VOL. 22, NO. 2IGSL, 2B
August 2004
Welcome to the August 2004 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 August. 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.
MULTIPLE SUBSCRIPTION GROUPS
2004-05 MAP and IIA Payment Processing Available
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAPnet Users, and Business Officers on August 23, 2004
Payment Now Available
ISAC is pleased to announce that the 2004-05 payment processing cycle has begun, including MAPnet and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) requests for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and the Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program. Please remember that MAP and IIA payment requests for any given term are not to be submitted to ISAC earlier than 10 days before the beginning date of that term. Once submitted, the status of payments to schools can be tracked through the State of Illinois Comptroller's Web site at http://www.ioc.state.il.us/. Use the "Vendor Payments" area of the site at any time throughout the year to make inquiries about pending payments for MAP, IIA and ISAC's other gift assistance programs.
MAP Paid Credit Hours
With the release of payment processing for 2004-05, the new payment proration methodology, referred to as MAP Paid Credit Hours, has been put into place. Payment will be made according to the fraction of 15 credit hours for which a student is enrolled (with a maximum of 15 and minimum of 3 credit hours). The fraction will be applied to each student's calculated term award amount. For a complete explanation please refer to the Tracking MAP Usage - MAP Paid Credit Hours 2004-05 page within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs section of the FAA Zone.
Changes in MAPnet
Changes have been made to MAPnet to accommodate the use of MAP Paid Credit Hours in payment processing. An explanation of the changes is available in the Payment section of the MAPnet User Guide, as well as in the MAPnet Help Text. In order to remain up-to-date on each program, please refer to Program News for MAP and IIA within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs section of the FAA Zone.
Changes in Illinois Veteran Grant Program: Illinois Reserve and Illinois National Guard Members May Qualify
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, and Business Officers on August 20, 2004
In an effort to provide educational benefits to those individuals in the Illinois Reserves and Illinois National Guard who have been called to federal active duty, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will be filing emergency rules to modify the eligibility criteria for the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program. When in effect, the rules will allow those in the Illinois Reserves and Illinois National Guard who meet the eligibility requirements to qualify for the IVG Program, along with Illinois veterans or members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
While details regarding these changes are still being finalized, preliminary information is provided in an August 20, 2004 press release. Once specifics are available, IVG Program pages will be updated and a revised Illinois Veteran Grant Application will be posted at the College Zone Web site.
At this time, ISAC anticipates the IVG Program changes taking effect on September 15, 2004.
2004-05 MAP/IIA Payment Processing Anticipated for Next Week: MAPnet To Be Temporarily Unavailable
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAPnet Users, and Business Officers on August 19, 2004
ISAC anticipates 2004-05 payment processing to be available on Monday, August 23rd for payment requests/claims received from schools for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and the Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program.
In order for the 2004-05 MAPnet system to be updated for MAP and IIA payment processing, the system will be unavailable beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 21st and will remain unavailable into Monday, August 23rd. A separate message will be sent when the 2004-05 MAPnet system is available on Monday. At that time, 2004-05 payment processing will be available.
Changes have been made to MAPnet to accommodate the use of MAP Paid Credit Hours in payment processing. Information about the changes will be made available in the MAPnet User Guide, as well as in the MAPnet Help Text. In order to remain up-to-date on MAP and IIA, please refer to Program News for each program within the FAA Zone at collegezone.com.
Please note that access to 2003-04 historical data in MAPnet will not be impacted.
2004-05 IFTC and MTI Scholarship Programs Update
Sent to Financial Aid Directors and Financial Aid Administrators on August 18, 2004
As a result of the Fiscal Year 2005 budget enacted for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program received level funding of $3,100,000. However, funding for the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) Program was reduced significantly to $4,160,000 for the 2004-05 academic year (from $7 million for 2003-04). While fewer IFTC scholarships will be awarded for the 2004-05 academic year, we want you to be aware that timely renewal applicants will have priority for the limited program funds. Funding will not be available to award applicants who are seeking initial teacher certification but do not agree to teach in a teacher shortage discipline or in a hard-to-staff school.
ISAC anticipates sending notification in early September to those IFTC and MTI Scholarship applicants who either qualify as "eligible and funded" (i.e., are awarded a scholarship) or qualify as eligible but, due to limited funding, are not awarded a scholarship.
Once the awarding process for the IFTC and MTI Scholarship programs (which is based on the Initial Certification Documents that have been returned to ISAC by the requested receipt date) is complete, an Eligibility Certification Statement and Payment Request Roster that includes the information the school provided on the Initial Certification Document is sent to the postsecondary school. This is the document on which the school requests payment. ISAC anticipates that the payment cycle will begin in early October.
Future Updates
The Program News pages within College Zone's IFTC Program and MTI Scholarship Program areas will continue to be updated as new information regarding the awarding and payment cycles becomes available.
Suspension of 2004-05 MAP and IIA Grant Announcements
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAPnet Users, and Business Officers on August 9, 2004
Suspension Effective August 16, 2004
Due to current trends in the number of eligible applicants and anticipated payment claim rates, the appropriations for the 2004-05 Monetary Award Program (MAP) and Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program are fully committed. As a result, ISAC will suspend the announcement of MAP and IIA grants for all students whose initial 2004-05 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is received by the Central Processing System (CPS) on or after August 16, 2004. This affects new and continuing students regardless of enrollment status.
ISAC will evaluate the status of suspended awards after the first-term claim deadline date has passed in January, and if application volume and claim rates support such action, may release some suspended awards.
Student Award Announcements
Schools will need to suspend announcements of MAP and IIA awards to students whose initial FAFSA receipt date is on or after August 16, 2004. ISAC will be notifying all affected applicants that their awards have been placed in suspension status. A sample copy of this notification will be available within the MAP section of College Zone's ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area prior to the first letters being sent to applicants.
Identifying Records in Suspension Status
MAP records in suspension status will be indicated by an Eligibility Code of "S" ("Suspended -- indicates student is temporarily suspended from processing due to insufficient funding. Not eligible for payment for any terms") on MAPnet and in the Eligibility Status File (ESF).
Student records with IIA awards in suspension status will be notated in MAPnet and the Eligibility Status File (ESF) by a code of "S" in the "IIA Suspend" field, and IIA records not in suspension status will show a code of "N" in this field.
Questions?
The Suspension of Award Announcements pages within the MAP and IIA areas have been updated, and include a sample copy of the notification that will be sent to affected applicants.
If you have any questions regarding the suspension of MAP and IIA awards, please contact a School Services Representative at schoolservices@isac.org or 866.247.2172.
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FINANCIAL AID ADMINISTRATOR
Mark Your September Calendar
Sent on August 30, 2004
Labor Day Holiday – September 6th
Due to the Labor Day holiday, ISAC offices will be closed on Monday, September 6, 2004, and will reopen on Tuesday, September 7th.
Loan records received at ISAC on September 6th, as well as disbursement records received at the National Disbursement Network (NDN), will be processed the following business day. This means that CommonLine or Common Account Maintenance (CAM) files received on September 6th will be processed on September 7th, with results available September 8th (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 September 6th.
Although ISAC’s offices will be closed on September 6th, MAPnet will be available during regularly scheduled hours and will reflect records processed by the Central Processing System (CPS) through Friday, September 3rd.
College Zone is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week - even when the ISAC offices are closed. Also, questions or inquiries may be submitted at any time by sending an e-mail message to ISAC's School Services staff. With the exception of holidays (such as Labor Day), ISAC staff will review and respond to messages during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT).
FAFSA and Financial Aid Chat Event – September 7th
Financial Aid Administrators: Please share the following information with any students who would benefit from it.
On Tuesday, September 7, 2004, Mapping Your Future will offer a "FAFSA and Financial Aid" chat from 2 to 3 p.m. (CT). The chat is designed to help students and their families understand the college application and financial aid process, including how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
During the "FAFSA and Financial Aid" Chat Event, participants will learn more about:
- completing the FAFSA;
- determining eligibility for federal student aid;
- calculating financial need and the expected family contribution; and
- paying for school.
You can access Mapping Your Future by selecting "Mapping Your Future" from the "FAA Quick Links" menu that appears along the right margin of the FAA Zone front page.
Students can use the link on the right side of the Student Zone front page.
Mapping Your Future can also be accessed directly at http://www.mapping-your-future.org/.
The calendar of upcoming Chat Events is in the Outreach Activities section of College Zone, which can be accessed in the center of the College Zone home page.
Archived "Questions and Answers" from earlier chats can be accessed by visiting the section entitled "Previous Chat Events" at www.mapping-your-future.org/services/chatnight.htm.
The above is based on information from a Mapping Your Future E-Update. Mapping Your Future is a national collaborative public service project of the financial aid industry, including ISAC - bringing together the expertise of the industry to provide free college, career, financial aid, and financial literacy services for schools, students, and families.
New Poster Available to Publicize Chat Events to Your Students
To help you promote upcoming 2004-05 Chat Events to your students, a poster (in .pdf format) is available at the Mapping Your Future Web site. You may wish to consider printing (on 8½" x 11" paper, in color or black & white) and displaying this poster, which can be accessed via Mapping Your Future's "Financial Aid Professionals" and "Live Chat Events" pages, in areas of your campus that can be easily viewed by individuals seeking information about the college process.
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MAPnet Users
Suspension Status Available in MAPnet
Sent on August 17, 2004
Suspension Effective August 16, 2004
As announced on August 9th, ISAC has suspended the announcement of 2004-05 Monetary Award Program (MAP) and Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program grants for all students whose initial 2004-05 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was received by the Central Processing System (CPS) on or after August 16, 2004. This affects new and continuing students regardless of enrollment status.
Student Award Announcements
ISAC will be notifying all affected applicants that their awards have been placed in suspension status. Institutional Student Information Record/Student Aid Report (ISIR/SAR) records dated August 16, 2004 will have suspense status letters produced by ISAC dated and mailed on August 20, 2004.
Identifying Records in Suspension Status
MAP records in suspension status will be indicated by an Eligibility Code of "S" ("Suspended -- indicates student is temporarily suspended from processing due to insufficient funding. Not eligible for payment for any terms") on MAPnet and in the Eligibility Status File (ESF).
Student records with IIA awards in suspension status will be notated in MAPnet and the Eligibility Status File (ESF) by a code of "S" in the "IIA Suspend" field, and IIA records not in suspension status will show a code of "N" in this field.
Questions?
As new information becomes available throughout the year, ISAC routinely updates the MAP and IIA "Program News" pages within College Zone's Gift Assistance Programs area. Be sure to check back periodically for the current processing status of these programs.
If you have any questions regarding the suspension of MAP and IIA awards, please contact a School Services Representative at schoolservices@isac.org or 866.247.2172.
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ISAC UPDATE GROUP
Electronic ISAC Update for July 2004 Available at College Zone
Sent on August 3, 2004
The July 2004 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 July via College Zone's e-Messaging service.
Topics covered in the July 2004 ISAC Update include:
- Governor Signs FY2005 Budget Into Law
- Reminders for MAPnet Users
- ISAC State Legislative Update: General Assembly Passes State Budget
- July 30th Commission Meeting Cancelled & Executive Briefing Conference Call Set for August 2nd
- Important Reminders: Operational Dates for ISAC Gift Assistance Programs, Training Events, and Holiday Processing Schedules
- Financial Aid Scam Warning Issued by the U.S. Department of Education
- 2004-05 MAPnet System Availability
- Electronic ISAC Update for June 2004 Available at College Zone
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