Counselor Message Board
The Counselor Message Board is updated each week.
Community-based organizations, first generation programs at colleges, universities, and others are encouraged to submit a session proposal for the First Annual First Gen Symposium! Further details are available in a
September 27 e-Message or by visiting
ISAC's First Gen Symposium page.
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announces available resources for student borrowers to prepare for the return to student loan repayment. Further details are found at the
Financial Aid Toolkit website.
The
federal student loan payment pause has come to an end, and ISAC is hosting free webinars in October regarding how student loan borrowers can navigate repayment. Further details – including dates, times, and how to register – are provided in a
September 26 e-Message.
High schools that have not already done so are encouraged to
submit sixth semester data – either in
batches (via Excel spreadsheets) or through the
online process – as soon as possible (and no later than Friday, November 3, 2023). ISAC anticipates the first round of 2024-25 State Scholar
early announcements being made by early October. Further details are provided in a
September 26 e-Message.
Make sure any 2023 high school graduates with whom you may be in contact know that September 22, 2023 was the last day for students to apply for 2023-24 MAP grants by submitting an initial 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) or, if eligible, an Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid. Announcements of awards for students whose FAFSAs are received by the federal processor or whose Alternative Applications are received by ISAC after that date will be put "
in suspense" – basically, a waiting list for 2023-24 MAP. Further details are provided on the
MAP page (located in the
Students & Parents area of this website).
At its
September 21, 2023 meeting, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission approved the
2024-25 Monetary Award Program (MAP) start-up formula. Further information is provided in a
September 22 e-Message.
Due to the Columbus Day holiday, ISAC offices will be closed on Monday, October 9, reopening on Tuesday, October 10. Access the Counselors area at
isac.org anytime, or
send an e-mail message to the School Services Department for questions or inquiries.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) updates and enhancements are available on the
FAFSA Updates page at the
Financial Aid Toolkit website.
ISAC is offering several free webinars throughout the month of October. Topics to be discussed include FAFSA Simplification, the Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative, Illinois PaCE updates, and exploring postsecondary options. Further details – including dates and times, descriptions, and access to registration for each webinar – are provided in a
September 21 e-Message.
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September 20 e-Message invites those interested in making the switch from paper to electronic transcripts to join the webinar being offered from 10-10:45 a.m. (CT) on Wednesday, October 18, where they will learn about the
ISAC Transcript Exchange.
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September 19 e-Message announces that the
Illinois Career Pathways Dictionary has been relaunched as a comprehensive and user-friendly web-based resource, and that an
October 3 webinar will provide an overview of the online dictionary.
Remind your college-bound students and their families who are seeking ways to pay for college to beware of financial aid scams. Information is available at the
Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams page of the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Information website and through a U.S. Department of Education “
Don’t Get Scammed on Your Way to College!” document.
Registration is now open for the
2023 FAFSA Symposium, which is being offered at two locations this fall: Illinois Central College (October 25) and Moraine Valley Community College (November 7). Space is limited and advance registration is required, so register as soon as possible and
no later than Wednesday, October 18, 2023. Further details are provided in a
September 13 e-Message.
ISAC Student Portal
