ISAC Student PortalISAC Communiqué
Volume 32, Number 12C
June 2023
| Messages sent to: | Multiple Subscription Groups |
| High School Counselor/Teachers | |
| ISAC Communiqué |
Welcome to the June 2023 ISAC Communiqué, which is a compilation of e-Messages sent through ISAC's e-Messaging service throughout June.
The articles in this electronic Communiqué have been organized according to the Counselor subscription groups to which the messages were distributed.
Questions?
Questions regarding information in this electronic Communiqué can be directed to School Services at 866.247.2172 or at ISAC.schoolservices@illinois.gov. On occasion, you may be directed to a specific contact person or area; when this occurs, we will provide the appropriate information in the individual article or message.
Space is Filling Up Fast!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on June 30, 2023.
July 13, 2023 – Tinley Park Convention Center
CCE 2023 – DEIA: The Work We Need to Do
As many people may be taking a long weekend for the Independence Day holiday, please don't wait to get your conference RSVP submitted for the 2023 College Changes Everything® conference. With this first in-person CCE conference since 2019, space is filling up fast. We do have an attendance limit and will be monitoring to see when we will have to close registration. So don't delay, register today.
Join other equity designers from across the state as we collaborate to address the various Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) issues our students are facing and to create a culture where everyone feels they belong. Having a sense of inclusion and belonging is an essential piece of any student's overall well-being. The annual conference is the state's preeminent college access and success and career readiness event and brings together stakeholders to help Illinois reach its Goal 2025 – to increase the proportion of adults in Illinois with high-quality degrees and postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025. Since the first CCE conference in 2011, equity has been an underlying tenet of the annual convening as it brings together caring professionals who want to ensure all students have opportunities for college access and success and are career ready.
Preliminary Agenda – The preliminary agenda is available on the conference website with the interest sessions that will be part of the conference.
Registration – Registration is $40.00, and only credit card payments are accepted via Eventbrite. Space is limited and is filling up quickly – Register now!
Please share this e-Message with your colleagues and others in your network so they can register, too. More information about the conference is available on the conference website. Stay tuned for further updates regarding the conference. See you in Tinley Park!
2023 College Changes Everything Conference Planning Committee
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission
- Illinois Board of Higher Education
- Illinois Community College Board
- Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- Illinois State Board of Education
- Illinois College Access Network
- Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities
- Advance Illinois
- Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University
- ACT Now
- Women Employed
by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
of adults in Illinois with high-quality college degrees and
postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025
Join Us to Learn about the Upcoming Changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on June 28, 2023.
We are excited to share that free events regarding FAFSA® Simplification are happening this month for school counselors, college and career staff, and others who support students through the financial aid process!
For more information and to register, visit the webinars page. Professional Development hours and Continuing Education credits are available. For questions on the FAFSA Simplification process, contact isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
FAFSA Simplification: What We Know
The 2024-25 FAFSA will experience significant changes, which will impact students and families across the state of Illinois. Join us on Tuesday, July 11, 10-11 a.m. (CT) to learn about the upcoming changes on:
- reporting tax information for students and parents,
- reporting parental information,
- how to complete the application, and more!
Roles for Students and Parents
Join us on Tuesday, July 25, 10-10:30 a.m. (CT) to learn how the 2024-25 FAFSA is designed for students and parents. This session will go over the new processes for students and parents to fill out the FAFSA, the roles of contributors, as well as the changes to who can obtain a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID.
For questions about the webinars, contact isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
Join Us to Learn about Preparing for Repayment of Your Student Loans
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on June 26, 2023.
If you have federal student loans, now is the time to prepare!
Millions of federal student loan borrowers have had their federal student loan and interest payments automatically paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2022, the final extension of the payment pause took effect. On August 30, 2023, the federal payment pause will end.
To help borrowers across the state of Illinois, ISAC is hosting free webinars through December on how federal student loan borrowers can prepare for repayment! To learn more about preparing for repayment, visit the Return to Repayment page.
For registration details, visit the Webinars page located within the Professional Development Opportunities area at ISAC's website (isac.org). For questions, contact isac.borrowersupport@illinois.gov.
Preparing for Federal Student Loan Repayments to Resume
As the payment pause comes to an end, join us on one of these dates in July to learn about the steps you can take to prepare for repayment, what repayment options are available, and how to stay out of default.
- Monday, July 10, 12-1 p.m. (CT)
- Wednesday, July 12, 5-6 p.m. (CT)
- Saturday, July 22, 10-11 a.m. (CT)
If you have any questions regarding this e-Message, contact ISAC's Professional Development team at isac.outreachtraining@Illinois.gov.
2023 CCE Conference: Be Our Guest and RSVP Now!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on June 23, 2023.
July 13, 2023 – Tinley Park Convention Center
CCE 2023 – DEIA: The Work We Need to Do
Don't miss out on the opportunity to attend the 2023 College Changes Everything® conference – the first in-person CCE conference since 2019. We do have an attendance limit and space is filling up fast. Please RSVP that you'll be attending by registering today. Join other equity designers from across the state as we collaborate to address the various Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) issues our students are facing and to create a culture where everyone feels they belong. Having a sense of inclusion and belonging is an essential piece of any student's overall well-being. The annual conference is the state's preeminent college access and success and career readiness event and brings together stakeholders to help Illinois reach its Goal 2025 – to increase the proportion of adults in Illinois with high-quality degrees and postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025. Since the first CCE conference in 2011, equity has been an underlying tenet of the annual convening as it brings together caring professionals who want to ensure all students have opportunities for college access and success and are career ready.
Preliminary Agenda – The preliminary agenda is available on the conference website with the interest sessions that will be part of the conference.
Registration – Registration is $40.00, and only credit card payments are accepted via Eventbrite. Space is limited and is filling up quickly – Register now!
Please share this e-Message with your colleagues and others in your network so they can register, too. More information about the conference is available on the conference website. Stay tuned for further updates regarding the conference. See you in Tinley Park!
2023 College Changes Everything Conference Planning Committee
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission
- Illinois Board of Higher Education
- Illinois Community College Board
- Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- Illinois State Board of Education
- Illinois College Access Network
- Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities
- Advance Illinois
- Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University
- ACT Now
- Women Employed
by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
of adults in Illinois with high-quality college degrees and
postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025
2023 CCE Conference Preliminary Agenda Available
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on June 7, 2023.
July 13, 2023 – Tinley Park Convention Center
CCE 2023 – DEIA: The Work We Need to Do
You belong at the 2023 College Changes Everything® (CCE) conference along with other equity designers from across the state. We need your expertise and participation as we collaborate to address the various Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) issues our students are facing and to create a culture where everyone feels they belong. Having a sense of inclusion and belonging is an essential piece of any student's overall well-being. The annual conference is the state's preeminent college access and success and career readiness event and brings together stakeholders to help Illinois reach its Goal 2025 – to increase the proportion of adults in Illinois with high-quality degrees and postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025. Since the first CCE conference, equity has been an underlying tenet of the annual convening as it brings together caring professionals who want to ensure all students have opportunities for college access and success and are career ready.
Preliminary Agenda
While the agenda for the conference is still being finalized, a preliminary agenda is now available on the conference website. The preliminary agenda contains the interest sessions that will be part of the day of collaboration.
Registration
Registration is $40.00, and only credit card payments are accepted via Eventbrite. Space is limited and fills quickly – Register now! Please share this e-Message with your colleagues and others in your network so they can register, too. More information about the conference is available on the conference website.
Tinley Park Convention Center and Hotel
The Tinley Park Convention Center is located at 18451 Convention Center Drive, Tinley Park, IL, and is connected to the EVEN Hotel Chicago-Tinley Park Convention Center. We have secured a conference hotel rate of $159.00 before tax and fee charges. You can book a reservation by phone at 708-444-1100 and mention "ISAC Conference" to get the rate, or you can book online here and use Group Code: ISA. The conference rate is available for reservations made by June 21, 2023.
Stay tuned for further updates regarding the conference. See you Tinley Park!
2023 College Changes Everything Conference Planning Committee
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission
- Illinois Board of Higher Education
- Illinois Community College Board
- Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- Illinois State Board of Education
- Illinois College Access Network
- Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities
- Advance Illinois
- Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University
- ACT Now
- Women Employed
by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
of adults in Illinois with high-quality college degrees and
postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025
HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS/TEACHERS
ISAC Program FY24 Funding – Budget Bills Approved
Sent to High School Counselors/Teachers on June 15, 2023.
Governor Pritzker has signed SB 250 (operating budget bill) and HB 3817 [budget implementation bill (BIMP)], which together provide funding and statutory authority for Illinois programs and services, including ISAC's programs for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). Both bills were approved by the General Assembly during the legislative session that concluded on May 26, and were then forwarded to the governor for signature.
The bills are now considered law and are officially Public Act 103-0006 and Public Act 103-0008 (before considering printing, please note the documents are quite lengthy). ISAC's programs and services received very generous funding that includes increases to many of our programs, which will benefit Illinois students and their families.
The overall budget for the upcoming academic year is extremely positive for ISAC programs, and one of the biggest highlights is another significant increase to the Monetary Award Program (MAP), which has again resulted in historic funding for the program. Additionally, language in the BIMP bill provides for an increase in the annual maximum award amount. Beginning in FY24, the law will cap grant size at $10,896 per student per year, if funding allows. Please note that the maximum grant actually available each year – which is likely to be lower than the maximum allowed by statute – will be determined by the Commission when it approves a MAP recompute formula. For FY24, this will occur at the Commission's June 22nd meeting.
The Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program was also again the beneficiary of a significant increase in funding, which will likely lead to serving most, if not all, eligible applicants.
FY24 ISAC Program Appropriation Highlights
Monetary Award Program (MAP) – $701,566,200
Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program – $10,750,000
Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program – $8,000,000
Social Work Scholarship/Repayment Programs (combined appropriation) – $6,000,000
Nursing Education Scholarship Program (NESP) – $4,000,000
Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire or Correctional Officers – $1,300,000
Illinois Teachers Loan Repayment Program – $975,000
Nurse Educator Loan Repayment Program – $500,000
Grant Program for Exonerees – $150,000
Veterans' Home Medical Providers' Loan Repayment Program – $26,400
AIM HIGH Grant Pilot Program – $50,000,000*
* AIM HIGH Program funds are disbursed in lump sums by ISAC to public universities.
As in recent years, the budget also includes a little more than $4.2 million for the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) to reimburse Illinois community colleges for the costs associated with waiving tuition and fee charges for Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant recipients.
Other highlights of this legislative session include:
- A new scholarship program, Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) – for students in IT and related fields that will begin in the 2024-25 academic year.
- An ISAC initiative that will allow recipients of the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program, Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program and the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program to have any amount owed prorated if they begin to fulfill their teaching obligation within 5 years, rather than immediately.
- An expansion of applicant eligibility for the Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program.
- An expansion of the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program to include certified alcohol and other drug counselors and certified recovery support specialists as eligible applicants, and an expansion of eligible facilities of employment (effective July 1, 2024).
- Changes to the AIM HIGH Pilot Grant Program, which include making the program permanent, allowing students from families making up to 8 times (up from 6 times) the poverty level to qualify, allowing schools to extend eligibility to part-time undergraduates in their final semester, changes in the baseline Maintenance of Effort (MOE) used and new matching rates. A separate communication from ISAC to participating schools provides more details.
Please note that, as of this writing, although the above initiatives passed both houses, some have not yet been signed by the governor. We will continue to monitor the status of the bills for final approval.
With the approval of the budget, ISAC FY24 program implementation and operational activities will begin to move forward. As always, we will regularly provide updates and processing details regarding each of our programs as we proceed through the year.
May 2023 ISAC Communiqué
Sent on June 1, 2023
The May 2023 edition of the ISAC Communiqué is now available for your review, and may be accessed via the Partner e-Messages & Newsletters section of the e-Library for Partners at isac.org. This electronic version of ISAC's newsletter is a compilation of information provided to Counselor partners via ISAC's e-Messaging service over the past month.
Topics covered in the May 2023 ISAC Communiqué include:
- Join Us for Free Events in June!
(sent May 23, 2023) - Now Available: Presentations and Recordings from the 2023 Virtual PaCE Symposium!
(sent May 17, 2023) - Upcoming Important Dates from ISAC
(sent May 11, 2023) - Invitation to 2023 CCE Conference
(sent May 9, 2023) - Join Us for Free Events this Month!
(sent May 9, 2023) - Don't Forget to Register for the Virtual PaCE Symposium!
(sent May 4, 2023) - April 2023 ISAC Communiqué
(sent May 1, 2023)
Encourage Your Colleagues to Sign Up for e-Messaging
ISAC's e-Messaging service is our primary means of communicating information to Counselor partners.
Encourage your colleagues who have not done so to subscribe through the Counselors e-Messaging sign-up page at isac.org today, so that they won't miss future announcements or updates from ISAC.
