JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

Certify 2023-24 Nursing Education Scholarships (NES)

09/21/2023

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

The following provides important updates regarding 2023-24 Nursing Education Scholarships (NES).

2023-24 Certification Data Being Accepted

Effective today (Thursday, September 21, 2023), colleges may certify 2023-24 NES eligibility using the NESP system.

Important: Because program administration was being transitioned from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to ISAC, 2022-23 certification functionality was part of the payment request process. Beginning with the 2023-24 NES processing cycle, certification takes place prior to the awarding process [similar to the certification process of the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program].

Reminders

  • NES certification is done for the academic year (rather than by term).
    • Colleges verify recipients' enrollment status as part of the payment request process, which will be implemented later this year after awarding has taken place.
  • As part of the certification process, colleges must provide the student's expected family contribution (EFC).
    • Enter a value from 0 [zero] through 999999.
    • Colleges should report the EFC from the valid Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) on which a student's financial aid would be based, as of the date that certification is completed (i.e., the date the college submits NES certification data to ISAC).
    • If changes are pending that will impact the student's EFC (e.g., corrections, verification, or professional judgment reviews), the college may choose to postpone submitting certification data for the student until after the ISIR transaction reflecting the revised EFC has been received.
  • All certification records available in the system must be completed, regardless of whether the college certifies a student as eligible or ineligible and regardless of whether the student is currently enrolled.
  • The NESP system is available each day from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. (CT).

The recently-updated NES User Guide includes details regarding functionality to certify student eligibility for this program, as well as an explanation of cyclical program processes.

Looking Ahead: Upcoming Changes Related to Payment

When 2023-24 NES payment processing becomes available later this year (after awarding has taken place), the following changes will be in effect:

  • Awarded funds that had been disbursed directly to students as a "stipend" in the 2022-23 and earlier academic years will now be included in the scholarship amount requested by and paid to the college (i.e., NES awards will no longer have a stipend component).
  • Funds resulting from each payment request submitted via the NESP system will be delivered to the college in a lump sum (either electronically or as a check, depending on how the college has set up their payments), rather than as individual checks for each student.
  • Payment Offset and Reconciliation procedures now apply to Nursing Education Scholarships.
    • 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.

Future Updates

Watch for future 2023-24 NES updates – including details about awarding and the payment process, once available – via our usual methods of communication (including the NES Program News area, the FAA Message Board, and ISAC's e-Messaging service).

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.