👋 Welcome to SF Connect!

Welcome to the September edition of SF Connect! As campuses come alive with the energy of a new semester, we're pleased to bring you updates, highlights, and opportunities to support your students and institution. Thank you for your continued partnership, and we hope you find this month's news and resources valuable as you kick off the fall term.

📢General SF Updates

• CyberSource & Unified Checkout
  • The State Board continues to work with CyberSource to address issues identified following the transition to Unified Checkout.
  • We are currently testing an update to improve the exchange of payment information and the transaction details displayed in ctcLink.
  • Please refer to the 9/4/26 “CyberSource Unified Checkout  Updates" email for additional information  as that info is still
  • We will send a more detailed update to the SF, BAR, & POC e-lists as soon as additional information or confirmed changes are available.
• Non-Disbursable Financial Aid Item Type Review/Updates
  • As promised in the July SF Connect, the SF Team has started work to strengthen functional safeguards and improve tracking mechanisms.
    • Remove the Payment Overall Priority so that any attempt to post the item type will generate an error.
    • Uncheck the Refundable indicator.
    • Add a Second Journal Set General Ledger chart string to support FIN error tracking and reporting.
• 1098-T
  • Stay on top of available trainings/resources via the 1098-T Business Processing Guide & Tracking Calendar QRG
  • FIRE System Retirement and Transition to IRIS
    • The FIRE System has been retired, and the IRS is transitioning fully to the Information Returns Intake System (IRIS).
    • Beginning with Filing Season 2027, IRIS will be the only intake system available for filing information returns.
    • Existing FIRE users are strongly encouraged to apply for a new Transmitter Control Code (TCC) through IRIS to ensure continued electronic filing capability.
    • Please find the attached email with additional information from the State Board and view the following IRS link on how to set it up.
      • https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5717.pdf
• TPC’s & Apprenticeship Waiver Processing
  • Third Party Contracts
  • Additional guidance has been included in the Apprenticeship Programs Business Process
    • QRG, under Course/Class Fee Waiver Process > Third Party Contracts
  • We were excited to learn about the ctcLink Program Inventory listed in the Resource Links on the Professional-Technical Programs web page  check out the amazing work across our amazing CTC system!
• QUERY UPDATE ALERT!
  • QCS_SF_CREDIT_BAL_WVR_FA - Credit Balance Waiver FA
  • The SF Team has updated this important query to provide clearer, easier-to-review results, helping colleges more efficiently identify and review credit balances associated with all waivers and financial aid item types.

🖥️ 2026 Maintenance & Deployment Schedule

• Monday, October 5 PCD Refresh
• Saturday, October 10 | 7:00 AM  1:00 PM Deploy CS Image 38 & HCX Update
• Saturday, October 24 | 7:00 AM  1:00 PM Deploy FSCM Image 56
• Monday, November 2 PCD Refresh
• Saturday, November 14 | 7:00 AM  9:00 AM Server Maintenance
• Saturday, November 14 | 7:00 AM  1:00 PM Deploy HCM Image 56
• Monday, December 7 PCD Refresh

📚SF Resource Updates 

Have a suggestion or found something that needs updating?

Submit via: SolarWinds → ctcLink Support → Training → Reference Center → SF  Reference Center

We always appreciate your input!

Updated QRGs-

• Item Type Security -clarified wording around SBCTC process timing.
• Assigning a Batch of Students to a Third-Party Contract -updated description to remove payment plan info
• Assigning a Batch of Students to a Payment Plan -added screenshots to steps
• Bank Mobile Student Data -added additional information regarding address usage
• 1098-T Prior Year processing -updated for 2026 year
• Working Collection Items -updated QRG to reflect current ctcLink process.
• Tuition Due Reminder Notice - Communications -updated section 1, step 7v and 7vi
• Invoice a Third-Party Contract -added warning info on TPC vs FIN invoice.
• Enrollment Cancellation - Drop for Non-Payment -updated QRG to match current process
• Apprenticeship Programs Business Process -added TPC info
• Message Center - Drop for Non-Payment Notice -updated query information

Canvas Updates

You must be registered and logged into Canvas to access these courses.

• SF 100 Tuition Calculation  all course modules updated, added Understanding Item Types and Running Start Modules.
• SF 105 Collections  added SFRA page to Module 01: Pre-Collections

🎓Learning Opportunities 

Recent

You must be registered and logged into Canvas to access these recordings. 

• August 24, Cross-Pillar Training, Core, FA, SF Enrollment Cancellation
• September 14, SF Training: Tuition Calculation and Waivers

Upcoming

• October 12, 1pm, SF Training: WWSFD Communication Series #1

🤓Today I learned

According to Google, several notable events and milestones happened in September:

• Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin on September 4, 1998.
• Sega Dreamcast launched in North America on September 9, 1999, as the first console with built-in online play.
• Play-Doh debuted on September 16, 1956, after starting as a wallpaper cleaner.
• TV Classics: The Flintstones premiered on September 30, 1960, and MASH* premiered on September 17, 1972.

Thanks for taking the time to stay connected and informed.

We appreciate all that you do!

- Your State Board SF Team