JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

ISAC Update

VOL. 39, NO. 10F
April 2022

Messages sent to:   Multiple Subscription Groups
Financial Aid Directors
CCM Task Force
ISAC Update

Welcome to the April 2022 ISAC Update for financial aid administrators and business officers. This version of the electronic ISAC Update is a compilation of e-Messages sent through ISAC's e-Messaging service throughout April.

The articles in this Update have been organized according to the FAA subscription groups to which the messages were distributed.

Questions?

Questions regarding information in this ISAC Update can be directed to School Services at 866.247.2172 or at isac.schoolservices@illinois.gov. On occasion, you may be directed to a specific contact person or area; when this occurs, we will provide the appropriate information in the individual article or message.


MULTIPLE SUBSCRIPTION GROUPS


Submit 2nd/3rd-Term Claims for 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship
Sent to Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, Business Officers, and ECACE Administrators on April 21, 2022.

ECACE Logo

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.

Second- and Third-Term Payment Request Data Now Available

Effective immediately, colleges may submit payment requests (i.e., claims) for the winter (second quarter) and spring (second semester or third quarter) terms 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. Claims for the fall (first) term also continue to be accepted.

  • Colleges access payment request data via the ECACE system within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal.
    • School staff must have the appropriate level of access in order to submit payment requests. The school's primary administrator or a designated administrator is responsible for authorizing access levels.
  • 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.
  • Payment results are available in the ECACE system on a weekly basis (every Tuesday morning, reflecting results for claims submitted throughout the prior week).
    • Payment results for claims submitted through 7 p.m. (CT) on Monday (April 25, 2022) will be reflected in the ECACE system on Tuesday morning (April 26, 2022).
  • 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.
  • We anticipate the ECACE system being able to accept summer-term claims starting on Thursday, May 12, 2022.
    • Results for summer-term claims submitted through 7 p.m. (CT) on May 16, 2022 will appear in the ECACE system the morning of Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
    • For purposes of administering the ECACE Scholarship, summer awards will be need to be administered/processed as the fourth term (i.e., end or "trailer" of the award year), much like we do for the Grant Programs for Police, Fire, or Correctional Officers and the Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant.

Payment Resources Available Online

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

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 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.


ISAC Program FY23 Funding – Budget Bills Approved
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users, and Business Officers on April 20, 2022.

Governor Pritzker has signed HB 900 (operating budget bill) and HB 4700 [budget implementation bill (BIMP)], which together provide funding and statutory authority for Illinois programs and services, including ISAC's programs for the 2023 fiscal year (FY23). Both bills were approved by the General Assembly during the shortened legislative session that concluded in the early morning hours of April 9, and were then forwarded to the governor for signature.

The bills are now considered law and are officially Public Act 102-0698 and Public Act 102-0699 (before considering printing, please note the documents are quite lengthy). ISAC's programs and services received very generous funding that includes increases to many of our programs, as well as funding for newly established programs, all of which will benefit Illinois students and their families.

Although the overall budget for the upcoming academic year is extremely positive for ISAC programs, one of the biggest highlights is the significant increase to the Monetary Award Program (MAP), which resulted in historic funding for the program. Based on early modeling, the increase will likely result in a higher maximum annual award amount and the use of more recent tuition and fee rates in the formula used to determine eligibility. Language in the budget implementation bill provides for an increase of the annual award amount beginning in FY23 and forward, and also extends MAP benefits to eligible students in short-term credit-bearing certificate programs at public institutions. Details about the impact on the program are in an FY23 MAP Fact Sheet.

The Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program was also the beneficiary of a significant increase in funding, which will lead to expanded eligibility, including a new category for bilingual applicants and higher award amounts for recipients.

FY23 ISAC Program Appropriations

Monetary Award Program (MAP) – $601,566,200
Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire or Correctional Officers – $1,273,300
Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program – $6,498,000
Golden Apple Accelerators Program – $750,000
Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program – $4,200,000
Illinois Teachers Loan Repayment Program – $439,900
Nurse Educator Loan Repayment Program – $500,000
Veterans' Home Medical Providers' Loan Repayment Program – $26,400
Grant Program for Exonerees – $150,000
AIM HIGH Grant Pilot Program – $35,000,000*

* AIM HIGH Program funds are disbursed in lump sums by ISAC to public universities.

As in recent years, the budget also includes a little more than $4.26 million for the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) to reimburse Illinois community colleges for the costs associated with waiving tuition and fee charges for Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant recipients.

Other highlights of this legislative session include:

  • Increased support for programs for those in the nursing field, including higher funding for the Nurse Educator Loan Repayment Program and the transfer of the Nursing Education Scholarship Program from the Illinois Department of Public Health, doubling its funding from $2 million to $4 million.
  • A new scholarship program for dependents of workers who lose income due to closures and curtailed operations at coal mines and coal-fired power plants. ($1.1 million)
  • First-time funding for the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program that was created in a past year, but never funded. ($5 million)
  • Funding for two new programs (one a scholarship, the other a loan repayment program) to benefit Social Workers. The programs were created in law last year, but not funded. ($6 million)

With the timely approval of the budget, ISAC FY23 program implementation and operational activities will begin to move forward. As always, we will regularly provide updates and processing details regarding each of our programs as we proceed through the year.


ISAC Monthly Webinars for FAAs
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users, Business Officers, ECACE Administrators, and FFELP Administrators on April 19, 2022.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will provide an Operational and Program Update Webinar for financial aid administrators (FAAs) on the last Wednesday of every month. Following are the webinar dates for the second quarter of 2022:

  • April 27 at 2 p.m.
  • May 25 at 2 p.m.
  • June 29 at 2 p.m.

To participate in these webinars, visit the Partner Training page in the e-Library at isac.org to access the webinar link and presentation materials, both of which will be posted on the day of the session. Registration is not required, and any specific topics or questions you would like a webinar to address may be submitted via e-mail to Tania.Mendoza@illinois.gov prior to the session.

Additionally, recorded webinars providing more detailed overviews of ISAC programs are available in the Partner Training section of the e-Library, via the Recorded Webinars link in the right margin.


2022-23 MAP Update (Summary of April 14 Commission Meeting)
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAP Users, and Business Officers on April 19, 2022.

The following highlights some of the agenda items included at the April 14, 2022 meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), and any action taken. Details regarding several of the topics discussed at the meeting are provided in the April 14 Agenda Book, which can be accessed from the ISAC's Governing Board: The Commission section of the About ISAC area at isac.org.

Of particular interest to the financial aid community is an update on the status of the Monetary Award Program (MAP) for the 2022-23 academic year.

FY23 (2022-23 Academic Year) MAP Update – Agenda Item 7

The fiscal year 2023 (FY23) state operating budget – which was approved earlier this month and is anticipated to be signed into law by the governor soon – includes a historic high MAP appropriation of approximately $601 million, which is $122 million more than had been appropriated for 2021-22 MAP awards. An estimated $575 million of these funds will provide grants to the current population (compared to $470 million in FY22) and approximately $15 million will be used to pay for an expansion of MAP to cover credit-bearing short-term certificate programs at community colleges and public universities, a new initiative included in the budget implementation language.

Various factors have contributed to years of decreasing application volume. While fewer people seeking education is not considered a positive, the combination of decreased demand and increased funding creates a perfect environment for improving college affordability for MAP-eligible students. Although MAP coverage of tuition and fees, which has declined in all sectors, cannot be completely restored with the FY23 budget, substantial gains can be made. 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.

In the coming weeks, ISAC staff will continue to monitor FY23 application volume and use updated data to analyze MAP formula changes. A meeting with the Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (ILASFAA) MAP Formula Committee, to discuss FY23 MAP recompute issues and gain insights from schools, is planned for later in the spring.

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

Other Items

The following items were also presented to the Commission:

  • College Illinois!® Prepaid Tuition Program investment and program updates – Agenda Items 3 & 4
  • State legislative update – Agenda Item 6
  • Proposed administrative program rules and amendments – Agenda Item 8

Next Meeting

The next Commission meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 16, 2022.


Webinars for FAAs to Discuss Mid-Year MAP Recompute
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAP Users, and Business Officers on April 14, 2022.

The mid-year recompute for second- and third-term 2021-22 Monetary Award Program (MAP) awards, which was announced in April 6 and April 11 e-Messages, has been completed and is generating a variety of questions from school partners. To assist colleges with implementation, ISAC will offer a series of webinars to provide a forum for schools to ask questions, exchange ideas, and discuss solutions for managing the award increases as efficiently as possible. Additionally, a MAP Mid-Year Recompute FAQ document is also available to answer some of the most common questions we've received so far, including guidance about the impact of the increased MAP award amounts on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Chapter 33 benefits.

In an effort to focus the webinar discussions on possible solutions schools may have which are related to their specific financial aid management system, we have designated a date/time for systems commonly used by Illinois colleges; however, you are welcome to attend whichever session best meets your schedule. These sessions will be open to anyone who would like to participate and registration is not required. Here are the dates and times when the webinars will be offered:

Date Time* FA Management System
Tuesday, April 19 1 p.m. Banner
Wednesday, April 20 10 a.m. PeopleSoft
Thursday, April 21 10 a.m. PowerFAIDS & Jenzabar
Tuesday, April 26 1 p.m. All user groups
Thursday, April 28 10 a.m. All user groups

* All times Central

If there are specific topics or questions you would like a webinar to address, you may submit those via e-mail to Kim Eck at kimberly.eck@illinois.gov prior to the session.

To participate in any of the webinars:

For the audio portion, click on the Audio tab and select one of the available options:

  • For the "Use computer audio" option you will need to have a microphone to be able to interact with the webinar. Without a microphone, you will be in listen-only mode.
  • For toll-free participation, select the "Call Me" option, enter your phone number, and the webinar will call you.
  • The "Call In" option is not a toll-free number, however, if you are not able to participate through the webinar link and the "Call me" option, but would like to participate by phone, you may use one of these toll numbers: +1-312-535-8110 (USA Toll - Chicago) or +1-240-454-0879 (USA Toll) and access code 804 330 463.


2021-22 MAP: Mid-Year Recompute Implemented (GAP Access and ISAC Student Portals Available)
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAP Users, and Business Officers on April 11, 2022.

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

The following information is being shared to assist colleges in the administration of the Monetary Award Program (MAP).

MAP System Reflects Mid-Year Recompute Data

Effective immediately, the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal (including all program systems, such as MAP) and the ISAC Student Portal are again available. In addition, submission of pending File Transfer Protocol (FTP) files may resume.

The mid-year recompute (announced in an April 6 e-Message) has been implemented and 2021-22 MAP second- and third-term* award amounts have been increased as follows:

  • second-term awards have been increased by six percent (6%) at semester schools, and
  • second- and third-term awards have been increased by four-and-one-half percent (4.5%) at quarter schools.

*First-term award amounts are not impacted by the recompute.

Operational Details

  • Payment requests (claims) submitted to ISAC prior to 5 p.m. on April 7, 2022, have been reprocessed to increase the award amount paid, including:
    • second- and third-term claims submitted through the GAP Access portal
    • second- and third-term claims submitted via FTP
  • Colleges will receive payment and invoice information – reflecting the total amount of the increases for reprocessed records – through the normal process.
  • Colleges may now access their ISAC-generated pre- and post-recompute Cumulative Payment Results Reports via the MAP system.
    • Use these reports when reconciling records with your college's system.
    • The reports will remain available through close-out of the 2021-22 academic year.
    • Colleges may also generate their usual Payment Results Reports and Payment Results Extract Files.
      • See the "Payment" chapter of the MAP User Guide for instructions on generating payment reports.
  • All claims and adjustments submitted from this point forward will calculate under the recompute formula, with the 6%/4.5% increase to second/third term amounts.
  • The 2021-22 maximum annual award is now $5,661.
    • At semester institutions:
      • The maximum award amount for the second (spring) semester is now $2,913.
      • No change has been made to award amounts for the first (fall) semester (maximum remains $2,748).
    • At quarter institutions:
      • The maximum award amount for the second (winter) quarter is now $1,914.
      • The maximum award amount for the third (spring) quarter is now $1,915.
      • No change has been made to award amounts for the first (fall) quarter (maximum remains $1,832).
  • Claims were not reprocessed if:
    • the college checked the override box and adjusted the award amount in the MAP system
    • the record has an unresolved conflict
    • the record is in "U" (updated) status and not submitted
      • ISAC soon will provide guidance for "U" status claims that were not submitted prior to 5 p.m. on April 7.


Virtual Commission Meeting Thursday, April 14 – No Executive Briefing
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAP Users, and Business Officers on April 8, 2022.

The next regular meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will be conducted via videoconference and will begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 14.

Some of the items on the tentative agenda for the meeting are:

  • Proposed administrative program rules and amendments
  • State legislative update
  • Monetary Award Program (MAP) update
  • College Illinois!® Prepaid Tuition Program investment and program updates

The Agenda Book, providing the complete listing of agenda items, is posted on the 2022 Agenda Books page. Instructions for connecting to the meeting via WebEx, including the WebEx link, are available on the Commission Meeting Schedule page. Both pages are located within the ISAC's Governing Board: The Commission section of the About ISAC area of isac.org. The online Agenda Book will be updated within 1-2 days following the meeting to reflect action taken.

Executive Briefing

There is no executive briefing call scheduled following the April Commission meeting.


2021-22 MAP: Implementing Mid-Year Recompute (Increasing Second- and Third-Term Award Amounts)
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAP Users, and Business Officers on April 6, 2022.

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

The following information is being shared to assist colleges in the administration of the Monetary Award Program (MAP).

Increase of Second- and Third-term Award Amounts*

Since the opening of 2021-22 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid filing, ISAC staff has been monitoring and analyzing fiscal year 2022 (FY22) MAP application volume and projected claim rates. This ongoing analysis has shown a decrease in both application and claim rates, resulting in FY22 funds remaining available.

In keeping with our ongoing efforts to best utilize all available funds and provide meaningful assistance to the greatest possible number of eligible students, 2021-22 MAP second- and third-term award amounts will be increased through a mid-year recompute as follows:

  • second-term awards will increase by six percent (6%) at semester schools, and
  • second- and third-term awards will increase by four and a half percent (4.5%) at quarter schools.

The recompute of these awards to reflect these increases will take place over the weekend of April 8-10, with the new term amounts reflected when the 2021-22 MAP system is again available after implementation.

*Fall-term award amounts are not impacted by the recompute.

Temporary System Outage Starting April 7

In order to reprocess (or, "recompute") 2021-22 MAP records to reflect the increase of second- and third-term award amounts, the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal (including all program systems, such as MAP), and the ISAC Student Portal will be unavailable beginning at 5 p.m., Thursday, April 7.

A follow-up e-Message will be sent when the portals and all program systems are again available, anticipated to be around noon on Monday, April 11. At that time, the 2021-22 MAP system will display increased awards for the second and third terms.

Operational Details

    • It is recommended that colleges submit (before 5 p.m. April 7) any unsubmitted valid records that are ready to be processed and in an updated (or "U") status.
      • ISAC soon will provide more guidance for "U" status claims that are not submitted prior to this weekend’s mid-year recompute.
    • Pending FTP files may be submitted until 5 p.m., April 7. After that time, no FTP files are to be submitted until the system reopens.
    • Before recompute is implemented, ISAC will run a pre-recompute Cumulative Payment Results Report for each college. The report will be available when the system reopens on April 11.
    • Claims submitted to ISAC by 5 p.m., April 7 will be reprocessed to increase the award amount paid, including:
      • second- and third-term claims submitted through GAP
      • second- and third-term claims submitted via FTP
    • Claims will not be reprocessed if:
      • the college checked the override box and adjusted the award amount in the MAP system
      • the record has an unresolved conflict
      • the record is in "U" (updated) status and not submitted
    • Following reprocessing, an invoice will be generated for the total amount of the increases. Colleges will receive payment and invoice information through the normal process.
    • After recompute is implemented, ISAC will run a post-recompute Cumulative Payment Results Report for each college. Both the pre- and post-recompute reports will be available when the system reopens on April 11 (and will remain available to schools through close-out of the 2021-22 academic year), for use when reconciling records with colleges' systems.
    • Colleges will also be able to generate their usual Payment Results Reports and Payment Results Extract Files.
    • Any claim or adjustment submitted on or after April 11 will calculate under the recompute formula, with the 6%/4.5% increase to second/third term amounts.


Time Is Running Out – Submit Your Proposal
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users, Business Officers and FFELP Administrators on April 5, 2022.

CCE Conference Logo
Moving Forward Together

One of the things that makes the annual College Changes Everything® (CCE) conference so valuable to its participants are the interest sessions developed and led by dedicated educators and professionals like you. Please share your insights, experiences, and creative solutions by submitting an online session proposal form that showcases programs, services, resources, or partnerships impacting student success.

As we have a broad group of stakeholders who attend this annual conference, we encourage proposals that cover a wide range of themes related to college access and completion and career readiness such as, but not limited to: postsecondary education exploration, preparation, and selection; student retention, persistence, and completion; career exploration and development; education, business, and the economy; and college costs and affordability. Sessions should provide in-depth information, practical ideas, and specific strategies for the audience, and demonstrate and promote positive steps taken to address college access, completion issues, and career readiness and sharing of specific lessons learned. Please complete the online session proposal form (more information about interest session submission is available on the conference web page).

Deadline – Priority consideration will be given to completed session proposal forms submitted by April 8, 2022.

Please share the information in this email with colleagues in your organization and other partners.

2022 College Changes Everything Conference Planning Committee

  • Illinois Student Assistance Commission
  • Illinois Board of Higher Education
  • Illinois Community College Board
  • Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
  • Illinois State Board of Education
  • Illinois College Access Network
  • Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities
  • Advance Illinois
  • Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University
  • Generations Serving Generations
  • ACT Now
  • Women Employed
The College Changes Everything® Conference is sponsored
by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
Helping Illinois reach its Goal 2025: to increase the proportion
of adults in Illinois with high-quality college degrees and
postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025


CCE


If you work in public service and have student loans,
you might be eligible for a loan forgiveness program!

Join ISAC for free Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Webinars
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users, Business Officers, and FFELP Administrators on April 5, 2022.

Recent temporary changes, including a limited waiver, to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program may benefit public sector and non-profit employees. Some of these changes offer benefits available for a limited time, so you don't want to miss out on this info!

Session Description:

Did you know that public service employees may be eligible for Federal Student Loan forgiveness? The PSLF program allows Federal Student Loan borrowers to apply for forgiveness if they are employed full time by a government, 501(c)(3) organization, or public-serving nonprofit, and meet other requirements.

If you want to learn more about PSLF or if you have applied for PSLF and been denied, this is the session for you. In this session, we will discuss the existing PSLF program as well as a new Limited Waiver for PSLF that will allow borrowers to receive credit for payments that previously did not qualify for PSLF. The Limited Waiver ends October 31, 2022, don't miss out!

April Webinar Dates:

April 11, 2-3 p.m.
April 19, 5-6 p.m.
April 23, 10-11 a.m.

Learn more and register: https://www.isac.org/pslf. For questions on the webinars, contact the Professional Development team at isac.pslf@illinois.gov.


FINANCIAL AID DIRECTORS


College Course Materials Task Force – Subscribe for Updates
Sent on April 13, 2022.

Enacted in the summer of 2021, Public Act 102-0122 created the College Course Materials Affordability and Equitable Access Collaborative Study Act. The Act requires that a 23-member appointed college course materials (CCM) task force be formed, staffed by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). It further requires that the CCM Task Force conduct "a collaborative college course materials affordability and equitable access study" to examine "the cost-saving methods and practices utilized by public and private institutions of higher learning in this State and throughout the United States for improving students' equitable first-day-of-class access to required course materials and conduct an affordability comparison of providing students' course materials, including digital learning tools." ISAC's Executive Director, Eric Zarnikow, was chosen to chair the CCM Task Force meeting by the members at the first meeting in March, and ISAC staff will provide administrative, technical, policy, and other support. Draft findings of the study and task force are required to be reported to the Governor, General Assembly, and ISAC by October 1, 2022. After a public review period, a final report is due to those same parties no later than March 31, 2023.

According to the Act, the Task Force shall establish and maintain a contact list of all members of the public who seek to be apprised of the work of the Task Force to allow for electronic notification of Task Force meetings, agendas, minutes, draft reports, reports, and other communications regarding the work of the Task Force. Those interested in receiving electronic notification of the Task Force’s activity can sign up for the CCM Task Force e-Message subscription group by following the steps below. If you are aware of others who may wish to subscribe, please forward on this message and sign-up instructions. Task Force information is also accessible on the ISAC CCM Task Force webpage.

  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.

If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to ISAC.CCMTaskForce@illinois.gov.


CCM TASK FORCE


College Course Materials Task Force
Sent on April 13, 2022.

Enacted in the summer of 2021, Public Act 102-0122 created the College Course Materials Affordability and Equitable Access Collaborative Study Act. The Act requires that a 23-member appointed college course materials (CCM) task force be formed, staffed by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). It further requires that the CCM Task Force conduct "a collaborative college course materials affordability and equitable access study" to examine "the cost-saving methods and practices utilized by public and private institutions of higher learning in this State and throughout the United States for improving students' equitable first-day-of-class access to required course materials and conduct an affordability comparison of providing students' course materials, including digital learning tools." ISAC's Executive Director, Eric Zarnikow, was chosen to chair the CCM Task Force meeting by the members at the first meeting in March, and ISAC staff will provide administrative, technical, policy, and other support. Draft findings of the study and task force are required to be reported to the Governor, General Assembly, and ISAC by October 1, 2022. After a public review period, a final report is due to those same parties no later than March 31, 2023.

According to the Act, the Task Force shall establish and maintain a contact list of all members of the public who seek to be apprised of the work of the Task Force to allow for electronic notification of Task Force meetings, agendas, minutes, draft reports, reports, and other communications regarding the work of the Task Force. Task Force members and others involved in the early stages of assembling the Task Force were automatically subscribed to the CCM Task Force e-Messaging subscription group. As a result, you are receiving this message and don't need to do anything further to receive all future messages.

If you are aware of others who may be interested in being kept apprised of the Task Force's activity, please forward on this message and encourage them to subscribe by following the steps below. Task Force information is also accessible on the ISAC CCM Task Force webpage.

  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.

If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to ISAC.CCMTaskForce@illinois.gov.

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ISAC UPDATE


March 2022 Electronic ISAC Update
Sent on April 1, 2022.

The March 2022 edition of the ISAC Update is now available for your review, and may be accessed via the Partner e-Messages & Newsletters section of the e-Library for Partners at isac.org. This version of the electronic ISAC Update is a compilation of e-Messages sent to financial aid administrators and business officers via ISAC's e-Messaging service over the past month.

Topics covered in the March 2022 ISAC Update include:

      • ISAC Sessions During 2022 ILASFAA Hybrid Conference
        (sent March 31, 2022)
      • Deadline Extended – Submit Your Proposal
        (sent March 30, 2022)
      • 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship Payment Results Available
        (sent March 29, 2022)
      • 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship Updates
        (sent March 25, 2022)
      • There's Still Time to Submit Your Proposal
        (sent March 24, 2022)
      • 2021-22 MAP System Updates Implemented
        (sent March 21, 2022)
      • 2021-22 MAP: Release of Suspense, Late Claims, and Payment
        (sent March 18, 2022)
      • Don't Forget – Submit Your Proposal
        (sent March 14, 2022)
      • Join ISAC for Free Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Webinars
        (sent March 1, 2022)
      • February 2022 Electronic ISAC Update
        (sent March 1, 2022)

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