2021-22 ECACE Scholarship Payment Results Available

03/29/2022

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.

March 30 Webinar Will Discuss the ECACE Scholarship

ISAC's upcoming webinar, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. (CT) this Wednesday (March 30), will include discussion of the 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship Program. Don't miss this opportunity to receive the latest operational updates and have your processing questions answered.

To participate in the webinar, visit the Partner Training page in the e-Library to access the webinar link and presentation materials, both of which will be posted prior to the session on Wednesday. Registration is not required. Any specific questions you would like addressed during the webinar may be submitted via e-mail to Tania.Mendoza@illinois.gov.

Payment Results Now Available

Last week, colleges were notified that 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship payment requests (claims) are being accepted for the first term.

Effective today (March 29, 2022), payment results are available in the ECACE system for all first-term claims submitted prior to 5 p.m. on March 28, 2022.

From this point forward, 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship payment results will be available each Tuesday morning, reflecting results for claims submitted throughout the prior week.

Payment Reminders

• 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.
• Colleges are encouraged to regularly review the Payment Results/Exceptions report to see which requests, if any, did not process as expected.
• The disbursement of funds is processed by the State Comptroller's Office.
  • Allow four to six weeks for payment processing (i.e., from the date a claim is submitted until funds are received at the college).
  • Refer to the State Comptroller's Website page for information on how to track payment.
• Colleges will be notified when second-term claims begin to be accepted.

Payment Resources Available Online

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

• ECACE Electronic Processing (including the ECACE User Guide)
• ECACE Payment

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.

Applicant Notifications

When a student's record is complete, their name displays on the ECACE “Student List Eligibility: View” screen of the institution that was indicated as the school of record on the application. In addition, prequalified applicants will receive a Notice of Prequalified Eligibility.

Applicants who are determined ineligible for an award receive a Notice of Ineligibility. The letter received by the applicant will be different dependent upon whether the ineligible status is based on data they provided on their application or data provided by the college during the payment request process.

Refer to the ECACE User Guide for a description of the "Student List Eligibility: View" fields, as well as filter and sort instructions.

Informational Resources to Share with Students

Make sure students who may qualify for an ECACE Scholarship are aware of the following informational resources:

• ISAC College Minute^™: What is the ECACE Scholarship for early childhood education workers?
• A Review of the ECACE Application Process

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.