2023-24 Program Updates: IVG & ING Grant Benefit Usage and MAP Payment

08/16/2023

Unless otherwise noted, links in this message are to corresponding pages at the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) website (isac.org).

This message provides information regarding the benefit usage reporting cycle for the 2023-24 Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs, as well as an update regarding the 2023-24 Monetary Award Program (MAP) payment cycle.

IVG and ING Grant Benefit Usage Data Being Accepted

Effective today (Wednesday, August 16, 2023), ISAC is accepting benefit usage data for the 2023-24 IVG summer and fall terms and the 2023-24 ING Grant fall term.

In order to be considered timely:

• IVG benefit usage data for the summer term must be submitted on or before Friday, September 29, 2023;
• IVG benefit usage data for the fall term must be submitted on or before Friday, December 29, 2023; and,
• ING Grant benefit usage data for the fall term must be submitted on or before Friday, December 29, 2023.

Reminders

• Benefit usage data for the IVG and ING Grant programs is submitted to ISAC by colleges via the benefit usage functionality within each program's system.
  • Colleges report enrollment hours and dollar amounts for initial, in-district and out-of-district benefit usage by students, as well as adjustments to previously-submitted data.
• Although ISAC is not able to reimburse institutions for 2023-24 IVG or ING Grant awards, reporting of benefits used must still take place so that usage can be accurately reflected on students' accounts.
• Colleges are encouraged to regularly check their Benefits Results report for each program.
  • Further details are provided in the IVG and ING Grant user guides.
• 160-byte specifications for the 2023-24 IVG and ING Grant programs, describing the file layout to be used to send data for each program to ISAC via File Transfer Protocol (FTP), are available within the Electronic Tools section of the e-Library for Partners.
• Any 2023-24 benefit usage data that was submitted via FTP prior to August 16, 2023 will not be processed, and must be resubmitted by the college.
  • In order to prevent having to resubmit data in the future, never submit benefit usage data via FTP until after ISAC announces it is accepting the data for that academic year.

Resources Available Online

• IVG
  • IVG Electronic Processing (including the IVG Program User Guide)
  • IVG Program News
  • IVG Benefit Usage

• ING Grant
  • ING Grant Electronic Processing (including the ING Grant User Guide)
  • ING Grant Program News
  • ING Grant Benefit Usage

2023-24 MAP Payment Anticipated for August 21

ISAC anticipates that the 2023-24 MAP payment cycle will begin on Monday, August 21, 2023, allowing first-term payment requests (i.e., claims) to be submitted.

• At that time, colleges will have the ability to submit first-term claims by accessing the MAP system, as well as by File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
• From that point forward, first-term payment requests will be processed on a nightly basis as they are received from colleges, and then submitted to the State Comptroller for payment per standard operating procedures.

Program Reminders

• Any 2023-24 payment requests that are submitted via FTP prior to August 21, 2023 will not be processed, and will need to be resubmitted by the college.
  • In order to prevent having to resubmit data in the future, never submit payment requests via FTP until after ISAC announces it is accepting the data for that academic year.
• Once the payment cycle begins, a Payment Result Summary and Invoice Detail Report can be viewed or printed by selecting the Report tab in the MAP system the day after a payment request has been processed.
  • The report includes Payment Results, Payment Exceptions and Invoice Detail about the payment claim.
  • Be sure to review the report to see which requests, if any, did not process as expected.
• Because Payment Offset and Reconciliation procedures apply to MAP, refund checks should not be sent for cancellations/adjustments made throughout the award year.
  • Funds should only be returned to ISAC after a final reconciliation has been completed at the end of the regular school year.

Online Resources

• "Payment" chapter of the MAP User Guide, which is located in the MAP Electronic Processing section of the Financial Aid Administrators Processes area
• MAP Payment section of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area

System Reminders

• Please verify that the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access Administrator at your college has established the appropriate program system (IVG, ING Grant, and/or MAP) access level for all impacted staff.
  • Instructions for establishing access to the appropriate system(s) may be found on the GAP Access page.
• The IVG, ING Grant and MAP systems are available each day between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. (CT).
• The two-factor authentication process requires a valid user ID, password and single-use verification code each time a user logs in to the GAP Access portal.
• A valid GAP Access user ID and password are required in order to submit files via ISAC's Secure File Transfer System (located at https://transfer.isac.org/), making encryption (password protection) of files unnecessary.
  • Additional information and instructions are provided in the FTP Process Using GAP Access Credentials Guide.

Watch for Future Updates

Future updates regarding these programs will be shared via our usual means of communication: the FAA Message Board; the IVG, ING Grant, and MAP "Program News" pages; and/or this e-Messaging system.

You are receiving this message because you registered for ISAC's e-Messaging service through one or more subscription groups for FAAs.

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.