ISAC Student PortalISAC Communiqué
Volume 33, Number 7C
January 2024
| Messages sent to: | Multiple Subscription Groups |
| ISAC Communiqué |
Welcome to the January 2024 ISAC Communiqué, which is a compilation of e-Messages sent through ISAC's e-Messaging service throughout January.
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.
FREE Professional Development Webinars in February from ISAC!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on January 31, 2024.
We are excited to announce the free webinars happening in February. Please share these offerings with colleagues and partners! All webinars below are in Central Time. To register, visit the Professional Development Webinar Calendar.
Professional Development hours and Continuing Education credits will be available. For questions, contact isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
A FAFSA Line-by-Line
Join us on Monday, February 5th, from 1-3 p.m. for a full view of the 2024-25 online FAFSA, where we will go through each question on the form. Learn how the decrease in questions will impact your students and the questions they will see.
Supporting Student Populations: Students in Foster Care and Experiencing Homelessness
Many unaccompanied homeless youth and foster care students have higher education aspirations, but find the barriers to enrollment and attendance to be overwhelming. Join us on Tuesday, February 13th, from 11-11:45 a.m. as we aim to shed light on the specific needs of these student populations and explore effective strategies to provide meaningful support.
PaCE Overview
Join us on Thursday, February 15th, from 11-11:45 a.m. as we provide an overview of the Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework, the steps involved with creating and implementing your own school/district specific PaCE-aligned framework, and PaCE support and resources available through ISAC.
Final Overview of FAFSA Simplification
The new FAFSA form is here and there is a lot that has changed. Join us on Tuesday, February 20th, from 10-11 a.m. as we provide the final review of the changes to the 2024-25 FAFSA, the Student Aid Index (SAI), and the new FSA ID process. We will also discuss any lingering issues with the application as we continue to receive guidance and solutions from the Department of Education.
Registration Now Open for the First Annual First Gen Symposium!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on January 25, 2024.
We are excited to announce registration is NOW OPEN for our first annual First Gen Symposium! The symposium will take place at North Central College from 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. (CT). For more information, visit the First Gen Symposium page.
The deadline to register is Friday, March 1, 2024, or until full capacity has been reached – this may be before March 1. Therefore, we encourage those who are interested in attending to register as soon as possible. Registration is $25 and includes a continental breakfast and lunch.
Call for Proposals
High schools, community-based organizations, TRIO Programs, and first-generation programs at colleges, universities, and more are invited to submit a session proposal by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 9, 2024.
Calling All First-Generation Professionals
As part of our symposium, we want to feature professionals like you, who were first-generation students! If you would like to participate by having your photo and where you attended school displayed in our exhibit, please fill out our survey by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 16, 2024.
For any questions, contact isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
11th Annual Illinois Education and Career Success Network Conference
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators and High School Counselors/Teachers on January 22, 2024.
Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills, Illinois
Don't Delay – Register Today!
Illinois Success Network Conference: Awareness to Action
Please join us at the 11th annual Illinois Education and Career Success Network Conference, Awareness to Action: Promoting Equity in Education and Careers, on February 29. This one-day conference is an engaging learning opportunity designed for leaders from secondary and postsecondary education, local and state government, community-based organizations, policy advocates, grantmakers, employers, and other stakeholders interested in increasing equitable postsecondary attainment in Illinois. The conference admission fee is $50. Learn more about the conference and view the agenda on the registration site. Register today!
Keynote Speaker: Kenyatta Lovett, PhD
Kenyatta Lovett, PhD serves as principal of postsecondary attainment at the Education Strategy Group, leading strategies to set goals and improve attainment, noncredit-to-credit strategies, adult attainment, and credit mobility. Kenyatta serves on national advisory boards to advance the growth of credential-to-career strategies and regional collaboration to improve economic mobility. He is an adjunct professor at Tennessee State University and Lipscomb University.
Visit the registration site to learn more about Kenyatta Lovett, PhD and to register for the conference.
ISAC Sessions
Please plan to join us for one or more of the following sessions being presented by Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) staff members.
- Supporting First-Generation Students from High School to College Completion
10:25 – 11:20 a.m.
ISAC Presenters
Abel Montoya, Director of Outreach Operations
Viviana Flores, Region Corps Coordinator
- FAFSA Simplification
10:25 – 11:20 a.m.
ISAC Presenter
Tommy Semanic, Professional Development Specialist
- Beyond Cognitive Skills: Preparation Through the Illinois PaCE Framework
11:30 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.
ISAC Presenter
Ana Moya, Professional Development Specialist
Professional Development Hours and Continuing Education Credits
ISAC will provide professional development hours for ISBE educator licensure or continuing education credits through the Illinois Department of Financial Regulations. Completion of the evaluation survey at the conclusion of the conference is required to earn PD hours or CE credits.
Please direct questions to Sam Nelson (Sam.Nelson@illinois.gov) or Ana Moya (Ana.Moya@illinois.gov).
The Illinois Education and Career Success Network (formerly the Illinois 60 by 2025 Network) is a growing network of communities in Illinois that are committed to advancing equitable postsecondary attainment. The Network was launched and is organized by: Advance Illinois, Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University (EdSystems), and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC).
Do You Send Paper Transcripts? Switch to Electronic, It's Easy!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrator, High School Counselors/Teachers, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, and Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants on January 11, 2024.
Don't Forget to Join ISAC for a Webinar
on the ISAC Transcript Exchange!
Are you wondering if you should make the switch from sending paper transcripts to sending transcripts electronically? If yes, the ISAC Transcript Exchange is just what your school needs!
The ISAC Transcript Exchange, powered by Parchment, allows high school students to have their transcripts sent electronically to the college(s) of their choice, the Common App, and more – all at no cost to the student. The ISAC Transcript Exchange is also free for all Illinois public and private high schools.
The ISAC Transcript Exchange – Parchment Preview
Join us on Thursday, January 18, from 10-10:45 a.m. (CT) to learn about the ISAC Transcript Exchange, how to navigate the student and administrator dashboards, and gain efficiencies by switching from paper to electronic transcripts. Attendees will hear directly from a Student Services Director on how the ISAC Transcript Exchange has made a difference at their school and for their students.
To register, visit the Professional Development Webinar Calendar.
For questions on ISAC's Transcript Exchange, contact Lenore.Smith@illinois.gov.
Note: Continuing Education credits or Professional Development hours will not be offered for this webinar.
Save the Date for the First Annual First Gen Symposium!
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 January 10, 2024.
Mark your calendars for ISAC's first annual First Gen Symposium! The symposium will take place in-person on Monday, March 11, 2024, at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.
The First Gen Symposium provides an opportunity for you to learn and share best practices for supporting first-generation students in postsecondary planning. For more information about the symposium, visit ISAC's First Gen Symposium page.
Call for Proposals – Now Open!
We invite high schools, community-based organizations, TRIO Programs, and first-generation programs at colleges, universities, and more, to submit a session proposal! Please submit a proposal by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 9, 2024.
For questions, contact isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
Don't Forget to Join Us for Free Events!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on January 8, 2024.
Don't forget to join us for one of our in-person Financial Aid Trainings taking place in multiple locations across the state. These free half-day trainings will focus on the key changes to the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and how to support students and families through this process.
We still have availability at the following locations:
- Illinois Valley Community College – Friday, January 19
- Carl Sandburg College – Tuesday, January 23
- Prairie State College – Wednesday, January 24
- Lewis and Clark Community College – Friday, January 26
- Shawnee Community College – Tuesday, January 30
- Kishwaukee College – Tuesday, January 30
- Parkland Community College – Wednesday, January 31
To register and for more information, visit ISAC's In-Person Trainings page. It is required that you register in advance. For questions, contact isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
Kick Off Spring Semester with FREE Professional Development Webinars from ISAC!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on January 4, 2024.
We are excited to share the free webinars happening in January. Please share these offerings with colleagues and partners! All webinars below are in Central Time. To register, visit the Professional Development Webinar Calendar.
Professional Development hours and Continuing Education credits will be available. For questions, contact isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
Overview and Enhancements of the FAFSA® and Alternative Application
Join us on Tuesday, January 9, 11-11:45 a.m. to learn about the new enhancements to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid. We will discuss updates to both applications and share resources from the state and federal level to assist students and families.
New FSA ID Process
Join us on Tuesday, January 16, 10-10:30 a.m. to learn about the changes to the Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID as ISAC highlights who needs one, how to obtain one as a contributor without a Social Security number, as well as the multi-factor authentication process and the use of back up codes.
The Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative
Join us on Tuesday, January 16, 11-11:45 a.m. to learn how to access your students' financial aid application completion data through ISAC's Gift Assistance Program (GAP) Access portal. Through this free service to districts and schools, ISAC can share data on a daily basis to identify students who have not filed a financial aid application.
A FAFSA Line-by-Line
Join us on Thursday, January 25, 2-4 p.m. for a full view of the 2024-25 online FAFSA, where we will go through each question on the new form. Learn how the decrease in questions will impact your students, as well as which questions they will see.
2024-25 FAFSA, Alternative Application, and Important Dates
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on January 3, 2024.
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) would like to make you aware of the following information, which may be of interest to you and/or your college-bound students.
Unless otherwise noted, links in this message are to corresponding pages at ISAC's website (isac.org).
You may either scroll through the remainder of this message, or click on the appropriate link(s) to go directly to a specific section:
2024-25 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025)
New FAFSA® and Alternative Application Now Available
2023-24 (July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024)
General Information (Not Specific to One Academic Year)
FAFSA and Alternative Application Now Available
The 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) cycle, including the launch of the online FAFSA, has opened. The FAFSA Processing System (FPS) – formerly the Central Processing System (CPS) – anticipates transmitting 2024-25 FAFSA results to colleges later in January 2024, with data from paper/PDF FAFSAs processed starting in February 2024.
With the 2024-25 FAFSA:
- up to 20 different colleges can be listed on the online FAFSA and have information sent to them;
- due to a change in the methodology used to determine aid, a Student Aid Index (SAI) – rather than an expected family contribution (EFC) – is used to measure the student's (and, if applicable, the family's) ability to pay for college;
- the new need analysis formula no longer factors the number of family members attending college into the calculation;
- separate criteria to determine eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant Program, linking eligibility to family size and the federal poverty level, make program funds available to more students; and,
- students (applicants) and all contributors (which may include a Student Spouse, Parent, and/or Parent Spouse or Partner) must provide consent and approval for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to send federal tax information directly to the FAFSA via a new interface.
Details regarding the 2024-25 application cycle may be accessed via the Applying for Financial Aid section of the e-Library for Partners.
The 2024-25 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) is also available (in English and Spanish). Qualifying undocumented students may file the Alternative Application – which is patterned after the FAFSA – to apply for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant. Further details are provided at ISAC's Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act page.
Encourage your college-bound students to check out the Financial Aid Planning area for information regarding resources that are available to help students complete the financial aid process.
MAP Processing Cycle
The 2024-25 MAP processing cycle will commence after the FPS begins providing FAFSA results to colleges and state agencies (anticipated for later in January 2024).
As was previously announced, at its September 21, 2023 meeting, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission approved a start-up formula for 2024-25 academic year MAP grants, with a maximum award of $8,400. Additional details regarding the formula are provided in a September 22 e-Message.
Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative and Nonparticipation Form
All Illinois public high school students are required to complete either the FAFSA or the Alternative Application as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma. ISAC's Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative is a resource that can help high schools monitor their students' compliance with this mandate.
The Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative function in the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal will match data on a daily basis once ISAC starts receiving student financial aid application information in late January. The Financial Aid Application Completion Performance Metrics page for the class of 2024 will populate on a weekly basis, also beginning in January. Principals who have not already done so can sign up their high school for participation in the initiative through the GAP Access portal.
Starting with the class of 2024, students and/or parents who choose to not complete either the FAFSA or the Alternative Application, will complete the Financial Aid Application Nonparticipation Form online via ISAC's Student Portal. A student and/or parent will need a Student Portal account to complete and sign the Nonparticipation Form. Once the form has been completed, the opt-out box within GAP Access will auto-populate with a check mark in your senior class roster.
By June 30: High School Juniors Take College Assessment Exams for State Scholar Consideration
Eligibility for the State Scholar Program is based, in part, on a student's highest qualifying ACT or SAT score. High school juniors who are potential candidates will need to take one of the accepted exams during the specified timeframe to be considered for State Scholar designation, even though Illinois' public institutions are now prohibited from requiring the submission of student test scores as part of the admissions process.
For current high school juniors, only exams taken between August 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024 qualify for consideration in the State Scholar announcements that will be made during their senior year (i.e., high school juniors, who will be college freshmen during the 2025-26 academic year, will be named Scholars during the fall of 2024). Further details are provided for students at the State Scholar Program page of our website.
January 31: Appeal Deadline for State Scholar Program
As announced in a November 21 e-Message, more nearly 16,700 qualified Illinois high school students were designated as State Scholars last fall.
Available again this year is a digital Illinois State Scholar badge issued by ISAC, which State Scholars can display on their online profiles and social media accounts, as well as share with high school counselors, prospective colleges, employers, family members and others. Further details are provided in the congratulatory letters sent to State Scholars throughout the fall of 2023.
Appeals regarding the fall 2023 announcement of State Scholars must be received at ISAC by January 31, 2024.
January 18: "ISAC Transcript Exchange – Parchment Preview" Webinar
Learn how to make the switch from paper to electronic transcripts via the ISAC Transcript Exchange by participating in a webinar being offered from 10-10:45 a.m. (CT) on Thursday, January 18, 2024. Further details are provided in a December 18 e-Message.
February 29: Illinois Education and Career Success Network Conference
Register today for the eleventh annual Illinois Education and Career Success Network Conference, taking place on February 29, 2024, at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois. This one-day event provides a variety of high-quality interest sessions and engaging learning opportunities for leaders from secondary and postsecondary education, local and state government, community-based organizations, policy advocates, grantmakers, employers, and other stakeholders interested in equitably increasing postsecondary attainment in Illinois. Visit the registration site for an overview of the conference agenda and interest sessions.
April 18: Next Commission Meeting
The next meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Further details, including a listing of tentative agenda items, will be available prior to the meeting via the ISAC's Governing Board: The Commission section of the About ISAC area.
Visit the Commission Meeting Schedule page for information regarding all meetings scheduled in 2024.
Coming this Spring: First Gen Symposium
Watch for future announcements regarding the first annual First Gen Symposium, which is anticipated to take place in the spring of 2024.
Holiday Schedules
ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:
- Monday, January 15, 2024 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Monday, February 12, 2024 – Lincoln's Birthday
- Monday, February 19, 2024 – Presidents' Day
Staff will again be available the first business day immediately following each holiday.
For Assistance
Access the Counselors area anytime, or send an e-mail message to ISAC's School Services Department. With the exception of days when ISAC staff members are unavailable, we will review and respond to messages during regular business hours of Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CT).
December 2023 ISAC Communiqué
Sent on January 2, 2024
The December 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 December 2023 ISAC Communiqué include:
- Do You Send Paper Transcripts? Make the Switch to Electronic, It's Easy!
(sent December 18, 2023) - November 2023 ISAC Communiqué
(sent December 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.
