not generate quality points (e.g. course is taken as Audit).

SCRS Clarification #7 - Dually Enrolled Students

SCRS must include all students who are dually enrolled. This includes high school students taking college courses at the college and high school students taking college courses at the high school. It also includes all students taking college courses through career and technical education and youth apprenticeships.

WTCS Clarification #1 - Prison Education & Work Sequence

WTRS Clarification #1 - Dually Enrolled Students

WTRS must include all students who are dually enrolled. This includes high school students taking college courses at the college and high school students taking college courses at the high school. It also includes all students taking college courses through career and technical education and youth apprenticeships.