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July 2005
Welcome to the July 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 July. 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 Important Dates and Reminders: ISAC Program Updates, Upcoming Chat Events, and Holiday Schedules In order to prevent any deadlines or other 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. New services from ISAC are identified by the Adopted 2005-06 ISAC Administrative Rules (as published in the Illinois Register), effective July 1, 2005, will be available in the e-Library of collegezone.com in early August. An announcement will be made on the FAA Message Board when the rules are posted. In the meantime, the "2005-06 Proposed Rules Amendments" document remains available to view at the ISAC Administrative Rules page. ISAC GIFT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS: PROGRAM UPDATES August 1st - 2005-06 BIG Application Available The application for the 2005-06 College Savings Bond Bonus Incentive Grant (BIG) Program is anticipated to be available on August 1, 2005. Applications must be submitted between August 1st and May 30th of the academic year in which the bond(s) matured, or in the academic year immediately following maturity. Week of August 1st - IVG CD-ROMs Will Be Mailed ISAC anticipates mailing CD-ROM versions of the Master File for the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program to participating schools during the week of August 1st. Week of August 1st - ING Grant Announcement Rosters Available Online ISAC anticipates that 2005-06 Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Announcement Rosters will be available at My Zone during the week of August 1st. New for 2005-06, announcement rosters will be available at My Zone any time there is new or updated student eligibility information for your school.  A message will be sent to the recently-created "Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs" e-Messaging subscription group when rosters are first posted in August. Current e-Messaging subscribers can sign up for this new subscription group through College Zone's Manage Subscription page. New subscribers can sign up for this and other subscription groups through the Financial Aid Administrator e-Messaging Sign-Up page.August 2nd - Suspension of 2005-06 IIA Award Announcements ISAC will suspend the announcement of 2005-06 Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program grants for all students whose initial 2005-06 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is received by the Central Processing System (CPS) on or after August 2, 2005. Suspension affects new and continuing students regardless of enrollment status. August 5th - 2004-05 MAPnet System Becomes Available for Historical View Only Cancellations and adjustments to previously paid 2004-05 MAP and IIA Program awards that result in refunds will continue to be accepted and processed through MAPnet until August 5, 2005. After August 5th, the 2004-05 MAPnet application will be available only for historical view. Week of August 8th - Anticipated Award Announcements for 2005-06 TESP ISAC will send initial award announcements to students during the week of August 8th for the 2005-06 Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP), (the Illinois Future Teacher Corps [IFTC] Program and the Minority Teachers of Illinois [MTI] Scholarship Program). Please return your 2005-06 Initial Certification Documents to ISAC as soon as possible to ensure that your qualified applicants are considered for an award. Week of August 15th - 2005-06 TESP Award Announcement Data Available OnlineNew for 2005-06, ISAC will make the award announcement data for TESP (IFTC and MTI) eligible students available online at My Zone. Instead of sending schools copies of the actual paper letters that are mailed to students, this data will now be available online to access at the school's convenience. You will be notified via standard College Zone communications (e.g., Message Boards, e-Messages, and/or Program News updates) when this data is available at My Zone. August 15th - Anticipated Availability of 2005-06 Payment Processing for MAP and IIA ISAC anticipates that 2005-06 Monetary Award Program (MAP) and IIA Program payment processing will be available on August 15, 2005. 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. Participants in the MAP and IIA programs will be notified via standard College Zone communications regarding additional payment processing details. August 15th - 2004-05 Performance Reports for STS Due Student to Student (STS) Program of Matching Grants Performance Reports for 2004-05 are due to ISAC on or before August 15, 2005 from participating institutions. Also, each institution desiring to participate in the STS Program for 2005-06 must complete the Participation Information Update Form, which is also due by August 15th. Both of these forms can be accessed online at the STS Program Participation and Reporting page within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs section at collegezone.com. End of August - Anticipated Suspension of 2005-06 MAP Award Announcements ISAC anticipates suspending the announcement of 2005-06 MAP grants in late August. As specific details become available, we will keep you apprised via standard College Zone communications. September 15th - 2005-06 IVG Summer Term Payment Request Deadline All 2005 summer term IVG Program payment requests must be received at ISAC on or before September 15, 2005 in order to be processed as timely. Summer 2005 term claims should be submitted using 2005-06 tuition and the certain fees historically covered by the IVG Program. As a reminder, House Bill (HB) 815 - which is being considered by Governor Blagojevich for his approval some time this summer - would be effective with the fall 2005 term for all IVG eligible students (undergraduate and graduate). Continue to monitor the IVG Program News page for additional information. UPCOMING CHAT EVENTS The next Mapping Your Future online Chat Events are scheduled as follows:
Watch for more information to be posted to the FAA Message Board as these dates approach.  Staffing Changes at ISAC A series of organizational changes are underway at the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). These changes are being prompted by the departure of a few staff members. We wanted to let you know of these changes and of ISAC's ongoing commitment to our customer service goals and to fulfilling our mission of providing access to a quality postsecondary education for Illinois students and their families.
These changes follow the recent promotion of Tom Breyer to Interim Director of IDAPP, effective June 1st. Suspension of 2005-06 IIA Program Award Announcements Effective August 2, 2005 Due to current trends in the number of eligible applicants and anticipated payment claim rates, the appropriations for the 2005-06 Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program are fully committed. As a result, ISAC will suspend the announcement of IIA grants for all students whose initial 2005-06 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is received by the Central Processing System (CPS) on or after August 2, 2005. This affects new and continuing students regardless of enrollment status. The IIA Suspension of Award Announcements page has been updated at collegezone.com. 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. Information regarding anticipated suspension of Monetary Award Program (MAP) award announcements is provided in the last section of this message. Student Award Announcements Schools will need to suspend announcements of IIA awards to students whose initial FAFSA receipt date is on or after August 2, 2005. Identifying Records in Suspension Status 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. The "IIA Suspend" code displays in MAPnet on the "Student Detail," "Edit MAP Code," and "Student List Eligibility: View" screens, and is included as a selection option for viewing on the Filter screen. The field is also included on the IIA Eligibility Report within MAPnet. Suspension of 2005-06 MAP Award Announcements Anticipated for Late August If current trends continue, ISAC anticipates suspending the announcement of 2005-06 MAP grants in late August. As specific details become available, we will keep you apprised via standard College Zone communications (e.g., Message Boards, e-Messages, and/or Program News updates).
Supermarket of Veterans' Benefits - July 9th at Navy Pier in Chicago College Zone, powered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, is pleased to share the following announcement from the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Office of Governor Blagojevich concerning important information for veterans. A Supermarket of Veterans' Benefits fair is being held at Navy Pier in Chicago on Saturday, July 9, 2005, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Veterans from across the state are being invited to learn about state programs specifically designed for them, learn about job opportunities and get free health screenings, among other services. Details about the fair and veterans' benefits are provided in a May 31, 2005 press release posted at the State of Illinois Web site, and through the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs at 800.437.9824. Veterans will also be able to visit the College Zone booth at the fair to learn about financial aid programs that are available for veterans and members of the Illinois National Guard to pay for college. Information about educational benefits is also provided at the Student Zone's Military Service section at collegezone.com. Thanks for sharing this important information with the veterans you know.
Financial Aid 101: Building a Solid Foundation - Part Two - July 2005 Workshops Who Should Attend? This full-day (9:30 a.m.- 3 p.m.) workshop is designed to introduce new financial aid professionals to financial aid concepts, processes and programs and help them develop a solid foundation on which to build their careers. What's Covered? The complete workshop consists of nine modules designed to provide a basic overview of the many aspects of financial aid. Modules covered in Part Two, which is being offered in July, include an explanation of the need analysis process, an overview of federal financial aid programs, a review of state financial aid programs that were not covered in Part One, and discussion of industry associations and resources. In addition, there will be a case study group exercise. For more details, you may view the Part Two Agenda in the Outreach & Training section of the e-Library at collegezone.com. Is there a Cost? No. The workshop and training materials are free to participants. Seating at each site is limited, so please register early through the online registration process. Lunch is on your own, but dining facilities are available on-site or nearby. Complete details will be provided to each participant, via e-mail, upon registration. Where and When? Participants can select from the following dates and locations for the July sessions. Please register for only one day.
Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs Anticipated Statutory Changes to IVG and ING Grant Programs The following information is being shared to give our partners at Illinois public two- and four-year colleges advance notice of anticipated changes to the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). New IVG/ING Grant e-Message Subscription Group You are receiving this message because you have been registered for College Zone's e-Messaging service through a new subscription group within the FAA Zone (Public Schools - Participating in the ING Grant and IVG Programs). You may unsubscribe from this service at any time or you may follow standard subscription procedures to add additional staff to this subscription group. If you have any questions regarding this e-Message, please contact ISAC's School Services Department by calling toll free at 866.247.2172 or sending an e-mail message to schoolservices@isac.org.
MAPnet Users MAPnet Updates: Issue Resolved for 2005-06 Anticipated Enrollment Calculator Screen, and 2004-05 Close-out Reminders 2005-06 Academic Year
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. 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.
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. 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. ISAC UPDATE GROUP Electronic ISAC Update for June 2005 Available at College Zone The June 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 June via College Zone's e-Messaging service. Topics covered in the June 2005 ISAC Update include:
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