Mandatory SAIG Software Upgrade – Schedule Change for EDconnect 8.5 Availability and Deadline to Upgrade (EA ID: GENERAL-21-29)
As we have described in multiple Electronic Announcements since last fall, we are upgrading the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) to comply with federal mandate Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 18-01 to improve email and web security. BOD-18-01 includes a requirement that all publicly accessible federal websites and web services support Transport Layer Security (TLS) version 1.2 or higher. TLS is an Internet protocol that ensures privacy between applications and users.
To comply with this federal mandate, a new version of SAIG software—EDconnect or TDClient—that supports TLS 1.2 must be installed by all users. Previously, we announced that the deadline to upgrade was June 5, 2021.
Given a change in the anticipated availability date for the updated EDconnect software (version 8.5), and to allow users adequate time to complete this required software upgrade, we will be extending the June 5, 2021 deadline for both EDconnect and TDClient users.
More information about the availability of EDconnect 8.5 and the new upgrade deadline will be provided in a forthcoming Electronic Announcement. Monitor the Knowledge Center website for this important information.
Note: As a reminder, the updated EDconnect 8.5 software will not run on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, or Windows 2008. These operating systems will no longer be supported by SAIG applications. EDconnect 8.5 must be used with the Windows 10 or Windows Server 2012 operating systems or higher. If a Windows 10 or Windows Server 2012 operating system or higher is not yet being used by the school, immediate attention is needed to upgrade to an operating system that will support the updated software.
The updated TDClient software (version 3.3) was posted to the Software and Other Tools page last year. We encourage TDClient users to upgrade to this updated software as soon as possible.
We appreciate the attention of SAIG users to this important federal mandate and software upgrade.
Contact Information
If you have questions about the EDconnect or TDClient software, please contact CPS/SAIG Technical Support at 1-800-330-5947 or by email at CPSSAIG@ed.gov.