VOL. 22, NO. 4IGSL, 4B
October 2004
Welcome to the Octrober 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 October. 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
Too Much Information? Too Many Students? Not Enough Time? We Can Help!
Sent to Financial Aid Directors and Financial Aid Administrators on October 26, 2004
Education is a fast-paced and ever-changing world. Do you feel like you're on information overload, and being pulled in so many directions you don't know where to begin? The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is here to help! Whether via resources available at the College Zone Web site (collegezone.com), or at the upcoming 2004 Fall Seminars for Partners, ISAC can assist you in finding ways to streamline your efforts and maximize the time you have available to spend with your highest-need students.
Revised Microsoft® PowerPoint® Presentations Available at College Zone
Do you present or co-present early awareness and/or financial aid workshops for students and their families? Two newly revised Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentations (including talking points for the presenter) provide the basis you'll need, saving you hours in preparation time.
- College & Careers: Dream to Reality is an early awareness presentation geared to encourage families with young children to start thinking as soon as possible about planning and financing a college education.
- Financial Aid for a College Education (previously titled "A Guide to Financial Aid Presentations") includes updated information regarding the 2005-06 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), federal and state aid programs, and College Zone. This presentation is also available in Spanish.
Each of these presentations can be accessed via the Presentations page of College Zone's e-Library. In addition, access to "Financial Aid for a College Education" is also provided within the "Quick Links" menu that appears at the right margin of the Counselor Zone, FAA Zone, and Lender Zone front pages.
Time Is Running Out ... Register Today for 2004 Fall Seminars for Partners!
Fall Seminars for Partners are being offered on 13 separate dates in November and December, at 15 locations throughout the State of Illinois. We are pleased to report that this year's registration volume has been high. Space at each of the locations is limited - if you've not already done so, register now to ensure you'll be able to attend the free half-day seminar that best fits your busy schedule!
Registration information is available in the Outreach & Training section of College Zone's e-Library. Online registration allows you to save time and register from the convenience of a PC. Detailed information, including an event description, an agenda, a calendar of seminar dates, and details regarding locations and parking, can be found in this section.
We hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity to stay current with industry news, find ways to meet your information challenges, and network with your colleagues at the 2004 Fall Seminars. We look forward to seeing you there!
Together, we can help the students of Illinois say "Yes, I can go to college!"
MAP & IIA Priority Payment Claim Deadlines Set for 2004-05
Sent to MAPnet Users and Business Officers on October 13, 2004
FY2005 priority payment claim deadline dates for both the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and the Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program have been set by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, with payment claims for first term due on or before January 14, 2005. Details regarding payment processing for the 2004-05 MAP and IIA programs, including priority payment claim deadline dates, are available at collegezone.com. As a reminder, any initial claim made after a deadline date will be placed in a lower priority consideration for payment.
When to Expect MAP Payment
In order to allow the State of Illinois Comptroller's Office to remit MAP payments in a timely manner (recently, approximately four weeks from the time a voucher is received), schools are encouraged to batch payment requests in dollar amounts that are neither excessively large nor excessively small. Please be aware that submitting payment requests for one student at a time will result in delayed processing.
Once ISAC has issued a payment voucher, schools may track the status of that payment at the Comptroller's Web site. Instructions for accessing and using this Web site can be found within collegezone.com.
2004 Fall Seminars for Partners - "Meeting Information Challenges" - Online Registration Now Available
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAPnet Users, Business Officers and ISAC Update on October 8, 2004 Too much information, too many students, not enough time ... if that describes your typical day, please join ISAC staff at the free 2004 Fall Seminars and let us help! Based on the feedback we received last year concerning the greatest information challenges faced each day, the upcoming seminar series has been designed with those needs in mind.
Register Online Early – Space is Limited
Registration information for the 2004 Fall Seminars is now available at collegezone.com in the Outreach & Training section of the e-Library. Detailed information, including an event description, an agenda, a calendar of seminar dates, and information about locations and parking, as well as online registration, can be found in this section.
Too Much Information ...
So many e-mail messages, articles, files and reports to sift through that you don't know where to begin? The half-day seminar begins with general sessions designed to organize all that information. These sessions are designed to meet the specific needs of three different audiences – newcomers and those needing a refresher, experienced counselors, and financial aid administrators. The topics to be covered for each audience group are available by viewing the agenda.
Too Many Students ... Not Enough Time ...
While we can't reduce your caseload, we can offer interest sessions that provide tips and tools to help you streamline your efforts and maximize the time available for your highest-need students. Following the general sessions, three sets of concurrent interest sessions will be offered to meet partners’ outreach, counseling, and operational needs. Two interest sessions of particular interest to financial aid administrators will be one summarizing information provided at the Electronic Access Conference, and another discussing trends in the student loan industry. Again, check out the agenda for a description of the specific topics that will be covered. We hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity to stay current with industry news, find ways to meet your information challenges, and network with your colleagues at the 2004 Fall Seminars. We look forward to seeing you there!
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FINANCIAL AID ADMINISTRATOR
Finding the School of Your Dreams and Gaining Admission: Mapping Your Future Chat Event - October 12, 2004
Sent on October 1, 2004 Financial Aid Administrators: Please share the following information with any families who would benefit from it.
On Tuesday, October 12, 2004, Mapping Your Future will offer a "Finding the School of Your Dreams and Gaining Admission" chat from 6 to 7 p.m. (CT). The chat is designed to help college-bound students begin preparing admission applications and planning for financial aid.
During the "Finding the School of Your Dreams and Gaining Admission" Chat Event, participants will learn more about:
- preparing academically for college;
- considering different types of schools;
- selecting a school;
- applying to school;
- determining eligibility for federal student aid, including completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
- 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. Remember, also, that a poster (in .pdf format) listing 2004-05 Chat Events 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.
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.
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MAPnet Users
MAPnet Maintenance Scheduled for Saturday, October 23rd
Sent on October 21, 2004
Beginning at Noon on Saturday, October 23rd, MAPnet will be temporarily unavailable due to required system maintenance. Although it may be possible to view certain pages within the MAPnet site while maintenance is being performed, it will not be possible to make updates or transmit data to ISAC. Additionally, the maintenance will also impact the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) process. The FTP server will remain available, however any files submitted will not be retrieved until all functionality has been restored. As a result, it is strongly recommended that no processing activity be attempted during the outage.
MAPnet will be available for processing by 7 a.m. (CT) on Monday, October 25th. Any additional updates or changes will be posted at MAP Program News, located in the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs section of College Zone.
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ISAC UPDATE GROUP
Electronic ISAC Update for September 2004 Available at College Zone
Sent on October 1, 2004
The September 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 September via College Zone's e-Messaging service.
Topics covered in the September 2004 ISAC Update include:
- ELM Workshop Rescheduled
- College Zone Resources Help Students Say: Yes, I Can Go to College!
- Reminder Regarding Illinois Veteran Grant and Illinois National Guard Grant Program Update Sessions
- Calculating MAP Payment Requests According to Credit Hours: Use Fraction, Not Decimal
- Commission Meeting and Public Forum to Be Held on September 24th; Executive Briefing Conference Call to Be Held on September 27th
- Conference Call Training Sessions to Provide Information on IVG and ING Grant Program Changes
- Public Forum on College Affordability Issues and MAP Improvements: Following September 24th Commission Meeting
- Several Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) Loan Processing Options Available for Schools
- Electronic ISAC Update for August 2004 Available at College Zone
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