ISAC Update

VOL. 40, NO. 10F
April 2023

Welcome to the April 2023 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

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 NESP Schools on April 13, 2023.

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 2023:

• April 26 at 2 p.m.
• May 31 at 2 p.m.
• June 28 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 Kimberly.Eck@illinois.gov prior to the session.

Virtual Commission Meeting Thursday, April 13 – Executive Briefing Tuesday, April 18
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 11, 2023.

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 13.

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

• State Legislative update
• Proposed administrative program rules amendments
• PaCE Framework update
• FAFSA Simplification update
• College Illinois!® Prepaid Tuition Program investment and program updates

The Agenda Book, providing the complete listing of agenda items, is posted on the 2023 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 Conference Call – Tuesday, April 18

An Executive Briefing conference call is scheduled for Tuesday, April 18 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. for institutional financial aid staff. Executive Director Eric Zarnikow and ISAC staff will provide information about activity that took place at the Commission meeting and other ISAC updates.

On the day of the briefing, you can gain access through the below link/information, or by visiting the Partner Training page of the e-Library, where access will also be available.

• Access this link: https://illinois.webex.com/join/carol.cook
• When prompted, enter the meeting number 806 754 783

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

• For toll-free participation, select the “Call Me” option, enter your phone number, and you will be called. (This is the recommended option.)
• For “Use computer audio” you will need to have a microphone to be able to interact with the briefing. Without a microphone, you will be in listen-only mode.
• The “Call in” option is not a toll-free number, however, if you are not able to participate through the provided link and the “Call Me” option, but would like to participate only by phone, you can use this toll number: +1-415-655-0002 (USA Toll) and access code 806 754 783.

April 2023 Webinars from ISAC Partner Training
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools – Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users, Business Officers and NESP Schools on April 4, 2023.

Mark your calendars for the following upcoming webinars, which the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is offering during the month of April.

Nursing Education Scholarship Program (NESP) Updates & Certification Process – April 10 Webinar

An overview of recent NESP updates and certification functionality within the GAP Access portal is scheduled for 2-3 p.m. on Monday, April 10. To participate, 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; the link is also listed below. Registration is not required, and any specific topics or questions you would like addressed may be submitted via e-mail to stephanie.claudio@illinois.gov prior to the session.

April 10 Webinar link: https://illinois.webex.com/meet/stephanie.claudio

Budget Reporting Process – April 11 & 12 Webinars

An overview of what's new for the 2023-24 budget reporting process, including the process of submitting 2023-24 budget data for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs, as well as reporting differential rates. For your convenience, this webinar will be offered on two different dates and times.

Tuesday, April 11: 2-3 p.m.

Wednesday, April 12: 10-11 a.m.

To participate, 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; the link is also listed below. Registration is not required, and any specific topics or questions you would like addressed may be submitted via e-mail to sherry.schonauer@illinois.gov prior to the session.

April 11 & 12 Webinars link: https://illinois.webex.com/join/sherry.schonauer

2023-24 Budget Data Due June 1
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 3, 2023.

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

The annual reporting of postsecondary institutions' budget information to ISAC is underway. This message provides details regarding the manner in which colleges participating in the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs will submit required budget data for the 2023-24 processing cycle.

The requested budget information follows the same general format that was used to report 2022-23 academic year data, with the only change being the addition of a screen to collect on-campus only mandatory fees for MAP (see below for further details).

2023-24 Budget Data Due June 1, 2023

Colleges will submit their 2023-24 budget data online via the "School: Budget" area of the GAP Access portal.

If a school's annual budget is not final by June 1, the budget data is to be submitted with estimated figures, followed by an e-mail from the financial aid director to ISAC's School Services Department that provides the approximate date by which the final budget will be submitted (must be on or before August 1, 2023).

New for 2023-24: Reporting On-Campus Mandatory Fees for MAP

As part of the 2023-24 budget reporting process for MAP, colleges are to report the mandatory fee amounts for each type of fee (based on 16 semester hours or 12 quarter hours per term) by navigating to the "On-Campus Mandatory Fees" tab.

• "On-Campus Mandatory Fees" are the charges assessed each term to every full-time student in a traditional 16-hour on-campus, non-distance education enrollment.
  • Application, graduation, laboratory, breakage, add/drop, and out-of-state or foreign study program administration fees are specifically excluded.
• This data is being collected for the purpose of calculating a mean-weighted tuition and fee rate for a typical on-campus student, which ISAC uses and provides to other state partners for a variety of purposes.

More information about reporting on-campus mandatory fees for MAP is provided in the recently-updated ISAC's Budget Reporting User Guide.

Reporting FY2023 and FY2024 Differential Rates

As part of the 2023-24 budget data reporting process, ISAC will be collecting differential rate data for both fiscal year 2023 (FY2023) and FY2024.

• Since differential budget data was not collected during the FY2023 budget data reporting process, schools will be asked to provide that 2022-23 data during the FY2024 process.
• Schools that would like to add a differential budget code for FY2024 may contact the School Services Department to do so.

Upcoming Training Opportunities

The 2023-24 budget data collection process will be discussed during upcoming Budget Completion webinars.

• Tuesday, April 11, 2023 – 2 p.m. (CT)
• Wednesday, April 12, 2023 – 10 a.m. (CT)
• Dates for additional sessions, to be offered in May, will be announced once scheduled.

To participate in these webinars, visit the e-Library's Partner Training page to access the webinar link and presentation materials, both of which will be posted on the day of the session. Registration is not required.

General Institutional Information

Valid responses must be provided for Questions 1 and 2 of the "General Institutional Information" section. If you do not have a valid Program Participation Agreement (PPA), blank is a valid response. If Question 1 is checked, and/or a date is reported for Question 2, responses to all three questions are required before the budget can be certified. For Question 3, one of the buttons ("Yes" or "No") must be selected before the budget can be certified.

1. Please check this box to confirm that this institution has a valid PPA with the U.S. Department of Education (ED). [Checkbox will appear here]
2. This ED PPA expires: [mm/dd/yyyy field will appear here]
3. Has your institution undergone a name or ownership change in the last 12 months? [Yes/No radio buttons will appear here]

Operational Details and Reminders

• As was the case for the 2022-23 budget data collection process, colleges:
  • report "main" tuition and fee rates (i.e., the basic rate that the majority of students at the college are charged), rather than the highest rate as had been reported in prior years; and,
  • if applicable, add new differential rates (i.e., any rates, other than the college's "main" rate, upon which payment requests may be based).
• Remember that – effective starting with the 2022-23 academic year, and with the exception of data reported via the "On-Campus Mandatory Fees" tab for MAP – the definition of "Mandatory Fees" has been expanded to include fees for students studying though distance education (in addition to previously-included on-campus students).
• Step-by-step instructions for accessing and navigating the GAP Access "School: Budget" screens – including access to the recently-updated ISAC's Budget Reporting User Guide – are provided on the Gift Assistance Budget Instructions page (and may also be viewed in a separate browser window via a link in the top right corner of the "School: Budget" screens).
  • An overview of the budget reporting process is provided on slides 21-37 of the March 29, 2023 "ISAC Operational Update and Program News" webinar presentation.
• Only those staff members who have been granted appropriate GAP Access privileges will be able to access the "Budget" option from within the "School" area of the system.
• Budget data must be reported for each approved program (MAP, IVG and/or ING Grant), and each approved school code within a program, before it is certified.
• After the budget information for all approved codes and all approved programs has been entered, saved and confirmed and the institution's required tuition refund policy document has been uploaded and saved, the financial aid director will need to submit the data by selecting the "Certify" button.
• If you have questions concerning the online process of submitting budget data to ISAC, please contact a School Services Representative at 866.247.2172 or isac.schoolservices@illinois.gov.

Do You Want to Change How Your MAP Awards are Calculated?

The majority of schools calculate term awards by the "cents" option, but if you're interested in switching to the "no cents" option (or vice versa), simply contact ISAC's School Services Department to discuss how to make the change. Any such revisions must be done prior to the start of the payment claim process for the upcoming award year.

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ECACE ADMINISTRATORS

2022-23 ECACE Summer Term Claims Being Accepted
Sent to ECACE Administrators on April 17, 2023.

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

This message is being sent to assist colleges with the administration of the 2022-23 Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program.

Submit 2022-23 ECACE Claims

• ISAC is now accepting 2022-23 ECACE Scholarship payment requests (claims) for the summer term.
  • As a reminder, summer is designated as "Term 4" (for both semester and quarter schools) in the ECACE system.
  • Colleges will be notified once the priority claim deadline date for the summer term has been determined.
• Although the priority claim deadline dates have passed for prior terms (including the fall and spring semesters and the fall, winter and spring quarters), ISAC is continuing to accept and pay 2022-23 ECACE Scholarship claims for these terms.
• Colleges may submit 2022-23 ECACE Scholarship claims for all terms by accessing the ECACE system.
  • 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 claims for the ECACE Scholarship Program, the institution is certifying that the Scholar is enrolled and continues to meet all program 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.
• 2022-23 payment results are available via the ECACE system every weekday.
  • Colleges are encouraged to always review the Payment Results/Exceptions report, which is available the day after claims are processed.
• The disbursement of funds is processed by the State Comptroller's Office.
  • Refer to the State Comptroller's Website page, located within the Processes section of the Financial Aid Administrators area, for information on how to track payment.
  • Refer to the ECACE Payment area to view information regarding a report for tracking payment vouchers and warrants (available via the ECACE system).
• Because Payment Offset and Reconciliation procedures apply to the ECACE Scholarship Pogram, 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 ECACE payment functionality, including detailed instructions, is available at the following locations on ISAC's website:
  • ECACE Electronic Processing (including the ECACE User Guide)
  • ECACE Payment

2022-23 ECACE Application Accepted Through May 15

The 2022-23 ECACE Scholarship Program application – used to request funding for the fall 2022, winter/spring 2023, and summer 2023 terms – will continue to be accepted through (including) Monday, May 15, 2023. Encourage students who may be eligible but have not yet done so to submit both the 2022-23 ECACE application and the 2022-23 FAFSA as soon as possible. Based on the fiscal year 2023 program appropriation and projected application volume, ISAC anticipates that funds will remain to be awarded to eligible untimely applicants (i.e., those whose applications are received after the July 15, 2022 priority consideration date) who submit their applications no later than May 15, 2023.

The 2023-24 ECACE Scholarship Program application – used to request funding for the fall 2023, winter/spring 2024, and summer 2024 terms – is anticipated to be available at the ISAC Student Portal by the end of May 2023.

Watch for Future Updates

Future program updates – including availability of the 2023-24 ECACE Scholarship Program application – will be shared with colleges via ISAC's standard methods of communication, including: the ECACE Program News area; the FAA Message Board; and, this e-Messaging service.

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ISAC UPDATE

March 2023 Electronic ISAC Update
Sent on March 1, 2023.

The March 2023 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 2023 ISAC Update include:

• Success Network Webinars & Conference Materials
  (sent March 28, 2023)
• Calling All First Generation Scholars!
  (sent March 27, 2023)
• 2022-23 MAP Payment Update
  (sent March 21, 2023)
• ISAC Sessions During 2023 ILASFAA Conference
  (sent March 7, 2023)
• 2022-23 ECACE Reminders
  (sent March 3, 2023)
• 2023-24 Nursing Education Scholarship Program Application Available
  (sent March 1, 2023)
• February 2023 Electronic ISAC Update
  (sent March 1, 2023)

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