🎃 Welcome to the October edition of SF Connect!

October brings colorful leaves, cooler mornings, and the occasional skeletonbut keeping up with Student Financials shouldn’t be scary! With fall quarter underway, we know your days are filled with questions, payments, and helping students navigate their accounts. This month’s updates, reminders, and learning opportunities are here to help you stay informed and tackle what’s next. Grab your favorite fall beverage, take a quick look, and thank you for all you do to support students across our colleges!

• Tuition Calculation UPDATES!
• Is it Winter/Spring tuition calculation time yet?
• When ready, please submit a ticket to turn on 2271 and/or 2273 term nightly tuition calculation jobs. This should be prior to your registration opening for the term(s).
• Ticket request type = ctcLink Support > Student Financials > SF: Turn on Tuition Calc with the Subject: WA### Tuition Calc for 2271/2273 Winter/Spring.
• 1098-T Statements
• A2A Oracle Patch
• Oracle is currently expected to release the A2A patch in December 2026, although the release date has not been confirmed.
• State Board testing will begin once the patch has been delivered and installed.
• 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.
• Visit this link for more information on the IRIS account: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5717.pdf
• Stay on top of available trainings/resources via the 1098-T Business Processing Guide & Tracking Calendar QRG
• See you next Monday at the 1098-T Kick Off meeting!
• CyberSource
• Attached is the most up to date note (Email from 10/14) regarding ongoing work with CyberSource.
• We anticipate another update in the upcoming week with more news.
• BAR (Budget Accounting and Reporting Council)
• Mark your calendars for the 10/29 & 10/30 upcoming BAR Meeting at Renton Technical College
• The Zoom Link and Agenda have been sent out - we’ll see you there!

🖥️ 2026 Maintenance & Deployment Schedule

• 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-

• Post a Student Transaction (Quick Post) - Added guidance on Select Charges to Pay and using the original item type effective date. Updated video.
• Review and Resolve a Deceased Student Account - New QRG replacing Refund a Deceased Student's Account. Includes detailed steps for reviewing student accounts, identifying outstanding balances, and resolving deceased student accounts.
• Mass Select Transaction End-to-End Process - Added information on additional SACR security roles required for this process.
• BFET in ctcLink - Added the QCS_SF_CHARGE_PRIORITY_AUDIT query, query name updated to align with current naming conventions.
• 2026 1098-T Processing and Session Calendar - Formerly known as the 2026 1098-T Business Processing Guide. Renamed to better reflect the content. A link to the Business Processing Guide remains available.
• 1098-T Consent Communication - Added information about centralized processing.
• Request Missing Student National ID (SSN) Communications - Added information about centralized processing.
• Collection Agreements via ctcLink Payment Plan - Updated the QRG title to more accurately reflect the process.
• 1098-T FAQs for ctcLink - updated to include information regarding the new IRS IRIS account.
• Request Missing Student National ID (SSN) Communications -Added instructions for uploading an external file in the Run 3C Engine step.
• Print a 1098-T Locally  NEW: instructions for printing an individual student’s 1098-T locally.
• 1098-T Processing  Updated the Media options under Step 4, Print 1098-T, to clarify selections for early-year processing and transmittal file preparation.

🎓Learning Opportunities  

Recent

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

• October 12, SF Training: WWSFD Communications #1

Upcoming

• October 26, 1:30pm, SF Work Session: 2026 1098-T Kick-off
• November 5, 1:30pm, SF Drop-In Session: 1098-T
• November 9, 1pm, SF Training: WWSFD Communications Series #2

🤓 Today I learned  

Your jack-o’-lantern is a berry!

Botanically speaking, pumpkins are a type of berry called a pepo, which has a hard outer rind. So that pumpkin on your porch? One very oversized berry with a face. Suddenly, my fall decorating feels like a science project!

Thanks ChatGPT!

Thanks for taking the time to stay connected and informed.

We appreciate all that you do!

- Your State Board SF Team