JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

Upcoming Important Dates from ISAC

10/13/2023

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) would like to make you aware of the following information, which may be of interest to students and their families.

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:

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)

2024-25 ACADEMIC YEAR

By End of December: 2024-25 FAFSA® Available

Because changes resulting from the FAFSA Simplification Act will take time to properly implement, the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is expected to be available in December 2023 (rather than in October). ISAC anticipates availability of the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid for the 2024-25 academic year to coincide with the launch of the 2024-25 FAFSA.

With the 2024-25 FAFSA:

  • up to 20 different colleges can be listed on the online FAFSA and have information sent to them (in prior years, only ten colleges could be listed);
  • due to a change in the methodology used to determine aid, a Student Aid Index (SAI) – rather than an expected family contribution (EFC) – is used to measure your (and, if applicable, your family's) ability to pay for college;
  • the new need analysis formula no longer factors the number of family members attending college into the calculation;
  • separate criteria to determine eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant Program, linking eligibility to family size and the federal poverty level, make program funds available to more students; and,
  • revisions to several of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid are required, including a new interface to directly receive federal tax information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The Financial Aid: Completing the FAFSA area of ISAC's website is updated on a regular basis as details are released regarding the 2024-25 federal process for requesting financial aid. You may also wish to visit the Federal Student Aid studentaid.gov website for more information.

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.

By June 30: High School Juniors Take College Assessment Exams for State Scholar Consideration

Eligibility for the State Scholar Program is based, in part, on a student's highest qualifying ACT or SAT score. High school juniors who are potential candidates will need to take one of the accepted exams during the specified timeframe to be considered for State Scholar designation, even though Illinois' public institutions are now prohibited from requiring the submission of student test scores as part of the admissions process.

For students who are currently high school juniors, only exams taken between August 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024 qualify for consideration in the State Scholar announcements that will be made during their senior year (i.e., high school juniors, who will be college freshmen during the 2025-26 academic year, will be named Scholars during the fall of 2024). Further details are provided at the State Scholar Program page of our website.

2023-24 ACADEMIC YEAR

By November 15: Submit Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program Applications

The application for the 2023-24 Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment 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 2023-24 academic year is November 15, 2023. Once this date has passed, applications will continue to be accepted for as long as funds remain available after all timely eligible applicants have been awarded.

Applications for Several 2023-24 Programs Remain Available

If you plan to request funds from any of the following programs for the 2023-24 academic year and have not yet done so, you may still complete and submit an application. Further details – including program descriptions and eligibility requirements – are provided in the Students & Parents area of the ISAC website.

Grant Programs

Scholarship Programs

Loan Repayment Programs

* The deadline to apply for funds for the Fall 2023 term has passed, but there is still time to apply for the Winter/Spring 2024 and/or Summer 2024 terms.

** Although the priority application consideration date for this program has passed, applications will continue to be accepted as long as funds remain after all timely qualified applicants have been awarded.

FAFSA and Alternative Application Remain Available

Although ISAC has suspended the announcement of 2023-24 MAP grants (for all students whose initial 2023-24 FAFSA is received by the federal processor, or whose initial Alternative Application is received by ISAC, on or after September 23, 2023), these 2023-24 applications remain available online. 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, 2023 and June 30, 2024. FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for other forms of federal, state and institutional financial assistance. The suspension of 2023-24 MAP award announcements does not impact any other financial aid programs.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Throughout October: "Return to Repayment" Webinars

The federal student loan payment pause has come to an end, and ISAC is hosting free webinars in October regarding how student loan borrowers can navigate repayment. Further details – including dates, times, and how to register – are provided in a September 26 e-Message.

Join the First Generation Scholars Network

If you are the first in your family to earn a college degree, join the First Generation Scholars Network to get support and resources from ISAC, your peers, and colleges across the state. You'll find events and programs that provide tools, resources, mentoring, and connections that can help make the transition to college life easier.

Holiday Schedules

ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:

  • Friday, November 10 – Veterans Day (observed)
  • Thursday, November 23 – Thanksgiving Day
  • Friday, November 24 – Day after Thanksgiving
  • Monday, December 25 – Christmas
  • Monday, January 1 – New Year's Day

Staff will again be available the first business day immediately following each holiday.

For Assistance

Access ISAC's website anytime, or send an e-mail message to the ISAC Call Center. 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).

You are receiving this message because you registered for ISAC's e-Messaging service through the Students subscription group.

If you have any questions regarding this e-Message, please contact the ISAC Call Center by calling toll free at 800.899.ISAC (4722), sending an e-mail message to [email protected] or chatting live with one of our representatives through the "Live Support-Online" button in the Students & Parents area of our website.

Get information anytime about the college-going process and ISAC programs on ISAC's website and Student Portal, both accessible at isac.org.