JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

ISAC Update

VOL. 39, NO. 7F
January 2022

Messages sent to:   Multiple Subscription Groups
Messages sent to:   Public Schools Participating - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs
ISAC Update

Welcome to the January 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 January.

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

Upcoming Important Dates from ISAC
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users, Business Officers, and FFELP Administrators on January 28, 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

March 1: Illinois SETTW Application Deadline

Remind your students who plan to pursue a career in teaching that March 1, 2022 is the priority application consideration date for the 2022-23 Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program. In order to complete the online application, the student must log in to the ISAC Student Portal (if they have not already done so, they may create a profile here).

Complete applications received after March 1 will be considered only if available tuition waivers remain after all timely complete applicants have been awarded.

March 31: MTI Scholarship Application Deadline
(Application Anticipated by End of January)

Remind your students who plan to pursue a career in teaching that March 31, 2022 is the priority application consideration date for the 2022-23 Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program. In order to complete the online application, which is anticipated to be available by the end of January, the student must log in to the ISAC Student Portal (if they have not already done so, they may create a profile here).

In addition to the MTI application, a 2022-23 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (if applicable) must also be submitted by March 31.

Complete applications – including the 2022-23 FAFSA (or Alternative Application, if applicable) – received after March 31 will be considered only if MTI funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded. All minority students and qualified bilingual minority applicants who are college-bound seniors and meet the program's eligibility requirements should be encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

2022-23 FAFSA and Alternative Application Remain Available

The 2022-23 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 Monetary Award Program (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.

2021-22 ACADEMIC YEAR

2021-22 FAFSA and Alternative Application Remain Available
(Suspense Date is February 1, 2022)

As announced in a January 13 e-Message, the announcement of 2021-22 MAP grants is suspended for all students whose initial 2021-22 FAFSA is received by the federal processor, or whose initial Alternative Application is received by ISAC, on or after February 1, 2022.

Students who are enrolled for the 2021-22 academic year and have not yet done so should be encouraged to submit their FAFSA (or, if applicable, Alternative Application) as soon as possible. FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for other forms of federal, state and institutional financial assistance. The suspension of 2021-22 MAP award announcements does not impact any other financial aid programs.

February 25: MAP First- and Second-term Claims Due

In order to be considered timely, the following 2021-22 MAP payment requests (claims) must be submitted no later than 7 p.m. (CT) on Friday, February 25, 2022.

  • For second term:
    • initial claims, and
    • increases to previously-submitted claims.
  • For first term:
    • initial claims,
    • increases to previously-submitted claims,
    • claims for awards released from suspense, and
    • late claims.
  • Based on the current 2021-22 MAP suspense date (February 1, 2022), first- and second-term claims should only be submitted if the student's initial 2021-22 FAFSA or Alternative Application receipt date is October 1, 2020 through (including) January 31, 2022.

Further details are provided in a January 13 e-Message. You will be notified via ISAC's usual communication methods (i.e., the MAP Program News page, the FAA Message Board, and this e-Messaging service) as more information regarding 2021-22 MAP becomes available – including details regarding the likely increase of second- and third-term award amounts.

February 25: Second-term Priority Claim Deadline for MTI and Golden Apple

A January 4 e-Message announced that ISAC is accepting spring-term claims for the 2021-22 MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois (Golden Apple) programs. The second-term priority claim deadline for these programs is Friday, February 25, 2022.

Payment results display on the MTI Student Detail: Payment screen and on the Payment Results/Exception report the day after payment requests are processed. After submitting claims, colleges are encouraged to always review the Payment Results/Exceptions report. Claims submitted after the February 25 deadline date will have a payment code of "S" (submitted) but a result code of "Y".

Continue Certifying MTI Eligibility

Continue using the MTI system to certify eligibility throughout the year, in order to ensure that your students will be included in any rounds of awarding that take place. Details regarding the certification process are provided in a May 18 e-Message.

March 1: ECACE Scholarship Application Deadline

March 1, 2022 is the priority application consideration date for the 2021-22 Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program. Applicants must submit the 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship application and the 2021-22 FAFSA.

March 1: Spring-Term Application Deadline for ING Grant

Remind your students that March 1, 2022 is the spring- and summer-term application deadline for the 2021-22 Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program. Students may access the online application via the Interactive Applications (Apply Online) section of the Applications page. Applications received after March 1 will be considered for summer term only awards.

March 1: Spring-Term Application Deadline for Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire, or Correctional Officers

Remind your students that March 1, 2022 is the spring- and summer-term award deadline for the 2021-22 Grant Program for Dependents of Police, Fire, and Correctional Officers. Students may access the application via the Downloadable Applications (Printable PDF) section of the Applications page. Applications received after March 1 will be considered for summer term only awards.

Continue Submitting Benefit Usage Data for ING Grant and IVG

A January 4 e-Message announced that ISAC is accepting spring-term benefit usage data for the 2021-22 ING Grant and Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) programs.

Deadline dates are as follows:

  • ING Grant data for the spring term is due Friday, April 8, 2022.
  • IVG data for the spring term is due 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, colleges are still encouraged to submit benefit usage data for those terms as soon as possible.

Benefit usage data for the ING Grant and IVG programs is submitted to ISAC by colleges via the benefit usage functionality within each program's system, allowing colleges to report enrollment hours and dollar amounts for initial, in-district and out-of-district benefit usage by students, as well as adjustments to previously-submitted data. Although ISAC is not able to reimburse institutions for 2021-22 ING Grant or IVG awards, reporting of benefits used must still take place so that usage can be accurately reflected on students' accounts.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Upcoming Webinars

Mark your calendar for these upcoming "ISAC Operational Update and Program News" webinars:

  • February 23 at 2 p.m. (CT)
  • March 30 at 2 p.m. (CT)

Further details, including instructions for participating in the webinars, are provided in a January 12 e-Message.

April 4-7: ILASFAA Hybrid Annual Conference

Mark your calendar for the upcoming Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (ILASFAA) annual conference. We Are ILASFAA: Empowering Community, Embracing Diversity, & Advocating for Equity will be a hybrid event that takes place April 4-7, 2022. For the latest updates, visit the ILASFAA website (ilasfaa.org).

April 14: Next Commission Meeting

The next meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, April 14, 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.

Holiday Schedules

ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:

  • Friday, February 11, 2022 – Lincoln's Birthday
  • Monday, February 21, 2022 – Presidents' 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).

2021-22 MAP Updates: New Suspense and Claim Deadline Dates – Second/Third-Term Award Increases Likely
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAP Users, and Business Officers on January 13, 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).

New Suspense Date: February 1, 2022

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 MAP application volume and projected claim rates. As a result of that ongoing analysis, the initial 2021-22 MAP suspense date of August 27, 2021 was announced in August, followed by the release from suspense status for students with initial FAFSA or Alternative Application receipt dates from August 27, 2021 forward.

When the release of suspense was announced in December, we indicated that a date through which suspended awards are being released was anticipated to be set after the first of the year, once further analysis of application and claim data had been completed. Based on that analysis, ISAC is suspending the announcement of 2021-22 MAP grants for applicants whose initial 2021-22 FAFSA is received by the Central Processing System (CPS), or whose initial Alternative Application is received by ISAC, on or after Tuesday, February 1, 2022.

The 2021-22 MAP Applicant Award Announcement Status Chart has been updated to reflect the February 1, 2022 suspense date.

Students who have not yet filed a financial aid application for the current academic year (2021-22) should be counseled to do so as soon as possible, and no later than January 31, 2022 to be considered for a 2021-22 MAP award.

Second-Term Priority Claim Deadline: February 25, 2022
(All First-term Claims also Due by February 25)

ISAC began accepting 2021-22 MAP payment requests (claims) for the second term in early January, and also continues to accept all first-term claims.

In order to be considered timely, the following 2021-22 MAP claims must be submitted no later than 7 p.m. (CT) on Friday, February 25, 2022.

  • For second term:
    • initial claims, and
    • increases to previously-submitted claims.
  • For first term:
    • initial claims,
    • increases to previously-submitted claims,
    • claims for awards released from suspense, and
    • late claims.
  • Based on the current 2021-22 MAP suspense date (February 1, 2022), first- and second-term claims should only be submitted if the student's initial 2021-22 FAFSA or Alternative Application receipt date is October 1, 2020 through (including) January 31, 2022.

Likely Increase of Second- and Third-Term Awards

We recognize that the 2021-22 second-term priority claims deadline date of February 25, 2022 is earlier than in recent years. The ongoing pandemic, along with other factors, resulted in low first-term claim rates. Having an early second-term priority claim deadline will allow ISAC staff the time needed to assess claim volume and determine whether and by how much second- and third-term award amounts will be increased. Our goal is to best leverage the full $479.5 million fiscal year 2022 MAP appropriation so as to provide meaningful assistance to the greatest possible number of eligible students, while also providing financial aid administrators sufficient time to adjust award packages before the end of the academic year.

Watch for Future Updates

You will be notified via ISAC's usual communication methods (i.e., the MAP Program News page, the FAA Message Board, and this e-Messaging service) as more information regarding 2021-22 MAP becomes available – including an announcement of when the February 1, 2022 suspense date is reflected in the MAP system, and whether second- and third-term award amounts will be increased.

ISAC Monthly Webinars for FAAs
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users, Business Officers, and FFELP Administrators on January 12, 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 first quarter of 2022:

  • January 26 at 2 p.m.
  • February 23 at 2 p.m.
  • March 30 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.

ILASFAA January Brown Bag Session: ECACE Scholarship
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users, Business Officers, ECACE Private Institutions, and FFELP Administrators on January 11, 2022.

The Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (ILASFAA) Training & Professional Development Committee will host a lunchtime Brown Bag session on Thursday, January 20, 2022 from 12 – 1 p.m. to provide the financial aid community with an opportunity to connect and discuss current topics and ideas.

The focus of the January session will be the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program that was recently launched for the 2021-22 award year. Following a brief overview of the program, the session will be opened up for questions and discussion. If you have specific questions about the program that you would like addressed during the session, you may send them in advance to Kimberly.Eck@illinois.gov.

To join January's Brown Bag session: click on Register Now and complete the online registration form, after which you will receive your participation link.

2021-22 Spring-Term Claims & Benefit Usage
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users,and Business Officers, on January 4, 2022.

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

The ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal – which includes the electronic processing systems for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship, Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois, Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs – is available for submission of the spring-term records discussed below.

Submit 2021-22 Claims/Benefit Usage Data for the Spring Term

Colleges are encouraged to submit 2021-22 MAP spring-term payment requests (claims), 2021-22 MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple spring-term certifications and claims, and 2021-22 IVG and ING Grant spring-term benefit usage data as soon as possible.

The following information is provided to assist colleges in the administration of these programs. You may either scroll through the remainder of this message, or click on the appropriate link(s) to go directly to a specific section:

MAP
MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple
IVG and ING Grant

MAP

  • ISAC is accepting 2021-22 MAP claims for the second term.
  • The 2021-22 MAP second-term priority claim deadline date will be announced once determined.
  • When submitting second-term claims, remember that ISAC has released the suspense status for eligible applicants whose initial Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid is received from August 27, 2021 forward.
    • In addition, all first-term claims are being paid – including initial claims, increases to previously-submitted claims, claims for awards released from suspense, and late claims – and will continue to be paid through the second-term priority claim deadline, which will be announced once determined.
    • Following further analysis of application and claim data, ISAC will announce the date through which suspended awards are being released (anticipated during the first quarter of 2022).
      • Students who have not yet filed a 2021-22 FAFSA or Alternative Application should be counseled to do so as soon as possible, as they may still be awarded MAP.
  • The disbursement of funds is processed by the State Comptroller's Office.
  • Because Payment Offset and Reconciliation procedures apply to MAP, 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.
  • More information regarding payment functionality, including detailed instructions, is available at the following locations on ISAC's website:

MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple

  • ISAC is accepting 2021-22 MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple claims for the second term.
    • Colleges may submit second-term claims by accessing the MTI and Golden Apple systems.
  • The second-term priority claim deadline dates for the 2021-22 MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple programs will be announced once determined.
    • Colleges are always encouraged to submit claims as soon as they are able to do so.
      • The timely submission of claims and cancellations/adjustments allows ISAC staff to monitor remaining funds and award other students, as applicable.
  • By submitting a Golden Apple claim, the institution is certifying that the Scholar is enrolled and continues to meet all eligibility requirements.
    • If not submitting a claim, the institution reports the reason for the student's ineligibility.
  • Submitting claims is a two-step process, which involves generating the request (either individually or in a batch) and then submitting the request.
  • MTI and Golden Apple claim results will be available via each program's online system.
    • After submitting claims, colleges are encouraged to always review the Payment Results/Exceptions report that is available the next business day.
    • As vouchers are generated, they are sent via e-mail to financial aid directors.
  • The disbursement of funds is processed by the State Comptroller's Office.
  • Because Payment Offset and Reconciliation procedures apply to the MTI Scholarship and Golden Apple programs, 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.
  • More information regarding online certification (for the MTI Scholarship Program) and payment functionality (for both programs), including detailed instructions, is available at the following locations on ISAC's website:

IVG and ING Grant

  • ISAC is accepting spring-term benefit usage data for the 2021-22 IVG and ING Grant programs.
  • The deadline dates for submitting 2021-22 IVG and ING Grant spring-term benefit usage data will be announced once determined.
  • Even though the summer- (for the IVG Program) and fall-term (for the IVG and ING Grant programs) deadline dates have passed, colleges are still encouraged to submit benefit usage data for those terms as soon as possible.
  • Benefit usage data for the IVG and ING Grant programs is submitted to ISAC by colleges via the benefit usage functionality within each program's system.
    • Colleges report enrollment hours and dollar amounts for initial, in-district and out-of-district benefit usage by students, as well as adjustments to previously-submitted data.
  • Although ISAC is not able to reimburse institutions for 2021-22 IVG or ING Grant awards, reporting of benefits used must still take place so that usage can be accurately reflected on students' accounts.
  • Colleges are encouraged to regularly check their Benefits Results report for each program.
    • Further details are provided in the IVG and ING Grant user guides.
  • More information, including detailed instructions, is available at the following locations:

Watch for Future Updates

Future program updates will be shared with colleges via ISAC's standard methods of communication, including: the MAP, MTI Scholarship, Golden Apple, ING Grant and IVG "Program News" areas; the FAA Message Board; and, this e-Messaging service.

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PUBLIC SCHOOLS - PARTICIPATING IN THE ING GRANT AND IVG PROGRAMS

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

Join the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) for a free virtual Public Service Loan Forgiveness Webinar
Sent on January 18, 2022.

Recent temporary changes, including a limited waiver, to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) 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 Public Service Loan Forgiveness (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!

January Webinar Dates:

January 25, 5-6:30 p.m.
January 26, 6-7:30 p.m.January 27, 12-1 p.m.
January 29, 10-11:30 a.m.

Learn more and register: https://www.isac.org/pslf

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ISAC UPDATE

December 2021 Electronic ISAC Update
Sent on January 3, 2022.

The December 2021 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 December 2021 ISAC Update include:

      • 2021-22 MAP Payment Updates
        (sent December 21, 2021)
      • Release of 2021-22 MAP Suspense
        (sent December 20, 2021)
      • A Holiday Wish from ISAC
        (sent December 8, 2021)
      • Early Childhood Scholarship Application Launches
        (sent December 3, 2021)
      • Submit 2021-22 Fall-Term Claims and Benefit Usage Data
        (sent December 3, 2021)
      • November 2021 Electronic ISAC Update
        (sent December 1, 2021)

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