ISAC Student PortalUpcoming Important Dates from ISAC
10/13/2023
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)
2023-24 (July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024)
General Information (Not Specific to One Academic Year)
By End of December 2023: 2024-25 FAFSA® Available
Because changes resulting from the FAFSA Simplification Act will take time to properly implement, the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is expected to be available in December 2023 (rather than in October). ISAC anticipates availability of the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid for the 2024-25 academic year to coincide with the launch of the 2024-25 FAFSA.
With the 2024-25 FAFSA:
- up to 20 different colleges can be listed on the online FAFSA and have information sent to them (in prior years, only ten colleges could be listed);
- 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,
- revisions to several of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid are required, including a new interface to directly receive federal tax information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The e-Library's 2024-25 FAFSA Completion area is updated on a regular basis as details are released regarding the 2024-25 federal process for requesting financial aid. Recordings of prior webinars regarding FAFSA Simplification, presented by the ISAC Professional Development staff, may be viewed via the Professional Development – On-Demand Webinars page. Watch for announcements regarding additional webinars that will be offered throughout the fall.
College-bound students and their families, who may be seeking information, can be directed to the Financial Aid: Completing the FAFSA area of ISAC's website – which will also be regularly updated as new information becomes available – and the Federal Student Aid studentaid.gov website.
FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, as well as several other forms of federal, state and institutional financial assistance.
Prior to October 18: Register or Join Waitlist for 2023 FAFSA Symposium
An October 12 e-Message announces that spaces for the upcoming 2023 FAFSA Symposiums are filling up quickly. Tickets are still available for the symposium at Illinois Central College (on October 25, 2023). Although registration has closed for the symposium at Moraine Valley Community College (on November 7, 2023), you can join the waitlist in case space becomes available. Registration and ability to join the waitlist for the symposiums will close on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.
MAP Start-up Formula
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.
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.
November 3: Sixth Semester Data Due for State Scholar Processing
As announced in a September 26 e-Message, ISAC continues to accept and process sixth semester data (for high school seniors, who will be college freshmen during the 2024-25 academic year and will be named State Scholars during the fall of 2023) 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 3, 2023.
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 will take place. In the meantime, please continue to submit sixth semester data for your high school.
Looking Ahead
The September 26 e-Message also reminds counselors about changes to the Certificates of Achievement process, which will take effect beginning with next year's State Scholars processing cycle for Illinois students who will be college freshmen during the 2025-26 academic year.
October 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 Wednesday, October 18, 2023. Further details are provided in an October 12 e-Message.
October 19: "Lessons Learned from Learning Renewal Efforts" Webinar
The Illinois Education and Career Success Network (Success Network) is hosting a free webinar from 2-3 p.m. (CT) on October 19, 2023, where participants will hear from Success Network Leadership Communities about lessons learned in implementing learning renewal efforts. More details, including access to online registration, are provided in an October 5 e-Message.
October 20: Session Proposals for First Gen Symposium Due
Session proposals for ISAC's first annual First Gen Symposium – which will take place in-person on Thursday, November 30, 2023, in Springfield, Illinois – must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. (CT) on Friday, October 20, 2023. Further details are provided in a September 27 e-Message.
Throughout October: "Return to Repayment" Webinars
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.
November 16: In-Person PaCE Training
Join ISAC for a free, full-day (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) in-person training that is being offered at two locations (Oakton Community College and Rend Lake College) on Thursday, November 16, 2023. More information, including how to register, is provided in an October 11 e-Message.
December 7: Next Commission Meeting
The next meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is scheduled to take place on Thursday, December 7, 2023. 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 2024.
Holiday Schedules
ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:
- Friday, November 10 – Veterans Day (observed)
- Thursday, November 23 – Thanksgiving Day
- Friday, November 24 – Day after Thanksgiving
- Monday, December 25 – Christmas
- Monday, January 1 – New Year's 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 State Scholar Program system will be available during regularly scheduled hours.
Click on the following link to access holiday processing schedules for State Scholar records.
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 [email protected].
