Formatting NSF Survey Report CSV Data in Excel

Overview

This document covers how to format the data from an NSF Survey Report CSV file for Excel. Each section of data from the Summary Grid and Detail List reports is contained in an individual CSV file.

The CSV file for the “Detail List of Sources and Mechanisms” has the following differences and additions:

• A row displays for each item type received by the student, including those whose sum amounts are less than $2,000.00.
• A row displays for the self-supported portion of support for each student, even if it is not the primary source of support. Any unfunded portion of the FED TERM COA amount is considered the self-supported amount.
• The FED TERM COA column identifies the Federal Total Cost of Attendance (COA) amount for the student in the specified term. The COA amount represents modest but adequate educational expenses as defined by the Office of Financial Aid.
• The PERCENT column identifies the percent of each source of support for the student in relation to the COA amount in the specified term.

Each CSV file opens with Excel so the data can be used for other reporting needs. Numerical values that begin with one or more zeroes lose their leading zeroes in CSV format. To restore the leading zeroes, save the file with a .xls extension, and then apply a custom number format to the values. See the chart at the end of this document for the normal number of digits in each value.

Format CSV Data in Excel

1. Right click the column heading to select the column you need to sort.
2. Click Format Cells.
3. If necessary, click the Number tab on the Format Cells dialog box.
4. Select Custom from the Category list.
5. Overwrite the value in the Type field with an appropriate number of zeroes.

Fields Needing Leading Zeroes Restored