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 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:
2025-26 (July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026)
2024-25 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025)
General Information (Not Specific to One Academic Year)
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.
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.
May 19: ECACE Scholarship Applications Due
Applications for the 2025-26 Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program continue to be accepted. The priority consideration date for the application process to be completed – including submission of the 2025-26 ECACE Scholarship application and the 2025-26 FAFSA or 2025-26 Alternative Application (if applicable) – is Monday, May 19, 2025. Applications received after that date will be considered only if funding remains after all timely, complete qualified applicants have been awarded.
Information about the 2025-26 certification process, including the collection of applicants' proximity to graduation, will be provided in future communications.
June 1: Budget Data Due
The annual reporting of postsecondary institutions' budget information is underway, and colleges participating in the MAP, Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs are to submit 2025-26 budget data to ISAC no later than Sunday, June 1, 2025. Further details regarding the budget reporting process are provided in an April 9 e-Message. You may also view the presentation from the April 8, 2025 "Annual Budget Reporting Process" webinar.
Early June: ING Grant Application Available
The interactive application for the 2025-26 ING Grant Program is anticipated to be available for students to complete and submit online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal in early June 2025. At the same time, 2025-26 eligibility data is anticipated to be available in the ING Grant system for applicants whose eligibility status in the Illinois National Guard has been certified by the Department of Military Affairs Illinois (DMAIL).
Early June: PFC Application Available via Student Portal
We anticipate that – in early June 2025 and effective starting with the 2025-26 application cycle – the Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire and Correctional Officers (PFC) application will be available for students to complete and submit online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal.
Starting with the 2025-26 academic year, colleges administer PFC awards via the Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal. Further details will be provided throughout the year.
May 30: Third-Term Claims Due for Several Scholarship Programs
In order to be considered timely, third-term claims for the following scholarship programs must be submitted by Friday, May 30, 2025:
- ECACE Scholarship Program
- Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program
- Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Program
- Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program
- Nursing Education Scholarships (NES)
- Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License Scholarship (Social Work Scholarship) Program
Further details, including access to payment procedures and user guides for each of these programs, are provided in an April 1 e-Message.
May 30: Second-Term PFC Claims Due
2024-25 PFC Certification of Enrollment for Payment rosters for the second term (winter for quarter schools; spring for semester schools) were emailed to financial aid directors in March. In order to be considered timely, second-term claims must be submitted by Friday, May 30, 2025. More information about the PFC payment process if provided at the PFC Payment Procedures page.
May 30: ING Grant and IVG Spring-Term Benefits Used Data Due
(Continue Submitting Benefit Usage Data for All Terms)
The spring-term deadline for submission of benefit usage data for the 2024-25 ING Grant and IVG programs is Friday, May 30, 2025.
Even though the summer- (for the IVG Program) and fall-term (for the IVG and ING Grant programs) deadline dates have passed, colleges are still encouraged to submit benefit usage data for those terms as soon as possible.
Although ISAC may not be able to fully reimburse institutions for 2024-25 ING Grant or IVG awards, reporting of benefits used must still take place so that usage can be accurately reflected on students' accounts.
Further details are provided in the benefit usage areas for the ING Grant and IVG programs, as well as in an April 1 e-Message.
June 15: PFC Summer Term Application Deadline
June 15, 2025 is the final date of acceptance for the 2024-25 PFC application for the summer term. Students may access the application via the Applications page, which may be accessed via the "Applications" link that appears at the bottom of all pages on the ISAC website.
June 15: Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program Summer Term Application Deadline
June 15, 2025 is the final date of acceptance for the 2024-25 Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program application for the summer term. The application may be completed and submitted via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal.
July 1: Gift Assistance Programs Final Close-out Date
2024-25 summer-term payment requests (NES and Social Work Scholarship Program) and benefit usage data (ING Grant) are due to ISAC no later than Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
In addition, all submissions of 2024-25 payment requests, including initial claims and supplemental claims, for all ISAC-administered gift assistance programs must be received on or before July 1, 2025. Adjustments to cancel or reduce awards will be accepted after this date for MAP and the ECACE Scholarship, Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois, iGROW Tech Scholarship, ING Grant, IVG, MTI Scholarship, NES, and Social Work Scholarship programs.
Colleges are encouraged to continue the process of reconciling 2024-25 data, which assists ISAC staff in determining whether sufficient funds will be available to pay late claims. Remember, due to the payment offset process, only data reconciliation activities should take place at this time. After ISAC determines that all payment processing is final, colleges with an outstanding amount owed to ISAC will receive an email notice indicating the total amount to be returned for each program. Until then, no funds should be returned to ISAC.
Specific details regarding close-out of 2024-25 ISAC-administered gift assistance programs will be provided as we move closer to July 1. In the meantime, continue to visit the Program News sections for individual gift assistance programs for status updates and operational details.
First Generation Scholars Network
Encourage your incoming students 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
Be sure your students who may be seeking summer employment or internships are aware of the "Internship and Summer Jobs" online resource, which may be accessed via the Toolbox area of the ISAC Student Portal.
Upcoming Webinars
Mark your calendar for the following upcoming webinars:
- Wednesday, May 28 at 2 p.m. – Monthly Program & Operational Update
- Tuesday, June 10 at 10 a.m. – Reconciliation & Close Out
- Wednesday, June 25 at 2 p.m. – Monthly Program & Operational Update
To participate, visit the Partner Training page in the e-Library on the day of the event to access the webinar link and presentation materials.
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.
June 27: Executive Briefing
An Executive Briefing conference call for institutional financial aid staff will take place on Friday, June 27, 2025. Executive Director Eric Zarnikow and ISAC staff will provide information about activity that took place at the June 26th Commission meeting and other ISAC updates. Further details, including the start time for the call and how to participate, will be provided in a future e-Message.
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 institution 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.
Processing Schedules
Although ISAC staff will be unavailable on the days listed above, all systems for ISAC-administered programs within the GAP Access portal will be available during regularly scheduled hours. For MAP and other programs administered through components of the GAP Access portal, results for payment requests submitted from 5 p.m. (CT) the business day prior to the holiday through 5 p.m. (CT) the business day following the holiday will be available via the appropriate program's system on the morning of the second business day after the holiday.
For Assistance
Access the Financial Aid Administrators 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 FAAs.
If you have any questions, please contact School Services by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or calling 866.247.2172.
