ISAC Student PortalISAC Communiqué
Volume 32, Number 2C
August 2022
| Messages sent to: | Multiple Subscription Groups |
| ISAC Communiqué |
Welcome to the August 2022 electronic ISAC Communiqué, which is a compilation of e-Messages sent through ISAC's e-Messaging service throughout August.
The articles in this electronic Communiqué have been organized according to the Counselor Subscription groups to which the messages were distributed.
Questions?
Questions regarding information in this electronic Communiqué can be directed to School Services at 866.247.2172 or at ISAC.schoolservices@illinois.gov. On occasion, you may be directed to a specific contact person or area; when this occurs, we will provide the appropriate information in the individual article or message.
ISAC Transcript Exchange – Back to School Webinar
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants and Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants on August 25, 2022.
It's that time of year again – back to school season! As staff and students are heading back to school, we want to remind you that the ISAC Transcript Exchange, through our partnership with Parchment, enables the electronic exchange of transcript information for Illinois students. The Parchment Customer Success Team is offering an online webinar to cover topics that will benefit you and your learners to help start the new school year successfully. The session will provide a refresher of Parchment features, updates on the newest product enhancements, tips for communicating with your students about transcripts and the Parchment platform, and additional resources, training, and support. Click below to register for the webinar. If you register for the webinar and are unable to attend it, Parchment will send you a recording of the session.
If you're not familiar with the ISAC Transcript Exchange, the service provides the opportunity for high school students to request that transcripts be sent electronically to the college(s) of their choice and to other organizations requesting transcripts (e.g., scholarship providers). Through the ISAC Transcript Exchange, Illinois high schools are able to use the Parchment electronic service at no cost. Current students are able to request that transcripts be sent electronically to destinations free of charge. Alumni are also able to use Parchment for transcript requests that includes a transcript fee. To protect the privacy and confidentiality of transcript data, documents are sent through a secure transcript service in compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
If your school is not currently taking advantage of the ISAC Transcript Exchange and you would like to learn more about the service, please contact Lenore Smith from ISAC at Lenore.Smith@illinois.gov.
2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Symposium – One Week Left to Register!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations and Public Libraries on August 25, 2022.
Brought to you by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) in partnership with College of DuPage
There is only one week left to register for ISAC's 4th annual FAFSA Symposium! The symposium will highlight presenters from across the state sharing best practices and their strategies on helping students with financial aid applications.
Registration for the symposium will close next Thursday, September 1, 2022. The Symposium is offered at no cost to attendees, but advance registration is required. ISAC cannot guarantee walk-in registrations. Visit the FAFSA Symposium page to register and learn more!
Professional development (PD) hours and continuing education (CE) credits will be offered to attendees at the rate of one unit per contact hour.
We are excited to see you at the symposium!
For questions about the FAFSA Symposium, contact ISAC's Professional Development team at isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Symposium – Call for Proposals Extended & Two Weeks Left to Register!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations and Public Libraries on August 16, 2022.
Brought to you by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) in partnership with College of DuPage
ISAC's 4th annual FAFSA Symposium will be held in-person at College of DuPage on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.! We thank College of DuPage for their partnership and collaboaration in brinnging the symposium to their campus.
Call for Proposals Extended
To accommodate the high level of interest, we are extending our deadline to submit a session proposal to Friday, August 26, 2022! We hope this will give additional time and encouragement to those interested in presenting at the symposium. The session proposal form and guidelines can be found on the FAFSA Symposium page.
Only Two Weeks Left for Registration
The registration deadline is quickly approaching! Registration will close on Thursday, September 1, 2022. The symposium is offered at no cost to attendees, but advance registration is required. Walk-in registrations are not guaranteed. Visit the FAFSA Symposium page to register and learn more!
Professional development (PD) hours and continuing education (CE) credits will be offered to attendees at the rate of one unit per contact hour.
For questions, contact ISAC's Professional Development team at isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Join ISAC for free Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Webinars
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations and Public Libraries on August 9, 2022.
you might be eligible for a loan forgiveness program!
Less than three months remain for federal student loan borrowers to take advantage of the temporary changes to the PSLF Program. These changes end on October 31, 2022, don't miss out!
Session Description:
Public service employees may be eligible for loan forgiveness through the PSLF program. The PSLF program allows Federal Student Loan borrowers to apply for forgiveness if they are employed full-time by a government, 501(c)(3) organization, or public-serving nonprofit, and meet other requirements.
If you want to learn more about PSLF, and the new temporary changes, or if you have applied for PSLF and been denied, this is the session for you. In this session, we will discuss the existing PSLF program and the new Limited Waiver for PSLF that will allow borrowers to receive credit for payments that previously did not qualify for PSLF. The Limited Waiver ends October 31, 2022, don't miss out!
August Webinar Dates:
Friday, August 19, 12-1 p.m. (CT)
Wednesday, August 31, 1-2 p.m. (CT)
Learn more and register: https://www.isac.org/pslf. For questions on the webinars, contact the Professional Development team at isac.pslf@illinois.gov.
Upcoming Important Dates from ISAC
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations and Public Libraries on August 4, 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)
2022-23 (July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023)
General Information (Not Specific to One Academic Year)
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.
September 28: FAFSA® Symposium
Mark your calendar for ISAC's 4th annual Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Symposium, taking place at the College of DuPage from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. Further details regarding this in-person event, which is offered free of charge, are provided in an August 3 e-Message.
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 FAFSA completion. Watch for further details, and be sure to register your high school for a 2022 College Changes Everything Month event.
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 2023-24 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- to mid-September.
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.
- Information regarding how to register for GAP Access is provided via the Required Sixth Semester Data page within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs section.
- 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.
FAFSA and Alternative Application Remain Available
The 2022-23 FAFSA remains 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, 2022 and June 30, 2023. FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for several forms of federal, state and institutional financial assistance, including the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant.
In addition, the 2022-23 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) is also available (in English and Spanish). As a reminder, students meeting the criteria of the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity (RISE) Act may file the Alternative Application – which is patterned after the FAFSA – to apply for the MAP grant. Because the failure to register for Selective Service no longer disqualifies an applicant from receiving federal student aid, students who have not registered may want to consider completing the FAFSA instead of the Alternative Application to maximize their financial aid opportunities. Further details are provided at ISAC's RISE Act page.
Details regarding the 2022-23 application cycle may be accessed by counselors and other professionals via the Applying for Financial Aid section of the e-Library for Partners.
Every Monday: New FAFSA Completion Initiative Match Data Available
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 2022-23 match data is available weekly, on Monday mornings.
Further details – including an "opt-out" box allowing high schools to indicate that the FAFSA mandate waiver provision has been exercised, access to an updated user guide, and information on how to participate in the FAFSA Completion Initiative – are provided in an October 14 e-Message.
MTI Scholarship Applications Still Being Accepted
The fiscal year 2023 (FY23) state operating budget, which was signed into law by the governor in April, includes an appropriation for the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program that increases the maximum annual award amount to $7,500 for the 2022-23 and subsequent academic years. In addition, the FY23 MTI Scholarship Program funding level initiates – to the extent allowed by the amount of funding that remains – at least 30 percent of the appropriated funds being reserved for qualified bilingual minority applicants, with priority given to those applicants who are enrolled in an educator preparation program with a concentration in bilingual, bicultural education.
Make sure your graduating seniors are aware that the 2022-23 MTI Scholarship Program application continues to be accepted, even though the March 31, 2022 priority consideration date has passed. Complete applications – including the 2022-23 FAFSA (or Alternative Application, if applicable) – received after this date will continue to be considered for the MTI Scholarship Program for as long as funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded. Encourage all minority students and qualified bilingual minority applicants who meet the program's eligibility requirements to complete and submit their applications as soon as possible.
Throughout August: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Webinars
Recent temporary changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF), including a limited waiver, may benefit public sector and non-profit employees. If you want to learn more about PSLF, or if you have applied for PSLF and been denied, plan to attend one of the free webinars being offered by ISAC staff throughout the month of August. Further details, including specific dates and access to online registration, will soon be provided at https://www.isac.org/pslf.
September 22: 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 22, 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.
Visit the Commission Meeting Schedule page for information regarding all meetings scheduled in 2022.
2022 CCE Conference Recordings Available Online
Interest session recordings and presentation files from the 2022 College Changes Everything® (CCE) virtual conference are now available on the conference website. Further details are provided in a July 15 e-Message.
Holiday Schedules
ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:
- Monday, September 5 – Labor Day
- Monday, October 10 – 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).
2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Symposium – Registration Open & Call for Proposals
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations and Public Libraries on August 3, 2022.
We are excited to announce the Illinois Student Assistance Commission's (ISAC) 4th annual FAFSA Symposium will be held in-person at College of DuPage on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.! We thank College of DuPage for their partnership and collaboration in bringing the symposium to their campus.
The FAFSA Symposium provides an opportunity for schools to share best practices for supporting students in completing the FAFSA and the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid.
Registration
The symposium is offered at no cost to attendees! Registration is now open through September 1, 2022. The symposium is open to all college access professionals but directly aimed towards school counselors, college & career staff, and anyone who provides direct support to students on the financial aid process. Advance registration is required; walk-in registrations are not guaranteed. Visit the FAFSA Symposium page to register and for more information.
Call for Proposals
If you are interested in sharing your best practices, experiences, and resources for FAFSA and Alternative Application completion, we invite you to submit a session proposal online! Priority will be given to sessions submitted by August 17, 2022. Session guidelines can be found on the FAFSA Symposium page and the session proposal form.
For questions about the FAFSA Symposium, contact ISAC's Professional Development team at isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
We look forward to seeing you!
July 2022 ISAC Communiqué
Sent on August 1, 2022.
The July 2022 edition of the ISAC Communiqué is now available for your review, and may be accessed via the Partner e-Messages & Newsletters section of the e-Library for Partners at isac.org. This electronic version of ISAC's newsletter is a compilation of information provided to Counselor partners via ISAC's e-Messaging service over the past month.
Topics covered in the July 2022 ISAC Communiqué include:
- 2022 College Changes Everything® Conference Session Recordings and Presentations Available
(sent July 15, 2022) - State Scholar Processing Has Begun
(sent July 14, 2022) - Join ISAC for Free Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Webinars
(sent July 12, 2022) - Still Time to Register – CCE Conference
(sent July 11, 2022) - Get Ready! CCE Conference Starts Next Week
(sent July 6, 2022) - June 2022 ISAC Communiqué
(sent July 1, 2022)
Encourage Your Colleagues to Sign Up for e-Messaging
ISAC's e-Messaging service is our primary means of communicating information to Counselor partners.
Encourage your colleagues who have not done so to subscribe through the Counselors e-Messaging sign-up page at isac.org today, so that they won't miss future announcements or updates from ISAC.
