ISAC Student PortalUpcoming Important Dates from ISAC
05/14/2025
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:
2026-27 (July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027)
2025-26 (July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026)
General Information (Not Specific to One Academic Year)
Prepare for Upcoming State Scholar Processing Cycle (for determining 2026-27 State Scholars)
High schools will be notified via the usual communication methods (the State Scholar Program News area, the Counselor Message Board, and this e-Messaging service) once sixth semester data – which will be used to determine State Scholar eligibility for current high school juniors who will be college freshmen during the 2026-27 academic year, and will be named Scholars during the fall of 2025 – is being accepted.
As you begin preparing for the upcoming State Scholar processing cycle, remember that sixth semester data is accepted only via the State Scholar component of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs Access (GAP Access) portal. Information regarding how to register for GAP Access is provided via the Required Sixth Semester Data page within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs section.
School Contact Information and Managing GAP Access Usage
Please notify ISAC of any changes in your school's administration (i.e., new principal).
In keeping with the goal of securing all confidential data, the principal of each high school is designated as that school's GAP Access Primary Administrator. While we understand principals are not usually involved in the day to day processes, we do require the school principal to register for their own GAP Access account.
By June 30, 2025: 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 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, 2024 and June 30, 2025 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 2026-27 academic year, will be named Scholars during the fall of 2025). Further details are provided for students at the State Scholar Program page of our website.
FAFSA® and Alternative Application Remain Available
The 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) remains available online, and – if not already done – should be completed as soon as possible by students who will be attending college between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. 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.
In addition, the 2025-26 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) is also available (in English and Spanish). Qualifying students may file the Alternative Application – which is patterned after the FAFSA – to apply for the MAP grant. Further details are provided at ISAC's Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act page.
The e-Library's 2025-26 FAFSA Completion area is updated on a regular basis as details regarding the status of FAFSA processing are released.
College-bound students and their families, who may be seeking information about the financial aid application process, can be directed to the Financial Aid: Completing the FAFSA area of ISAC's website and the Federal Student Aid studentaid.gov website.
Professional Development Offerings
Be sure to regularly visit ISAC's Upcoming Professional Development Offerings page and register for in-person and virtual events that can aid you as you assist your college-bound seniors with the processes of applying for financial aid and preparing to start college in the fall.
Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative
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 is a resource that can help high schools monitor their students' compliance with this mandate.
The Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative helps public and private high schools identify students who have completed a financial aid application or the financial aid application nonparticipation form (waiver). As announced in a February 6 e-Message, new 2025-26 match data is available on a daily basis.
First Generation Scholars Network
Encourage your graduating seniors who will be the first in their family to earn a college degree to join the First Generation Scholars Network to get support and resources from ISAC, their peers, and colleges across the state. Students heading to their first year of college this fall will find events and programs that provide tools, resources, mentoring, and connections that can help make the transition easier.
Online Resource Helps Students Find Leads for Summer Employment/Internships
Counselors are urged to promote the "Internship and Summer Jobs" online resource, which may be accessed via the Toolbox area of the ISAC Student Portal, to their students who may be seeking summer employment or internships.
Outreach Resources
Information about outreach programs, as well as the ISACorps™ and how to connect with your local ISACorps member, is available on our website.
In the Outreach Resources section, you will find additional information on how we can assist you with your school's efforts to provide college-bound students with information about financial aid.
e-Messaging Reminder
ISAC's e-Messaging service is our primary means of communication with our high school partners. Please share this information with any colleagues who may not yet be registered to receive ISAC's e-Messages.
May 15: Submit Session Proposals for 2025 College Changes Everything® Conference
Thursday, May 15, 2025 is the deadline to submit an interest session proposal for the 15th annual College Changes Everything® conference, which will take place on July 17, 2025, at the Tinley Park Convention Center in Tinley Park, Illinois. Plan to be part of the conversations as we engage with the question: How do we build community? Further details are provided in a May 12 e-Message and at the College Changes Everything conference website.
June 26: 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 26, 2025. 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 2025.
July 1: GAP Access User Verification Deadline
In April, Primary Administrators for ISAC's GAP Access portal were notified via email that the annual User Verification process has been activated on the "User Administration" screen in GAP Access. If not already completed, please encourage your GAP Access Primary Administrator to review the list of users at your school and make any necessary changes (such as updating or revising access levels and deleting user accounts that are no longer needed) no later than Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Questions regarding the User Verification process may be directed to School Services.
Holiday Schedules
ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:
- Monday, May 26 – Memorial Day
- Thursday, June 19 – Juneteenth
- Friday, July 4 – Independence Day
Staff will again be available the first business day immediately following each holiday.
For Assistance
Access the Counselors area anytime, or send an email message to School Services. 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, please contact School Services by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or calling 866.247.2172.
