ISAC Student PortalISAC Update
| Messages sent to: | Multiple Subscription Groups |
| Financial Aid Administrators | |
| CCM Task Force | |
| ISAC Update |
Welcome to the August 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 August.
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.
2022-23 Program Updates: MAP Payment, IVG Benefit Usage, and MTI Awarding
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users and Business Officers on August 31, 2022.
Unless otherwise noted, links in this message are to corresponding pages at the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) website (isac.org).
2022-23 MAP First-Term Payment Requests Being Accepted
Effective today (Wednesday, August 31, 2022), ISAC has initiated the 2022-23 Monetary Award Program (MAP) payment cycle by allowing first-term payment requests (i.e., claims) to be submitted.
- Colleges may now submit first-term claims by accessing the MAP system, as well as by File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
- From this point forward, first-term payment requests will be processed on a nightly basis as they are received from colleges, and then submitted to the State Comptroller for payment per standard operating procedures.
What's New
New for the 2022-23 academic year, payment may be requested for MAP-eligible students who are enrolled a minimum of three hours per term in credit bearing certificate programs that are offered at public institutions and are less than one academic year in length.
- A Short-Term Certificate Program indicator has been added to the payment request process to identify students who are receiving MAP due to their enrollment in a short-term certificate program.
- If requesting payment in GAP, the indicator can be provided on the:
- Student Detail screen,
- Input Enrollment screen, and
- Payment Generation screen.
- If requesting payment via the FTP process, an indicator of "Y" may be provided in field #24 of the FTP file.
- The 2022-23 MAP 160-Byte File Layout Specifications document has been updated to reflect the revised file specifications.
- If requesting payment in GAP, the indicator can be provided on the:
Program Reminders
- As explained in a July 20 e-Message, the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) MAP recompute formula utilizes school-reported "main" tuition and fee rates reported to ISAC for FY22, which is the in-district, in-state rate charged to freshman students for the 2021-22 award year, and that is typically charged to the majority of students.
- Because some institutions have differential tuition and fee rates for certain programs that are substantially higher than a school's main rate, earlier this summer ISAC provided an opportunity for these colleges to include a differential rate in their FY22 budget data, allowing them to determine MAP eligibility and submit MAP claims based on their differential rates.
- Colleges for which differential budget data has been entered, certified, and approved in the system may:
- use the "Edit MAP Code" functionality in the MAP system to calculate a student's eligible MAP award based on a differential budget rate, and
- claim MAP for a student based on a differential budget code.
- Be sure to review the Payment Results/Exceptions report in the Reports section of the MAP system the day after submitting payment requests to see which requests, if any, did not process as expected.
- Any 2022-23 payment requests that were submitted via FTP prior to August 31, 2022 will not be processed, and must be resubmitted by the college. In order to prevent having to resubmit data in the future, never submit payment requests via FTP until after ISAC announces it is accepting the data for that academic year.
- 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.
Online Resources
More information regarding the payment process is available via:
- the "Payment" chapter of the MAP User Guide (recently updated to reflect the new rules regarding credit bearing certificate programs), which is located in the MAP Electronic Processing section of the Financial Aid Administrators Processes area, and
- the MAP Payment section of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area.
IVG Fall-Term Benefit Usage Data Being Accepted
Effective today, ISAC is accepting benefit usage data for the 2022-23 Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) fall term. As a reminder, colleges have been able to submit benefit usage data for the 2022-23 IVG summer term and the 2022-23 Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant fall term since mid-August.
In order to be considered timely:
- IVG benefit usage data for the summer term must be submitted on or before Friday, September 30, 2022;
- IVG benefit usage data for the fall term must be submitted on or before Friday, December 30, 2022; and,
- ING Grant benefit usage data for the fall term must be submitted on or before Friday, December 30, 2022.
Program Reminders
- 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 2022-23 IVG or ING Grant awards, reporting of benefits used must still take place so that usage can be accurately reflected on students' accounts.
- Any 2022-23 benefit usage data that was submitted via FTP prior to August 18, 2022 will not be processed, and must be resubmitted by the college.
- In order to prevent having to resubmit data in the future, never submit benefit usage data via FTP until after ISAC announces it is accepting the data for that academic year.
MTI Awarding
2022-23 Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program awarding has taken place for all timely renewal applicants who have been certified as eligible. Award notifications will be mailed to awarded students by ISAC today.
Award Information Available via the MTI System
Colleges may now access 2022-23 eligible award information, including funded or unfunded status, using the MTI system, where all online processing for the MTI Scholarship Program is done. Award results may be viewed using the "Student List Eligibility: View" screen of the MTI system.
Online Resources
Resources regarding the awarding process, including the MTI User Guide, may be accessed via the MTI Electronic Processing area, as well as in the Award Determination for MTI section of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area.
Continue Certifying Records
Be sure to continue certifying records so that applicants will receive the appropriate notifications and be included in aby future rounds of awarding.
General and System Reminders
- Please verify that the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access Administrator at your college has established the appropriate system access level for all impacted staff.
- Instructions for establishing access to the appropriate system(s) may be found on the GAP Access page.
- Submitting payment requests is a two-step process, which involves generating the request (either individually or in a batch) and then submitting the request.
- Payment requests submitted by 7 p.m. (CT) will be included in that night's processing, with payment results available the next business day. Results for payment requests submitted after 7 p.m. (CT) will be included in the following night's processing.
- GAP Access is available each day between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. (CT).
- The two-factor authentication process requires a valid user ID, password and single-use verification code each time a user logs in to the GAP Access portal.
- A valid GAP Access user ID and password are required in order to submit files via ISAC's Secure File Transfer System (located at https://transfer.isac.org/), making encryption (password protection) of files unnecessary. Additional information and instructions are provided in the FTP Process Using GAP Access Credentials Guide.
- 2022-23 MAP 160-byte specifications and 160-byte specifications for the 2022-23 IVG and ING Grant programs, describing the file layout to be used to send data to ISAC via FTP, are available within the Electronic Tools section of the e-Library for Partners.
- The disbursement of funds is processed by the State of Illinois 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.
Watch for Future Updates
Future program updates will be announced via our usual means of communication: the FAA Message Board, the Program News pages, and/or this e-Messaging system.
2022-23 ECACE Scholarship Updates: Payment Implementation and Prequalification Reminders
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators and ECACE Administrators on August 19, 2022.
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is sharing the following information to assist colleges in the administration of the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program. If you do not work directly with 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.
Submit First-term Claims
Effective immediately, colleges may submit 2022-23 first-term payment requests (i.e., claims) via the ECACE component of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal.
- Within the ECACE system, submit claims 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.
- The maximum award amount that may be claimed during the academic year populates in the "Max Annual Award Amount" field of the ECACE system as part of the prequalification process.
- Colleges must determine the term award amount(s) based on other financial aid the student is receiving, keeping in mind that the ECACE Scholarship is last payer, is not need-based aid, and can be used for any cost of attendance component.
- Applications with Timely New, Timely Renewal, Untimely New and Untimely Renewal designations are all considered complete and schools are encouraged to submit payment requests for these students as soon as possible.
- The timely submission of payment requests allows ISAC staff to monitor program funding levels and ensure that available dollars are best leveraged to award as many scholarships as possible without exceeding the appropriation.
- Submitting claims is a two-step process, which involves generating the request and then submitting the request.
- By submitting a payment request to ISAC, a college is certifying that the student is enrolled and continues to meet all eligibility criteria.
- Beginning next week, payment results will be available in the ECACE system each Tuesday morning (e.g., results for claims submitted through Monday, August 22 will be available in the ECACE system the morning of Tuesday, August 23).
- 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, and payments are made on a monthly basis.
- 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.
Access Prequalification Data via "Student List Eligibility: View" Screen
Colleges may access 2022-23 prequalification data via the ECACE system.
- View a listing of students who have completed the 2022-23 ECACE Scholarship online application process by selecting the Student tab in the ECACE system, which will display the "Student List Eligibility: View" screen.
- New for the 2022-23 processing cycle, prequalification results are available twice each week: on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
- Data is displayed for applications that have been reviewed by ISAC staff and list the institution as the college the student plans to attend [i.e., complete, incomplete and ineligible (based on student-reported data) applications may be included].
- If an applicant submits additional documentation for a previously-listed incomplete or ineligible application, that record will be removed from the "Student List Eligibility: View" screen until after ISAC staff has reviewed the new documentation.
- A student's record is considered prequalified if they have completed the online application process – which includes submitting a complete ECACE Scholarship Program application to ISAC and completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) that results in a valid expected family contribution (EFC) – and they meet all initial program eligibility requirements (i.e., requirements other than those that must be verified by the college).
- If an applicant already has a bachelor's degree, the school must indicate that they are ineligible by selecting the ineligibility reason of "Applicant holds a bachelor's degree."
Further details regarding the ECACE Scholarship prequalification process are provided in a July 26 e-Message.
Resources Available Online
More information is available at the following locations on ISAC's website:
- ECACE Electronic Processing (including the ECACE User Guide, which is being updated to reflect 2022-23 system-related changes)
- ECACE Prequalification
- ECACE Payment
GAP Access Data Protection and System Authorization
The availability of prequalified applicant data in the ECACE system provides a means by which this information may be shared with colleagues in other areas of the college who are working with prospective and current students. Reports listing ECACE applicants may be generated and edited, and then made available to other departments at your institution. All personally identifiable information (PII), such as an applicant's Social Security number (SSN), date of birth, and expected family contribution (EFC), should be removed from the report before the information leaves the financial aid office.
As a reminder, so that the proper level of security is maintained for administering ISAC programs, financial aid staff must have the appropriate level of access in order to view prequalification records, view payment request data, and/or submit claims. The school's primary administrator or a designated administrator is responsible for authorizing access levels.
ECACE Scholarship Applications Still Being Accepted
The 2022-23 ECACE Scholarship Program application continues to be accepted, even though the July 15, 2022 priority consideration date has passed. Complete applications – including the 2022-23 FAFSA – received after this date will continue to be considered for the ECACE Scholarship Program for as long as funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded. Based on the fiscal year 2023 appropriation and projected application volume, ISAC anticipates that funds will remain to be awarded to eligible untimely applicants.
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.
2022-23 IVG & ING Grant Benefit Usage Functionality Now Available
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators and Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs on August 18, 2022.
Unless otherwise noted, links in this message are to corresponding pages at the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) website (isac.org).
This message provides information regarding the benefit usage reporting cycle for the 2022-23 Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs.
IVG and ING Grant Benefit Usage Data Being Accepted
Effective today, ISAC is accepting benefit usage data for the 2022-23 IVG summer term and the 2022-23 ING Grant fall term.
In order to be considered timely:
- IVG benefit usage data for the summer term must be submitted on or before Friday, September 30, 2022; and,
- ING Grant benefit usage data for the fall term must be submitted on or before Friday, December 30, 2022.
Colleges will be notified when we begin accepting benefit usage data for the 2022-23 IVG fall term.
Reminders
- 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 2022-23 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.
- 160-byte specifications for the 2022-23 IVG and ING Grant programs, describing the file layout to be used to send data for each program to ISAC via File Transfer Protocol (FTP), are available within the Electronic Tools section of the e-Library for Partners.
- Any 2022-23 benefit usage data that was submitted via FTP prior to August 18, 2022 will not be processed, and must be resubmitted by the college.
- In order to prevent having to resubmit data in the future, never submit benefit usage data via FTP until after ISAC announces it is accepting the data for that academic year.
Resources Available Online
More information, including detailed instructions, is available at the following locations:
- IVG
- ING Grant
System Reminders
- Please verify that the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access Administrator at your college has established the appropriate program system (IVG and/or ING Grant) access level for all impacted staff.
- Instructions for establishing access to the appropriate system(s) may be found on the GAP Access page.
- The IVG and ING Grant systems are available each day between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. (CT).
- The two-factor authentication process requires a valid user ID, password and single-use verification code each time a user logs in to the GAP Access portal.
- A valid GAP Access user ID and password are required in order to submit files via ISAC's Secure File Transfer System (located at https://transfer.isac.org/), making encryption (password protection) of files unnecessary.
- Additional information and instructions are provided in the FTP Process Using GAP Access Credentials Guide.
Watch for Future Updates
Future updates regarding ISAC's military programs – including an announcement of when IVG benefit usage data for the fall term begins to be accepted – will be shared via our usual means of communication: the FAA Message Board; the IVG and ING Grant "Program News" pages; and/or this e-Messaging system.
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 ECACE Administrators on August 9, 2022.
you might be eligible for a loan forgiveness program!
Less than three months remain for federal student loan borrowers to take advantage of the temporary changes to the PSLF Program. These changes end on October 31, 2022, don't miss out!
Session Description:
Public service employees may be eligible for loan forgiveness through the PSLF program. 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, and the new temporary changes, 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 and the 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!
August Webinar Dates:
Friday, August 19, 12-1 p.m. (CT)
Wednesday, August 31, 1-2 p.m. (CT)
Learn more and register: https://www.isac.org/pslf. For questions on the webinars, contact the Professional Development team at isac.pslf@illinois.gov.
Upcoming Important Dates from ISAC
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAP Users, Business Officers and ECACE Administrators on August 4, 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:
2023-24 (July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024)
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)
September 28: FAFSA® Symposium
Mark your calendar for ISAC's 4th annual Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Symposium, taking place at the College of DuPage from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. Further details regarding this in-person event, which is offered free of charge, are provided in an August 3 e-Message.
MAP Recompute Formula
At its June 16, 2022 meeting, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission approved a recompute formula that increases the maximum 2022-23 Monetary Award Program (MAP) award from $5,496 to $7,200, uses 2021-22 reported tuition and fees, and uses the 2021-22 Pell Grant Payment Schedule. Additional details regarding the formula and its implementation are provided via e-Messages dated June 22 and June 27.
Now Available: ECACE Prequalification Data
Colleges may access prequalification data for 2022-23 Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program via the "Student List Eligibility: View" screen of the ECACE system. Data is displayed for all applications listing the institution as the college the student plans to attend (i.e., complete, incomplete and ineligible based on student-reported data applications are included). Further details are provided in a July 26 e-Message.
ECACE Scholarship Applications Still Being Accepted
The 2022-23 ECACE Scholarship Program application continues to be accepted, even though the July 15, 2022 priority consideration date has passed. Complete applications – including the 2022-23 FAFSA – received after this date will continue to be considered for the ECACE Scholarship Program for as long as funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded. Based on the fiscal year 2023 appropriation and projected application volume, ISAC anticipates that funds will remain to be awarded to eligible untimely applicants.
Now Available: ING Grant Application and Eligibility Data
The interactive application for the 2022-23 Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program is available for students to complete and submit online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal. 2022-23 ING Grant eligibility data is available in the ING Grant system.
Specific details regarding the ING Grant system, including important reminders and guidelines, are provided at the ING Grant Electronic Processing page.
Now Available: Grant Programs for Dependents of Police/Fire/Correctional Officers Application
The application for the 2022-23 Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire, and Correctional Officers is available for students to access via the Applications page of the Students & Parents area.
Verification Process for ISAC's Programs
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) GEN-22-06, confirming that verification process changes, which were originally made for the 2021-22 award year, are being continued into the 2022-23 award year. For the remainder of the 2022-23 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) processing and verification cycle, ED is waiving verification requirements for most FAFSA information, except for the identity/statement of educational purpose and high school completion status under verification tracking groups V-4 and V-5.
A July 14 e-Message announces that, consistent with ED's action, ISAC is not requiring colleges to complete federal verification for students receiving ISAC program benefits for the 2022-23 award year, and advises schools to follow ED guidance in regard to when verification must be completed. However, colleges are still required to confirm Illinois residency for all students receiving ISAC program benefits for which Illinois residency is a requirement.
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 maximum 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.
Reminder: Do Not Yet Submit Summer 2022 IVG Benefit Usage Data
In order to prevent having to resubmit data in the future, never submit Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program benefit usage data via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) until after ISAC has announced it is accepting the data for that academic year. Remember that summer leads the academic year for IVG, and ISAC is not yet accepting summer 2022 benefit usage data. Any 2022-23 benefit usage data submitted via FTP prior to ISAC announcing that IVG data is being accepted for the summer term will not be processed, and will have to be resubmitted by the college. ISAC will announce via the standard communication methods (i.e., the IVG Program News page, the FAA Message Board, and/or this e-Messaging service) once summer 2022 IVG benefit usage data is being accepted (anticipated for later this summer).
August 5: Adjustments to Claims and Benefit Usage Data Due
As announced in a July 13 e-Message, adjustments to cancel or reduce previously-submitted MAP, MTI Scholarship, and Golden Apple claims, as well as ING Grant and IVG benefit usage data for all terms, will continue to be accepted through (including) Friday, August 5, 2022.
Remember that, due to the MAP, MTI Scholarship, and Golden Apple payment offset process, only data reconciliation activities should take place until after ISAC has determined that all payment processing is final. At that time, 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.
August 8: Data Available for Historical View Only
Effective Monday, August 8, 2022, data for the 2021-22 processing cycle will be available for historical view only in the GAP Access component for each of the following programs.
As a reminder, reports continue to be available for colleges to access after data has been moved to historical view. However, after submitting adjustments, colleges are encouraged to always review the Payment/Benefits Results Exceptions report that is available the next business day.
August 31: Webinar
The following webinar for financial aid administrators will be offered later this month:
- August 31 at 2 p.m. (CT) – ISAC Operational Update and Program News
To participate in this webinar, 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 for the webinar.
Throughout August: 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, plan to attend one of the free webinars being offered by ISAC staff throughout the month of August. Further details, including specific dates and access to online registration, will soon be provided at https://www.isac.org/pslf.
September 22: Next Commission Meeting
The next meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, September 22, 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.
In the Fall: MAP Advising Data Collection
The 2022 collection period for MAP Advising data – including advising and support program information and course completion rates – is anticipated to open in the fall. As a reminder, both components of the required data are submitted through the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal.
2022 CCE Conference Recordings Available Online
Interest session recordings and presentation files from the 2022 College Changes Everything® (CCE) virtual conference are now available on the conference website. Further details are provided in a July 15 e-Message.
Holiday Schedules
ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:
- Monday, September 5 – Labor Day
- Monday, October 10 – Columbus 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).
2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Symposium – One Week Left to Register!
Sent on August 25, 2022.
Brought to you by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) in partnership with College of DuPage
There is only one week left to register for ISAC's 4th annual FAFSA Symposium! The symposium will highlight presenters from across the state sharing best practices and their strategies on helping students with financial aid applications.
Registration for the symposium will close next Thursday, September 1, 2022. The Symposium is offered at no cost to attendees, but advance registration is required. ISAC cannot guarantee walk-in registrations. Visit the FAFSA Symposium page to register and learn more!
Professional development (PD) hours and continuing education (CE) credits will be offered to attendees at the rate of one unit per contact hour.
We are excited to see you at the symposium!
2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Symposium – Call for Proposals Extended & Two Weeks Left to Register!
Sent on August 16, 2022.
Brought to you by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) in partnership with College of DuPage
ISAC's 4th annual FAFSA Symposium will be held in-person at College of DuPage on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.! We thank College of DuPage for their partnership and collaboaration in brinnging the symposium to their campus.
Call for Proposals Extended
To accommodate the high level of interest, we are extending our deadline to submit a session proposal to Friday, August 26, 2022! We hope this will give additional time and encouragement to those interested in presenting at the symposium. The session proposal form and guidelines can be found on the FAFSA Symposium page.
Only Two Weeks Left for Registration
The registration deadline is quickly approaching! Registration will close on Thursday, September 1, 2022. The symposium is offered at no cost to attendees, but advance registration is required. Walk-in registrations are not guaranteed. Visit the FAFSA Symposium page to register and learn more!
Professional development (PD) hours and continuing education (CE) credits will be offered to attendees at the rate of one unit per contact hour.
For questions, contact ISAC's Professional Development team at isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
We look forward to seeing you there!
2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Symposium – Registration Open & Call for Proposals
Sent on August 3, 2022.
We are excited to announce the Illinois Student Assistance Commission's (ISAC) 4th annual FAFSA Symposium will be held in-person at College of DuPage on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.! We thank College of DuPage for their partnership and collaboration in bringing the symposium to their campus.
The FAFSA Symposium provides an opportunity for schools to share best practices for supporting students in completing the FAFSA and the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid.
Registration
The symposium is offered at no cost to attendees! Registration is now open through September 1, 2022. The symposium is open to all college access professionals but directly aimed towards school counselors, college & career staff, and anyone who provides direct support to students on the financial aid process. Advance registration is required; walk-in registrations are not guaranteed. Visit the FAFSA Symposium page to register and for more information.
Call for Proposals
If you are interested in sharing your best practices, experiences, and resources for FAFSA and Alternative Application completion, we invite you to submit a session proposal online! Priority will be given to sessions submitted by August 17, 2022. Session guidelines can be found on the FAFSA Symposium page and the session proposal form.
For questions about the FAFSA Symposium, contact ISAC's Professional Development team at isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
We look forward to seeing you!
College Course Materials Task Force Upcoming Meeting
Sent on August 19, 2022.
ISAC is set to host the fourth College Course Materials (CCM) Task Force meeting next Thursday, August 25, 2022, from 1 to 4 p.m. (CT). The agenda for this meeting can be accessed here. To join the CCM Task Force Meeting, which is a WebEx virtual event:
- Go to https://illinois2.webex.com/illinois2/onstage/g.php?MTID=e076efbc58edd004000c214fae20b1bf7
- Join as a participant and enter your name and e-mail address.
- Enter the session password: PD2022
- Click "Join Now".
- Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.
This Task Force information is also accessible on the ISAC CCM Task Force webpage.
If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to ISAC.CCMTaskForce@illinois.gov.
July 2022 Electronic ISAC Update
Sent on August 1, 2022.
The July 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 July 2022 ISAC Update include:
- 2022-23 ECACE Scholarship Update: Student List Available
(sent July 26, 2022) - ISAC Monthly Webinars for FAAs
(sent July 22, 2022) - 2022-23 MAP Recompute, Differential Rates, and Preparing for Fall 2023 MAP Claims
(sent July 20, 2022) - 2022-23 ISAC Administrative Rules Available
(sent July 20, 2022) - 2022 College Changes Everything® Conference Session Recordings and Presentations Available
(sent July 15, 2022) - Guidance on the 2022-23 Verification Process for ISAC Programs
(sent July 14, 2022) - College Course Materials Task Force Upcoming Meeting
(sent July 14, 2022) - 2021-22 Year-End Program Updates
(sent July 13, 2022) - Join ISAC for free Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Webinars
(sent July 12, 2022) - Still Time to Register – CCE Conference
(sent July 11, 2022) - Get Ready! CCE Conference Starts Next Week
(sent July 6, 2022) - 2022-23 ECACE Scholarship Update: Applications Due July 15
(sent July 1, 2022) - June 2022 Electronic ISAC Update
(sent July 1, 2022)
