ISAC Student Portal2023-24 FAFSA, Alternative Application, and Important Dates
10/03/2022
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 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:
2023-24 (July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024)
New FAFSA and Alternative Application Now Available
2022-23 (July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023)
General Information (Not Specific to One Academic Year)
FAFSA® and Alternative Application Now Available
The 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) cycle, including FAFSA on the Web, opened – and the Central Processing System (CPS) began processing 2023-24 FAFSA data – on October 1, 2022. Details regarding the 2023-24 application cycle may be accessed via the Applying for Financial Aid section of the e-Library for Partners.
The 2023-24 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.
October is College Changes Everything Month 2022
During College Changes Everything Month (October), ISAC will offer support for both college application activities and 2023-24 financial aid application completion. If you have not already done so, register your high school for a 2022 College Changes Everything Month event.
MAP Start-up Formula
At its September 22, 2022 meeting, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission approved a start-up formula for 2023-24 academic year MAP grants, with a maximum award of $7,200. Additional details regarding the formula are provided in a September 23 e-Message.
This Fall: Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative via GAP Access
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 (previously FAFSA 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 is expected to open on November 1, 2022. Detailed instructions for high schools about matching student data to FAFSA/Alternative Application records will be forthcoming. As in past years, new 2023-24 match data will be available weekly on Monday mornings after opening.
Principals who have not already done so can sign up their respective high school for participation in ISAC's Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative through our automated system at the GAP Access portal. Refer to the user guide for more information.
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 this coming fall's high school juniors, only exams taken between August 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 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 2024-25 academic year, will be named Scholars during the fall of 2023). Further details are provided for students at the State Scholar Program page of our website.
November 4: Sixth Semester Data Due for State Scholar Processing
As announced in a September 19 e-Message, ISAC continues to accept and process sixth semester data (for high school seniors, who will be college freshmen during the 2023-24 academic year and will be named State Scholars during the fall of 2022) via the Excel file upload and online processes. Schools are encouraged to submit their sixth semester data as soon as they are able to do so, and no later than Friday, November 4, 2022.
You will be notified via the usual means (the "Program News" section of the State Scholar Program area, the Counselor Message Board, and/or ISAC's e-Messaging service) as new information becomes available – including notification of when the first round of early announcements has taken place. In the meantime, please continue to submit sixth semester data for your high school.
Throughout October: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Webinars
There is now less than a month remaining for federal student loan borrowers to take advantage of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program temporary changes, which end on October 31, 2022. Dates for PSLF webinars that will take place during the month of October will soon be posted at the PSLF page of ISAC's website. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how you might benefit from these temporary changes.
December 8: Next Commission Meeting
The next meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, December 8, 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.
The Commission Meeting Schedule page will soon be updated with information regarding all meetings scheduled in 2023.
Through December: Professional Development Fall Webinar Series
A September 13 e-Message announces that the 2022 ISAC Professional Development fall webinar series is being offered through December. For the most up-to-date schedule, and to register for one of the webinars, visit the Webinars page in the Professional Development Opportunities area.
Holiday Schedules
ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:
- Monday, October 10 – Columbus Day
- Tuesday, November 8 – General Election Day
- Friday, November 11 – Veterans Day
- Thursday, November 24 – Thanksgiving Day
- Friday, November 25 – Day after Thanksgiving
- Monday, December 26 – Christmas (observed)
- Monday, January 2 – New Year's (observed)
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).
You are receiving this message because you registered for ISAC's e-Messaging service through one or more subscription groups for Counselors.
If you have any questions regarding this e-Message, please contact ISAC's School Services Department by calling toll free at 866.247.2172 or sending an e-mail message to isac.schoolservices@illinois.gov.
