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February 2010
Welcome to the February 2010 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 February. 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 Don't Forget - National College Access Network Regional Meeting in Chicago on March 17 The regional meeting will provide an opportunity to network with your colleagues from Illinois and the surrounding region, and to join in discussions regarding college access advocacy, including:
If you are not an NCAN member, you can create an account and enter the code "KH2Go" so that the $50 registration fee can be waived. The mission of the National College Access Network is "... to build, strengthen, and empower communities committed to college access and success so that all students, especially those under-represented in postsecondary education, can achieve their educational dreams."
Executive Briefing Conference Call - Alternative Funding Source for MAP - March 2, 2010 The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will conduct an Executive Briefing conference call for financial aid and business office staff at the director and upper management levels on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
MAP, IIA Program and MAPnet Webinar Offered on February 25 Don't forget that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will offer a Webinar regarding the Monetary Award Program (MAP), the Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program, and MAPnet at 2 p.m. on Thursday, February 25, 2010. The Webinar will include an overview of MAP, IIA, and the MAPnet system used to administer these programs.
Registration Still Open for Financial Aid 101 and Financial Aid 201 Workshops Financial Aid 101 Workshops 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. Workshop dates are:
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. For a detailed agenda, visit the Partner Training page at collegezone.com. The Workshop dates are:
If you are interested in attending one of these Workshops, please send an e-mail to Kim Eck, Training Coordinator, at keck@isac.org indicating which session you would like to attend. Details regarding directions, parking, etc. will be provided to registered participants in an e-mail a few days prior to the workshop.
New Awards Announced for 2009-10 Teacher Education Scholarship Programs February 16, 2010. Award notifications have been mailed to eligible students and new eligible award information, including funded or unfunded status, is available to colleges online at My Zone. Award announcement categories for eligible students include:
A new TESP Payment Request Roster is produced weekly whenever new awards are made. Payment request rosters for students awarded on February 16, 2010 will be available in My Zone on Thursday, February 18th. * TESP includes the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) and Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship programs. Accessing Award Information at My Zone Now that TESP awards have been made on multiple dates [08/24/2009 (IFTC and MTI Scholarship), 08/25/2009 (MTI Scholarship only) and 02/16/2010 (IFTC and MTI Scholarship)], the filter functionality and pre-defined report that sort by "Status Date" (available within the Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP) area at My Zone) may be used to help identify students that have recently been found eligible for an award. The following resources may be accessed from within the Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP) Notifications area at My Zone. The "Status Date" listed on TESP reports generated via My Zone matches the date on the student's award letter. How to Access a Report Search All Views TESP Notifications: Filter Screen TESP Notifications: Sort Function Access to My Zone If your college has not yet signed up to participate in My Zone, which provides online access to student-specific data in a secure environment, access the FAA Zone front page, select the My Zone Quick Link and follow the instructions provided. Or if there's been a change in staff needing to access TESP, the My Zone Administrator for your campus should update access to TESP so staff will be able to view eligible student award notification data online.
2009-10 BIG Program Application Available March 1 Availability of 2009-10 BIG Program Application The 2009-10 BIG Program application is scheduled to be available to download and print from the Student, Parent, and e-Library "Applications" pages at collegezone.com (the Student and Parent "Applications" pages are located within the Financing sections of the Student and Parent Zones) beginning at 8 a.m. (CT) on Monday, March 1, 2010. Completed applications should be submitted as soon as possible after they become available on March 1. In order to be considered for an award, all sections of the BIG Program application must be complete, including certification of enrollment from a representative of the college Registrar's Office. Complete applications will be processed according to the date they are received at ISAC, and it is estimated that approximately 350 grants will be funded. Consequently, you are encouraged to notify the Registrar's Office at your college that they may see an increase in requests for enrollment verification on or after March 1, and their prompt response to those requests will greatly assist bondholders and students with the application process. Specific details regarding the BIG Program are provided in the College Savings Bond Bonus Incentive Grant (BIG) Program section of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area at collegezone.com.
Join Us in Chicago on March 17th for a National College Access Network Regional Meeting Network with your colleagues from Illinois and the surrounding region, and join in discussions regarding college access advocacy, including:
If you are not an NCAN member, you can create an account and enter the code "KH2Go" so that the $50 registration fee can be waived. We look forward to seeing you! The mission of the National College Access Network is "... to build, strengthen, and empower communities committed to college access and success so that all students, especially those under-represented in postsecondary education, can achieve their educational dreams."
Start-up for 2010-11 MAP and IIA Program Successfully Implemented ISAC is pleased to announce that 2010-11 start-up for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and the Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program has officially commenced. Here is a brief listing of scheduled start-up activities and resource availability for the 2010-11 cycle. 2010-11 Processing Effective February 9, 2010, MAP and IIA Program data can be accessed via MAPnet. All 2010-11 Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) received by ISAC through (including) Tuesday, February 9th are now available with their accompanying eligibility status information. Daily processing of 2010-11 ISIR and eligibility status information begins today, February 10th.As a reminder, when applying the 2010-11 start-up formula, the maximum annual award amount for a MAP grant is $4,968. MAPnet Hours and Processing Schedules As a reminder, the MAPnet system is available each day between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. (CT). Note that records submitted by 7 p.m. will be included in that night's processing, with results available in MAPnet the next business day. Records submitted after 7 p.m. will be included with processing for the next business day, with results available in MAPnet on the following (second) business day. For example: Records submitted at 6:45 p.m. on a Tuesday would have results reflected in MAPnet on Wednesday morning, while results for records submitted at 7:15 p.m. on that same Tuesday would appear in MAPnet on Thursday morning. Information Available at collegezone.com The MAPnet User Guide is being updated to reflect 2010-11 processing information. Be sure to regularly check the MAP and IIA Program News sections for an announcement of when the revised MAPnet User Guide can be accessed within the Processes area of the FAA Zone. The EFC Calculator, which provides an estimate of MAP and federal aid, also is being updated to reflect the 2010-11 start-up formula. Watch for information on the FAA Message Board as to its availability from the Calculators area within the e-Library. Notification to Applicants Samples of 2010-11 acknowledgement letters that ISAC sends to students will soon be available within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area, along with the MAP Rights & Responsibilities form. In order to accommodate the volume of applications submitted since January 1st, ISAC anticipates starting to mail 2010-11 acknowledgement letters to applicants by February 19, 2010. Once all letters for previously submitted applications have been sent, letters will be generated and mailed following a regular schedule. Based on current 2010-11 budget estimates, no IIA Program award information will appear on the acknowledgement letters sent to students by ISAC, nor will students receive the IIA Information Sheet with their acknowledgement letters. Although the MAPnet version released at start-up contains IIA components, no 2010-11 IIA award information is being provided to students by ISAC at this time.
2010-11 MAP and IIA Program Start-up Scheduled for Please note the following regarding MAPnet availability:
Schools Encouraged to Submit 2009-10 MAP Payment Requests Submission of Claims Requested ISAC will continue to monitor the volume of payment requests received, along with the level of available funding, in order to determine whether a second partial release of suspended MAP records can be scheduled. Although second semester/second quarter payment claims for MAP are due to ISAC by 5 p.m. on April 1, 2010 (for those institutions where the second semester begins after February 15th, the claim deadline date is June 1, 2010), the prompt submission of all 2009-10 MAP claims (for applicants whose initial FAFSA receipt dates were on or before June 4, 2009) will greatly assist us in our efforts. You will be notified via the usual communication methods (i.e., the College Zone e-Messaging system, MAP Program News, and/or the FAA Message Board at collegezone.com) if additional records will be released from suspension status. As a reminder, ISAC is allowing MAP payment processing for all first term claims (including initial claims) through April 1, 2010. Student records released from suspension (full year awards) on January 26th are now eligible for first term payment, even though the January 10, 2010 first term priority payment claim deadline has passed (i.e., they are late claims). Schools may use their standard procedure to request payment for those students. [Note that all late payment requests that were submitted between January 10, 2010 and January 26, 2010 have been automatically reprocessed, and these processed records appear on the Payment Results Report.] Additional Information
FFELP PARTICIPANTS Latest School DAAR Report Available 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 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.
ISAC UPDATE GROUP Electronic ISAC Update for January 2010 Available at College Zone Topics covered in the January 2010 ISAC Update include:
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