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VOL. 23, NO. 5IGSL, 5B
November 2005
Welcome to the November 2005 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 November. 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
Commission Meeting Summary
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, MAPnet Users, Business Officers, and FFELP Participants on November 18, 2005
The regular meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission was held on Friday, November 18th in ISAC's Deerfield office. During the meeting, action was taken on the following agenda items:
- Elimination of Guarantee Fee - Continuing a trend which began in academic year 1999-2000, the Commission again authorized the continued elimination of the one percent guarantee fee, resulting in reduced loan costs for student and parent borrowers. The elimination of the guarantee fee is effective through December 31, 2006, unless otherwise mandated by changes in federal legislation.
- IDAPP Investment Policy - The Statement of Investment Policy for the Illinois Designated Account Purchase Program (IDAPP) was approved as presented, allowing the ongoing sale of bonds to support the purchase and origination of student loans.
- College Illinois! Investment Policy - The Statement of Investment Policy for the College Illinois! prepaid tuition program was approved as presented, ensuring the continued soundness of the program.
More information regarding these "action" items, as well as those simply of an informational nature (including a discussion item about college affordability and the budget impact on FY07 Monetary Award Program) can be found in the Agenda Book, available through the e-Library of collegezone.com.
In addition to these items, Executive Director Larry Matejka also welcomed seven new Commissioners to the board, bringing the Commission to the full complement of ten. The new members include Chairman Donald J. McNeil, Sharon Alpi, Lynda Andre, Warren Daniels, Jr., Andrew Davis, Student Commissioner Ashley Dearborn and David H. Vaught. Biographical information about all of the Commissioners is also available in the e-Library.
The next regularly scheduled Commission meeting is planned for Friday, January 27, 2006, at DePaul University in Chicago.
 New 2005-06 Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP) Awarding Information and Enhancement Available Online
Sent to Financial Aid Directors and Financial Aid Administrators on November 10, 2005 Each time the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) completes a round of awarding for the 2005-06 Teacher Education Scholarship Programs [Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) and Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship programs], new eligible award information, including funded or unavailable funded status, is made available online at My Zone. The third round of 2005-06 TESP awarding took place on November 9th. Award notifications have been mailed to eligible students.
What's New? Enhancement Added
As part of our continuing effort to make TESP Award Notification in My Zone user-friendly and convenient, it is now easier to find students who may be included in multiple award announcement categories. The newest enhancement - Search All Views - provides the ability to search through records in the three award announcement categories [Eligible-Funded, Eligible-Unavailable Funds and Eligible-Unavailable Funds (IFTC Teacher Only)] and display all results for the same student in one place. The Search All Views function can be accessed via a link located in the left panel of the View section.
Sign Up for Access to My Zone
It's not too late to sign up to access data from My Zone! As soon as you establish a My Zone Administrator for your campus, and update staff access to TESP, you will be able to view eligible student award notification data online. This online process has replaced the TESP award notification letters that, in previous years, you received in the mail.
Don't Miss Out!
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 November 7, 2005
This year's Illinois Student Assistance Commission Fall Seminars are right around the corner. Don't miss this opportunity to catch up on what's new. Scheduled to begin on Monday, November 14th, the series is being offered at several locations across the state throughout November and the early part of December. The agenda includes ISAC operational and programmatic updates, state and federal issues, a summary of ED's Electronic Access Conference (EAC), the latest information about My Zone and IllinoisMentor and an interactive discussion about possible processing enhancements.
Registration is currently open at collegezone.com. You can also find information about the dates and locations, the agenda topics and address and parking details on the Web site. The sessions begin at 9 a.m., with registration at 8:30 a.m. Adjournment is at 12:30 p.m.
Take a few minutes and register now. We look forward to seeing you at this year's sessions!
Important Dates and Reminders: Updates, Training & Chat Events and Holiday Schedules
Sent to 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 November 4, 2005 In order to prevent any important dates from being missed, this message provides a listing of key dates and activities that will take place in the upcoming months for programs administered by ISAC.
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
TRAINING & CHAT EVENTS
HOLIDAY SCHEDULES
UPDATES
November 14th - 2005-06 Dependents of Police/Fire/Correctional Officers Fall Claims Are Due
Grant Programs for Dependents of Police/Fire/Correctional Officers Certification of Enrollment for Payment rosters for the 2005-06 fall term are due back to ISAC on or before November 14, 2005. Specific details are available within the Payment Procedures section for these programs at collegezone.com.
November 23rd - 2005-06 ING Grant Fall Claims Are Due
Completed and signed Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Payment Request Rosters and Certification Forms for the 2005-06 fall term, as well as ING Out-of-District Tuition Claim Forms, are due back to ISAC on or before November 23, 2005. Specific details are available within the Payment Procedures for the ING Grant section at collegezone.com.
December 8th - 2005-06 ING Grant Supplemental Claims Are Due
Supplemental Payment Request Forms for the ING Grant Program are due back to ISAC on or before December 8, 2005. Specific details are available within the Payment Procedures for the ING Grant section at collegezone.com.
Early December - Applications for 2006-07 TESP and SETTW Will Be Available
ISAC anticipates that the 2006-07 interactive Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP) application [used to apply for the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) and Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship programs], as well as the downloadable Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program application, will be made available at collegezone.com in early December.
ED Responses to Recurring Federal Student Aid Questions
An October 2005 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL GEN-05-16) provides U.S. Department of Education (ED) responses to various questions that have recently been raised regarding Federal Student Aid. A link to Dear Partner/Colleague Letters is provided in the "Letters & Publications" section of the e-Library's Federal Information page at collegezone.com.
2005-06 College Illinois! General Enrollment Period Open
The 2005-06 general enrollment period for the College Illinois! 529 prepaid tuition plan is now open and continues through April 3, 2006.
TRAINING & CHAT EVENTS
November 15th - Mapping Your Future Chat Event
The next Mapping Your Future online Chat Event, Managing Your Student Loans (Including Repayment Options, Consolidation, and Cancellation), is scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday, November 15, 2005. Watch for more information to be posted at the FAA Message Board as this date approaches. Also, remember that the calendar of upcoming Chat Events through August 2006 is available at the Outreach Activities page at collegezone.com.
2005 Fall Seminars
Half-day training sessions for financial aid administrators and business officers with information about ISAC programs and processes will be offered in November and December. Details - including dates, locations, an agenda and online registration - are available at the Outreach and Training page at collegezone.com.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULES
ISAC and the National Disbursement Network (NDN) offices will be closed on the following dates:
- Friday, November 11, 2005 (Veterans Day)
- Thursday, November 24, 2005 (Thanksgiving Day)
- Friday, November 25, 2005 (Day after Thanksgiving)
- Monday, December 26, 2005 (Christmas Observation)
- Monday, January 2, 2006 (New Year's Observation)
Note that ELM Resources will continue to process and transmit files on all of the dates listed above.
College Zone is available 24 hours a day, 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 those indicated above), ISAC staff will review and respond to messages during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT).
Processing Schedules
Click on the appropriate link(s) to access holiday processing schedules for loan records [CommonLine and Common Account Maintenance (CAM) files] and/or Monetary Award Program (MAP) and Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program records.
New Default Prevention Materials Available
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, and FFELP Participants on November 2, 2005 Arriving soon in your mailboxes will be a folder from ISAC, containing samples of our updated and newly redesigned Default Prevention materials. Designed specifically for borrowers who are "at risk", the materials offer information and guidance to help students avoid defaulting on their educational loans. Any or all of the pieces may also be beneficial during exit counseling sessions as supplements to a college's own materials.
Take some time to review the Default Prevention pieces, including the FAA Brochure which details ISAC's default prevention activities, and then place an order for your supply. Choose to have your folders delivered to you preassembled or request any of the individual items to compile your own customized package - all at no charge. Orders can be submitted online through collegezone.com by using the "Get the ISAC Materials You Need!" button on the FAA Zone front page.
In addition to these materials, we also provide resources for entrance and exit counseling, personal finance literacy group presentations, and a Guide to Default Prevention and Management Plan. Coming in the near future is a PowerPoint presentation for use during exit counseling sessions. Default prevention materials and activities are funded by proceeds from ISAC's administration of the Federal Family Education Loan Program.
Hear about all of these activities and more at this year's Fall Seminars. Scheduled at several locations around the state, these half-day sessions will offer an overview of all that's new with ISAC's programs and services, as well as what's happening at the state and federal levels with regard to financial aid. Registration information and materials are available in the Outreach and Training area of the e-Library. Be sure to save your spot today!
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MAPnet Users
2005-06 MAPnet System Available
Sent on November 22, 2005
This message is to confirm that the 2005-06 MAPnet system is now available, including eligibility status information for Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) dated November 18, 2005.
Eligibility status information for ISIRs dated November 21st through November 22nd will appear in MAPnet on Wednesday, November 23rd.
Your patience and understanding as necessary maintenance was performed on the MAPnet system have been greatly appreciated.
As a reminder, the Thanksgiving holiday processing schedule for Monetary Award Program (MAP) and Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program records is available at collegezone.com. We will return to daily processing of ISIR data on Tuesday, November 29th.
Urgent Notice About MAP and IIA Records: 2005-06 MAPnet System Temporarily Unavailable
Sent on November 21, 2005
In order to perform necessary maintenance, the 2005-06 MAPnet system has been taken down and will remain unavailable through approximately 7 a.m. on Tuesday, November 22nd. Access to 2005-06 Monetary Award Program (MAP) and Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) records will return once the MAPnet system is again available.
Eligibility status information for Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) dated November 18th will be available when the 2005-06 MAPnet system becomes available on November 22nd. Eligibility status information for ISIRs dated November 21st through November 22nd will be available on Wednesday, November 23rd. This schedule applies to records submitted via MAPnet or the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) process.
A separate message will be sent via the College Zone e-Messaging system to confirm the MAPnet system's availability on Tuesday morning.
2004-05 MAPnet data history is not impacted and remains available.
Urgent Notice About 2005-06 MAP and IIA Records
Sent on November 15, 2005
ISAC experienced a systems problem last night affecting the processing of 2005-06 Monetary Award Program (MAP) and Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) records.
Eligibility status information for Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) dated November 11th through Monday, November 14th will not be available until Wednesday, November 16th. Results for payment requests submitted by institutions after 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 10th will be available on Wednesday, November 16th. In the meantime, these payment records appear in "Exported" status in MAPnet.
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FFELP PARTICIPANTS
Latest School DAAR Report Available
Sent on November 3, 2005 and November 18, 2005
The Notification of Student Loan Borrower DAAR Status report (School DAAR Report) for your school is now available on College Zone's My Zone. This online version has replaced the paper rosters ISAC sent in the past.
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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ISAC UPDATE GROUP
Electronic ISAC Update for October 2005 Available at College Zone
Sent on November 1, 2005 The October 2005 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 October via College Zone's e-Messaging service.
Topics covered in the October 2005 ISAC Update include:
- Fall Term Payment Updates for ING Grant and IVG Programs
- Fall Seminars and More!
- New Commissioners Appointed to Illinois Student Assistance Commission
- New Awarding Information Available Online for 2005-06 Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP)
- 2005-06 Revised IVG Budget Packets Available Online (Due On or Before October 14, 2005)
- Latest School DAAR Report Available
- Electronic ISAC Update for September 2005 Available at College Zone
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