FAA Message Board
The FAA Message Board is updated regularly – check back often for the latest information
The 2027 Award Year
application is now available. The priority consideration date is January 15, 2027.
The 2027 Award Year
application is now available. The application deadline is April 30, 2027.
2027-28 MAP records – reflecting the start-up formula – are now available to access via the
MAP system. Daily processing of 2027-28 ISIR, Alternative Application, and eligibility status information has commenced. View the
October 7 e-Message for more information.
ISAC is pleased to invite you to a free, in-person event on October 28 with acclaimed author and MIT professor Sherry Turkle as she discusses her new book, Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines. An
October 7 e-Message provides additional details.
The 2027-28 FAFSA and Alternative Application are now available for students to submit. An
October 1 e-Message provides information, updates, and important dates that may be of interest to FAAs.
A
September 24 e-Message provides information about a direct email communication pilot program that will run when the 2027-28 application cycle begins. The purpose of this pilot program is to measure the effects of notifying students that they
may be eligible for a MAP grant.
ISAC is accepting 2026-27 ECACE Scholarship, Golden Apple, NES, SSWS, and TISP claims for the fall term. In order to be considered timely, fall-term claims must be submitted by December 31, 2026. Further details are provided in a
September 22 e-Message.
A
September 23 e-Message announces that, at the
September 17 Commission meeting, ISAC approved the
2027-28 (FY28) MAP start-up formula, which follows the FY27 recompute formula.
A
September 14 e-Message announces awarding has taken place for 2026-27 ECACE Scholarship Program applicants based on certification records that were completed by the colleges before September 14, 2026.
2026-27 awarding has taken place for NES, TISP and SSWS. A
September 14 e-Message provides additional details.
ISAC's next Monthly Program & Operation Updates webinar will take place at 2:00 p.m. on October 28. A future webinar is scheduled for November 18. Participate by accessing the webinar link and presentation materials at the
Partner Training page in the
e-Library on the day of the event.
ISAC is accepting benefit usage data for the 2026-27 Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) summer and fall terms and the 2026-27 Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant fall term. An
August 24 e-Message provides specific priority deadline dates.
As announced in an
August 24 e-Message, the 2026-27 MAP payment cycle has begun, allowing first-term claims to be submitted. The 2026-27 MAP first-term payment request deadline date is
Friday, December 4, 2026.
Students who are eligible for the GEAR Up Scholarship will receive their award letters on Monday, August 17, 2026. At this time, no action is required from colleges other than retaining the information from the student for future awarding. Additional guidance regarding the next steps in school processing will be shared as soon as it becomes available.
As announced in an
August 7 e-Message, a federal district court recently ruled that the current version of the RISE Act, as applied to undocumented students, is unlawful. As a result, ISAC is legally required to close the 2026-27 Alternative Application, not to accept any further submissions or payment claims for undocumented students for the 2026-27 academic year, and not to issue any payments on MAP or other scholarship and grant programs that have been awarded for undocumented students for the 2026-27 academic year.
Student and family FAQs provided by ISAC and
FAQs for Public University and Community College Leadership and Financial Aid Directors are available for more information.
Make sure your students know that
applications for the 2026-27
School Social Work Scholarship are now being accepted. The application priority consideration deadline is October 31, 2026.
As announced in an
April 20 e-Message, April 23, 2026 will be the last day for students to apply for 2026-27 MAP grants by submitting an initial 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) or, for qualifying students, an Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid. Announcements of awards for students whose FAFSAs are received by the federal processor or whose Alternative Applications are received by ISAC after that date will be put "
in suspense" – basically, a waiting list for 2026-27 MAP. Further details are provided on the
MAP page. Suspended records are anticipated to be visible in GAP Access by late April.
College Illinois!®
