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August 2006
Welcome to the August 2006 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 August. 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 New Awards Announced for 2006-07 Teacher Education Scholarship Programs
Accessing Award Information at My Zone Now that TESP awards have been made on multiple dates (08/16/2006 and 08/24/2006), 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. As a reminder, the "Status Date" matches the date on the student's award letter. 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.  College Zone Outage - Sunday, August 27, 2006 The impacted College Zone functions are:
2006-07 MAP and IIA Payment Processing Available ISAC is pleased to announce that the 2006-07 payment processing cycle has begun, including MAPnet and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) requests for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and the Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program. Normal daily processing of payment requests has begun with payment results available to colleges as usual. 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. Timing of Payments to Colleges The status of payments to colleges can be tracked through the State of Illinois Comptroller's Web site at http://www.ioc.state.il.us/. Use the "Vendor Payments" area of the site at any time throughout the year to make inquiries about pending payments for MAP, IIA and ISAC's other gift assistance programs. We anticipate that it will take 6-8 weeks for funds to be issued from the State of Illinois Comptroller's Office once that office receives the voucher from ISAC. Resources Available Online Details regarding the MAP and IIA Program payment processing cycle are available within the Payment section of the MAPnet User Guide, as well as in the MAPnet Help Text. In order to remain up-to-date on each program, please refer to Program News for MAP and IIA within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs section of the FAA Zone. Suspension of 2006-07 MAP Award Announcements Due to current trends in the number of eligible applicants and anticipated payment claim rates, the appropriations for the 2006-07 Monetary Award Program (MAP) are fully committed. As a result, ISAC will suspend the announcement of MAP grants for all students whose initial 2006-07 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is received by the Central Processing System (CPS) on or after August 26, 2006. The MAP Suspension of Award Announcements page has been updated at collegezone.com. Sophomores, juniors and seniors who do not receive MAP funds (including those for whom the announcement of a MAP grant has been suspended), and who meet all other eligibility requirements, may be eligible for a MAP Plus award. ISAC will evaluate the status of suspended awards after the first-term claim deadline date has passed in January to determine whether any awards can be released from suspension. Priority Consideration Dates Remain in Effect The suspension of award announcements affects new and continuing students regardless of enrollment status. Continuing students whose initial FAFSA is received at CPS on or after August 16th and before the date of suspension are considered for 2nd semester/2nd and 3rd quarter awards only. A 2006-07 MAP Applicant Award Status Chart (Based on Priority Consideration Dates) is available for your reference at College Zone. Student Award Announcements Schools will need to suspend announcements of MAP awards to students whose initial FAFSA receipt date is on or after August 26, 2006. ISAC will be notifying all affected applicants whose initial FAFSA reflects an expected family contribution (EFC) of 8999 or below that their awards have been placed in suspension status. A sample copy of this notification is available at the 2006-07 Acknowledgement Letters page, located within the MAP section of College Zone's ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area. Identifying Records in Suspension Status MAP records in suspension status will be indicated by an Eligibility Code of "S" ("Suspended -- indicates student is temporarily suspended from processing due to insufficient funding. Not eligible for payment for any terms") on MAPnet and in the Eligibility Status File (ESF). Reminder of IIA Program Records in Suspension Status The announcement of awards for the 2006-07 Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program has been suspended for all students whose initial 2006-07 FAFSA is received by the CPS on or after August 19, 2006. Questions? As new information becomes available throughout the year, ISAC routinely updates the MAP and IIA "Program News" pages within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area at collegezone.com. Be sure to check back periodically for the current processing status of these programs. Change in Anticipated 2006-07 MAP/IIA Payment Processing Schedule Due to unexpected technical issues, ISAC needs to change the date on which 2006-07 payment processing is expected to be available via MAPnet for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and the Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program. The new anticipated date is around noon on Thursday, August 24, 2006. At the same time, payment requests for both programs via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) will also be accepted. In order for the 2006-07 MAPnet system to be updated for MAP and IIA payment processing, the system will be unavailable beginning at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, August 23rd continuing into Thursday, August 24th. A separate message will be sent when the 2006-07 MAPnet system may again be accessed on August 24th. At that time, 2006-07 payment processing will be available. Information about 2006-07 payment processing will be provided in the MAPnet User Guide, as well as in the MAPnet Help Text. In order to remain up-to-date on MAP and IIA, please refer to Program News for each program within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs section of the FAA Zone at collegezone.com. Please note that access to 2005-06 historical data in MAPnet will not be impacted. Awards Announced for 2006-07 Teacher Education Scholarship Programs As you know, each time the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) completes a round of awarding for 2006-07 TESP [Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) and Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship programs], you are notified via the College Zone e-Messaging service that new data is posted at My Zone. There are three award announcement categories for eligible students:
Applicants are able to apply for the IFTC, MTI Scholarship, or both programs on the TESP application. They also indicate a preference between the two programs on the application. It is possible that an applicant could be found eligible (i.e., be awarded/funded) for both an IFTC and an MTI Scholarship award. These applicants are defined by ISAC as "dual awardees," and can only receive funding from one of the scholarships during the academic year. New for 2006-07, if an applicant is eligible to be funded in both programs, only the program indicated as the award preference on the application will display in My Zone. Dual awardees will no longer receive a separate notification letter for both the IFTC and MTI Scholarship programs. They will receive a notification letter for only the program they listed as their preference on the TESP application. Accessing Award Information at My Zone The following resources may be accessed from within the Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP) area at My Zone to help identify students that have recently been found eligible for an award. 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 Customize a View Filter Screen Sort Screen Search All Views 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. 2006-07 MAP/IIA Payment Processing Anticipated for August 23rd - MAPnet To Be Temporarily Unavailable ISAC anticipates 2006-07 payment processing to be available via MAPnet for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and the Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program around noon on Wednesday, August 23, 2006. At the same time, payment requests for both programs via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) will also be accepted. In order for the 2006-07 MAPnet system to be updated for MAP and IIA payment processing, the system will be unavailable beginning at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 22nd continuing into Wednesday, August 23rd. A separate message will be sent when the 2006-07 MAPnet system may again be accessed on August 23rd. At that time, 2006-07 payment processing will be available. Information about 2006-07 payment processing will be provided in the MAPnet User Guide, as well as in the MAPnet Help Text. In order to remain up-to-date on MAP and IIA, please refer to Program News for each program within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs section of the FAA Zone at collegezone.com. Please note that access to 2005-06 historical data in MAPnet will not be impacted. Suspension of 2006-07 IIA Program Award Announcements Due to current trends in the number of eligible applicants and anticipated payment claim rates, the appropriations for the 2006-07 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 2006-07 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is received by the Central Processing System (CPS) on or after August 19, 2006. This affects freshman students with zero Expected Family Contributions (EFCs) 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 Colleges will need to suspend announcements of IIA awards to students whose initial FAFSA receipt date is on or after August 19, 2006. 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 2006-07 MAP Award Announcements Anticipated for Late August If current trends continue, ISAC anticipates suspending the announcement of 2006-07 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). Protecting Private Data With the ever-increasing emphasis on e-mail security as a means to protect our clients' personal and confidential data, we've implemented some changes to our agency Privacy Protection Policy which will impact the way information is transmitted to and from ISAC. By definition, we view private data as addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth and Social Security Numbers (SSN's), or any combination of data that can identify a specific individual.
Because it's equally important that the data you send to us is protected, our preference is that you apply the same safeguards as outlined above when providing private client data to us. As necessary, other methods may be used as a protective measure. A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, with further explanation of strategies that can be used is currently being prepared and will be made available at a later date. Financial Aid 101: Building a Solid Foundation - August 2006 Workshops
If you have specific questions about the workshop or the registration process, you may contact Kim Eck, Training Coordinator, at keck@isac.org. Please note that, while there is no charge to attend the workshop, lunch is on your own. Details regarding directions, parking and dining facilities will be provided to registered participants via e-mail a few days prior to the workshop. Change in Treatment of 529 Prepaid Tuition Plans in Need Analysis In response to recent questions, this message provides guidance to Illinois colleges and high schools regarding changes in the treatment of 529 prepaid tuition plans like College Illinois! resulting from the Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 (HERA). Effective July 1, 2006, College Illinois! prepaid tuition contracts owned by dependent students' parents are now considered parental assets in the federal methodology need analysis calculation.
Change to 2006-07 MAP Recompute Formula Approved - Reduction Factor Removed The following is a summary of the special Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) meeting, which was held via teleconference today (Wednesday, August 2nd). Mark Your Calendar for Upcoming Important Dates 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 2006-07 BIG application available, and reminders regarding upcoming operational dates EVENTS Illinois State Fair and August 15th Mapping Your Future Chat Event HOLIDAY SCHEDULES Processing schedules for Labor Day holiday UPDATES 2006-07 BIG Application Available The application to apply for the 2006-07 College Savings Bond Bonus Incentive Grant (BIG) Program, for beneficiaries of Illinois College Savings Bonds, is now available online. Completed applications must be received at ISAC between August 1st and May 30th of either the academic year in which the bond(s) matured or the academic year immediately following maturity. The application and specific details regarding the program can be accessed via the College Savings Bond Bonus Incentive Grant (BIG) Program section of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area. August 4th: Last Day for 2005-06 MAP and IIA Program Cancellations/Adjustments via MAPnet Cancellations and adjustments to previously paid 2005-06 Monetary Award Program (MAP) and Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program awards that result in refunds will continue to be accepted and processed via MAPnet through 7 p.m. (CT) on August 4, 2006. Effective August 5th, the 2005-06 MAPnet application will be available only for historical view. August 15th: 2005-06 Performance Reports for STS Due Student to Student (STS) Program of Matching Grants Performance Reports for 2005-06 are due to ISAC on or before August 15, 2006 from participating institutions. Also, each institution desiring to participate in the STS Program for 2006-07 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 area. September 15th: 2006-07 IVG Summer Term Payment Request Deadline All 2006 summer term Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program payment requests must be received at ISAC on or before September 15, 2006 in order to be processed as timely. Remember that summer leads the academic year for the IVG Program. When claiming payment for summer 2006, be sure to use the correct claim form and use 2006-07 tuition and fees. The only change to the payment claim process for the 2006-07 academic year is that ISAC-assigned IVG Tuition Codes should be used when submitting claims. For summer 2006, use IVG Tuition Code "X7" in positions 52-53 of the IVG Claim Transaction Form. Further details are provided at the IVG Program News section of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area. EVENTS August 11th - August 20th: Illinois State Fair Visit with ISAC staff in Campus Town at the 2006 Illinois State Fair in Springfield. Campus Town is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays during the fair, which runs from August 11th through August 20th. August 15th: Mapping Your Future Chat Event On Tuesday, August 15, 2006, Mapping Your Future will offer a "Managing Your Student Loans - Including Repayment Options, Consolidation and Cancellation" chat from 6 to 7 p.m. (CT). Increasing tuition costs and limited financial aid resources have resulted in an increased reliance on student loans and other debt to pay for college. The chat is designed to help students obtain information about money and debt management. During this "Managing Your Student Loans - Including Repayment Options, Consolidation and Cancellation" Chat Event, participants will learn about:
Students can use the link on the right side of the Student Zone front page. Mapping Your Future can also be accessed directly at mapping-your-future.org. The calendar of upcoming Chat Events - which includes the chat schedule through July 2007 - is in the Outreach Activities section of College Zone, which can be accessed in the center of the College Zone home page. Archived Questions and Answers from earlier chats can be accessed by visiting the section entitled "Chat Transcripts" at mapping-your-future.org/services/chatnight.htm. The above is based on information from a Mapping Your Future E-Update. Mapping Your Future is a national collaborative public service project of the financial aid industry, including ISAC - bringing together the expertise of the industry to provide free college, career, financial aid, and financial literacy services for schools, students, and families. HOLIDAY SCHEDULES A complete listing of 2006 holidays on which ISAC staff will be unavailable is provided at the ISAC Events Calendar. September 4th: Labor Day Due to the Labor Day holiday, ISAC offices will be closed on Monday, September 4th and will reopen on Tuesday, September 5th. Loan records received at ISAC on Labor Day, as well as disbursement records received at the National Disbursement Network (NDN), will be processed the following business day. This means that CommonLine or Common Account Maintenance (CAM) files received on September 4th will be processed on September 5th, with results available September 6th (or the next available day for any schools opting to receive NDN files on specific days of the week). Note that ELM Resources will continue to process and transmit files on September 4th. Although ISAC's offices will be closed on September 4th, MAPnet will be available during regularly scheduled hours and will reflect records processed by the Central Processing System (CPS) through Friday, September 1st. Monetary Award Program (MAP) and Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program payment requests submitted from 5 p.m. (CT) Friday, September 1st through 5 p.m. (CT) Tuesday, September 5th will be processed Tuesday night, and payment results will be available on MAPnet the morning of Wednesday, September 6th. For Assistance You can continue to access information at collegezone.com 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 Department. With the exception of holidays, ISAC staff will review and respond to messages during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT).
FINANCIAL AID ADMINISTRATOR ISAC Kicks Off Hispanic Heritage Month Spanish is the primary language spoken in more American homes than any other foreign language. Most students look to their parents for guidance in the college selection process. Unfortunately, many parents with limited English proficiency are unsure where to get information about the financial aid process and programs. As a result, their children, who may qualify for financial aid, often apply late or don't apply at all. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) recognizes this can be a major obstacle in college planning for Spanish-speaking families and, based on feedback from the admission, guidance, and financial aid communities, developed a training event in preparing a financial aid night presentation in Spanish. Due to the extensive interest and positive feedback, this unique workshop conducted entirely in Spanish is being offered again. If you, or someone in your school or organization, speak Spanish and are interested in learning more about the financial aid process in order to serve Spanish-speaking families, please join us:
Or
The agenda includes the following:
Tools and Resources PUBLIC SCHOOLS - PARTICIPATING IN THE ING GRANT AND IVG PROGRAMS 2006-07 ING Grant Announcement Roster Cycle Begins - Data Available at My Zone The first group of Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Announcement Rosters for the 2006-07 academic year is now available online at My Zone. The ING Grant Announcement Roster provides information for each applicant who has applied for the ING Grant with your institution listed as the college of record, and for whom the Illinois Department of Military Affairs (IDMA) has confirmed eligibility as of the date printed at the top of the first page of the roster.
Disposal of IVG CD-ROM's With the expansion of My Zone at collegezone.com to include Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) eligibility data, the CD-ROM's previously sent to colleges twice yearly are no longer being produced. Because My Zone provides the complete payment history for all veterans on record, as well as the ability to print reports, it is not necessary that previous versions of the CD-ROM be retained. Consequently, as a means to ensure the protection of veterans' private data, all CD-ROM's remaining in college offices should be destroyed in a secure manner. In accordance with ISAC's rules, 23 Ill. Admin. Code, Section 2700.55, Use, Security and Confidentiality of Data, please locate and destroy all copies of the IVG CD-ROM that may be on-site in your offices.
MAPNET USERS 2006-07 MAP Suspension Status Available in MAPnet and MAP/IIA Voucher Distribution Information As indicated in an August 22nd e-Message, ISAC has suspended the announcement of 2006-07 Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants for all students whose initial 2006-07 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was received by the Central Processing System (CPS) on or after August 26, 2006. As a reminder, the suspension of award announcements affects new and continuing students regardless of enrollment status. Continuing students whose initial FAFSA was received at CPS on or after August 16th and before the date of suspension are considered for 2nd semester/2nd and 3rd quarter awards only. A 2006-07 MAP Applicant Award Status Chart (Based on Priority Consideration Dates) is available for your reference at College Zone. Student Award Announcements ISAC will be notifying all affected applicants whose initial FAFSA reflects an expected family contribution (EFC) of 8999 or below that their awards have been placed in suspension status. Initial Institutional Student Information Record/Student Aid Report (ISIR/SAR) records with an application receipt date on or after August 26th will generate suspense status letters which will be dated and mailed three business days from the date ISAC receives and processes the initial ISIR/SAR transaction. Additionally, schools are required to suspend announcements of MAP awards to students whose initial FAFSA receipt date is on or after August 26th. Identifying Records and Creating a Report MAP records in suspension status are indicated by an Eligibility Code of "S" ("Suspended -- indicates student is temporarily suspended from processing due to insufficient funding. Not eligible for payment for any terms") on MAPnet and in the Eligibility Status File (ESF). As a reminder, MAPnet contains filters that will allow you to identify student records and create a report of those records placed in suspension status. 2006-07 MAP and IIA Voucher Distribution 2006-07 MAP and Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program Payment Results Summary/Invoice Detail Report data is available via MAPnet. If money is due to the school, ISAC will mail the corresponding Payment Voucher. In order to obtain a listing of students included with each Payment Voucher, schools may view or print the Payment Results Summary/Invoice Detail Report within MAPnet. Specific instructions are provided in the 2006-07 MAPnet User Guide (Payment Chapter, page 15) at collegezone.com. 2006-07 IIA Program Suspension Status Available in MAPnet Suspension of 2006-07 IIA Program Award Announcements Effective August 19, 2006 As was previously announced, ISAC has suspended the announcement of 2006-07 Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program grants for all students whose initial 2006-07 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was received by the Central Processing System (CPS) on or after August 19, 2006. This affects freshman students with zero Expected Family Contributions (EFCs) regardless of enrollment status. Student Award Announcements Colleges need to suspend announcements of IIA awards to students whose initial FAFSA receipt date is on or after August 19, 2006. Identifying Records in Suspension Status Student records with IIA awards in suspension status are 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 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.Questions? As new information becomes available throughout the year, ISAC routinely updates the MAP and IIA "Program News" sections within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area at collegezone.com. Be sure to check back periodically for the current processing status of these programs. Revised MAP Recompute Formula Successfully Implemented - 2006-07 MAPnet System Available e-Message, the recompute formula has been revised to eliminate the reduction factor. All 2006-07 Institutional Student Information Report (ISIR) records received from the Central Processing System (CPS) on or before Friday, August 4th have now been updated to reflect eligibility using the revised 2006-07 MAP recompute formula. On Wednesday, August 9th, ISIR information will be current through Tuesday, August 8th (today). At that time, we will return to daily processing of ISIR data. As a reminder, the 2006-07 MAP Formula section at collegezone.com has been updated to reflect the revised recompute formula. As always, please refer to MAP Program News for the most up-to-date 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. 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 July 2006 Available at College Zone Topics covered in the July 2006 ISAC Update include:
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