2021-22 ECACE Scholarship Updates

03/25/2022

NOTE: If you do not work directly with the administration of the ECACE Scholarship Program, please forward this message to the appropriate colleague(s) at your institution and encourage them to sign up for the "ECACE Administrators" e-Messaging subscription group.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is sharing the following information to assist colleges in the administration of the 2021-22 Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program.

Prequalification and Payment Request Data at GAP Access

Colleges may access 2021-22 prequalification and payment request data via the ECACE component of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal.

School staff must have the appropriate level of access in order to view prequalification records and submit payment requests. The school's primary administrator or a designated administrator is responsible for authorizing access levels.

Prequalification Data

Colleges may view a listing of their students who have completed the 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship online application process by accessing the ECACE system and selecting the Student tab to display the "Student List Eligibility: View" screen.

• The "Student List Eligibility: View" screen displays in a format similar to other programs that are processed via the GAP Access portal.
• A student's record is considered prequalified if they have completed the online application process – which includes submitting a complete ECACE Scholarship Program application to ISAC and completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) that results in a valid expected family contribution (EFC) – and they meet all initial program eligibility requirements (i.e., requirements other than those that must be verified by the college).

Payment Request Data: Submit First-term Claims

Effective immediately, colleges may submit first-term payment requests (i.e., claims) for individual ECACE Scholarship recipients via the "Student Detail: Payment" screen, or in batches for a group of students via the "Payment Request Entry" screen.

• Submitting claims is a two-step process, which involves generating the request and then submitting the request.
• By submitting a payment request to ISAC via the ECACE system, a college is certifying that the student is enrolled and continues to meet all eligibility criteria.
• ISAC anticipates payment results will be available in the ECACE system on a weekly basis, which is different than some other programs that are part of the GAP Access portal.
  • Once available, further details will be provided via the ECACE Payment page.
• Colleges are encouraged to regularly review the Payment Results/Exceptions report to see which requests, if any, did not process as expected.
• Colleges will be notified when second-term claims begin to be accepted.

Resources Available Online

More information is available at the following locations on ISAC's website:

• ECACE Electronic Processing
• ECACE Prequalification
• ECACE Payment
• Available Soon: ECACE User Guide

Applications Still Being Accepted

Even though the March 1, 2022 priority consideration date has passed, 2021-22 applications will continue to be accepted and considered for awarding as long as funding remains available after all timely, qualified applicants have been awarded. Encourage students who have not already done so to complete and submit their applications – including both the ECACE Scholarship Program application and the FAFSA – as soon as possible.

Join "ECACE Administrators" Subscription Group

If you work directly with your approved institution's administration of the ECACE Scholarship Program – or if you simply are interested in receiving general announcements and processing updates regarding the program – be sure to join the "ECACE Administrators" e-Messaging subscription group.

Existing e-Messaging subscribers may join this group by clicking on the "Unsubscribe" link that appears at the bottom of all ISAC e-Messages, selecting the "ECACE Administrators" group in the listing that appears, and then clicking on "Update Profile."

Individuals who may be interested in the "ECACE Administrators" group, but do not currently subscribe to ISAC's e-Messaging service, may sign up at the Financial Aid Administrators (FAAs) e-Messaging page.

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.