ISAC Student PortalISAC Communiqué
Volume 33, Number 8C
February 2024
| Messages sent to: | Multiple Subscription Groups |
| ISAC Communiqué |
Welcome to the February 2024 ISAC Communiqué, which is a compilation of e-Messages sent through ISAC's e-Messaging service throughout February.
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.
Join Us for Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Training Opportunities
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 February 29, 2024.
PaCE Symposium
Mark your calendars for our third annual PaCE Symposium! We are excited to offer the PaCE Symposium at TWO locations this spring. We look forward to seeing you there!
- April 16, 2024, in Champaign, IL
- May 8, 2024, in Elgin, IL
Registration will open later this spring. For more information, visit ISAC's PaCE Symposium page.
We encourage schools, districts, regional offices of education, and more to submit a session proposal for one or both symposium dates! Session proposals must be received by Friday, March 15, at 11:59 p.m. (CT).
Half-Day Training
Don't forget to register for our new half-day training on the Illinois PaCE Framework. This training is free to attend. Registration will close on March 7 or once full capacity is reached. For more information and registration details, visit the In-Person PaCE Trainings page.
This training is perfect for those just getting started with adopting or customizing a PaCE Framework. The training will consist of two modules and time for your team to connect with us and work together.
Join us at either:
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission (Deerfield) – Thursday, March 14, 2024, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Lincoln Land Community College (Springfield) – Thursday, March 21, 2024, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
For questions, contact isac.pace@illinois.gov.
FREE Professional Development Webinars in March
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 February 27, 2024.
We are excited to share the free webinars happening in March. Please share these offerings with colleagues and partners! All webinars below are in Central Standard 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 Q&A with ISAC
Join us on Friday, March 1, from 10-11 a.m. to hear directly from ISAC! Tune in to discuss the latest updates on the 2024-25 FAFSA and any open issues with possible work arounds. You will have the opportunity to have questions answered live from ISAC's Professional Development team!
A FAFSA Line by Line
Join us on Thursday, March 7, from 10 a.m.-12 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, as well as which questions they will see.
What's Next After the FAFSA?
Join us on Tuesday, March 12, from 11-11:45 a.m. to learn how to support your students after the FAFSA/Alternative Application is submitted and processed. We will discuss what is included in the FAFSA Submission Summary and how to make corrections to the form, as well as how to support students through the verification process.
Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative
Join us on Tuesday, March 26, from 11-11:45 a.m. to learn how to access your students' financial aid application completion data through ISAC's Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal. Through the initiative, we will share how to view your class roster, common troubleshooting issues, and how you can provide targeted supports for students who have not filed an application yet.
The FAFSA Submission Summary
Join us on Thursday, March 28, from 10-10:30 a.m. to see an in-depth review the FAFSA Submission Summary (formerly known as the Student Aid Report). We will discuss key items and phrases to be aware of and how a student can view the FAFSA Submission Summary online.
Coming Soon: Changes to ISAC's Partner Services!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators and High School Counselors/Teachers on February 26, 2024.
Over the next month, we will be implementing an exciting change in the Program Services and Compliance Division, home to our Partner Services team. Led by Assistant Director Kim Eck, the Partner Services team provides training, program information, and support to school and other ISAC partners. They are also a partner to ILASFAA and other professional organizations.
Beginning soon, Partner Services will be fully assuming the responsibilities of the former School Services Department, following the retirement of Mary Lewis in December 2023. School Services has been your primary contact for all high school and college inquiries, and following the transition, the new home for this will be Partner Services. This team – including Stephanie Claudio, Daniela Rios, and Sherry Schonauer, along with Kim – has routinely assisted School Services over the years, so you can continue to expect helpful, timely and accurate information.
We'll be sharing additional high-level details at the upcoming ILASFAA conference and any additional information once the transition is complete. In the interim, we ask that you please continue to send all inquiries to:
Fax: 847.831.8549
E-mail: isac.schoolservices@illinois.gov
8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. CT
We know there may be some delays and speedbumps as we make this transition, and we are responding to e-mail and phone inquiries as rapidly as we can. ISAC staff from several areas of the division are working together in the short-term to provide school partners with up-to-date information and guidance. The Partner Services team is increasingly taking on more of the responsibilities, so we are optimistic for a smooth transition once it's fully underway. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we implement our plan.
As a reminder, the ISAC website has many resources to answer general questions; here are some areas you will find helpful:
- Partner Training page
- FAA Processes – "How To" section for operational guidance, as well as an overview of products or services, available to assist you in the administration of ISAC's financial aid programs
- FAA Electronic Tools – Electronic tools and specifications for loan and grant payment processing
- ISAC Gift Assistance Programs
- ISAC Gift Assistance Applications
Join Us to Learn about the One-Time Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Account Adjustment
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrator, 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 February 22, 2024.
learn how you can take advantage of this adjustment!
Millions of federal loan borrowers have received loan forgiveness or updated payment counts due to the one-time IDR Account Adjustment. The adjustment is a set of temporary changes that allows federal student loan borrowers to receive credit for certain previously ineligible payments while under an IDR plan and/or pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
This one-time adjustment period is coming to an end and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) wants to make all federal student loan borrowers aware of this opportunity! To help borrowers across the state, ISAC is hosting free webinars – from now until the end of April – on how federal direct loan and FFEL borrowers can navigate this process. To learn more, visit the Federal Student Loan Forgiveness page.
For registration details, visit the Professional Development Webinar Calendar. For questions, contact isac.borrowersupport@illinois.gov.
Countdown to April 30: How to Benefit from Federal Student Loan Debt Relief
Join us on one of these dates in February or March to learn about the steps you can take to apply and what happens after applying for the adjustment. All webinars are in Central Time (CT).
- Wednesday, February 28, 1-1:45 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 13, 9-9:45 a.m.
- Tuesday, March 26, 3-3:45 p.m.
April webinar dates will be announced once they have been scheduled.
Are You Taking Advantage of Our Free Service? You Should Make the Switch from Sending Paper Transcripts to Electronic!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, and Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants on February 21, 2024.
The ISAC Transcript Exchange has been available for free
to all Illinois Public and Private High Schools since 2011!
The ISAC Transcript Exchange, powered by Parchment, helps districts and high schools across the State of Illinois support students' paths as they pursue opportunities after high school.
Through our program, current students can request and send different credentials electronically worldwide, allowing them to send transcripts for college admission, scholarships, and more for free. You can utilize the ISAC Transcript Exchange for processing all your credential needs while offering other college and career readiness platforms to your students.
Why Choose the ISAC Transcript Exchange?
The ISAC Transcript Exchange allows you to take advantage of the services that fit the needs of your school and your students. Over 400 public and private high schools across the state have already made the switch to sending transcripts electronically! Our service is online and easy to use for both the student and school administrator. Each student has their own account, and the school administrator must approve any and all transcripts sent.
There is never a fee charged to a current student, high school, or school district to send an electronic transcript! High schools can also support their alumni students with sending credentials electronically and can choose to process third-party requests through our service.
To learn more, visit the ISAC Transcript Exchange page and hear from folks across the state on why they use the ISAC Transcript Exchange and have made the switch from paper to electronic! It is simple to join, reach out to Lenore.Smith@illinois.gov to get started.
Waitlist Available 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 February 13, 2024.
We are looking forward to welcoming First Gen Symposium attendees to North Central College in Naperville, Illinois on Monday, March 11, 2024. Registration has reached full capacity, therefore, those still interested in attending can join the waitlist. For more information about the waitlist, visit the First Gen Symposium page.
For those who have already registered, thank you! If you are no longer able to attend, contact isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov, so someone from the waitlist can attend.
First Gen Exhibit
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.
Join ISAC for Our New Illinois PaCE Training!
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 February 6, 2024.
We are excited to announce our new half-day trainings on the Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework. Registration is NOW OPEN to school counselors, administrators, college and career staff, and others who support students to be college and career ready. The training is free to attend and will be held in two parts.
Part One is perfect for those just getting started with adopting a PaCE Framework. The training will consist of two modules and time for your team to connect with us to ask questions and learn about next steps. We will share another message announcing Part Two of the training.
For more information and registration details, visit the In-Person PaCE Trainings page. For questions, contact isac.pace@illinois.gov.
Join us for Part One at either:
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission (Deerfield) – Thursday, March 14, 2024, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. or
- Lincoln Land Community College (Springfield) – Thursday, March 21, 2024, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Module 1: Starting with a Good Plan
In this module, we go over the necessary planning steps that are included in the process of adopting and implementing a PaCE Framework. We will discuss defining roles, setting goals, and finding your "why."
Module 2: It Takes a Community
In this module, we discuss the importance of school district collaboration, building a PaCE learning community, and leveraging community resources.
MAP Priority Date for Returning Recipients Extended
Sent to High School Counselors/Teachers and College Admissions Counselors on February 1, 2024.
The following information is being shared to assist colleges in the administration of the Monetary Award Program (MAP).
In light of the delayed launch of the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and subsequent persistent technical issues, as well as the significant processing delay recently announced by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the priority date for returning MAP recipients has been moved from February 1 to April 1, 2024.
As a reminder, a returning applicant's failure to complete the FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) by the announced priority date does not disqualify any applicant from receiving a grant if sufficient funding is available to provide awards after that date. MAP dollars are awarded equitably to qualified applicants, based on the formula, regardless of their returning status. ISAC is obligated by legislative action to set and announce a priority date, but that date is not a deadline date for FAFSA or Alternative Application completion.
We encourage you to share this information with those in your office who work with MAP, especially those who communicate directly with students.
January 2024 ISAC Communiqué
Sent on February 1, 2024
The January 2024 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 January 2024 ISAC Communiqué include:
- FREE Professional Development Webinars in February from ISAC!
(sent January 31, 2024) - Registration Now Open for the First Annual First Gen Symposium!
(sent January 25, 2024) - 11th Annual Illinois Education and Career Success Network Conference
(sent January 22, 2024) - Do You Send Paper Transcripts? Switch to Electronic, It's Easy!
(sent January 11, 2024) - Save the Date for the First Annual First Gen Symposium!
(sent January 10, 2024) - Don't Forget to Join Us for Free Events!
(sent January 8, 2024) - Kick Off Spring Semester with FREE Professional Development Webinars from ISAC!
(sent January 4, 2024) - 2024-25 FAFSA, Alternative Application, and Important Dates
(sent January 3, 2024) - December 2023 ISAC Communiqué
(sent January 2, 2024)
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.
