JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

Upcoming Important Dates from ISAC

07/22/2021

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 and their families.

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

State Scholar Processing Update

Submit Sixth Semester Data

A July 14 e-Message announces that sixth semester data, which will be used to determine State Scholar designation for Illinois students who will be college freshmen during the 2022-23 academic year, is being accepted via the State Scholar component of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal.

The option to submit sixth semester data in batches (via Excel spreadsheets) is available now, and the online process is anticipated for early September.

Following a one-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the early announcement option is again being offered this processing cycle.

GAP Access Reminders

  • High schools choosing to participate in the State Scholar Program process must be registered to utilize GAP Access.
  • Each time a user logs in to the GAP Access portal, the two-factor authentication process requires the use of a one-time verification code – which is obtained through an application – in conjunction with a user ID and password.
  • Please report any changes in your school's administration (i.e., new principal) to ISAC.
    • 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.

Watch for additional updates – including availability of the online option to provide/review individual records, and scheduling of the first round of early announcements – via the standard communication methods (i.e., the Counselor Message Board, the State Scholar Program News section, and ISAC's e-Messaging service). Processing updates will also be communicated via a yellow highlighted box that appears on the "State Scholar Program: Search By School: Results" screen.

September 29: FAFSA® Symposium

Mark your calendar for ISAC's 3rd annual Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Symposium, taking place from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, September 29, 2021. Further details regarding this virtual event, which is offered free of charge, are provided in a May 27 e-Message.

2021-22 ACADEMIC YEAR

State Budget

The Illinois General Assembly passed a fiscal year 2022 (FY22) state budget in late May, and it was signed into law by the governor in late June. With the exception of MAP – for which the approved 2021-22 appropriation is $479,566,200, reflecting an increase of more than $28.2 million over the FY21 appropriation – the FY22 budget provides ISAC-administered programs and services with funding that is essentially level to FY21 amounts.

ISAC FY22 program operations are expected to again experience a "business as usual" processing environment. As such, we will continue to provide partners with updates and operational details regarding each of our programs as we proceed through the year.

College-bound students and their parents may visit the Grants and Scholarships portions of the Students & Parents area, where a "Processing Updates" section for each program provides families with the most up-to-date information.

FAFSA Still Available

The 2021-22 FAFSA is still 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, 2021 and June 30, 2022. FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for several forms of federal, state and institutional financial assistance, including the Illinois MAP grant.

Details regarding the 2021-22 application cycle may be accessed by counselors and other professionals via the Applying for Financial Aid section of the e-Library for Partners.

Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid Available

Undocumented students meeting the criteria of the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity (RISE) Act may file the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid – which is patterned after the FAFSA and available in English and Spanish – to apply for the MAP grant. Further details are provided at ISAC's RISE Act page.

Every Monday: New FAFSA Completion Initiative Match Data Available

Beginning with the 2020-21 academic year (i.e., high school graduating class of 2021), 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 FAFSA Completion Initiative is a resource that can help high schools monitor their students' compliance with this mandate.

The FAFSA Completion Initiative matches student lists of participating high schools against FAFSA and Alternative Application records. New 2021-22 match data is available weekly, on Monday mornings.

Principals that have not already done so can sign up their respective high school for participation in ISAC's FAFSA Completion Initiative through our automated system at the GAP Access portal.

GENERAL INFORMATION

September 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, September 16, 2021. 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 2021.

Holiday Schedules

ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:

  • Monday, September 6 – Labor Day
  • Monday, October 11 – Columbus Day

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.