JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

ISAC Update

VOL. 42, NO. 10F
April 2025

Messages sent to:   Multiple Subscription Groups
  ISAC Update

Welcome to the April 2025 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 [email protected]. 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

Don't Forget: Submit Your CCE Conference Proposal
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 NES Schools on April 29, 2025.

2025 College Changes Everything Conference


How do we build community?

July 17, 2025 – Tinley Park Convention Center

Please play an active role in helping make the 2025 College Changes Everything® (CCE) conference a valuable peer-to-peer learning experience by submitting an interest session proposal to share your insights, experiences, and creative solutions.

One of the significant strengths of the conference comes from sessions developed and led by dedicated educators and professionals like you who highlight programs, resources, and partnerships impacting student success. Each year the conference draws a broad group of professionals and stakeholders, and we welcome proposals that cover a wide range of topics related to college access and completion and career readiness. Such topics might include and are not limited to: college and career readiness; student retention, persistence, and completion; programs and services for underrepresented students; educational equity; student wellness and emotional support; career and technical education; partnerships; career development experiences; education, business, and the economy; college costs, financial aid, and affordability; and community stakeholder engagement. In support of the conference theme, session proposals also should explain how the information shared contributes to helping meet the needs of our students during this time of change, building community, and demonstrating best practices and lessons learned. Attendees look for sessions that provide in-depth information, practical ideas, and best practices and specific strategies. You're invited to 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 complete session proposals submitted by May 6, 2025.

Please share this email with colleagues in your organizations and others in your network so they can join us on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at the Tinley Park Convention Center, Tinley Park, Illinois. Registration for the conference will open later this spring.

2025 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 Department of Employment Security
  • 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
  • ACT Now
  • Women Employed
  • iCan Dream Center

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

2025 CCE Conference: Save the Date & Call for Proposals
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 NES Schools on April 15, 2025.

2025 College Changes Everything Conference

July 17, 2025

2025 CCE: How do we build community?

In uncertain and changing times, hope becomes a vital anchor that enables people to navigate challenges with resilience and purpose and with a sense of belonging and community. Please join us at the 2025 College Changes Everything® (CCE) conference and be part of the conversations as we engage with the question: How do we build community?

This year we invite you to gather not only to explore new ideas and strategies but also to actively build community that sparks inspiration and action. By engaging in meaningful dialogue and sharing best practices informed by experience, participants actively contribute to building a network of mutual support and understanding. Together, we can embody the powerful notion that hope is not just a feeling, but a shared commitment to shaping a brighter future for our students because we know education matters.

As we've come together at CCE conferences over the years (this year will be the 15th conference), we've learned how students are not isolated individuals: they are interconnected, actively participating in a rich tapestry of communities that include their peers, families, academic institutions, and the broader society. As we examine this year's conference question in greater depth, we can also look at these questions:

  • How can our community better understand and meet the needs of our students? Answers to this question can help us build a shared understanding as to why they don't have what they need.
  • How can we strengthen and expand our community? As we explored last year, community can have different meanings. One way to answer this question might be leveraging and making connections between different communities in order to strengthen each of them through those connections and explore ways to provide mutual aid.
  • How can our community work together to marshal resources for our most vulnerable students? We can explore new ways for participatory problem solving through collective action, rather than waiting for others to do it for us and our students.

Call for Proposals: Due May 6, 2025

Please consider helping to make this conference a valuable professional development and collaborative experience by submitting a conference interest session proposal. Click here to access the session proposal form. Presenting at the CCE conference is a terrific way to support and engage in active learning with colleagues, share your knowledge and stories with a diverse audience, enrich your own professional growth, and help build community.

As the conference draws a broad group of professionals and stakeholders, we welcome proposals that cover a wide range of topics related to college access and completion and career readiness. Such topics might include and are not limited to: college and career readiness; student retention, persistence, and completion; programs and services for underrepresented students; educational equity; student wellness and emotional support; career and technical education; partnerships; career development experiences; education, business, and the economy; college costs, financial aid, and affordability; and community stakeholder engagement.

In support of the conference theme, session proposals also should explain how the information shared contributes to helping meet the needs of our students during this time of change, building community, and demonstrating best practices and lessons learned. Priority consideration will be given to session proposal forms completed and submitted by Tuesday, May 6, 2025. For more details on submitting a proposal, please visit the conference website.

Please share this e-mail with colleagues in your organizations and others in your network so they can join us on Thursday, July 17, 2025 at the Tinley Park Convention Center, Tinley Park, Illinois.

2025 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 Department of Employment Security
  • 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
  • ACT Now
  • Women Employed
  • iCan Dream Center

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

ECACE Scholarship Informational Webinar on April 23
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 April 14, 2025.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will offer a webinar for external partners on Wednesday, April 23 at 2 p.m. to prepare everyone for the next steps in administering the 2025-26 Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program.

At the April 23 webinar, ISAC will present information about the program's eligibility criteria, application process, certification process, and awarding criteria for the 2025-26 ECACE Scholarship.

The certification process is expected to be available to colleges after the 2025-26 ECACE application priority consideration date of May 19 has passed and, similar to the process for some of ISAC's other programs, colleges will be given sufficient time to complete certification before awarding is anticipated to take place in late summer. For the 2025-26 ECACE award year, an additional data element will be collected during the certification process for some applicants, asking colleges to indicate how close the student is to graduation.

The certification process is a routine operational step for several of ISAC's scholarship programs and must be completed by participating colleges before ISAC can determine which students will be awarded a scholarship. Through the certification process, colleges confirm an applicant's eligibility and provide information related to awarding criteria for the program, such as the Student Aid Index (SAI) for programs that include financial need as an awarding priority.

Time will be allotted at the end of the webinar for questions about the ECACE Scholarship Program, and we will also include information about other financial aid options for students who may not qualify to receive a 2025-26 ECACE Scholarship.

Please forward information about this webinar to anyone at your institution who may be interested in learning more about the 2025-26 ECACE Scholarship, as well as anyone who works directly with students applying for the scholarship.

Here is the information you'll need to participate in the webinar:

  • Click on this link: https://illinois.webex.com/meet/kimberly.eck
  • When prompted, enter the meeting number: 2452 142 5672
  • To participate by phone only, dial +1-312-535-8110 (US Toll Chicago) or +1-415-655-0002 (US Toll) and access code 2452 142 5672

Additionally, on the day of the webinar, the webinar link and presentation materials will be posted in ISAC's e-Library on the Partner Training page at isac.org.

Commission Meeting Thursday, April 17 – No Executive Briefing
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAP Users and Business Officers on April 14, 2025.

The next regular meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 17, 2025. Those interested in attending the meeting in person may do so either at ISAC's Deerfield or Springfield office location; see below for addresses. There will be no videoconference access to the meeting from ISAC's website.

Some of the items on the tentative agenda are:

  • Fiscal Year 2026 Monetary Award Program (MAP) Revised Start-up Formula
  • Proposed Administrative Program Rules and Amendments
  • State Legislative Update
  • College Illinois!® Prepaid Tuition Program Investment and Program Updates

The Agenda Book, providing the complete listing of agenda items, is available via the 2025 Agenda Books page, which is 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.

No Executive Briefing Conference Call

There is no Executive Briefing conference call scheduled following the April Commission meeting.

Commission Meeting Sites

Deerfield office
1755 Lake Cook Road
Conference Room 3030, 3rd floor
Deerfield
Enter through the east door and check in at the desk

Springfield office
500 West Monroe
Conference Room, 3rd floor
Springfield
Enter from the rear parking lot through the east door, use the elevator or stairs.

2025-26 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 9, 2025.

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 2025-26 processing cycle.

While some clarifying language has been added to the top of the ING Tab 3 (Fee Rates), the requested MAP, IVG and ING Grant budget information follows the same format that was used to report 2024-25 academic year data. There have been no changes to the data collected or the collection process.

Budget Data Due June 1

Colleges submit their budget data online via the "School: Budget" area of the GAP Access portal. Budget data for the 2025-26 academic year must be submitted to ISAC on or before Sunday, June 1, 2025.

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 School Services that provides the approximate date by which the final budget will be submitted (all data must be provided or updated before payment processing begins in August).

Reporting On-Campus Mandatory Fees for MAP

Colleges are to report the 2025-26 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 Budget Reporting Process User Guide.

Reporting FY2026 Differential Rates

As part of the 2025-26 budget data reporting process, ISAC is collecting differential rate data for fiscal year 2026 (FY2026).

  • Schools that have not reported differential budget codes in prior years and would like to do so for FY2026 may contact School Services for assistance.

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 has been the case for the budget data collection process in recent years, colleges:
    • report "main" tuition and fee rates (i.e., the basic rate that the majority of students at the college are charged); 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 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" includes fees for students studying through 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 Budget Reporting Process 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).
  • 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 School Services at 866.247.2172 or [email protected].

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 School Services 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.

Online Resources

The following online resources are available to assist with the 2025-26 budget data collection process:

April 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 NES Schools on April 2, 2025.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will offer the following webinars for financial aid administrators during the month of April.

  • Tuesday, April 8, 10 a.m. – Annual Budget Reporting Process
  • Wednesday, April 30, 2 p.m. – Monthly Program & Operational Update

To participate, visit the Partner Training page in the e-Library on the day of the event to access the webinar link and presentation materials.

2024-25 Claims and Benefit Usage Data Updates and Reminders
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools – Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, Business Officers, ECACE Administrators, and NES Schools on April 1, 2025.

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

As of yesterday (Monday, March 31, 2025), the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access portal – which includes the electronic processing systems for the ISAC programs discussed below – is available for submission of third-term (spring for quarter schools) payment requests (claims). Colleges are encouraged to submit 2024-25 claims and/or benefit usage data as soon as possible.

You may either scroll through the remainder of this message, or click on the appropriate link(s) to go directly to a specific section.

Submitting Claims

Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program

Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program

Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Program

Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program

Nursing Education Scholarships (NES)

Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License Scholarship (Social Work Scholarship) Program

Reminders for Submitting Claims

Submitting Benefit Usage Data

Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program

Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program

ECACE Scholarships

  • ISAC is accepting 2024-25 ECACE Scholarship claims for the third term (spring quarter).
    • The third-term ECACE priority claim deadline date is Friday, May 30, 2025.
  • Even though the ECACE priority claim deadlines have passed for the first (December 31, 2024) and second (March 31, 2025) terms, ISAC is continuing to accept and pay these claims through May 30, 2025.
  • Colleges may submit claims by accessing the ECACE system.
  • More information regarding ECACE payment functionality, including detailed instructions, is available at the following locations:

Golden Apple Scholars

  • ISAC is accepting 2024-25 Golden Apple claims for the third term (spring quarter).
    • The third-term Golden Apple priority claim deadline date is Friday, May 30, 2025.
  • Even though the Golden Apple priority claim deadlines have passed for the first (December 31, 2024) and second (March 31, 2025) terms, ISAC is continuing to accept and pay these claims through May 30, 2025.
  • Colleges may submit claims by accessing the Golden Apple system.
  • More information regarding Golden Apple payment functionality, including detailed instructions, is available at the following locations:

iGROW Tech Scholarships

MTI Scholarships

  • ISAC is accepting 2024-25 MTI Scholarship claims for the third term (spring quarter).
    • The third-term MTI priority claim deadline date is Friday, May 30, 2025.
  • Even though the MTI priority claim deadlines have passed for the first (December 31, 2024) and second (March 31, 2025) terms, ISAC is continuing to accept and pay these claims through May 30, 2025.
  • Colleges may submit claims by accessing the MTI system.
  • More information MTI payment functionality, including detailed instructions, is available at the following locations:

NES

  • ISAC is accepting 2024-25 NES claims for the third term (spring quarter).
    • The NES priority claim deadline date for the third term is Friday, May 30, 2025.
  • Even though the NES priority claim deadline date has passed for the first and second terms (March 31, 2025), ISAC is continuing to accept and pay these claims through May 30, 2025.
  • Colleges may submit claims by accessing the NES system.
  • More information regarding NES payment functionality, including detailed instructions, is available at the following locations:

Social Work Scholarships

Reminders for Submitting Claims

  • Colleges are always encouraged to submit claims as soon as they are able to do so.
    • Regularly check the "Payment List" for each program's system (within the GAP Access portal) to identify newly-added records that are available for payment.
    • The timely submission of claims and cancellations/adjustments allows ISAC staff to monitor remaining funds and award other students, as applicable.
  • By submitting a claim for an ISAC-administered gift assistance program, the institution is confirming that the student is enrolled and continues to meet all eligibility requirements for the program.
    • 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.
  • Payment results are available in the program's corresponding component in GAP Access on a daily basis.
    • 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.
  • Because Payment Offset and Reconciliation procedures apply to each of the programs referenced above, 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.

ING Grant

  • ISAC continues to accept spring-term benefit usage data for the 2024-25 ING Grant Program.
    • In order to be considered timely, spring-term ING Grant benefit usage data must be submitted on or before Friday, May 30, 2025.
  • Although the fall-term deadline date has passed, colleges are still encouraged to submit ING Grant fall-term benefit usage data as soon as possible.
  • ING Grant benefit usage data is submitted to ISAC by colleges via the benefit usage functionality within the ING Grant 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.
  • Even though ISAC may not be able to fully reimburse institutions for 2024-25 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 this program.
  • More information, including detailed instructions, is available at the following locations:

IVG

  • ISAC continues to accept spring-term benefit usage data for the 2024-25 IVG Program.
    • In order to be considered timely, spring-term IVG benefit usage data must be submitted on or before Friday, May 30, 2025.
  • Although the summer- and fall-term deadline dates have passed, colleges are still encouraged to submit IVG benefit usage data for those terms as soon as possible.
  • IVG benefit usage data is submitted to ISAC by colleges via the benefit usage functionality within the IVG 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.
  • Even though ISAC may not be able to fully reimburse institutions for 2024-25 IVG 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 this program.
  • More information, including detailed instructions, is available at the following locations:

Watch for Future Updates

Any future program updates will be shared with colleges via ISAC's standard methods of communication, including: the "Program News" area for each program; the FAA Message Board; and, this e-Messaging service.

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ISAC UPDATE

March 2025 Electronic ISAC Update
Sent on April 1, 2025.

The March 2025 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 2025 ISAC Update include:

  • 2024-25 MAP Payment Updates: Second-Term Claims Due April 4; Third-Term Claims Due May 9
    (sent March 31, 2025)
  • 2025-26 ECACE Scholarship Application Available – Priority Consideration Date: May 19
    (sent March 31, 2025)
  • ISAC Sessions During 2025 ILASFAA Conference
    (sent March 19, 2025)
  • 2024-25 iGROW Tech Claims Being Accepted
    (sent March 17, 2025)
  • 2025-26 MAP Start-up Formula Is Being Revised to Keep Awards at 2024-25 Levels
    (sent March 12, 2025)
  • March Webinars for FAAs
    (sent March 6, 2025)
  • 2025-26 NES Applications Due April 30
    (sent March 3, 2025)
  • February 2025 Electronic ISAC Update
    (sent March 3, 2025)

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