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VOL. 23, NO. 6IGSL, 6B
December 2005
Welcome to the December 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 December. 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
2006-07 Teacher Program Applications Available - Due on or before March 1, 2006
Sent to Financial Aid Directors and Financial Aid Administrators on December 19, 2005
2006-07 TESP Interactive Application Launched
ISAC is pleased to announce that the interactive application for 2006-07 Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP), used to apply for the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) Program and the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program, is available at collegezone.com. Now in its second year, this online application offers such benefits as providing program information at the applicant's fingertips, performing online edits to prevent errors, allowing faster delivery time, and generating immediate confirmation that the application has been received.
As a reminder, only applicants with a valid digital ID from the State of Illinois will be able to access the online application. Applicants who previously obtained a digital ID for the 2005-06 TESP application process will use that same digital ID this year. Additional information regarding the IFTC Program and the MTI Scholarship Program and the application process, including 2006-07 teacher shortage disciplines for the IFTC Program, is available within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area. These resources will assist you with questions you receive from students regarding the TESP application process.
The Student Zone provides applicants with direct access to details about the IFTC Program and MTI Scholarship Program. Applicants will have access to information regarding the application process, including instructions for specific application fields, once they access the Teacher Education Scholarship Programs area and launch the application.
2006-07 Illinois SETTW Program Application Available
The 2006-07 Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Application is now available to print, complete and submit. Students pursuing a degree in special education who are willing to commit to teaching in Illinois after completing their degrees may be eligible to apply. Details about this program, including new eligibility requirements, are provided in the Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program section of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area.
 IllinoisMentor at collegezone.com
Sent to Financial Aid Directors, Financial Aid Administrators, and Business Officers on December 7, 2005
ISAC is pleased to announce that IllinoisMentor at collegezone.com has been launched! With the addition of the IllinoisMentor component, a whole new level of interactivity has been added to College Zone. These enhancements, which are now live, include:
- Easy online application to IllinoisMentor colleges, along with the ability for students to request their high school transcripts be sent to participating Illinois colleges. If your college hasn't yet taken the opportunity to participate in IllinoisMentor's online application option, it's not too late. Contact Tim Nasr at 310.945.0516 or via e-mail at tim@xap.com and let him know you're interested.
- A Career Center where students can research different careers.
- An electronic portfolio for students to keep track of personal data which can be used to populate other interactive functions, including FAFSA on the Web.
- A High School Planner that lets students measure high school coursework against admission requirements for Illinois colleges.
- A Comparative View where students can compare key attributes of all IllinoisMentor colleges and search by attribute, ZIP code or Illinois city.
IllinoisMentor is accessed from College Zone's home page through a link on the right side, directly above the Parent and Student Zones access areas. While we were changing things, we also decided to make a few other enhancements to College Zone's home page. A new Career Center, with general information, a self-assessment area and a listing of careers, has been added to the left side of the home page. The Career Center links directly to IllinoisMentor information.
Additionally, we've made access to College Zone's Spanish microsite quick and easy by adding it to the blue tool bar across the top, and revamping the Spanish access on the right side of the page with a link directly to the microsite. We also made all program applications easily available from the home page. Simply click on Publications and Applications.
Visit our Web site today and spend some time getting acquainted with IllinoisMentor at collegezone.com!
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MAPnet Users
Monetary Award Program (MAP) and Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program Update and Reminders
Sent on December 15, 2005 2006-07 – File Specifications Available
The MAP-Automated Delivery Process (ADP) File Specifications are ready for the 2006-07 processing cycle. This 160-byte file layout is pertinent to schools utilizing the file extraction features of MAPnet, or sending payment requests for MAP or IIA to ISAC via File Transfer Protocol (FTP). No changes have been made for 2006-07 processing or field layout.
The 2006-07 MAP-ADP File Specifications are also available within the Electronic Tools section of the e-Library at collegezone.com.
2005-06 – January 13th Payment Request Deadline Date
MAP and IIA payment claims for the first semester/quarter are due to ISAC by 5 p.m. on Friday, January 13, 2006. Any initial claims for first semester/quarter made after the deadline date will be paid only if funds permit, on a first-come, first-served basis beginning after June 9, 2006. Further details are available at the MAP Payment page and IIA Payment page, both located within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area of the FAA Zone.
When to Expect MAP Payment
Please be aware that submitting payment requests for individual students will result in delayed processing. Schools are encouraged to batch payment requests in dollar amounts that are neither excessively large nor excessively small.
The State of Illinois Comptroller's Office has been remitting payments within 4-6 weeks. Once ISAC has issued a payment voucher, schools may track the status of that payment at the Comptroller's Web Site.
Reconciliation Reminder
Institutions are required to reconcile payments received through MAP and IIA and, as applicable, submit all necessary corrections to student records on a timely basis. While ongoing data reconciliation is required, it is important to note that any funds determined to be owed to ISAC as a result are to be held until the end of the regular school year.
A student's account must be credited within 30 days of the institution receiving the funds. ISAC is to be notified no later than 60 days following the end of the academic term (or the date the funds are received if received after the end of the term) if the student is not eligible to receive the MAP or IIA funds (this includes adjustments to awards).
Offset Process
Payment for both MAP and the IIA Program is made to schools through an offset process. As part of this process, new payment requests are compared to outstanding amounts owed to ISAC, and payment is made accordingly. This system was developed to accommodate the many changes in student eligibility that can occur during the awarding and disbursement of financial aid. Therefore, funds should be returned to ISAC only after a final reconciliation has been completed at the end of the regular school year. In addition, all schools with an outstanding amount owed to ISAC at the end of the school year will receive a notice indicating the total amount to be refunded.
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FFELP PARTICIPANTS
Latest School DAAR Report Available
Sent on December 5, 2005 and December 19, 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 November 2005 Available at College Zone
Sent on December 1, 2005 The November 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 November via College Zone's e-Messaging service.
Topics covered in the November 2005 ISAC Update include:
- 2005-06 MAPnet System Available (sent November 22, 2005)
- Urgent Notice About MAP and IIA Records: 2005-06 MAPnet System Temporarily Unavailable (sent November 21, 2005)
- Commission Meeting Summary (sent November 18, 2005)
- Urgent Notice About 2005-06 MAP and IIA Records (sent November 15, 2005)
- New 2005-06 Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP) Awarding Information and Enhancement Available Online (sent November 10, 2005)
- Don't Miss Out! (sent November 7, 2005)
- Important Dates and Reminders: Updates, Training & Chat Events and Holiday Schedules (sent November 4, 2005)
- Latest School DAAR Report Available (sent November 3, 2005 and November 18, 2005)
- New Default Prevention Materials Available (sent November 2, 2005)
- Electronic ISAC Update for October 2005 Available at College Zone (sent November 1, 2005)
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