ISAC Student PortalISAC Communiqué
Volume 32, Number 4C
October 2022
| Messages sent to: | Multiple Subscription Groups |
| ISAC Communiqué |
Welcome to the October 2022 ISAC Communiqué, which is a compilation of e-Messages sent through ISAC's e-Messaging service throughout October.
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.
Last Call: Parchment Preview Webinar (November 3rd)
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators and High School Counselors/Teachers on October 31, 2022.
Are you wondering if you should make the switch from paper to electronic transcripts? If so, don't miss the upcoming Parchment Preview webinar that ISAC will host, in collaboration with Parchment, at 10 a.m. (CT) this Thursday (November 3rd)
During this 45-minute webinar, attendees will learn about the ISAC Transcript Exchange through Parchment, including how to navigate the student and administrator dashboards and gain efficiencies by switching from paper to electronic transcripts. You will also hear directly from a counselor and registrar regarding how their high school and students have benefited from utilizing the Exchange process.
The ISAC Transcript Exchange provides the opportunity for high school students to request that transcripts be sent electronically to the college(s) of their choice, the Common App, and other organizations requesting transcripts (e.g., scholarship providers and third-party verifications). ISAC's Transcript Exchange is available to all public and private high schools and districts at no cost.
Current students can request that transcripts be sent electronically to destinations worldwide, free of charge. Alumni are also able to use Parchment for transcript requests that include 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).
This webinar is offered at no cost to counselors, school administrations, and members of the public. Registration is free but required. Register for the webinar at www.isac.org/pd/webinars.html.
Learn more about the ISAC Transcript Exchange at www.isac.org/transcript-exchange. For questions on ISAC's Transcript Exchange, contact Lenore Smith at Lenore.Smith@illinois.gov.
Note: ISAC will not be offering Continuing Education (CE) credits or Professional Development (PD) hours for this webinar.
Final Week of the Limited Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Waiver
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 October 24, 2022.
Federal student loan borrowers have only one week remaining to learn about and take advantage of the limited PSLF waiver before it ends next Monday (October 31, 2022)! The limited PSLF waiver is a set of temporary changes that allows federal student loan borrowers to receive credit towards PSLF for payments that were previously ineligible.
In Illinois, over 7,000 public service employees have received forgiveness under PSLF program, and over 180,000 public service employees across the country have received forgiveness under PSLF program.
These final webinars are available to the public at no cost. During the webinar, we will discuss the PSLF program, the limited PSLF waiver, and the steps needed to apply!
October Webinar Dates:
Tuesday, October 25, 5-6 p.m.
Thursday, October 27, 8-9 a.m.
Thursday, October 27, 12-1 p.m.
Note: All times are in Central Time (CT)
To learn more and register, visit ISAC's PSLF page. For questions, contact ISAC's Professional Development team at isac.pslf@illinois.gov.
Learn How Electronic Transcripts Save Time & Money
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators and High School Counselors/Teachers on October 21, 2022.
November 3rd • 10 a.m. (Central)
Are you wondering if you should make the switch from paper to electronic transcripts?
ISAC is pleased to announce our upcoming Parchment Preview webinar. During this 45-minute webinar, which is offered in collaboration with Parchment, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the ISAC Transcript Exchange through Parchment, including how to navigate the student and administrator dashboards and gain efficiencies by switching from paper to electronic transcripts. You will also hear directly from a counselor and registrar regarding how their high school and students have benefited from utilizing the Exchange. This webinar is the perfect opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the Exchange process.
The ISAC Transcript Exchange provides the opportunity for high school students to request that transcripts be sent electronically to the college(s) of their choice, the Common App, and other organizations requesting transcripts (e.g., scholarship providers and third-party verifications). ISAC's Transcript Exchange is available to all public and private high schools and districts at no cost.
Current students can request that transcripts be sent electronically to destinations worldwide, free of charge. Alumni are also able to use Parchment for transcript requests that include 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).
This webinar is offered at no cost to counselors, school administrations, and members of the public. Registration is free but required. Register for the webinar at www.isac.org/pd/webinars.html.
Learn more about the ISAC Transcript Exchange at www.isac.org/transcript-exchange. For questions on ISAC's Transcript Exchange, contact Lenore Smith at Lenore.Smith@illinois.gov.
Note: ISAC will not be offering Continuing Education (CE) credits or Professional Development (PD) hours for this webinar.
Reminder: ISAC's Financial Aid Certification
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 October 19, 2022.
Join ISAC's Professional Development team next week for a virtual Financial Aid certification. Attendees can join this training at no cost and will learn about different content areas of the financial aid process. The certification series is comprised of six sessions offered from Monday, October 24 through Friday, October 28, 2022. To join us, either register for a morning series or register for an afternoon series.
Participants in attendance will have the opportunity to complete a knowledge assessment after each session to become certified in each content area. Participants will receive a certificate from ISAC for every assessment on which they score 80% or higher.
Professional development hours and continuing education credits will be awarded for each session to attendees who attend and complete the corresponding evaluation forms. Note that credits are awarded at the rate of one per contact hour. Partial credits are not awarded and are only available to those in attendance for the entirety of the session.
For questions, contact ISAC's Professional Development team at isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
Reminder: Final Two Weeks of the Limited Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Waiver
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 October 18, 2022.
Federal student loan borrowers have only two weeks left to take advantage of the limited PSLF waiver before it ends on October 31, 2022! The limited PSLF waiver is a set of temporary changes that allows federal student loan borrowers to receive credit towards PSLF for payments that were previously ineligible.
More than 7,000 public service employees in Illinois and over 180,000 public service employees across the country have received forgiveness under the PSLF program! Do not miss out on this limited-time opportunity!
These final webinars are available to everyone at no cost. During the webinar, we will discuss the PSLF program, the limited PSLF waiver, and the steps needed to apply!
October Webinar Dates:
Tuesday, October 25, 5-6 p.m.
Thursday, October 27, 8-9 a.m.
Thursday, October 27, 12-1 p.m.
Note: All times are in Central Time (CT)
To learn more and register, visit ISAC's PSLF page. For questions, contact ISAC's Professional Development team at isac.pslf@illinois.gov.
ISAC's Financial Aid Certification
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 October 14, 2022.
As financial aid application season comes upon us, ISAC's Professional Development team will host a weeklong virtual Financial Aid Certification series for college access professionals to support students through the financial aid process! The certification series is comprised of six sessions offered from Monday, October 24 through Friday, October 28, 2022. To join us, either register for a morning series or register for an afternoon series.
Attendees will learn about the different financial aid applications available to students, the information required to complete each one, and the steps students must take after applying for aid and to understand financial aid offers. Upon completion of the training and assessments, attendees will be equipped to assist students and families in the financial aid process from beginning to end.
Participants in attendance will have the opportunity to complete a knowledge assessment after each session to become certified in each of the six content areas. Participants who score an 80% or higher on each assessment taken will receive a certification from ISAC.
Professional development hours and continuing education credits will be awarded for each session to those who attend and complete the corresponding evaluation forms. Note that credits are awarded at the rate of one per contact hour. Partial credits are not awarded – credits are only available to those in attendance for the entirety of the session.
For questions, contact ISAC's Professional Development team at isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
State Scholar Early Announcements Begin
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 October 12, 2022.
Unless otherwise noted, links in this message are to corresponding pages at the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) website (isac.org).
First Early Announcements of 2023-24 State Scholars Completed
ISAC is pleased to announce that we have initiated the 2023-24 State Scholar Program (SSP) early announcement processing cycle for those high schools that have chosen to participate. Scholars whose high schools participate in the early announcement process can benefit by including this academic achievement on their college admission applications.
- Congratulatory letters have been mailed to named Scholars.
- You may view a sample of the congratulatory letter in the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area of the website.
- High schools for whom Scholars have been named may check an individual student's status by viewing the "Selected for State Scholar" column on the "Student Results" screen within the SSP system.
- A "Finalist" report may be generated via the SSP system. Instructions for generating this report are provided on pages 14-15 of the SSP Online Processing User Guide.
Weekly Announcement of State Scholars
From this point forward, a weekly announcement of 2023-24 State Scholars will be made for students attending high schools that have submitted sixth semester data with no unresolved discrepancies and have chosen to participate in the early announcement process. Results for these high schools will be reflected in the SSP system on Tuesday mornings.
Reminders
- Sixth semester data is due to ISAC no later than Friday, November 4, 2022.
- As was the case last year (when 2022-23 State Scholars were named), students with an Illinois Standard Test Score (ISTS) of 31 or higher are automatically designated as State Scholars; students with an ISTS lower than 31, but whose Weighted Selection Score (WSS) is greater than or equal to the cutoff score of 47, are also designated as State Scholars.
- Specific details about the selection formula are provided on the State Scholar Selection Process page.
- High schools choose whether to include their eligible students for consideration in the early processing cycle.
- Checking the "Run Selection" box (located on the "State Scholar Program: Search By School: Results" screen of the SSP system) allows the high school's students to be included for consideration in the next round of 2023-24 State Scholar announcements.
- For high schools that submit sixth semester data via an Excel spreadsheet, the "Run Selection" checkbox becomes available to check after ISAC has reviewed the file.
- Once ISAC has reviewed the file, an e-mail is sent to the high school's Primary Administrator (principal) and the School Contact (as listed in the SSP system's "State Scholar Program: Search by School: Results" screen) to indicate the "Run Selection" box is available to check.
- Before checking the box, be sure to review all submitted student data for accuracy.
- Students whose high schools submit sixth semester data, but choose not to participate in the early announcement process, will be considered for State Scholar designation when the last announcement round takes place in late fall.
- A sample press release, which can assist schools in announcing State Scholars, will be provided at the ISAC website after final announcements have been made.
Resources Available Online
The following resources provide additional information about the State Scholar Program, including submitting sixth semester data, participating in the early announcement process, obtaining Certificates of Achievement, and validating State Scholar badges:
- September 19, 2022 "Processing Update for 2023-24 State Scholars (Impacting High School Graduating Class of 2023)" e-Message
- July 14, 2022 "State Scholar Processing Has Begun" e-Message
- SSP section of ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area
- SSP File Upload User Guide
- SSP Online Processing User Guide
Reminder: Final Weeks of the Limited Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Waiver 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 October 11, 2022.
Federal student loan borrowers have only three weeks left to take advantage of the PSLF Limited Waiver which ends on October 31, 2022! The PSLF Limited Waiver is a set of temporary changes that is allowing federal student loan borrowers to receive additional credit towards PSLF for payments that were previously ineligible.
Over 180,000 public service employees across the country have received loan forgiveness under the PSLF program. Here in Illinois, over 7,000 public service employees have received loan forgiveness!
We want to share this information with as many Illinoisians as possible! These webinars are available to the general public at no cost. During the webinar, we will discuss the PSLF program, the limited PSLF waiver, and what happens once you have applied!
October Webinar Dates:
Wednesday, October 12, 12-1 p.m.
Monday, October 17, 10-11 a.m.
Tuesday, October 25, 5-6 p.m.
Thursday, October 27, 8-9 a.m.
Thursday, October 27, 12-1 p.m.
Note: All times are in Central Time (CT)
To learn more and register, visit ISAC's PSLF page. For questions, contact the Professional Development team at isac.pslf@illinois.gov.
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 October 4, 2022.
The limited PSLF waiver will end this month on October 31, 2022! The limited PSLF waiver is a set of temporary changes that allows federal student loan borrowers to receive credit towards PSLF for payments that were previously ineligible.
Over 180,000 public service employees across the country have received loan forgiveness under the PSLF program and the temporary changes. In Illinois, over 7,000 public service employees have received loan forgiveness!
As these temporary changes come to an end, ISAC wants to share this information with as many Illinoisians as possible! These final webinars are available to everyone at no cost. During the webinar, we will discuss the temporary changes and what happens once you have applied!
October Webinar Dates:
Thursday, October 6, 8-9 a.m. (CT)
Wednesday, October 12, 12-1 p.m. (CT)
Monday, October 17, 10-11 a.m. (CT)
Tuesday, October 25, 5-6 p.m. (CT)
Thursday, October 27, 8-9 a.m. and 12-1 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.
2023-24 FAFSA, Alternative Application, and Important Dates
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 October 3, 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).
September 2022 ISAC Communiqué
Sent on October 3, 2022.
The September 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 September 2022 ISAC Communiqué include:
- 2023-24 MAP Start-up Formula Approved
(sent September 23, 2022) - Illinois Postsecondary & Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework Webinars
(sent September 22, 2022) - Reminder: Join ISAC for Free Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Webinars
(sent September 20, 2022) - Processing Update for 2023-24 State Scholars (Impacting High School Graduating Class of 2023)
(sent September 19, 2022) - FREE: Join ISAC for Training Tuesdays This Fall – Professional Development Webinars
(sent September 13, 2022) - Back to School Webinar on September 15
(sent September 9, 2022) - Join ISAC for Free Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Webinars
(sent September 7, 2022) - August 2022 ISAC Communiqué
(sent September 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.
