JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

Upcoming Important Dates from ISAC

05/12/2022

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 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:

2022-23 (July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023)

2021-22 (July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022)

General Information (Not Specific to One Academic Year)

2022-23 ACADEMIC YEAR

MAP Update: Historic Program Appropriation

The fiscal year 2023 (FY23) state operating budget – which has been approved and signed into law – includes a historic high Monetary Award Program (MAP) appropriation of approximately $601 million, which is $122 million more than had been appropriated for 2021-22 MAP awards.

As discussed in the April 19 e-Message that provides a summary of the April 14, 2022 meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the combination of decreased demand (due to lower application volume) and increased funding creates a perfect environment for improving college affordability for MAP-eligible students. The increased appropriation could provide a long-overdue opportunity to increase the size of MAP grants and incorporate more recent – perhaps even current – tuition and fee rates in the formula used to determine eligibility. Combined, these changes would improve college affordability for low-income students. Further details regarding the impact this increased funding may have on the program are outlined in the FY23 MAP Fact Sheet.

Continue to monitor our established methods of communication (i.e., the MAP Program News area, the FAA Message Board and ISAC's e-Messaging service) throughout the year for operational updates and other program information.

FAFSA® and Alternative Application Remain Available

The 2022-23 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) remains available online, and – if not already done – should be completed and submitted as soon as possible by students who will be attending college between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for several forms of federal, state and institutional financial assistance, including the MAP grant.

In addition, the 2022-23 Alternative Application is also available (in English and Spanish). As a reminder, students meeting the criteria of the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity (RISE) Act may file the Alternative Application – which is patterned after the FAFSA – to apply for the MAP grant. Because the failure to register for Selective Service no longer disqualifies an applicant from receiving federal student aid, students who have not registered may want to consider completing the FAFSA instead of the Alternative Application to maximize their financial aid opportunities. Further details are provided at ISAC's RISE Act page.

Details regarding the 2022-23 application cycle may be accessed by counselors and other professionals via the Applying for Financial Aid section of the e-Library for Partners.

Continue Certifying Eligibility for MTI Scholarships Throughout the Year

Colleges are encouraged to continue certifying eligibility for 2022-23 Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholars on a daily basis.

As a reminder, the Golden Apple Foundation certifies eligibility for the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program. The college's role for the Golden Apple Scholars program starts with payment processing.

Further details, including information about screen changes in the 2022-23 MTI system, are provided via the Certification Procedures for MTI page, the recently-updated MTI User Guide, and a May 11 e-Message.

MTI Scholarship Applications Still Being Accepted

The FY23 state operating budget, which was signed into law by the governor in April, includes an appropriation for the MTI Scholarship Program that increases the maxium annual award amount to $7,500 for the 2022-23 and subsequent academic years. In addition, the FY23 MTI Scholarship Program funding level initiates – to the extent allowed by the amount of funding that remains – at least 30 percent of the appropriated funds being reserved for qualified bilingual minority applicants, with priority given to those applicants who are enrolled in an educator preparation program with a concentration in bilingual, bicultural education.

The 2022-23 MTI Scholarship Program application continues to be accepted, even though the March 31, 2022 priority consideration date has passed. Complete applications – including the 2022-23 FAFSA (or Alternative Application, if applicable) – received after this date will continue to be considered for the MTI Scholarship Program for as long as funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded. All minority students and qualified bilingual minority applicants who meet the program's eligibility requirements should be encouraged to complete and submit their applications as soon as possible.

By End of May: ING Grant Application

The interactive application for the 2022-23 Illinois National Guard (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, and 2022-23 ING Grant eligibility data is anticipated to be available in the ING Grant system, by the end of May 2022.

Specific details regarding the ING Grant system, including important reminders and guidelines, are provided at the ING Grant Electronic Processing page.

By End of May: PFC Applications Available

We anticipate that the application for the 2022-23 Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire and Correctional Officers (PFC) will be available for students to access via the Applications page of the Students & Parents area by the end of May 2022.

By the End of June: ECACE Scholarship Application

The 2022-23 application for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program is anticipated to be available via the Applications area by the end of June.

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."

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.

2021-22 ACADEMIC YEAR

ECACE Scholarship Summer-Term Claims Being Accepted

A May 12 e-Message announces that colleges may submit ECACE Scholarship payment requests (i.e., claims) for the summer 2022 term. Claims for all previous terms also continue to be accepted.

May 27: IVG Spring Term Benefits Used Data Due
(Continue Submitting IVG and ING Grant Benefit Usage Data for All Terms)

The spring-term deadline for submission of benefit usage data for the 2021-22 IVG Program is Friday, May 27, 2022.

Even though the summer- (for the IVG Program) and fall-term (for the IVG and ING Grant programs) deadline dates have passed, as well as the spring-term deadline date for the ING Grant, colleges are still encouraged to submit benefit usage data for those terms as soon as possible.

Although ISAC is not able to reimburse institutions for 2021-22 IVG awards, reporting of benefits used must still take place so that usage can be accurately reflected on students' accounts.

Note that summer-term benefit usage data for the 2021-22 ING Grant Program is due on the final close-out date of July 1, 2022.

Further details are provided benefit usage areas for the IVG and ING Grant programs.

June 15: ING Grant Summer Term Application Deadline

June 15, 2022 is the final date of acceptance for summer term applications for the 2021-22 ING Grant Program. Students may access the application via the Interactive Application (Apply Online) section of the Applications page, which is located within the Students & ParentsDuring CollegeApplying for Financial Aid area and may also be obtained via the "Applications" link that appears at the bottom of all pages on the ISAC website.

June 15: PFC Summer Term Application Deadline

June 15, 2022 is the final date of acceptance for the 2021-22 PFC application for the summer term. Students may access the application via the Applications page, which is located within the Students & ParentsDuring CollegeApplying for Financial Aid area and may also be obtained via the "Applications" link that appears at the bottom of all pages on the ISAC website.

Continue Submitting Claims for MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Programs

Claims for the 2021-22 MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois programs continue to be accepted.

  • The third-term priority consideration claim deadline for these programs will be announced once it has been determined.
  • Although the priority consideration claim deadlines have passed, colleges are encouraged to submit first- and second-term claims as soon as they are able to do so.

Submitting claims via the MTI and Golden Apple systems is a two-step process that involves first generating the request (either individually or in a batch) and then submitting the request. Further details are available in the MTI and Golden Apple user guides.

The timely submission of initial claims and cancellations/adjustments for previously-submitted data allows ISAC staff to monitor remaining MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple funds and award other students, as applicable.

July 1: Gift Assistance Programs Final Close-out Date

All submissions of 2021-22 payment requests, including initial claims and supplemental claims, for ISAC-administered gift assistance programs must be received on or before July 1, 2022. Adjustments to cancel or reduce awards will be accepted after this date for MAP and the MTI Scholarship, Golden Apple, ECACE Scholarship, ING Grant and IVG programs.

Colleges are also encouraged to continue the process of reconciling 2021-22 MAP, MTI Scholarship, Golden Apple and ECACE Scholarship 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 e-mail notice indicating the total amount to be returned. Until then, no funds should be returned to ISAC.

Specific details regarding close-out of 2021-22 ISAC-administered gift assistance programs will be provided via a separate e-Message 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.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Recent State Legislative Update Discusses Budget and Other Items

A recent State Legislative Update (dated May 3, 2022) discusses budget highlights – including supplemental appropriations for the FY22 state operating budget and information about the FY23 budget package – along with other items of interest that were approved during the spring session of the 102nd General Assembly.

ISAC No Longer Reporting Default Status

With the agency's May 1, 2022 exit from the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), ISAC is no longer reporting to colleges the default status of ISAC-guaranteed loans for students who apply for ISAC-administered gift assistance programs. All ISAC gift assistance program eligibility requirements related to default remain in place. Colleges will now need to follow the same established procedures being used to check the default status of non-ISAC-guaranteed loans in order to certify eligibility for applicants with ISAC-guaranteed loans. As appropriate based on each program, ISAC resources (including the website, user guides, and other materials) will be updated accordingly in the coming weeks.

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.

College Course Materials Task Force Subscription Group Available

An April 13 e-Message provides information about the first meeting of the College Course Materials (CCM) Task Force that took place in March, and also announces availability of the CCM Task Force e-Messaging subscription group. Individuals interested in receiving updates regarding the work of the CCM Task Force may join the subscription group by following these steps:

  1. Visit the Financial Aid Administrators (FAAs) e-Messaging page.
  2. Provide the required contact information.
  3. Check the box for the "College Coursework Materials Task Force – announcements & information about the work of the Task Force" subscription group.
  4. Click on the "Sign Up!" button that appears at the bottom of the page.

Throughout May: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Webinars

Recent temporary changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF), including a limited waiver, may benefit public sector and non-profit employees. If you want to learn more about PSLF, or if you have applied for PSLF and been denied, be sure to register for the free webinars being offered by ISAC staff throughout the month of May. Further details, including specific dates, are provided in a May 3 e-Message.

Upcoming Webinars

The following monthly "ISAC Operational Update and Program News" webinars will be offered by ISAC staff throughout the second quarter of 2022:

  • Wednesday, May 25 at 2 p.m. (CT)
  • Wednesday, June 29 at 2 p.m. (CT)

Further details, including how to participate in the webinars, are provided in an April 19 e-Message.

June 16: 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 16, 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.

Visit the Commission Meeting Schedule page for information regarding all meetings scheduled in 2022.

Week of July 11: 2022 College Changes Everything® Virtual Conference

Mark your calendar for the annual College Changes Everything® conference – Moving Forward Together – which will be a virtual event with online sessions throughout the week of July 11, 2022. Visit the College Changes Everything conference website, and watch for future e-Messages, for the latest updates.

Holiday Schedules

ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:

  • Monday, May 30 – Memorial Day
  • Monday, June 20 – Juneteenth (observed)
  • Monday, 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, the MAP system will be available during regularly scheduled hours and will reflect records processed by the Central Processing System (CPS) through the last business day immediately preceding each respective holiday. 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 MAP system on the morning of the second business day after the holiday.

For Assistance

Access the Financial Aid Administrators 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).

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.