ISAC Update

Welcome to the January 2009 ISAC Update for financial aid administrators and business officers. This version of the electronic ISAC Update is a compilation of e-Messages sent through College Zone’s e-Messaging service throughout January. This e-Messaging service has replaced ISAC’s use of printed newsletters, the ILASFAA ListServ, and special e-mail lists as our primary means of communicating information to you.

The articles in this Update have been organized according to the FAA Zone subscription groups to which the messages were distributed via College Zone’s e-Messaging service.

Questions? Questions regarding information in this ISAC Update can be directed to School Services at 866.247.2172 or at schoolservices@isac.org. 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. 

Limited Release of Suspended Awards for 2008-09 MAP
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAPnet Users and Business Officers on January 27, 2009

Due to a combination of factors affecting payment claim rates for first term, ISAC is releasing Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants from suspended status for approximately 6,200 eligible students whose Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) receipt dates were July 26, 2008 through (and including) August 1, 2008. These records will be released from suspension after 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 and will be available for payment and may be viewed in MAPnet the next morning. All MAP grants for eligible students with initial FAFSA receipt dates on or after August 2, 2008, remain in a suspended status.

2008-09 MAP Applicant Award Status Chart

The 2008-09 MAP Applicant Award Status Chart provides an overview of categories for students based on the initial application (FAFSA) receipt date. Since the release from suspension affects "new" and "continuing" applicants, please pay particular attention to the "Eligibility/Late Codes" column provided concerning eligible terms for payment.

Identifying Student Records - MAPnet Filter/Report

Schools will want to identify student records released from suspension for a variety of reasons (i.e., file review and repackaging, claiming MAP payment, etc.). MAPnet contains filters that will allow you to identify student records and create a report of suspended student records.

There is a MAPnet filter that allows the user to create a listing of student records using a date range. For example, by using the 2008-09 release from suspension dates
(July 26, 2008 – August 1, 2008), a report can be created that will identify students by 'Application Receipt Date' (initial FAFSA receipt date). If a report was not created prior to the release of suspended records, this option could be used. This filter is also available on the Student List Payment screen.

Further details regarding identifying student records are provided via the Suspension of MAP Award Announcements page, which is located within the MAP area of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs section at collegezone.com.

2008-09 First Term Late Claims - Available Thursday, January 29, 2009

The day after records are released from suspension, ISAC will allow MAP payment processing for all first term claims (including initial claims) through April 1, 2009. Student records released from suspension (full year awards) are now eligible for first term payment (please refer to the 2008-09 MAP Applicant Award Status Chart). Schools may use their standard procedure to request payment for those students.

Also, ISAC will release payment processing for held first term claims for MAP grants [Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program grants are not being released for late payment processing]. MAP records held as late claims are identified on the Payment Results Report with a Result Code of "Y." All late payment requests that were submitted after January 10, 2009 will automatically be reprocessed. Processed records will appear on the Payment Results Report. First term payment claims will continue to be paid until the second term payment claim deadline date.

Second Term Payment Claim Deadline Date – April 1, 2009

The second semester/second quarter payment claims for both MAP and the IIA Program are due to ISAC by 5 p.m. on April 1, 2009 (except, for those institutions where the second semester begins after February 15th, the claim deadline date is June 1, 2009). As of this date, ISAC will re-evaluate remaining funding to determine if late claims will continue to be paid. It is possible that any payment claims submitted after the second term deadline date will be held until after the processing of timely claims for the final term, and then will be paid on a first-come, first-served basis as funds permit.

Commission Meeting to be Held Friday, January 30, 2009
Sent to Financial Aid Directors and Financial Aid Administrators on January 30, 2009

• FY2010 Monetary Award Program (MAP) Start-up Formula
• Institutional Application to Participate in ISAC Gift Assistance Programs (American Academy of Art)
• Proposed Rules Amendments
• Adopted Rules Amendments (Internal Rules)
• Monetary Award Program (MAP) Recipients Study
• University of Illinois Guides Program Presentation
• Appointment of College Illinois!(SM) Investment Advisory Panel Members
• Revisions to College Illinois!(SM) Statement of Investment Policy

ISAC Launches Interactive Application for Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators and Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs on January 21, 2008

ISAC is pleased to announce that the application for the Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program is now interactive, and available online within the Student Zone at collegezone.com!

Although paper ING Grant applications submitted for the 2008-09 academic year will continue to be processed, students are strongly encouraged to instead use the online application because of its many benefits.

• Program information at the applicant's fingertips - by applying online, the applicant will have easy access to program details in College Zone that will help them complete the application accurately (e.g., participating school lists, eligibility requirements, etc.).
• Online edits prevent errors - when the applicant indicates they are ready to submit the application, automatic edits are performed to make sure all required fields have been completed with valid responses - if errors are identified, the applicant is prompted to correct them before the application can be submitted.
• Faster delivery time - the application is accessed by the applicant, completed, submitted, and received at ISAC - all on the same day (rather than being downloaded, printed, manually completed by the applicant and then sent via the mail).
• Immediate confirmation that application has been received - once an electronic application has been successfully submitted, a Portable Document Format (PDF) version of the completed application will display on-screen, and may be printed or saved as an electronic file for the applicant's records. This PDF document will also be sent to the applicant if an e-mail address is provided on the application.

To prevent time-consuming delays in processing, applicants should not submit duplicate applications (i.e., if a paper application has already been submitted for the 2008-09 academic year, the applicant should not complete and submit an interactive application).

Beginning with the 2009-10 academic year, the interactive application will completely replace the downloadable paper version. Watch the ING Grant Program News area for information regarding availability of the 2009-10 interactive ING Grant application (anticipated for
May, 2009).

Students who are unable to apply online should be instructed to contact a College Zone Counselor.

Information Available for Students at College Zone

The Student Zone provides applicants with direct access to details about the ING Grant Program. Applicants will have access to information regarding the application process, including instructions for specific application fields, once they access the ING Grant application area and launch the application.

March 1st Priority Application Consideration Date for Spring Term

The spring (or spring and summer) term priority application consideration date for the 2008-09 ING Grant Program is March 1, 2009. For summer-term consideration only, applications must be received on or before June 15th.

Illinois Student Assistance Commission's January Training Opportunities for FAAs
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAPnet Users, Business Officers and FFELP Participants on January 12, 2009

Back-to-School Conference Calls

As the Spring 2009 semester gets started, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will offer two conference calls to provide a brief update on 2008-09 processing and to review important changes to the
2009-10 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process.

Please join us on one of the following dates/times:   

Thursday, January 22, 1 p.m.
Friday, January 23, 10 a.m.

Topics to be covered during each call are:

• ISAC gift assistance program updates,
• Reconciliation reminders,
• Legislative and budget updates, and
• 2009-10 FAFSA changes.

The toll-free number for the conference calls is 877.873.8017 and the access code is 8324962#. Registration for the conference calls is not required. While there are no specific handouts for these calls, it is recommended that you have a copy of the 2009-10 FAFSA on hand.

Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) Program Webinar

A Webinar on the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) Program will be presented on Thursday, January 29 from 1 - 2 p.m. The session will begin with an overview of the IFTC program, followed by more specific information on administering it. Time will be allotted for questions. If you have specific questions that you would like the session to address, please send them to Kim Eck at keck@isac.org by Tuesday, January 27.

To participate in the Webinar: access the PowerPoint presentation on the Partner Training page in the e-Library at collegezone.com (it will be posted on the morning of January 29), then dial 877.873.8017 and enter code 8324962# to access the audio portion.

New Awards Announced for 2008-09 MTI Scholarship Program
Sent to Financial Aid Directors and Financial Aid Administrators on January 8, 2009

A third round of 2008-09 Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program awarding took place on January 5, 2009. You will be notified if future rounds of awarding take place for either of the Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP).* Be sure to continue completing and submitting Initial Certifications throughout the year, in order to ensure that your students will be included in any subsequent rounds of awarding that might be scheduled.

Award notifications have been mailed to eligible students and new eligible award information, including funded or unfunded status, is available to colleges online at My Zone. Award announcement categories for eligible students in this round of awarding include:

• Eligible - Funded - students who are eligible for an award; and
• Eligible - Unavailable Funds - students who are eligible for the award, but for whom funds are not available.

TESP includes the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) and MTI Scholarship programs.

Accessing Award Information at My Zone

Now that TESP awards have been made on multiple dates [08/13/2008 and 08/27/2008 (IFTC and MTI Scholarship) and 01/05/2009 (MTI Scholarship only)], the filter functionality and pre-defined report that sort by "Status Date" (available within the Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP) area at My Zone) may be used to help identify students that have recently been found eligible for an award.

The following resources may be accessed from within the Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP) Notifications area at My Zone. The "Status Date" listed on TESP reports generated via My Zone matches the date on the student's award letter.

How to Access a Report
Search All Views
TESP Notifications: Filter Screen
TESP Notifications: Sort Function

Access to My Zone

If your college has not yet signed up to participate in My Zone, which provides online access to student-specific data in a secure environment, access the FAA Zone front page, select the My Zone Quick Link and follow the instructions provided. Or if there's been a change in staff needing to access TESP, the My Zone Administrator for your campus should update access to TESP so staff will be able to view eligible student award notification data online.

2008-09 MAP and IIA Program First Term Payment Claims Due January 10th
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAPnet Users and Business Offices on January 6, 2009

Because we understand that college administrators are busy assisting students as they return to campus for the spring 2009 term and begin the 2009-10 application cycle, we wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that initial 2008-09 first term payment claims for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and the Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program are due on or before January 10, 2009.

Details regarding MAP payment processing and IIA Program payment processing, along with the 2008-09 MAPnet User Guide, are available within the FAA Zone at collegezone.com. Priority payment claim deadlines for the remaining terms of the MAP and IIA Program 2008-09 processing cycles are also available.

Any initial claims made after the deadline date(s) will be placed in a lower priority consideration for payment.

Financial Aid 101 Workshop Rescheduled for January 21
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAPnet Users, Business Officers and FFELP Participants on January 6, 2009

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission's Financial Aid 101 Workshop that was scheduled for December 10, 2008 in ISAC's Deerfield office was cancelled due to weather-related issues. It has been rescheduled for Wednesday, January 21, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in ISAC's Deerfield office, Room 3030.

This free workshop is designed to introduce new financial aid professionals to financial aid concepts, programs and processes. The workshop will provide an overview of the following topics:

• basic financial aid principles,
• the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA),
• need analysis and the Expected Family Contribution (EFC),
• federal financial aid programs,
• student loan basics, and
• ISAC's scholarship and grant programs.

Mark Your Calendar for Upcoming Important Dates
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs, MAPnet Users, Business Officers and FFELP Participants on January 2, 2009

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.

You may either scroll through the entire message, or click on the appropriate link(s) to go directly to details about a specific topic:

UPDATES
Operational dates, and information regarding the next regularly scheduled Commission meeting

RESOURCES & TRAINING EVENTS
Upcoming CAP events, and Mapping Your Future's TEACH Grant exit counseling

HOLIDAY SCHEDULES
Processing schedules for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Presidents' Day


UPDATES

January 10th: 2008-09 MAP and IIA Program First Term Payment Claims Due

2008-09 first term payment claims for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program are due on or before January 10, 2009. Details regarding MAP payment processing and IIA payment processing, along with the 2008-09 MAPnet User Guide, are available within the FAA Zone.

January 15th: 2008-09 IVG Program First Term Payment Claims Due

2008-09 first term payment claims for the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program are due on or before January 15, 2009. For more information regarding the payment process, refer to the IVG Payment page.

January 30th: Commission Meeting

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission will take place on Friday, January 30, 2009, at Benedictine University in Lisle. A listing of tentative agenda items will be available prior to the meeting via the ISAC's Governing Board: The Commission section of the e-Library. Information can also be accessed by selecting the link that appears beneath the "Resource Center" heading at the College Zone home page.

After January 30th: State Scholar Mailing Labels Available to Order

After the student appeal period expires in January, ISAC provides Illinois colleges and universities the opportunity to order a set of mailing labels of State Scholar Finalists for recruitment purposes. Watch for more information about the availability of order forms in the State Scholar Program News area. Remember that a listing of all 2009-10 State Scholars - displayed alphabetically by high school, within each school's county - is available within the 8th-12th Grades area of the Student Zone at collegezone.com. This online listing replaces the printed listings that were available for order in previous years.

February 15th: STS First Term Payment Claims Due

2008-09 first term (first semester/first quarter) payment claims for the Student to Student Program of Matching Grants (STS) are due on or before February 15, 2009. For more information regarding the payment process, refer to the STS Payment Procedures page.


RESOURCES & TRAINING EVENTS

College Awareness & Preparation (CAP) Resources Available for 2009-10 FAFSA Cycle

The 2009-10 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) cycle, including FAFSA on the Web, Corrections on the Web, and FAA Access to CPS Online, opened on January 1, 2009. The Central Processing System (CPS) began processing 2009-10 FAFSA data on Friday, January 2nd. Details regarding the 2009-10 application cycle are provided within the Applying for Financial Aid section of the e-Library.

Check out the College Awareness & Preparation (CAP) page for information regarding resources that are available to help your students complete the financial aid process. Several events, including FAFSA completion seminars, will take place across the State of Illinois from now through March. Encourage students to attend the event that best fits their schedule.

CAP is a comprehensive effort of the Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (ILASFAA), Inc., the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC) and ISAC. Formerly known as Financial Aid Admission/Awareness Month (FAAM), CAP strives to fulfill its mission through a series of workshops, seminars and statewide support with partners from all sectors of education in the State of Illinois.

Mapping Your Future Offers TEACH Grant Exit Counseling

Mapping Your Future has released Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant exit counseling as the 18th product within Online Student Loan Counseling (OSLC). The TEACH Grant counseling session  provides information regarding the terms and conditions of a TEACH Grant service agreement, along with the rights and responsibilities that apply if a TEACH Grant is converted to a loan.

If you have an existing OSLC account for your school and would like to add TEACH Grant exit counseling to your participation categories, contact Mapping Your Future at feedback@mappingyourfuture.org. If you don't have an OSLC account, complete the school submission form at mappingyourfuture.org/oslc/schoolsignup.cfm to request participation.

Further details regarding OSLC, including a listing of  all available counseling types, are provided at the Learn more about Online Student Loan Counseling page of the Mapping Your Future Web site.

OSLC  is a free service, provided by the guaranty agencies from around the country - including ISAC - that sponsor Mapping Your Future, as well as the Friends that support the organization. All of the counseling sessions are guarantor and lender neutral.


HOLIDAY SCHEDULES

January 19th: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
February 16th: Presidents' Day

In observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Presidents' Day holidays, ISAC offices will be closed on Monday, January 19th and on Monday, February 16th, respectively. Our offices will reopen on the Tuesday following each holiday.

Loan records received at ISAC on the holidays, as well as disbursement records received at the National Disbursement Network (NDN), will be processed the following business day. This means that, for each holiday that falls on a Monday, CommonLine or Common Account Maintenance (CAM) files will be processed on the following Tuesday, with results available on Wednesday (or the next available day for any schools opting to receive NDN files on specific days of the week). Note that ELM Resources will continue to process and transmit files on the holidays.

Although ISAC's offices will be closed on those days, MAPnet will be available during regularly scheduled hours and will reflect records processed by the Central Processing System (CPS) through the Friday immediately preceding each respective holiday. MAP payment requests submitted from 5 p.m. (CT) the preceding Friday through 5 p.m. (CT) the following Tuesday will be processed Tuesday night, and payment results (which will show late claim indicators for 1st term claims) will be available via MAPnet on Wednesday morning.

For Assistance

Remember that you can access collegezone.com anytime, or send an e-mail message to ISAC's School Services Department. With the exception of holidays, ISAC staff will review and respond to messages during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT).

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Tools to Assist with Counseling Requirements
Sent on January 8, 2009

Entrance and Exit Counseling Checklists Available

With the passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), several new requirements were added to colleges' entrance and exit counseling responsibilities. To aid in complying with these new counseling components, the School Issues Workgroup of NCHELP's Program Regulations Committee designed Entrance and Exit Counseling Requirements checklists which combine all requirements (whether regulatory or statutory) in one resource document. We have made the checklists available for partner use in the Job Aids & Reference Materials area (#12) of College Zone's e-Library. The checklists can be printed and duplicated for reference by financial aid professionals.

Updated Mapping Your Future Exit Counseling Sessions, including TEACH Grants

Also in response to the HEOA, Mapping Your Future has updated several of their Online Student Loan Counseling (OSLC) exit counseling sessions. Specifically, information about income-based repayment and samples of average monthly payments under each repayment plan were added to exit counseling sessions for Federal Stafford loans and Graduate PLUS loans, as well as to combined sessions for Federal Stafford and Perkins loans and Federal Stafford and Graduate PLUS loans. Due to the changes made to the exit counseling sessions, colleges which utilize Mapping Your Future's customization options are encouraged to review their Stafford and Graduate PLUS exit text questions for any necessary revisions.  

Another new addition to Mapping Your Future's online exit counseling offerings is for TEACH (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education) grants. This session was incorporated into OSLC, and provides information about the terms and conditions of the grant's service agreement and the rights and responsibilities that will apply if the grant converts to a loan.

Schools that wish to add TEACH Grant exit counseling to their participation with Mapping Your Future and/or that may have questions about customization are directed to send an e-mail message to feedback@mappingyourfuture.org.

Use Customization Options to Fulfill New Requirements

Although a number of the new loan counseling components require colleges to provide institution-specific information for their borrowers (e.g., definition of half-time enrollment, names and office information for college contacts, average repayment amounts at the school, etc.), Mapping Your Future's customization options can provide an easy way to fulfill these requirements. For more information about customization options, access the OSLC User's Guide.

Latest School DAAR Report Available
Sent on January 5, 2009 and January 20, 2009

 The Notification of Student Loan Borrower DAAR Status report (School DAAR Report) for your school is now available on College Zone's My Zone. The School DAAR Report is non-cumulative and is available twice a month to those institutions with students for whom ISAC, as the guarantor, has received a Default Aversion Assistance Request (DAAR) during the reporting time period. Each time a new School DAAR Report is made available online, an e-Message will be sent to the "FFELP Participants" e-Messaging subscription group. Accessing School DAAR Reports at My Zone My Zone is a portal available in the FAA Zone at collegezone.com that allows postsecondary schools online access to student-specific data in a secure environment. If you have not yet signed up to participate in My Zone, proceed to the FAA Zone front page and select the My Zone Quick Link. For complete information and instructions to access your school's DAAR Report, proceed to the FAA Zone front page and select the My Zone Quick Link in the right margin of the page.

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Electronic ISAC Update for December 2008 Available at College Zone
Sent on January 2, 2009

The December 2008 edition of the ISAC Update is now available for your review within the ISAC Publications section of College Zone's e-Library. This version of the monthly electronic ISAC Update is a compilation of e-Messages sent to financial aid administrators and business officers in December via College Zone's e-Messaging service.

Topics covered in the December 2008 ISAC Update include:

• Happy Holidays from ISAC
  (sent December 17, 2008)
• 2009-10 Teacher Program Applications Available - Due on or before March 1, 2009
  (sent December 12, 2008)
• December Webinar to Feature High School Scholarship Programs
  (sent December 8, 2008)
• ING Grant Voucher Information Available
  at My Zone
  (sent December 5, 2008)
• Latest School DAAR Report Available
  (sent December 3, 2008 and December 18, 2008)
• Electronic ISAC Update for November 2008 Available at College Zone
  (sent December 1, 2008)

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