FAA Message Board
The FAA Message Board is updated regularly – check back often for the latest information
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 26 e-Message, ISAC's next Monthly Program & Operation Updates webinar will take place at 2:00 p.m. on August 26. Future webinars are scheduled for September 23 and October 28. Participate by accessing the webinar link and presentation materials at the
Partner Training page in the
e-Library on the day of the event.
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.
As of
August 10, 2026,
Teachers of Illinois certification data is being accepted. The certification process must be completed before awarding can take place. Colleges should regularly check the
Teachers of Illinois system for new student records.
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.
Notifications detailing the outstanding amount that must be refunded to ISAC for 2025-26 programs were emailed to financial aid directors in early August. Review the information in the notification and return the appropriate amount no later than August 19, 2026.
Effective August 3, 2026, ISAC is accepting 2026-27 IVG Program benefit usage data for the summer term. IVG
benefit usage data for the summer term must be submitted on or before Wednesday, September 30, 2026 in order to be considered timely.
Applications for the 2026-27
Displaced Energy Worker Transition Scholarship are now being accepted. The date by which an application must be submitted is based on the first term for which the applicant wishes to receive funds for the 2026-27 academic year.
Applications for the 2026-27
Grant Program for Exonerees and their Dependents are now being accepted.
Make sure your students know that
applications for the 2026-27
Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program are now being accepted. The application priority consideration deadline is September 18, 2026.
A
July 14 e-Message provides several updates regarding Workforce Pell, including: the application for State-level program approvals becomes available on July 15; a webinar featuring an application walk-through will be held on July 21; and State and Federal resources and support are available. Additional Illinois-specific Workforce Pell guidance and resources can be found at the
Illinois Workforce Pell hub.
As of
July 9, 2026, ECACE certification data is being accepted. The certification process must be completed before awarding can take place later this summer. Colleges should regularly check the ECACE system for new student records.
The Illinois General Assembly wrapped up its spring 2026 session on June 1, approving a $55.9 billion FY27 budget that largely mirrors the Governor’s proposal and maintains level funding for most ISAC-administered programs, including MAP. View the full legislative update
here.
A
July 1 e-Message provides updates on FY27 program funding. Overall, the FY27 funding levels for ISAC-administered programs are very similar to the current year’s budget, including MAP, which will be held at its current level. With the approval of the budget, program implementation and operational activities for the 2026-27 academic year will begin to move forward. As always, we will regularly provide updates and processing details regarding each of our programs as we proceed through the year.
ISAC is a member of the Illinois State Attainment Working Group, established by Governor Pritzker, to set an attainment goal for postsecondary degrees and credentials of value. You are invited to participate in two engagement stakeholder opportunities: A brief survey and a regional engagement session (offered July 7 - September 1). A
June 30 e-Message provides additional details.
At its
June 25, 2026 meeting, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission
approved a 2026-27 MAP recompute formula that is the same as the 2026-27 start-up formula. Refer to the
2026-27 MAP Formula page and a
June 26, 2026 e-Message for further information.
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June 2 e-Message provides information to assist colleges with year-end processing for 2025-26
ISAC gift assistance programs.
A
May 28 e-Message provides information, updates, and important dates that may be of interest to FAAs.
As announced in a
May 11 e-Message, colleges may
certify 2026-27 NES eligibility using the
NES System. All certification records available in the system must be completed.
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!®
