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VOL. 29, NO. 7IGSL, 7B
January 2012
Welcome to the January 2012 ISAC Update for financial aid administrators and business officers. This version of the electronic ISAC Update is a compilation of e-Messages sent through the ISAC's e-Messaging service throughout January.
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 isac.schoolservices@isac.illinois.gov. 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
February and March Training Opportunities for Financial Aid Administrators
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 31, 2012.
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is offering the following training opportunities for financial aid administrators.
Financial Aid 101 Workshop
This free, full-day (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) workshop is designed to introduce new financial aid professionals to financial aid concepts, programs and processes and help them develop a solid foundation on which to build their careers. It will be offered on the following dates:
For more details on the workshop agenda, visit the Partner Training page in the e-Library at collegeillinois.org.
If you are interested in attending one of these workshops, please send an e-mail to Kimberly.Eck@isac.illinois.gov indicating which session you would like to attend. Additional details regarding directions, parking, room location and the agenda will be provided in an e-mail to registered participants a few days prior to the workshop.
Financial Aid 201 Workshops
ISAC's Financial Aid 201 Workshop is intended for more experienced financial aid administrators who are already familiar with the basics. This free, full-day (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) workshop will focus on verification, professional judgment and preparing for audits and program reviews. Dates and locations are:
For more details on the workshop agenda, visit the visit the Partner Training page in the e-Library at collegeillinois.org.
To register for one of these workshops, send an e-mail to Kimberly.Eck@isac.illinois.gov and indicate the date and location which you plan to attend. Additional details regarding directions, parking, room location and the agenda will be provided in an e-mail to registered participants a few days prior to the workshop.
Monthly Webinars
ISAC's monthly webinar in February will focus on upgrades being made to MAPnet and 2012-13 MAP Start-Up. This session will be offered more than once, however, dates and times have not yet been finalized. Additional information will be provided soon.
2012-13 MAP Start-up Formula Approved -
Summary of January 27 Commission Meeting
Sent to Financial Aid Directors and Financial Aid Administrators on January 30, 2012.
The following highlights some of the agenda items discussed at last Friday's (January 27) meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), and any action taken. Details regarding several of the topics discussed at the meeting are provided in the January 27 Agenda Book, which can be accessed from the ISAC's Governing Board: The Commission section of the About ISAC area at collegeillinois.org.
FY13 (2012-13 Academic Year) MAP Start-up Formula Approved - Agenda Item 7
Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) funding for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) is not yet finalized, but if the additional $33.5 million received in FY12 is not received in FY13, the appropriation is likely to be in the neighborhood of $387 million. Based on that amount, staff again recommended, and the Commission approved, a 5 percent reduction factor for 2012-13 academic year awards. Without a decrease in application volume, the reduction factor is necessary to prevent an even earlier suspense date than in FY12 (which was late March). The 5 percent reduction results in an effective maximum award of $4,720. The approved start-up formula is outlined in Table 3 of Agenda Item 7.
Specific details regarding the start-up implementation schedule will soon be sent via a separate e-Message, and will also be posted at the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area (which may be accessed via collegeillinois.org/faa).
Proposed Rules Amendments - Agenda Item 5
Amendments are being proposed to 6 different Parts of the Administrative Rules this year: Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program, Grant Program for Dependents of Correctional Officers, Grant Program for Dependents of Police or Fire Officers, Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program, Monetary Award Program (MAP) and the Illinois Prepaid Tuition Program. One new program, College Planning Act, was passed during the spring legislative session and signed into law in the summer, and a new section was added for it. In addition, emergency rules (with an effective date of January 9, 2012) were also filed for the new federal John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program, due to the fact that the program was funded for the 2012-13 academic year.
Initial publication of the proposed rules and amendments triggered a 45-day public comment period that will end February 27, 2012. Where appropriate, the proposed rules and amendments will be revised based on comments and suggestions from the public, and staff will request authority from the Commission to submit the proposed rules and amendments, as revised, to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) for the second 45-day review period. After incorporating changes suggested by JCAR, the proposed rules and amendments will be presented to the Commission for final adoption.
FY13 Appropriation Budget Request - Agenda Item 8
The Commission submits a budget request each year to the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), indicating the amount of funding necessary to support student aid programs for which ISAC has administrative responsibility. For FY13, staff is recommending a budget almost level with the prior fiscal year based on the agency's main funding priority: need-based aid to promote affordability and access. Staff recommends an FY13 budget request totaling $855.2 million, a $3.9 million increase (.46%) compared to FY12.
Future Meetings
Dates and locations for all meetings scheduled in 2012 may be found at the Commission Meeting Schedule page.
Commission Meeting to be Held Friday, January 27
Sent to Financial Aid Directors and Financial Aid Administrators on January 23, 2012. The next regular meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), including a meeting of the College Illinois! Prepaid Tuition Program Investment Advisory Panel, will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 27, 2012, at Loyola University's Water Tower Campus in Chicago (this location has been changed since the initial announcement).
Some of the items on the tentative agenda for the meeting are:
The Agenda Book, providing the complete listing of agenda items, is available via the 2012 Agenda Books page (located within the ISAC's Governing Board: The Commission section of the About ISAC area at collegeillinois.org). The online Agenda Book will be updated within 1 - 2 business days following the meeting to reflect action taken.
Dates and locations for all meetings scheduled in 2012 may be found at the Commission Meeting Schedule page.
There are no plans for a conference call briefing following this meeting.
Updated MAPnet System to be Launched with 2012-13 MAP Start-up
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAPnet Users and Business Officers on January 20, 2012.
As was mentioned during recent webinars, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will launch an updated version of MAPnet with the implementation of start-up for the 2012-13 Monetary Award Program (MAP). The new version of MAPnet will provide an improved MAP processing experience with a fresh new look.
To make for an easy transition, much of the 2012-13 MAPnet functionality (e.g., accessing student detail screens, editing MAP codes, running reports and extracts, etc.) will remain the same as in prior years. The biggest difference will be the look of MAPnet screens, which will have a new format that is consistent with the look and feel of our recently updated collegeillinois.org website screens.
In addition to MAPnet's new look, users will also notice the following changes, which are being highlighted now in order to allow colleges an opportunity to prepare for 2012-13 processing.
- The 2012-13 MAPnet system will reside on a different platform than MAPnet systems from prior years. As a result, financial aid professionals will need to access the 2011-12 and 2012-13 MAPnet systems separately.
- Beginning with 2012-13 start-up, the secure authentication process used to establish access to the MAPnet system will be different. The financial aid director at each participating Illinois college will need to assign a staff member as the college's MAPnet Administrator. The MAPnet Administrator will then be responsible for establishing and maintaining access to the 2012-13 MAPnet system for all other staff at the college. Note that this security system is very similar to that used for accessing ISAC's My Zone portal. (The secure authentication process for accessing the 2011-12 MAPnet system will remain unchanged.)
- The 2012-13 MAP 160 Byte File Layout Specifications document is now available to download, view and/or print via the Electronic Tools page of the e-Library at collegeillinois.org. There are some changes to the file layout for 2012-13 MAP records.
- Within the specifications document, revisions made for the 2012-13 layout are highlighted in gray.
- Although many fields are numbered differently, their start and end positions remain the same as in 2011-12.
- Filler and "ISAC Use Only" fields were replaced with fields related to the MAP 2+2 Pilot processing.
- Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program fields were removed.
You will be notified via the standard communication methods (such as this e-Messaging service, and the MAP Program News and FAA Message Board resources that can be accessed via collegeillinois.org/faa) as further details become available regarding start-up, including once the 2012-13 MAP start-up formula has been approved by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
We hope that the above information is helpful to colleges as they begin to prepare for 2012-13 MAP start-up (which is anticipated to be implemented in late winter, 2012).
Submit 2011-12 MAP Payment Requests: Second- and Third-Term Claims Now Being Accepted, and Partial Release of Suspense to be Reflected in MAPnet on January 11
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAPnet Users and Business Officers on January 10, 2012. 2011-12 MAP Claims Being Accepted for Second and Third Terms
Effective today (Tuesday, January 10, 2012), the 2011-12 MAPnet system has been updated to allow for the submission of second- and third-term Monetary Award Program (MAP) claims. Colleges may submit second- and third-term payment requests up to 10 days prior to the start of the term.
Limited Release of Suspended 2011-12 MAP Awards to be Reflected in MAPnet on Wednesday (January 11, 2012)
In addition, as was previously announced, ISAC is releasing MAP grants from suspended status for students whose Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) receipt dates were March 26, 2011 through (and including)
April 8, 2011. These released records will be available for payment, and may be viewed in MAPnet, starting tomorrow (Wednesday, January 11, 2012). All MAP grants for eligible students with initial FAFSA receipt dates on or after April 9, 2011, remain in a suspended status.
Colleges are encouraged to identify those students who are impacted by the limited release of 2011-12 suspended MAP awards and submit their payment requests (including for the first term) as soon as possible.
Initial First Term Claims Processing Through April 1
ISAC is allowing MAP payment processing for initial first term claims received through April 1, 2012. Increases or decreases to previously-processed first term claims will also continue to be processed. Student records released from suspension (full year awards) on January 11 are eligible for first term payment, even though the
December 9, 2011 first term priority payment claim deadline has passed (i.e., they are late claims). Colleges may use their standard procedure to request payment for those students. [Note that all late payment requests submitted between December 10, 2011 and January 10, 2012 are being automatically reprocessed, and these processed records will appear on the Payment Results Report on January 11.]
Additional Information
- The following MAP payment processing resources are available via collegeillinois.org/faa:
- Details regarding how to identify student records that have been released from suspension are provided in a December 22 e-Message.
2011-12 MAPnet System to be Temporarily Unavailable
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAPnet Users and Business Officers on January 9, 2012.
In order to prepare for the submission of second- and third-term Monetary Award Program (MAP) payment requests, the 2011-12 MAPnet system will be unavailable beginning at 5 p.m. (CT) tonight (Monday, January 9) and continuing until around 12 p.m. (noon) on Tuesday, January 10, 2012.
You will be notified via a separate e-Message once the 2011-12 MAPnet system is available on Tuesday
(January 10).
We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this temporary system outage.
Access e-Library Through New ISAC Website
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 9, 2012.
As part of our ongoing transition to a new web presence, we've added another component to the collegeillinois.org website. The e-Library, our site library that contains resources for partners to use as you counsel students and administer ISAC programs, is now available through a Quick Link at the bottom of each collegeillinois.org page, including easy access directly from the home page.
The e-Library at collegeillinois.org has undergone a small "renovation" and we hope you'll find it even more convenient. Along with the new access from the home page, here are some of the other changes we've made:
- The "News You Can Use" and "ISAC Publications" areas are now combined and the new area is called "Partner e-Messages & Newsletters". Here you'll find the current month's partner e-Messages and the ISAC Updates and Communiqués that are compilations of all e-Messages sent during the previous month/quarter.
- The "Applications & Forms" area has been renamed to "Applications, Forms & Brochures". As the new name implies, pdf's of many of ISAC's brochures have been moved to this area from "ISAC Publications".
- What was previously the "Presentations" area is now "Outreach Events & Presentations", which contains the calendar of events and presentations about the college-going process for the general public. Also in this area are ready-to-use PowerPoint presentations that can be downloaded for partners' use.
- The "Partner Training" area now contains only information about training events and activities that are strictly for partners.
During the next couple of weeks while we're still doing some fine-tuning, both the collegeillinois.org and collegezone.com e-Libraries will be accessible, and both will be maintained in an up-to-date status. Starting sometime before the first of February, however, visitors to the College Zone e-Library will be automatically redirected to the new e-Library at collegeillinois.org.
Please make a note of the pending change and be sure to update any "bookmarks" and "favorites" accordingly.
Webinar on 2012-13 FAFSA Process Will Be Offered Twice in January
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 4, 2012.
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will offer a Webinar on the 2012-13 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Process (a repeat of the December 21 session) on the following dates/times:
- Wednesday, January 11 at 10 a.m.
- Wednesday, January 18 at 2 p.m.
The Webinar will review the 2012-13 FAFSA, changes made to FAFSA on the Web, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data retrieval process enhancements, verification changes and general processing updates.
If you have specific questions that you'd like this session to address, please send them to Kim Eck at Kimberly.Eck@isac.illinois.gov prior to the session.
To participate in the Webinar: access the PowerPoint presentation that will be posted the day of the session on the Partner Training page in the e-Library (which may be accessed via collegeillinois.org/faa); then dial 877.873.8017 (toll-free) and enter code 8324962# to access the audio portion.
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 3, 2012. 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
Next Commission meeting and upcoming operational dates
RESOURCES & TRAINING EVENTS
Upcoming CAP events
UPCOMING HOLIDAY SCHEDULES
Processing schedules for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Lincoln's Birthday and Presidents' Day holidays
UPDATES
Next Commission Meeting
The next meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission will take place on Friday, January 27, 2012, at DePaul University in Chicago. Watch for further details to be posted prior to the meeting at the ISAC's Governing Board: The Commission section of the About ISAC area at collegeillinois.org. Dates and locations for all meetings scheduled in 2012 are available at the Commission Meeting Schedule page.
Processing Updates (unless otherwise noted, all links in this section are to corresponding pages that may be accessed via collegeillinois.org/faa).
January 15: 2011-12 IVG Program First (Fall) Term Payment Claims Due
2011-12 first (fall) term payment claims for the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program are due on or before January 15, 2012. For more information regarding the payment process, refer to the IVG Payment page.
After January 27: 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. Orders for mailing labels must be received at ISAC on or before March 30, 2012. Remember that a listing of all 2012-13 State Scholars - displayed alphabetically by high school, within each school's county - may be accessed via the Students & Parents – Before College section at collegeillinois.org.
March 1: Spring Term Application Deadline for 2011-12 Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire, or Correctional Officers
Remind your students that March 1, 2012 is the spring- and summer-term award priority application consideration date for the 2011-12 Grant Program for Dependents of Police, Fire, and Correctional Officers. Students may access the application via the Applications page (which is located within the Students & Parents - During College - Applying for Financial Aid area at collegeillinois.org). Applications received after March 1 will be considered for summer term only awards.
March 1: 2012-13 MTI Scholarship and Illinois SETTW Application Deadlines
Remind your students who plan to pursue a career in teaching that March 1, 2012 is the priority application consideration date for the 2012-13 Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship and Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) programs. Students may access these applications via the Applications page (which is located within the Students & Parents - During College - Applying for Financial Aid area at collegeillinois.org). Complete applications received after this date will be considered only if funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded.
RESOURCES & TRAINING EVENTS
College Awareness & Preparation (CAP) Resources Available for 2012-13 FAFSA Cycle
The 2012-13 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) cycle, including FAFSA on the Web and FAA Access to CPS Online, opened on January 1, 2012. The Central Processing System (CPS) began processing 2012-13 FAFSA data on Tuesday, January 3. Details regarding the 2012-13 application cycle may be accessed via the Applying for Financial Aid section of the e-Library at collegeillinois.org.
Encourage your students to check out the College Awareness & Preparation (CAP) page at collegeillinois.org for information regarding resources that are available to help 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.
UPCOMING HOLIDAY SCHEDULES
January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, ISAC offices will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2012. Our offices will reopen on Tuesday, January 17, 2012.
February 13: Lincoln's Birthday
In observance of Lincoln's Birthday, ISAC offices will be closed on Monday, February 13, 2012. Our offices will reopen on Tuesday, February 14, 2012.
February 20: Presidents' Day
Due to the Presidents' Day holiday, ISAC offices will be closed on Monday, February 20, 2012. Our offices will reopen on Tuesday, February 21, 2012.
Although ISAC's offices will be closed on the days listed above, MAPnet will be available during regularly scheduled hours and will reflect records processed by the Central Processing System (CPS) through the last business day immediately preceding each respective holiday. Results for MAP 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 MAPnet on the morning of the second business day after the holiday. For example: a MAP payment request submitted at 6 p.m. (CT) on Friday, February 10 will be processed the evening of Monday, February 13 - and payment results will be available via MAPnet the morning of Tuesday, February 14.
For Assistance
Remember that you can access collegeillinois.org/faa anytime, or send an e-mail message to ISAC's School Services Department (isac.schoolservices@isac.illinois.gov). With the exception of days when the ISAC offices are closed, ISAC staff will review and respond to messages during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CT).
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FFELP PARTICIPANTS
Latest School DAAR Report Available
Sent on January 3, 2012 and January 18, 2012 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 collegeillinois.org/faa 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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ISAC UPDATE GROUP
Electronic ISAC Update for December 2011 Now Available
Sent on January 3, 2011 The December 2011 edition of the ISAC Update is now available for your review within the ISAC Publications section of the e-Library, which may be accessed via collegeillinois.org/faa. 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 ISAC's e-Messaging service.
Topics covered in the December 2011 ISAC Update include:
- 2012-13 Applications for Teacher Education Programs Available - Due on or before March 1, 2012
(sent December 28, 2011)
- 2011-12 MAP Updates: No Further Reduction of Second- and Third-Term Claims, and Limited Release of Suspended Awards
(sent December 22, 2011)
- Status Update Regarding 2011-12 MAP Second- and Third-Term Claims
(sent December 16, 2011)
- Happy Holidays from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC)
(sent December 14, 2011)
- Mapping Your Future's MappingXpress Helps Colleges Streamline the Document Collection Process
(sent December 13, 2011)
- Second Round of 2011-12 MTI Scholarship Awards Announced
(sent December 6, 2011)
- Latest School DAAR Report Available
(sent December 5, 2011 and December 19, 2011)
- Electronic ISAC Update for November 2011 Now Available
(sent December 1, 2011)
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