ISAC Update

VOL. 39, NO. 11F
May 2022

Messages sent to:	Multiple Subscription Groups
	CCM Task Force
	ISAC Update

Welcome to the May 2022 ISAC Update for financial aid administrators and business officers. This version of the electronic ISAC Update is a compilation of e-Messages sent through ISAC's e-Messaging service throughout May.

The articles in this Update have been organized according to the FAA subscription groups to which the messages were distributed.

Questions?

Questions regarding information in this ISAC Update 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.

MULTIPLE SUBSCRIPTION GROUPS

ECACE Scholarship Updates: 2021-22 and 2022-23 Processing Cycles
Sent to Financial Aid Administrators, Business Officers and ECACE Administrators on May 31, 2022.

NOTE: If you do not work directly with the administration of the ECACE Scholarship Program, please forward this message to the appropriate colleague(s) at your institution and encourage them to sign up for the "ECACE Administrators" e-Messaging subscription group.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is sharing the following information to assist colleges in the administration of the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program.

2021-22 Processing Updates

Claims for All Terms Due June 29

Effective starting today (Tuesday, May 31, 2022), 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship payment processing will run on a nightly (rather than weekly) basis. Due to the nature of the funds used to pay ECACE Scholarship awards, ISAC will be unable to process any 2021-22 payment requests (i.e., claims) submitted after June 29, 2022.

In order to receive payment, 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship claims for all terms must be submitted no later than 7 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, June 29, 2022. This includes claims for:

fall term (first semester/quarter);
winter term (second quarter);
spring term (second semester or third quarter); and
summer term.

Payment results for claims submitted by 7 p.m. (CT) each day through June 29 will be reflected in the ECACE system the morning of the following business day. For example: results for claims submitted through 7 p.m. today (May 31) will be available tomorrow morning (Wednesday, June 1).

ECACE Scholarship Program awards are paid with federal funds. ISAC processes ECACE Scholarship authorizations for payment (i.e., invoices), and colleges receive payment from the Illinois State Comptroller's Office, on a monthly basis. The final group of 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship invoices will be processed following the June 29 claim deadline.

Applications Accepted Through June 3

Friday, June 3, 2022 is the last day on which new 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship applications will be accepted. Students who wish to be considered for the ECACE Scholarship for the 2021-22 academic year but have not yet submitted an application must do so no later than June 3.

In addition, students who have been notified that their previously-submitted 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship application is incomplete should be encouraged to take the steps necessary to complete their application as soon as possible – this includes submitting the 2021-22 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) if that has not yet been done.

2022-23 Processing Updates

Applications Now Being Accepted

Also starting today, ECACE Scholarships for the 2022-23 academic year are being accepted. The priority consideration date for submitting an ECACE application for the 2022-23 academic year is August 15, 2022. Applications received after that date will be considered if funding remains after all timely, complete qualified applicants have been awarded.

Remember:

Program details – including eligibility requirements – are available on our website, along with a link to the online application. As always, we ask our partners to encourage those who may be interested in applying to learn about the program before completing the application.
In addition to completing the ECACE application, the FAFSA must be filed for the same academic year. The ECACE-participating college the applicant plans to attend must be listed on the FAFSA. Eligibility is not based on financial need, but the FAFSA results (expected family contribution) will be used to prioritize awards among the neediest of applicants.
Although there is no teaching commitment connected to the award, recipients are expected to continue or return to teaching or direct services in the early childhood care and education field after they complete their program of study.

Looking Ahead

When 2022-23 applicant data is available for each college to access via the "Student List Eligibility: View" screen of the ECACE system (anticipated during the month of July 2022), data will be displayed for all applications listing the institution as the college the student plans to attend (i.e., complete, incomplete and ineligible applications will be included).
2022-23 ECACE Scholarship payment processing is anticipated to commence during the month of August 2022.
More information – including announcement of when the 2022-23 "Student List Eligibility:View" screen becomes available, and when 2022-23 claims are being accepted – will be provided over the summer via ISAC's usual means of communication (i.e., the ECACE Scholarship Program News area, the FAA Message Board, and this e-Messaging system).

Join "ECACE Administrators" Subscription Group

If you work directly with your approved institution's administration of the ECACE Scholarship Program – or if you simply are interested in receiving general announcements and processing updates regarding the program – be sure to join the "ECACE Administrators" e-Messaging subscription group.

Existing e-Messaging subscribers may join this group by clicking on the "Unsubscribe" link that appears at the bottom of all ISAC e-Messages, selecting the "ECACE Administrators" group in the listing that appears, and then clicking on "Update Profile."

Individuals who may be interested in the "ECACE Administrators" group, but do not currently subscribe to ISAC's e-Messaging service, may sign up at the Financial Aid Administrators (FAAs) e-Messaging page.

FY23 MAP Recompute Formula and Budget Data Collection
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs and MAP Users on May 25, 2022.

Unless otherwise noted, links in this message are to corresponding pages at the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) website (isac.org).

The purpose of this message is to provide colleges with a status update regarding determination of the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) Monetary Award Program (MAP) recompute formula, and how preparation for the implementation of the recompute formula plays a role in the budget data collection process for the 2022-23 academic year.

Preparing for FY23 MAP Recompute

The FY23 state operating budget, which was signed into law in April, includes historic funding (approximately $601 million) for 2022-23 MAP awards that will have a significant impact on the program.

As discussed during the April 14, 2022 meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (the Commission), and in preparation for the 2022-23 MAP recompute process, ISAC staff members have been monitoring FY23 application volume and using updated data to analyze possible MAP formula changes. In addition, staff have met with the Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (ILASFAA) MAP Formula Committee to discuss recompute issues and gain insights from schools. The recommended 2022-23 MAP recompute formula will be finalized in the coming weeks, and presented to the Commission for approval at its June 16, 2022 meeting.

We anticipate the 2022-23 recompute formula utilizing 2021-22 tuition and fees. Because this is a significant change from the start-up formula (which uses 2009-10 tuition and fees), ISAC staff are analyzing the previously-reported 2021-22 tuition and fee data for all MAP-approved colleges and will reach out to any institutions from which additional information is needed. Unless contacted directly by ISAC staff, there is nothing that colleges need to do at this time.

May 25 Webinar

Discussion regarding the 2022-23 recompute process (including the use of 2021-22 tuition and fee rates) will be part of this afternoon's monthly "ISAC Operational Update and Program News" webinar, which will start at 2 p.m. (CT).

Collection of 2022-23 Budget Data
(Submission Deadline Will Be Moved to a Later Date)

Typically, colleges participating in MAP and/or the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs would need to submit required budget data for the upcoming processing cycle by June 1 preceding the start of the academic year. However, in order to best leverage the significantly increased MAP appropriation in a manner that provides meaningful awards to the highest number of students, the 2022-23 budget data collection process will include some new terminology and procedures which have not yet been finalized. Due to these unusual circumstances – and in order to provide colleges with sufficient time to report 2022-23 rates – ISAC will not require colleges to adhere to the standard June 1 deadline for submission of 2022-23 tuition and fee data.

A revised submission deadline date will be announced once the collection of 2022-23 budget data begins (anticipated for early June). Future program reviews will not cite colleges for late submissions after June 1 as long as all required 2022-23 tuition and fee data is submitted by the revised deadline.

Watch for Future Updates

More information – including announcement of when 2022-23 budget data collection has commenced and the revised data submission deadline date – will be provided in the coming weeks via ISAC's usual means of communication (i.e., the MAP, IVG and ING Grant "Program News" areas, the FAA Message Board, and this e-Messaging system).

Update: 2022-23 ISAC Gift Assistance Programs
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators and Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs on May 18, 2022.

Unless otherwise noted, links in this message are to corresponding pages at the Illinois Student Assistance (ISAC) website (isac.org).

ING Grant Interactive Application Available at Student Portal

Effective today (Wednesday, May 18, 2022), the interactive application for the 2022-23 Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program is available for students to complete and submit online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal.
Eligible students may use the 2022-23 application to apply for the fall 2022, spring 2023 and summer 2023 terms, with October 1, 2022 being the application priority consideration date for full-year and fall-only awards.

ING Grant Eligibility Data Available

2022-23 ING Grant eligibility data is now available via the ING Grant system.

The ING Grant eligibility data includes information for each applicant who has applied for the ING Grant with your institution listed as the college of record, and for whom the Department of Military Affairs in Illinois (DMAIL) has confirmed eligibility as of the "Certified Eligible" date.
Specific details regarding the ING Grant system, including important reminders and guidelines, are provided at the ING Grant Electronic Processing page.
The ING Grant system is available each day from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. (CT).

Reminder: Continue to Submit 2021-22 Benefit Usage Data

In order to ensure that students' accounts reflect accurate data, colleges should report 2021-22 Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and ING Grant benefits used for all current and prior terms as soon as possible.

Spring-term benefit usage data for the 2021-22 IVG Program is due on or before Friday, May 27, 2022.
Summer-term benefit usage data for the 2021-22 ING Grant Program is due no later than the July 1, 2022 final close-out date.
Colleges are still encouraged to submit prior-term IVG and ING Grant benefit usage data (i.e., the summer 2021 and fall 2021 terms for IVG, and the fall 2021 and spring 2022 terms for the ING Grant), even though the reporting deadlines for those terms have passed.

Report enrollment hours and benefit dollar amounts for initial, in-district and out-of-district requests, as well as adjustments to previously-submitted data, via the IVG system and the ING Grant system.

Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire, and Correctional Officers Application

The application for the 2022-23 Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire, and Correctional Officers (PFC) is anticipated to be available for students to access via the Applications page of the Students & Parents area on Monday, May 23, 2022.

Future Updates

Watch for future updates regarding ISAC gift assistance programs via our usual methods of communication (including the "Program News" pages within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area, the FAA Message Board, and ISAC's e-Messaging service).

Upcoming Important Dates from ISAC
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users, Business Officers, ECACE Administrators and FFELP Administrators on May 12, 2022.

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 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:

2022-23 (July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023)

2021-22 (July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022)

General Information (Not Specific to One Academic Year)

2022-23 ACADEMIC YEAR

MAP Update: Historic Program Appropriation

The fiscal year 2023 (FY23) state operating budget – which has been approved and signed into law – includes a historic high Monetary Award Program (MAP) appropriation of approximately $601 million, which is $122 million more than had been appropriated for 2021-22 MAP awards.

As discussed in the April 19 e-Message that provides a summary of the April 14, 2022 meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the combination of decreased demand (due to lower application volume) and increased funding creates a perfect environment for improving college affordability for MAP-eligible students. The increased appropriation could provide a long-overdue opportunity to increase the size of MAP grants and incorporate more recent – perhaps even current – tuition and fee rates in the formula used to determine eligibility. Combined, these changes would improve college affordability for low-income students. Further details regarding the impact this increased funding may have on the program are outlined in the FY23 MAP Fact Sheet.

Continue to monitor our established methods of communication (i.e., the MAP Program News area, the FAA Message Board and ISAC's e-Messaging service) throughout the year for operational updates and other program information.

FAFSA^® and Alternative Application Remain Available

The 2022-23 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) remains available online, and – if not already done – should be completed and submitted as soon as possible by students who will be attending college between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for several forms of federal, state and institutional financial assistance, including the MAP grant.

In addition, the 2022-23 Alternative Application is also available (in English and Spanish). As a reminder, students meeting the criteria of the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity (RISE) Act may file the Alternative Application – which is patterned after the FAFSA – to apply for the MAP grant. Because the failure to register for Selective Service no longer disqualifies an applicant from receiving federal student aid, students who have not registered may want to consider completing the FAFSA instead of the Alternative Application to maximize their financial aid opportunities. Further details are provided at ISAC's RISE Act page.

Details regarding the 2022-23 application cycle may be accessed by counselors and other professionals via the Applying for Financial Aid section of the e-Library for Partners.

Continue Certifying Eligibility for MTI Scholarships Throughout the Year

Colleges are encouraged to continue certifying eligibility for 2022-23 Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholars on a daily basis.

As a reminder, the Golden Apple Foundation certifies eligibility for the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program. The college's role for the Golden Apple Scholars program starts with payment processing.

Further details, including information about screen changes in the 2022-23 MTI system, are provided via the Certification Procedures for MTI page, the recently-updated MTI User Guide, and a May 11 e-Message.

MTI Scholarship Applications Still Being Accepted

The FY23 state operating budget, which was signed into law by the governor in April, includes an appropriation for the MTI Scholarship Program that increases the maxium annual award amount to $7,500 for the 2022-23 and subsequent academic years. In addition, the FY23 MTI Scholarship Program funding level initiates – to the extent allowed by the amount of funding that remains – at least 30 percent of the appropriated funds being reserved for qualified bilingual minority applicants, with priority given to those applicants who are enrolled in an educator preparation program with a concentration in bilingual, bicultural education.

The 2022-23 MTI Scholarship Program application continues to be accepted, even though the March 31, 2022 priority consideration date has passed. Complete applications – including the 2022-23 FAFSA (or Alternative Application, if applicable) – received after this date will continue to be considered for the MTI Scholarship Program for as long as funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded. All minority students and qualified bilingual minority applicants who meet the program's eligibility requirements should be encouraged to complete and submit their applications as soon as possible.

By End of May: ING Grant Application

The interactive application for the 2022-23 Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program is anticipated to be available for students to complete and submit online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal, and 2022-23 ING Grant eligibility data is anticipated to be available in the ING Grant system, by the end of May 2022.

Specific details regarding the ING Grant system, including important reminders and guidelines, are provided at the ING Grant Electronic Processing page.

By End of May: PFC Applications Available

We anticipate that the application for the 2022-23 Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire and Correctional Officers (PFC) will be available for students to access via the Applications page of the Students & Parents area by the end of May 2022.

By the End of June: ECACE Scholarship Application

The 2022-23 application for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program is anticipated to be available via the Applications area by the end of June.

Join "ECACE Administrators" Subscription Group

Individuals who may be interested in the "ECACE Administrators" group, but do not currently subscribe to ISAC's e-Messaging service, may sign up at the Financial Aid Administrators (FAAs) e-Messaging page.

2021-22 ACADEMIC YEAR

ECACE Scholarship Summer-Term Claims Being Accepted

A May 12 e-Message announces that colleges may submit ECACE Scholarship payment requests (i.e., claims) for the summer 2022 term. Claims for all previous terms also continue to be accepted.

May 27: IVG Spring Term Benefits Used Data Due
(Continue Submitting IVG and ING Grant Benefit Usage Data for All Terms)

The spring-term deadline for submission of benefit usage data for the 2021-22 IVG Program is Friday, May 27, 2022.

Even though the summer- (for the IVG Program) and fall-term (for the IVG and ING Grant programs) deadline dates have passed, as well as the spring-term deadline date for the ING Grant, colleges are still encouraged to submit benefit usage data for those terms as soon as possible.

Although ISAC is not able to reimburse institutions for 2021-22 IVG awards, reporting of benefits used must still take place so that usage can be accurately reflected on students' accounts.

Note that summer-term benefit usage data for the 2021-22 ING Grant Program is due on the final close-out date of July 1, 2022.

Further details are provided benefit usage areas for the IVG and ING Grant programs.

June 15: ING Grant Summer Term Application Deadline

June 15, 2022 is the final date of acceptance for summer term applications for the 2021-22 ING Grant Program. Students may access the application via the Interactive Application (Apply Online) section of the Applications page, which is located within the Students & Parents – During College – Applying for Financial Aid area and may also be obtained via the "Applications" link that appears at the bottom of all pages on the ISAC website.

June 15: PFC Summer Term Application Deadline

June 15, 2022 is the final date of acceptance for the 2021-22 PFC application for the summer term. Students may access the application via the Applications page, which is located within the Students & Parents – During College – Applying for Financial Aid area and may also be obtained via the "Applications" link that appears at the bottom of all pages on the ISAC website.

Continue Submitting Claims for MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Programs

Claims for the 2021-22 MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois programs continue to be accepted.

The third-term priority consideration claim deadline for these programs will be announced once it has been determined.
Although the priority consideration claim deadlines have passed, colleges are encouraged to submit first- and second-term claims as soon as they are able to do so.

Submitting claims via the MTI and Golden Apple systems is a two-step process that involves first generating the request (either individually or in a batch) and then submitting the request. Further details are available in the MTI and Golden Apple user guides.

The timely submission of initial claims and cancellations/adjustments for previously-submitted data allows ISAC staff to monitor remaining MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple funds and award other students, as applicable.

July 1: Gift Assistance Programs Final Close-out Date

All submissions of 2021-22 payment requests, including initial claims and supplemental claims, for ISAC-administered gift assistance programs must be received on or before July 1, 2022. Adjustments to cancel or reduce awards will be accepted after this date for MAP and the MTI Scholarship, Golden Apple, ECACE Scholarship, ING Grant and IVG programs.

Colleges are also encouraged to continue the process of reconciling 2021-22 MAP, MTI Scholarship, Golden Apple and ECACE Scholarship data, which assists ISAC staff in determining whether sufficient funds will be available to pay late claims. Remember, due to the payment offset process, only data reconciliation activities should take place at this time. After ISAC determines that all payment processing is final, colleges with an outstanding amount owed to ISAC will receive an e-mail notice indicating the total amount to be returned. Until then, no funds should be returned to ISAC.

Specific details regarding close-out of 2021-22 ISAC-administered gift assistance programs will be provided via a separate e-Message as we move closer to July 1. In the meantime, continue to visit the Program News sections for individual gift assistance programs for status updates and operational details.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Recent State Legislative Update Discusses Budget and Other Items

A recent State Legislative Update (dated May 3, 2022) discusses budget highlights – including supplemental appropriations for the FY22 state operating budget and information about the FY23 budget package – along with other items of interest that were approved during the spring session of the 102^nd General Assembly.

ISAC No Longer Reporting Default Status

With the agency's May 1, 2022 exit from the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), ISAC is no longer reporting to colleges the default status of ISAC-guaranteed loans for students who apply for ISAC-administered gift assistance programs. All ISAC gift assistance program eligibility requirements related to default remain in place. Colleges will now need to follow the same established procedures being used to check the default status of non-ISAC-guaranteed loans in order to certify eligibility for applicants with ISAC-guaranteed loans. As appropriate based on each program, ISAC resources (including the website, user guides, and other materials) will be updated accordingly in the coming weeks.

Online Resource Helps Students Find Leads for Summer Employment/Internships

Be sure your students who may be seeking summer employment or internships are aware of the "Internship and Summer Jobs" online resource, which may be accessed via the Toolbox area of the ISAC Student Portal.

College Course Materials Task Force Subscription Group Available

An April 13 e-Message provides information about the first meeting of the College Course Materials (CCM) Task Force that took place in March, and also announces availability of the CCM Task Force e-Messaging subscription group. Individuals interested in receiving updates regarding the work of the CCM Task Force may join the subscription group by following these steps:

Visit the Financial Aid Administrators (FAAs) e-Messaging page.
Provide the required contact information.
Check the box for the "College Coursework Materials Task Force – announcements & information about the work of the Task Force" subscription group.
Click on the "Sign Up!" button that appears at the bottom of the page.

Throughout May: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Webinars

Recent temporary changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF), including a limited waiver, may benefit public sector and non-profit employees. If you want to learn more about PSLF, or if you have applied for PSLF and been denied, be sure to register for the free webinars being offered by ISAC staff throughout the month of May. Further details, including specific dates, are provided in a May 3 e-Message.

Upcoming Webinars

The following monthly "ISAC Operational Update and Program News" webinars will be offered by ISAC staff throughout the second quarter of 2022:

Wednesday, May 25 at 2 p.m. (CT)
Wednesday, June 29 at 2 p.m. (CT)

Further details, including how to participate in the webinars, are provided in an April 19 e-Message.

June 16: Next Commission Meeting

The next meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, June 16, 2022. 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 2022.

Week of July 11: 2022 College Changes Everything^® Virtual Conference

Mark your calendar for the annual College Changes Everything^® conference – Moving Forward Together – which will be a virtual event with online sessions throughout the week of July 11, 2022. Visit the College Changes Everything conference website, and watch for future e-Messages, for the latest updates.

Holiday Schedules

ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:

Monday, May 30 – Memorial Day
Monday, June 20 – Juneteenth (observed)
Monday, July 4 – Independence Day

Staff will again be available the first business day immediately following each holiday.

Processing Schedules

Although ISAC staff will be unavailable on the days listed above, the MAP system will be available during regularly scheduled hours and will reflect records processed by the Central Processing System (CPS) through the last business day immediately preceding each respective holiday. Results for payment requests submitted from 5 p.m. (CT) the business day prior to the holiday through 5 p.m. (CT) the business day following the holiday will be available via the MAP system on the morning of the second business day after the holiday.

For Assistance

Access the Financial Aid Administrators 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).

Submit Summer Term Claims for 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship
Sent to Financial Aid Administrators, Business Officers and ECACE Administrators on May 12, 2022.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is sharing the following information to assist colleges in the administration of the 2021-22 Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program.

Summer Term Payment Request Data Now Available

Effective immediately, colleges may submit payment requests (i.e., claims) for the summer term for individual ECACE Scholarship recipients via the "Student Detail: Payment" screen, or in batches for a group of students via the "Payment Request Entry" screen. Claims for all previous terms also continue to be accepted.

Colleges access payment request data via the ECACE system within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal.
School staff must have the appropriate level of access in order to submit payment requests. The school's primary administrator or a designated administrator is responsible for authorizing access levels.
Submitting claims is a two-step process, which involves generating the request and then submitting the request.
By submitting a payment request to ISAC via the ECACE system, a college is certifying that the student is enrolled and continues to meet all eligibility criteria.
For purposes of administering the ECACE Scholarship, summer awards will need to be administered/processed as the fourth term (i.e., end or "trailer" of the award year), much like we do for the Grant Programs for Police, Fire, or Correctional Officers and the Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant.
Payment results are available in the ECACE system on a weekly basis (every Tuesday morning, reflecting results for claims submitted throughout the prior week).
- Payment results for claims submitted through 7 p.m. (CT) on Monday, May 16 will be reflected in the ECACE system on Tuesday morning, May 17.
Colleges are encouraged to regularly review the Payment Results/Exceptions report to see which requests, if any, did not process as expected.
The disbursement of funds is processed by the State Comptroller's Office.
- Allow four to six weeks for payment processing (i.e., from the date a claim is submitted until funds are received at the college).
- Refer to the State Comptroller's Website page for information on how to track payment.

Payment Resources Available Online

More information is available at the following locations on ISAC's website:

ECACE Electronic Processing (including the ECACE User Guide)
ECACE Payment

Applications Still Being Accepted

Even though the March 1, 2022 priority consideration date has passed, 2021-22 applications will continue to be accepted and considered for awarding as long as funding remains available after all qualified applicants have been awarded. Encourage students who have not already done so to complete and submit their applications – including both the ECACE Scholarship Program application and the FAFSA – as soon as possible.

Join "ECACE Administrators" Subscription Group

2022-23 MTI Scholarship Updates
Sent to Financial Aid Directors and Financial Aid Administrators on May 11, 2022.

The following provides important updates regarding the 2022-23 Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program, including expanded eligibility and implementation of the certification process.

FY23 Program Appropriation Triggers Expanded Eligibility

As previously announced, the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) state operating budget that was recently approved and signed into law includes an appropriation of $4,200,000 for the MTI Scholarship Program, which is more than double the FY22 appropriation of $1,900,000.

This significantly increased funding level triggers expanded eligibility that – effective January 1, 2022 – was adopted into the MTI Scholarship administrative rules, including a new category for bilingual applicants and higher award amounts for recipients.

When at least $4,200,000 is appropriated for the MTI Scholarship in a given fiscal year (as is the case for FY23), then – to the extent allowed by the amount of funding that remains – at least 30 percent of the appropriated funds will be reserved for qualified bilingual minority applicants, with priority given to those applicants who are enrolled in an educator preparation program with a concentration in bilingual, bicultural education.
Because the FY23 program appropriation exceeds $2,850,000, the maximum annual award has increased to $7,500 for the 2022-23 academic year and all subsequent years (previously – including for the 2021-22 academic year – the maximum annual award amount was $5,000).

Submit Certification Data

Effective today (Wednesday, May 11, 2022), colleges may certify eligibility for the 2022-23 MTI Scholarship Program using the MTI system.

NOTE: In order to implement the 2022-23 MTI certification process, 2021-22 certification functionality has been disabled. ISAC's School Services staff worked with colleges to submit outstanding 2021-22 MTI certifications before the 2022-23 functionality was launched. Colleges should work directly with School Services staff if any future changes are needed to 2021-22 MTI certification data.

What's New

To prevent scrolling across multiple columns, entry of certification data is now done by clicking on the student's name from the "Certification List: View" screen within the MTI system.
The following fields appear in the "Certification Data" window:
- Eligible (Yes/No)
  - If "No," only the Ineligible Reason field must be completed (select response from drop-down menu).
  - If "Yes," all fields other than Ineligible Reason must be completed.
- Academic Level (Drop-down Menu)
- Anticipated Terms (Drop-down Menu)
  - Colleges should provide their best estimate of the term(s) for which the student will be enrolled and payment will be requested.
- Is the student bilingual (Yes/No)
  - If "Yes," must also answer the following:
    - Bilingual Type (Drop-down Menu)
    - Bilingual Program (Drop-down Menu)
- Career Pathway Endorsement (Yes/No)
  - Qualified applicants who are not yet enrolled in an educator preparation program but have received one or more College and Career Pathway Endorsements and commit to enrolling in a course of study leading to teacher licensure, including alternative teacher licensure, may receive MTI Scholarship funds.
- EFC (Enter Value from 0 [Zero] through 999999)
  - Colleges should report the expected family contribution (EFC) from the valid Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) on which a student's financial aid would be based, as of the date that MTI certification is completed (i.e., the date the college submits MTI certification data to ISAC).
  - If changes are pending that will impact the student's EFC (e.g., corrections, verification, or professional judgment reviews), the college may choose to postpone submitting certification data for the student until after the ISIR transaction reflecting the revised EFC has been received.
- Save/Submit (Button)
  - All required fields must be completed in order to activate this button (i.e., partially completed records cannot be saved and then completed and submitted later).
  - Once a record has been saved and submitted, it can no longer be edited by the school (contact School Services if changes are needed to previously-submitted certification records).
- Close (Button)
  - Select "Close" to close the "Certification Data" window and return to the "Certification List: View" screen.
Only records that still need to be certified appear on the "Certification List: View" screen.
- Records that have been certified – whether as eligible or ineligible – will continue to appear on the "Student List Eligibility: View" screen.
The Certification Procedures for MTI page and the MTI User Guide have been updated to reflect 2022-23 processing.

Reminders

Colleges are encouraged to continue certifying eligibility for MTI Scholars on a daily basis throughout the year, to ensure that your students will be included in the awarding process.
- Separate notification will not be sent when new records are made available in the MTI system.
- The schedule for awarding 2022-23 MTI Scholars will be announced once determined.
All certification records available in the MTI system must be completed, regardless of whether the college certifies a student as eligible or ineligible and regardless of whether the student is currently enrolled.
- The only way applicants will receive notification from ISAC regarding their eligibility status is if their colleges have submitted the certification data via the MTI system.
The MTI system is available each day from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. (CT).

Applications Still Being Accepted

Future Updates

Watch for future updates regarding the 2022-23 MTI Scholarship Program – including information about payment processing, once available – via our usual methods of communication (including the MTI Program News area, the FAA Message Board, and ISAC's e-Messaging service).

Join ISAC for free Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Webinars
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users, Business Officers, ECACE Administrators and FFELP Administrators on May 3, 2022.

If you work in public service and have student loans,
you might be eligible for a loan forgiveness program!

New temporary changes, including a limited waiver, to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program may benefit public sector and non-profit employees. Some of these changes offer benefits available for a limited time, so you don't want to miss out on this information!

Session Description:

Public service employees may be eligible for loan forgiveness through the PSLF program. The PSLF program allows Federal Student Loan borrowers to apply for forgiveness if they are employed full time by a government, 501(c)(3) organization, or public-serving nonprofit, and meet other requirements.

If you want to learn more about PSLF, and the new temporary changes, or if you have applied for PSLF and been denied, this is the session for you. In this session, we will discuss the existing PSLF program as well as a new Limited Waiver for PSLF that will allow borrowers to receive credit for payments that previously did not qualify for PSLF. The Limited Waiver ends October 31, 2022, don't miss out!

May Webinar Dates:

Thursday, May 12, 8-9 a.m. (CT)
Friday, May 20, 12-1 p.m. (CT)
Wednesday, May 25, 4-5 p.m. (CT)

Learn more and register: https://www.isac.org/pslf. For questions on the webinars, contact the Professional Development staff at isac.pslf@illinois.gov.

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CCM TASK FORCE

College Course Materials Task Force Upcoming Meeting
Sent to CCM Task Force on May 11, 2022.

The agenda for this meeting can be accessed here. To join the CCM Task Force Meeting, which is a WebEx virtual event:

Go to https://illinois2.webex.com/illinois2/onstage/g.php?MTID=e89d597a9b97f1cd3b1ee322ea4a93dac
2. Join as a participant and enter your name and email address.
3. Enter the session password: PD2022
4. Click "Join Now".
5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

This Task Force information is also accessible on the ISAC CCM Task Force webpage.

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ISAC UPDATE

April 2022 Electronic ISAC Update
Sent on May 2, 2022.

The April 2022 edition of the ISAC Update 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 version of the electronic ISAC Update is a compilation of e-Messages sent to financial aid administrators and business officers via ISAC's e-Messaging service over the past month.

Topics covered in the April 2022 ISAC Update include:

Submit 2nd/3rd-Term Claims for 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship
(sent April 21, 2022)
ISAC Program FY23 Funding – Budget Bills Approved
(sent April 20, 2022)
ISAC Monthly Webinars for FAAs
(sent April 19, 2022)
2022-23 MAP Update (Summary of April 14 Commission Meeting)
(sent April 19, 2022)
Webinars for FAAs to Discuss Mid-Year MAP Recompute
(sent April 14, 2022)
College Course Materials Task Force – Subscribe for Updates
(sent April 13, 2022)
2021-22 MAP: Mid-Year Recompute Implemented (GAP Access and ISAC Student Portals Available)
(sent April 11, 2022)
Virtual Commission Meeting Thursday, April 14 – No Executive Briefing
(sent April 8, 2022)
2021-22 MAP: Implementing Mid-Year Recompute (Increasing Second- and Third-Term Award Amounts)
(sent April 6, 2022)
Time Is Running Out – Submit Your Proposal
(sent April 5, 2022)
Join ISAC for Free Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Webinars
(sent April 5, 2022)
March 2022 Electronic ISAC Update
(sent April 1, 2022)

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