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Volume 15, Number 1 Where indicated by underlined headings at the top of each box, information contained in this Communiqué can be accessed through menu items/links on the front page of the Counselor Zone at collegezone.com. ISAC Quick Links - Training Calendar Fall Update Sessions - Mark Your Calendars Last year, during our Fall Seminars for Partners, we heard from participants that what you needed most was more in-depth information about the FAFSA, need-analysis, and the special circumstances facing your students. With that in mind, we have developed an intensive review of the FAFSA with a special emphasis on the dependency questions, the worksheets, and eligible noncitizens. Ample time will be provided for discussion, allowing participants to share their own questions and examples We also learned last year that you were most interested in our IllinoisMentor sessions and learning about this new initiative. This year should be even more exciting! With the December 6th launch of the IllinoisMentor suite of electronic tools at collegezone.com, this year’s sessions will allow you the opportunity to participate in a hands-on, interactive exploration of all of the dynamic functionality available through the Counselor Center. See for yourself the many ways that IllinoisMentor can make life easier for students, parents, high schools and colleges! Registration details, including possible additional dates and locations, will be available online through the Outreach & Training area of the e-Library at collegezone.com beginning October 3rd. We’ll also be sending e-Messages with the latest information and updates about this series of training events. If you’re not already an e-Messaging subscriber, now is the perfect time to take advantage of its convenience. You can sign up through the front page of the Counselor Zone. Be sure to register for one of these upcoming Fall Update Sessions:
December 6 – College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn
ISAC GIFT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS Rosters Due Soon for High School Scholarship Programs (HSSP) HSSP 6th Semester Academic Information Rosters and Certification Forms were sent on September 8th to Illinois high schools which did not submit a school-generated roster. Completed rosters, which aid in the identification of Illinois State Scholar recipients, are due back to ISAC by October 7th. Instructions for completing the roster were included in the mailing, and can also be found on the HSSP Program News page of the Counselor Zone. If high schools prefer, we are still accepting school-generated rosters which contain accurate sixth semester data of students’ class rank and grade point average (GPA). Special care should be taken to ensure that only sixth semester data (defined as the third semester prior to graduation) is submitted. We anticipate sending the HSSP Announcement Roster for Potential State Scholar Finalists in late October, with final announcements scheduled prior to Thanksgiving. In order to stick as closely to the timetable as possible, please make every effort to return required documents by our requested due dates.  Program News MAP and IIA Grant Announcements Suspended – Due to commitment of available funds, announcements for Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants were suspended. This suspension impacts all students whose initial Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are received by the Central Processing System (CPS) on or after September 1, 2005. The status of suspended awards will be evaluated in January, after the first-term claim deadline has passed, and based on available funds at that point, release of some awards will be considered. Additionally, announcements for Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) grants were also suspended for FAFSA’s received on or after August 2, 2005. No MRS Awards This Year – The Merit Recognition Scholarship (MRS) Program was not funded by the Illinois General Assembly in the FY2006 (2005-06 academic year) budget. As a result, eligible students entering college as freshmen this fall did not receive the scholarships. Affected students have been notified. Changes to the ING and IVG Programs – New legislation passed this summer and effective beginning with the 2005-06 academic year, made changes to the Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program to allow Guard officers up to the rank of captain to receive the grant. In addition, changes were made to the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program to clarify that benefits covered include tuition and mandatory fees, and to allow Reservists and Illinois National Guard members called to federal active duty to be eligible for the program.
ISAC PARTNERS OF THE COLLEGE ZONE NETWORK
College Illinois! Enrollment Period Opens Shortly – Pre-enrollment for 2005-06 College Illinois!, a 529 prepaid tuition plan, opens on September 26th; general enrollment runs from October 31, 2005 through April 3, 2006. College Illinois! allows purchasers to pay for tuition and fees now, protecting against future tuition inflation.
IllinoisMentor Takes Next Step Forward - Electronic Transcript Exchange Participation In preparation for the early December launch of IllinoisMentor at collegezone.com, a series of letters was recently sent to the high school community. The purpose of the letters, which were sent to your Technology Coordinator and your Principal, with a copy to the Head Counselor at your school, was to keep you up to date as the implementation of the IllinoisMentor system moves forward. As a component of IllinoisMentor, the Electronic Transcript Exchange will give students the opportunity to electronically send their online admission applications and high school transcripts to Illinois colleges. Key to the success of the Electronic Transcript Exchange, and the benefits it can provide for college-bound students, is your participation. To help you learn more about the Transcript Exchange, enclosed with the letters is a brochure with detailed and technical information. Also included for the Technology Coordinator is a self-addressed, postage-paid Technology Survey which asks information about your school’s current technology and has an area where your school’s interest in participating in the Transcript Exchange can be indicated. We look forward to hearing from you regarding your participation in this exciting new program. If you have questions about IllinoisMentor or the Transcript Exchange, please contact Jim Miller, Transcript Liaison, at 800.290.7525. Make sure you also mark your calendar to attend one of the Fall Update Sessions where you’ll hear more about IllinoisMentor (see the article on page 1.) STUDENT ZONE/COUNSELOR ZONE E-LIBRARY Updated Resources at collegezone.com Yes, this school year has barely begun, but your college-bound seniors are probably already thinking about what they need to be doing to plan for college. To help in their search for information, we’ve updated several areas of our Web site to reflect 2005-06 academic year information. Point your student and their parents to the 9th-12th Grades area of the Student Zone, Finding/Applying, for the following:
Did you Know?
Federal Update Reauthorization - With the focus of lawmakers in Washington on relief packages for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, it appears likely that reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), set to expire on September 30th, will be delayed. Recently introduced legislation would extend the HEA an extra three months, through December 31st, to give Congress more time to complete their work. Although an assortment of bills addressing reauthorization have been drafted by various committees, with this expected extension, there’s still plenty of time for the elements which will make up the final legislation to change. We will continue to monitor the progress of reauthorization, as well as pending budget legislation, and their impact on the federal financial aid programs. As soon as we have definitive information, we’ll inform you via our normal communication methods. Hurricane Katrina Relief - In other action in Washington, President Bush recently signed into law two pieces of legislation providing relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Pell Grant Hurricane and Disaster Relief Act and the Student Grant Hurricane and Disaster Relief Act provide the U.S. Department of Education (ED) the authority to waive repayment of Pell Grants and all other federal student grants (respectively) for students living, working and attending college in the affected areas. See our Hurricane Katrina Resources page on collegezone.com for more information about relief efforts. HEROES Act – The House of Representatives has voted to extend the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (HEROES) Act, which provides students who are in the military during times of war extra flexibility on eligibility for financial aid. We will let you know when the extension becomes final.
Questions? The Illinois Student Assistance Commission disclaims all responsibility and liability for the reader's reliance on information contained in this publication as it may represent only part of the complete guidance on a topic or have been superseded by subsequent communications, publication(s) or changes in State or Federal law. |
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