More than 220 Division III institutions that participated in pilot testing last fall of the new annual financial aid reporting process have a head start as that program is implemented division-wide beginning July 1.

But their experiences in setting up to submit data last year suggest that while the NCAA is requesting information that generally is easy to obtain and compile, it may take some time to set up a process for doing so.

"The actual time that it takes to put the pieces of information together may be only a couple of hours," said Eric Hartung, NCAA associate director of research for academic performance and governance. "But there is a process that's going to have to be implemented, whether it's the financial aid director logging into the system, creating a report and sending it, or whether it involves IT (information technology) or institutional research.

"If you have an effective procedure in place, the burden should be minimal."

Dan Preston, director of enrollment management at Linfield College and chair of the Division III Financial Aid Committee, said it's better to begin creating that procedure now, before the reporting period begins.

"For schools that haven't been through it, if they haven't done any preparation, they need to begin working with their IT staff and others at their school who can help them access the information they need."

While such information generally is readily available, someone familiar with computer systems can help smooth the transfer of data into a report that then can be transmitted through the NCAA's Financial Aid Data Management System (FADMS).

Others on campus who could play a role in establishing the procedure include personnel who control access to certain types of information about students, such as a registrar or director of institutional research.

While data collection and reporting will be handled primarily by financial aid personnel or other individuals who work in institutional administration, athletics personnel also have roles to play in establishing a reporting procedure.

The institutional staff member responsible for compiling and reporting data typically will need assistance from athletics personnel with identifying student-athletes on campus. A compliance director can serve that role, while also helping nonathletics administrators understand ways that NCAA legislation may affect how student-athletes are defined.

And an institution's athletics director may find value in tracking the procedures, too, suggests Travis Feezell, director of athletics at Whitman College and a member of the Financial Aid Committee.

"The process has been set up so that athletics directors and athletics personnel have minimal involvement," he said. "It's really the province of the financial aid directors or, in some cases, institutional research people, because there is very specific information requested that would be in a database that is not controlled -- and should not be controlled -- by the athletics administration.

"But it's crucial that the athletics director understand what is happening," he added. "The athletics director may need to be the impetus for movement on a campus, to get this started with the appropriate personnel, and ultimately, may be involved in any kind of justification."

-- Jack Copeland