JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

ISAC Update

VOL. 42, NO. 2F
August 2024

Messages sent to:   Multiple Subscription Groups
  ISAC Update

Welcome to the August 2024 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 [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

2024-25 iGROW Tech Scholarship Application Available
Sent to Financial Aid Directors and Financial Aid Administrators on August 29, 2024.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is sharing the following information to assist colleges in the administration of the Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Program.

Applications Due November 30

The application for the 2024-25 iGROW Tech Scholarship Program is now available for applicants to complete and submit online via the Program Application & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal.

In order to receive priority access to funding, the application process – including the 2024-25 iGROW Tech Scholarship Application/Work Agreement/Promissory Note and either the 2024-25 Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid – must be completed and submitted on or before Saturday, November 30, 2024. Applications received after that date will be considered only if funding remains after all timely, complete qualified applications have been awarded.

Program Information

  • The iGROW Tech Scholarship Program provides scholarship assistance to Illinois students pursuing IT and related careers, and was designed to recruit and retain individuals to work in technology jobs that have a high demand for new employees.
  • Priority is given to renewal applicants, students who demonstrate academic excellence, students who demonstrate financial need, and minority students.
  • Scholarships pay up to $7,500 in tuition & fees and room & board costs for each year (two semesters or three quarters per academic year) that recipients meet eligibility requirements at an ISAC-approved institution of higher learning.
  • Scholarships may be received for up to the full-time enrollment equivalent of 8 semesters or 12 quarters of payment, and are awarded for undergraduate study only.
  • As part of the application process, applicants must agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the Application/Work Agreement/Promissory Note.
    • Recipients must agree to work in Illinois in a qualifying job for a period of no less than one year, or any portion of a year of scholarship assistance.
    • Employment with an employer in Illinois that is directly related to the field of study that qualified the recipient for assistance under this program must begin within one year following completion of the program.
    • If the work commitment is not fulfilled, the scholarship converts to a loan and the recipient must repay the entire amount, plus interest.

Resources

Looking Ahead

As more information about this program becomes available – including timeframes and details regarding the awarding and payment processes – it will be provided via ISAC's usual means of communication (i.e., the iGROW Tech Scholarship Program News area, the FAA Message Board, and this e-Messaging system).

2024-25 MAP Payment Implementation
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAP Users, and Business Officers on August 28, 2024.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is sharing the following information to assist colleges in the administration of the Monetary Award Program (MAP).

Submit MAP First-term Claims by December 6th

The 2024-25 MAP payment cycle has begun, allowing first-term claims to be submitted.

  • Colleges can submit first-term claims by accessing the MAP system, as well as by File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
  • 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.
  • The 2024-25 MAP first-term payment request deadline date is Friday, December 6, 2024.

What's New for 2024-25 Payment Processing?

  • An override function has been added to the MAP payment request process that may be used by a school when it is determined that a dependent student meets the Illinois residency requirement as defined in the recently-amended ISAC Administrative Rules for the 2024-25 academic year (more information is provided starting on slide 22 of the August 13, 2024 A Review of the 2024-25 Monetary Award Program (MAP) webinar presentation).
    • The rules amendment is intended to address situations where a dependent student who is an Illinois resident resides with a parent who is also an Illinois resident, but the student was required to list an out-of-state parent contributor on the FAFSA.
  • For dependent students who have answered questions on the FAFSA or Alternative Application that result in them being considered provisionally independent, a "Z" code will be provided on the student record for dependency status.
    • The "Z" code indicates that either a professional judgment must be done to determine if a dependency override is appropriate or parental data must be provided so that the correct dependency status can be determined.
  • An updated 2024-25 MAP 160-Byte File Layout Specifications document may be accessed via the Electronic Tools area of the e-Library and reflects the indicator that schools will need to include when doing a dependent residency override. The MAP Payment User Guide has been updated to include information about the dependent residency override option and the newly-added "Z" code.

Program Reminders

  • When submitting claims, remember that ISAC has suspended the announcement of 2024-25 MAP grants for all students whose initial FAFSA is received by the federal processor, or whose initial Alternative Application is received by ISAC, on or after August 21, 2024.
  • A Payment Result Summary and Invoice Detail Report can be viewed or printed by selecting the Report tab in the MAP system the day after a payment request has been processed.
    • The report includes Payment Results, Payment Exceptions and Invoice Detail about the payment claim.
    • Be sure to review the report to see which requests, if any, did not process as expected.
  • Any 2024-25 payment requests that were submitted via FTP prior to today (August 28, 2024) will not be processed, and will need to 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:

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, ECACE Administrators, and NES Schools on August 27, 2024.

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:

2025-26 (July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026)

2024-25 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025)

2023-24 (July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024)

General Information (Not Specific to One Academic Year)

2025-26 ACADEMIC YEAR

By December 1: Anticipated 2025-25 FAFSA® Availability

In an August 7, 2024 electronic announcement, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) shared the anticipated schedule for the launch of the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).

  • Starting on October 1, 2024 (which is in line with the timeframe in recent years prior to 2024-25, when availability of the application was delayed due to implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act), ED plans to release the 2025-26 FAFSA form for testing with a limited set of students and institutions.
  • The application is expected to be available to all students on or before December 1, 2024.

The e-Library's 2025-26 FAFSA Completion area will be updated as details are released regarding the 2025-26 federal process for requesting financial aid.

Students and families seeking information can be directed to the Financial Aid: Completing the FAFSA area of ISAC's website – which will also be updated as information becomes available – and the Federal Student Aid website (studentaid.gov).

FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, as well as several other forms of federal, state and institutional financial assistance.

2024-25 ACADEMIC YEAR

Suspension of MAP Award Announcements

An August 15 e-Message announces that ISAC is suspending the announcement of 2024-25 MAP grants for applicants whose initial 2024-25 FAFSA is received by the FAFSA Processing System (FPS), or whose initial Alternative Application is received by ISAC, on or after August 21, 2024. MAP-eligible students who complete an application on or after August 21, 2024 will be put on a waiting list for MAP funding and, if ISAC were to determine that additional grants could be offered, they would be announced based on the order in which the applications were received.

ISAC anticipates that the 2024-25 MAP payment cycle will begin by the end of August 2024, allowing first-term payment requests (i.e., claims) to be submitted.

Submit ECACE Certifications

An August 26 e-Message announces that ISAC is accepting certification data for the 2024-25 Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program. Colleges may access the "Certification List: View" screen within the ECACE system to certify eligibility for 2024-25 ECACE Scholarships. A Certification record is created in the ECACE system after ISAC determines that the ECACE online application process has been completed (this includes: the ECACE application; the corresponding year's FAFSA or, if applicable, the Alternative Application; and, any required documentation) and the applicant meets all initial eligibility requirements (i.e., requirements other than those that must be verified by the college). Only records that need to be certified display on the "Certification List: View" screen.

Colleges also may view a listing of ECACE records in the ECACE system by selecting the Student tab to display the "Student List Eligibility: View" screen. Records for applicants who listed the institution on their applications and whose applications have been reviewed by ISAC staff for completeness will be included.

Further details are provided on the ECACE Certification page, as well as in the ECACE User Guide.

By End of August: iGROW Tech Scholarship Program Application Available

The application for the 2024-25 Illinois Graduate and Retain our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Program is anticipated to be available by the end of August. When available, the application can be completed and submitted online by applicants via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal. The priority application consideration date for the 2024-25 academic year is November 30, 2024.

September 30: Summer-Term Deadline to Report Benefit Usage Data for IVG

An August 13 e-Message announces that ISAC is accepting summer-term benefit usage data for the 2024-25 Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program.

IVG data for the summer term is due on or before Monday, September 30, 2024.

IVG benefit usage data is submitted to ISAC by colleges via the benefit usage functionality within the IVG 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. 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.

September 30: Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License Scholarship Program Application Priority Consideration Date

The application for the 2024-25 Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License Scholarship Program is available to complete and submit online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal. The priority application consideration date for the 2024-25 academic year is September 30, 2024. Complete applications submitted after that date will be considered only if available funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded.

December 31: Fall-Term Deadline to Report Benefit Usage Data for IVG and ING Grant

An August 13 e-Message announces that ISAC is accepting fall-term benefit usage data for the 2024-25 IVG and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs.

Deadline dates are as follows:

  • IVG data for the fall term is due on or before Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
  • ING Grant data for the fall term is due on or before Tuesday, December 31, 2024.

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, 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. Even though ISAC may not be able to fully reimburse institutions for 2024-25 IVG or ING Grant awards, reporting of benefits used must still take place so that usage can be accurately reflected on students' accounts.

Now Available: Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Application

The application for the 2024-25 Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program is available to complete and submit online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal. Students may use the 2024-25 application to apply for the fall 2024, spring 2025, and summer 2025 terms. The application priority consideration date for full-year and fall-only awards is October 1, 2024.

Now Available: Grant Programs for Dependents of Police/Fire/Correctional Officers Application

The application for the 2024-25 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. Students may use the 2024-25 application to apply for the fall 2024, spring 2025, and summer 2025 terms. The application priority consideration date for full-year and fall-only awards is October 1, 2024.

Now Available: Grant Program for Exonerees Application

The application for the 2024-25 Grant Program for Exonerees is available to complete and submit online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal. Students may use the 2024-25 application to apply for the fall 2024 and spring 2025 terms (the grant is not available for summer terms). Applications are processed in date-received order (i.e., "first come, first served"). Because program funds are limited, students meeting the program's eligibility requirements should be encouraged to complete and submit the application as soon as possible.

Now Available: ING Grant Application and Eligibility Data

The interactive application for the 2024-25 ING Grant Program is available for students to complete and submit online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal.

2024-25 ING Grant eligibility data is available for colleges to access via 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.

Continue Certifying Eligibility for MTI Scholarships Throughout the Year

Colleges are encouraged to continue certifying eligibility for 2024-25 Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholars on a daily basis.

Further details are provided via the Certification Procedures for MTI page, the MTI User Guide, and an August 5 e-Message.

MTI Scholarship Applications Still Being Accepted

The 2024-25 MTI Scholarship Program application continues to be accepted, even though the March 31, 2024 priority consideration date has passed. Complete applications – including the 2024-25 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.

2024-25 FAFSA and Alternative Application Remain Available

Although ISAC has suspended the announcement of 2024-25 MAP grants (for all students whose initial 2024-25 FAFSA is received by the federal processor, or whose initial Alternative Application is received by ISAC, on or after August 21, 2024), these 2024-25 applications remain available online. Please inform your students that – if not already done – an application should be completed and submitted as soon as possible by students who will be attending college between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for other forms of federal, state and institutional financial assistance. The suspension of 2024-25 MAP award announcements does not impact any other financial aid programs.

2023-24 ACADEMIC YEAR

September 30: Outstanding Amounts Due

Notifications detailing the outstanding amount that must be refunded to ISAC for the 2023-24 programs listed below were e-mailed to financial aid directors in early August. Review the information in the notification and return the appropriate amount – along with a completed Gift Assistance Programs Refund Check Form – no later than September 30, 2024.

Details about returning funds to ISAC and the payment offset and reconciliation process are provided in the Refunds and Unpaid Claims section of the Processes area.

GENERAL INFORMATION

August 28: Monthly Webinar

Plan to attend the following webinar for financial aid administrators:

  • August 28 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.

September 19: Next Commission Meeting

The next meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is scheduled to take place on Thursday, September 19, 2024. 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 2024.

Executive Briefing on September 20

An Executive Briefing conference call is scheduled for Friday, September 20 from 11 a.m. to noon 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 by visiting the Partner Training page of the e-Library.

First Generation Scholars Network

Encourage your incoming students who will be the first in their family to earn a college degree to join the First Generation Scholars Network to get support and resources from ISAC, their peers, and colleges across the state. Students heading to their first year of college this fall will find events and programs that provide tools, resources, mentoring, and connections that can help make the transition easier.

Campus Partnerships

ISAC and our First Generation Scholars Network mentors are available to work with colleges and universities to support existing campus programming for first generation college students and to collaborate to develop new student supports. Contact [email protected] to start the conversation on ways ISAC can partner with your campus for student success.

Holiday Schedules

ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:

  • Monday, September 2 – Labor Day
  • Monday, October 14 – Columbus Day
  • Tuesday, November 5 – General Election Day
  • Monday, November 11 – Veterans Day
  • Thursday, November 28 – Thanksgiving Day
  • Friday, November 29 – Day after Thanksgiving
  • Wednesday, December 25 – Christmas
  • Wednesday, January 1 – New Year's 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, all systems for ISAC-administered programs within the GAP Access portal will be available during regularly scheduled hours. For MAP and other programs administered through components of the GAP Access portal, 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 appropriate program's 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).

2024-25 ECACE Certification Now Open
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, and ECACE Administrators on August 26, 2024.

Effective today, 2024-25 Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) certification data is being accepted.

Student List

With the start of this year's processing cycle, we've made a few changes to help the process flow more smoothly by better aligning the order of ECACE functionality with our other programs. Mirroring several of our programs [ECACE processing closely matches that of the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program], the opening of the Certification function allows colleges to view a listing of ECACE applicant records in the ECACE system, as well as certify eligibility for qualified students. The "Student List Eligibility: View" screen displays applicants who listed your institution on their applications and whose applications have been reviewed by ISAC staff for completeness. Additional records will appear on the Student List on an ongoing basis as applications are reviewed. You may want to consider regularly checking the ECACE system for any new data that has been posted. Currently, the focus of our review is renewal applicants (those who received an ECACE Scholarship during the 2023-24 academic year) whose applications were received by the August 11th priority date.

Certification

Applicant records to be certified are also now available. Certification records are created for applicants who have completed the application process (meaning that the online ECACE application and either the FAFSA or Alternative Application, along with required documentation, have all been submitted) and the applicant meets all initial eligibility requirements, i.e., requirements other than those that must be verified by the college. These records appear in the "Certification List: View" screen, located under the "Certification" tab of the ECACE system, and the Filter and Sort functions can be used to customize how the records are displayed. The certification data is to be entered on the screen, indicating whether the applicant is eligible or ineligible, then saved and submitted. Once certified, the applicant status information will be updated on the "Certification List: View" screen.

Only records that need to be certified display on the Certification List, and all Certifications showing in the ECACE system must be completed regardless of whether the school determines an applicant to be eligible or ineligible. The only way an applicant will receive notification of their eligibility status from ISAC is if the certification record is submitted.

Resources

Detailed instructions for completing and submitting certification records are in the ECACE User Guide and on the ECACE web pages, all of which have been updated for the 2024-25 academic year. We will continue to share program updates through our usual means of communication – the FAA Message Board, the ECACE Program News page and e-Messages.

Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity Scholarship Program Update
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, and ECACE Administrators on August 21, 2024.

As the new school year kicks off, we'd like to provide a high-level overview of the status of the 2024-25 Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program and talk about what's coming next.

With August 11th – the date by which applications needed to be received for priority awarding – having passed, ISAC staff are now in the process of reviewing applications for completeness, including whether a 2024-25 FAFSA or Alternative Application was submitted and if the appropriate documentation was provided. Applicants, including those with incomplete or ineligible applications, will begin to receive letters acknowledging their application status in the coming days. This communication will confirm whether a student's application was submitted timely (on or before August 11th) or untimely (August 12th and later). Applications received after the priority submission date will still be accepted and processed, but it is unlikely that students applying after this date will receive an award in the 24-25 academic year.

Additionally, we anticipate that the certification process for 2024-25 awards will open in the ECACE system during the week of August 26th. When that happens, colleges will be able to view the student list, on which all student applications received that listed their school will appear, regardless of status – i.e., timely, untimely, incomplete, ineligible. Also available will be the certification list, on which financial aid administrators will certify whether an applicant is eligible or ineligible, based on the college's review. Because ISAC's review of applications will be ongoing, data will be available for certification in the ECACE system on a frequent basis and colleges are encouraged to enter and submit data routinely. The only way an applicant will be notified regarding their eligibility status is if the college completes the certification process. Following the certification process comes the awarding process, which is when eligible, certified students are selected for the ECACE Scholarship. Students can expect to receive additional correspondence from ISAC following the certification and awarding processes.

Be watching for another e-Message next week to let you know that certification has opened. That message will contain detailed instructions, as well as links to updated web pages about the certification process, and to the updated ECACE User Guide. The payment process for ECACE will commence later this fall, and we will share future program updates through our usual means of communication – the FAA Message Board, the ECACE Program News page and e-Messages.

2024-25 MAP Suspense Date: August 21, 2024
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAP Users, and Business Officers on August 15, 2024.

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

2024-25 MAP Suspense Date: August 21, 2024

ISAC is suspending the announcement of 2024-25 Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants for applicants whose initial 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is received by the FAFSA Processing System (FPS), or whose initial Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) is received by ISAC, on or after Wednesday, August 21, 2024.

Beginning as early as Thursday, August 22, 2024, MAP records in suspense status will:

  • be reflected in the MAP system;
  • show on the appropriate screens and reports; and,
  • appear in the MAP Eligibility File Extraction.

Application Volume and Projected Claim Rates Being Monitored

ISAC staff began to monitor and analyze MAP application volume and projected payment request (i.e., claim) rates as soon as 2024-25 FAFSA and Alternative Application filing commenced. Current data analysis indicates that the suspension of 2024-25 MAP award announcements is necessary at this time in an effort to avoid overcommitting the program's available funding.

ISAC staff will continue to monitor MAP application volume and claim rates. If future analysis indicates that a partial release of awards from suspense status is viable (i.e., if additional grants can be offered), we will communicate that information to the financial aid community as it becomes available.

Students Still Encouraged to Apply

We continue to encourage students who are contemplating college this fall to complete a FAFSA or, for eligible undocumented students, the Alternative Application. MAP-eligible students who complete an application on or after August 21, 2024 will be put on a waiting list for MAP funding, and if ISAC were to determine that additional grants could be offered, they would be announced based on the order in which the applications were received. Students who meet the eligibility requirements for federal Pell Grants can still receive that funding for fall, and there may be other ISAC grant and scholarship programs, as well as those provided by institutions, that continue to have funding available. Free assistance in completing the FAFSA or Alternative Application is available from ISAC by booking a one-on-one virtual session at https://www.isac.org/connect, or students can set up an in-person session with their local ISACorps member at https://studentportal.isac.org/isacorps.

2024-25 MAP Applicant Award Announcement Status Chart

The 2024-25 MAP Applicant Award Announcement Status Chart provides an overview of categories for students based on the initial application receipt date.

Student Award Announcements

Colleges must suspend announcements of MAP awards to applicants whose initial 2024-25 application (FAFSA and Alternative Application) receipt date is on or after Wednesday, August 21, 2024. Please note that ISAC is not notifying affected applicants that their awards have been placed in suspense status. Colleges are advised to follow their own policies and procedures regarding communicating announcement information to students with suspended awards.

Identifying Records in Suspense Status

MAP records in suspense status will be indicated by a MAP Suspend Code of "S" (S = New application received after the suspense date will not be considered for an award this year) in the MAP system and in the MAP Eligibility File Extraction. The MAP system contains filters that will allow you to identify student records and create a report of those records placed in suspense status.

Check ISAC's Website Periodically for Updates

As new information becomes available throughout the year – including the start of the payment processing cycle, which is anticipated by the end of August 2024 – ISAC will continue to update the MAP Program News page within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs section, which may be accessed via the Financial Aid Administrators area. Be sure to check back periodically for the current processing status of the program.

2024-25 Program Updates: IVG & ING Grant Benefit Usage and MAP Payment
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 13, 2024.

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 2024-25 Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs, as well as an update regarding the 2024-25 Monetary Award Program (MAP) payment cycle.

IVG and ING Grant Benefit Usage Data Being Accepted

Effective today (Tuesday, August 13, 2024), ISAC is accepting benefit usage data for the 2024-25 IVG summer and fall terms and the 2024-25 ING Grant fall term.

In order to be considered timely:

  • IVG benefit usage data for the summer term must be submitted on or before Monday, September 30, 2024;
  • IVG benefit usage data for the fall term must be submitted on or before Tuesday, December 31, 2024; and,
  • ING Grant benefit usage data for the fall term must be submitted on or before Tuesday, December 31, 2024.

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.
  • Even though ISAC may not be able to fully reimburse institutions for 2024-25 IVG or ING Grant awards, reporting of benefits used must still take place so that usage can be accurately reflected on students' accounts.
    • As announced in a June 11 e-Message, fiscal year 2025 funds have been appropriated for ISAC to reimburse public universities for some of the tuition and fees that they waive on behalf of eligible veterans and Illinois National Guard members.
      • Details regarding the payment request process will be provided once they have been determined.
  • 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.
  • 160-byte specifications for the 2024-25 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 2024-25 benefit usage data that was submitted via FTP prior to August 13, 2024 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

2024-25 MAP Payment Anticipated by End of August

ISAC anticipates that the 2024-25 MAP payment cycle will begin by the end of August 2024, allowing first-term payment requests (i.e., claims) to be submitted.

  • At that time, colleges will have the ability to submit first-term claims by accessing the MAP system, as well as by FTP.
  • From that 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.

Program Reminders

  • Any 2024-25 payment requests that are submitted via FTP prior to the date on which ISAC begins accepting data (anticipated by the end of August) will not be processed, and will need to 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.
  • Once the payment cycle begins, a Payment Result Summary and Invoice Detail Report can be viewed or printed by selecting the Report tab in the MAP system the day after a payment request has been processed.
    • The report includes Payment Results, Payment Exceptions and Invoice Detail about the payment claim.
    • Be sure to review the report to see which requests, if any, did not process as expected.
  • 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

System Reminders

  • Please verify that the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (GAP) Access Administrator at your college has established the appropriate program system (IVG, ING Grant, and/or MAP) 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, ING Grant and MAP 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.

Watch for Future Updates

Future updates regarding these programs will be shared via our usual means of communication: the FAA Message Board; the IVG, ING Grant, and MAP "Program News" pages; and/or this e-Messaging system.

August 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 August 6, 2024.

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

  • Tuesday, August 13, 10 a.m. – A Review of the 2024-25 Monetary Award Program (MAP)
  • Wednesday, August 28, 2 p.m. – Monthly Operational Update and Program News

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.

Submit 2024-25 MTI Certification Data
Sent to Financial Aid Directors and Financial Aid Administrators on August 5, 2024.

The following provides important updates regarding the 2024-25 Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program.

2024-25 Certification Data Being Accepted

Effective Monday, August 5, 2024, colleges may certify eligibility for the 2024-25 MTI Scholarship Program using the MTI system.

There have been no functional or operational changes made with the 2024-25 MTI Scholarship certification process.

Reminders

  • Colleges are encouraged to continue certifying eligibility for MTI Scholars on a daily basis throughout the year, to ensure that your students will be included in the awarding process.
    • Separate notification will not be sent when new records are made available in the MTI system.
    • The schedule for awarding 2024-25 MTI Scholars will be announced once determined.
  • All certification records available in the MTI system must be completed, regardless of whether the college certifies a student as eligible or ineligible and regardless of whether the student is currently enrolled.
    • The only way applicants will receive notification from ISAC regarding their eligibility status is if their colleges have submitted the certification data via the MTI system.
  • The MTI system is available each day from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. (CT).

Applications Still Being Accepted

The 2024-25 MTI Scholarship Program application continues to be accepted, even though the March 31, 2024 priority consideration date has passed. Complete applications – including the 2024-25 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.

Future Updates

Watch for future updates regarding the 2024-25 MTI Scholarship Program – including information about payment processing, once available – via our usual methods of communication (including the MTI Program News area, the FAA Message Board, and ISAC's e-Messaging service).

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ISAC UPDATE

July 2024 Electronic ISAC Update
Sent on August 1, 2024.

The July 2024 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 2024 ISAC Update include:

  • 2024-25 ECACE Scholarship Application Available – Priority Access to Funding Date: August 11
    (sent July 18, 2024)
  • Limited Seats Left – Secure Your Spot at CCE
    (sent July 11, 2024)
  • Don't Forget to RSVP for CCE Conference
    (sent July 8, 2024)
  • July Webinars for FAAs
    (sent July 2, 2024)
  • Beat Holiday Rush – Register for CCE Conference
    (sent July 2, 2024)
  • June 2024 Electronic ISAC Update
    (sent July 1, 2024)

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