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February 2007
Welcome to the February 2007 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 Results of Latest 2006-07 MAP Plus Payment Run (February 16th) Now Available in MAPnet Payment Results Available at MAPnet MAP Plus payment results are available to view on MAPnet screens and reports as of today (Tuesday, February 20th). Payment results will appear on the Student Detail: MAP Plus screen as well as the PLS Payment Results Report. MAP Plus payment results may also be retrieved via the Payment Results File Extraction. Please see the 2006-07 MAP 160 Byte File Layout Specifications for details on where the MAP Plus information may be found on the extract file. New Payment Requests Schools that have not already done so are encouraged to submit their MAP Plus payment requests for both first and second terms. The next payment runs are currently planned as follows:
As a reminder, award announcements for applications submitted after September 18, 2006 continue to be held. Priority Payment Claim Deadline Dates Deadline dates for the submission of payment requests for each term are provided at the MAP Plus Payment page at collegezone.com. Questions? If you have questions regarding the release of MAP Plus payments, please contact a School Services Representative as indicated below.  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 Operational dates and other announcements regarding ISAC-administered gift assistance programs TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES Financial Aid 101: Building a Solid Foundation Workshop HOLIDAY SCHEDULES Processing schedules for Presidents' Day holiday All below links launch pages located at collegezone.com. UPDATES Future Enhancement: Submitting TESP Initial Certification Document Data via My Zone ISAC is developing functionality that will allow schools to submit Initial Certification Document data for the Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP) - which include the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) and Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship programs - via the My Zone portal, replacing the existing paper process. We anticipate that this function will be available to schools in mid- to late-spring of 2007. Watch for future e-Messages, and continue to regularly visit both the IFTC Program News and the MTI Scholarship Program News sections, for more details regarding the availability of this new enhancement to My Zone's Teacher Education Scholarship Programs (TESP) area. 2006-07 MAP Plus Payment Runs Payment runs for 2006-07 Monetary Award Program Plus (MAP Plus) are being scheduled periodically. The next payment runs are currently planned for Friday, February 16th and Friday, March 2nd. Schools that have not already done so are encouraged to submit their MAP Plus payment requests for both first and second terms. The MAP Plus Payment Chapter of the MAPnet User Guide provides instructions and sample screens for submitting MAP Plus payment requests. February 15th - 2006-07 STS First Term Claims Deadline February 15th is the payment claim deadline date for institutions participating in the Student to Student Program of Matching Grants (STS) for the first semester/first quarter of the 2006-07 academic year. Payment procedures, including the Payment Claim Form, are available in the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area. ISAC will reimburse institutions according to available funding. March 1st - 2007-08 SETTW, MTI Scholarship, IFTC, and NESP Applications Due Remind your students who plan to teach in Illinois after completing their degree that March 1, 2007 is the priority consideration date to apply for the 2007-08 Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program, MTI Scholarship Program, IFTC Program, and Nurse Educator Scholarship Program (NESP). Complete applications received after this date will be considered only if program funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded. Applications for each of these programs (the downloadable paper NESP and SETTW applications, and the online interactive application for the IFTC and MTI Scholarship programs) can be accessed via the e-Library's Applications & Forms page. As a reminder, ISAC will continue to accept 2006-07 NESP applications (used to apply for the fall 2006 and spring 2007 terms) for as long as funds remain available, up to the end of the academic year. March 1st - 2006-07 ING Grant Applications Due for Second Term Remind your students that, in order to be eligible for second semester or second and/or third quarter consideration, applications for the 2006-07 Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program must be received at ISAC on or before March 1, 2007. March 9th - 2006-07 Police/Fire/Correctional Officers Payment Rosters Due for Winter and Spring Terms Winter and spring term Certification of Enrollment for Payment rosters for the 2006-07 Grant Programs for Dependents of Police/Fire/Correctional Officers are due back to ISAC on or before March 9th. A sample roster and cover letter, with instructions on how to complete the roster, can be accessed from the Police/Fire/Correctional Officer Payment Procedures page within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area. TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES Financial Aid 101: Building a Solid Foundation Workshop ISAC will offer its Financial Aid 101: Building a Solid Foundation workshop on February 22nd, and again on February 27th. Details, including how to register, are available within the e-Library's Partner Training area. HOLIDAY SCHEDULES A complete listing of 2007 holidays on which ISAC staff will be unavailable is provided at the ISAC Events Calendar. February 19th – Presidents' Day In observance of Presidents' Day, ISAC offices will be closed on Monday, February 19th and will reopen on Tuesday, February 20th. Loan records received at ISAC on Presidents' 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 February 19th will be processed on February 20th, with results available February 21st (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 February 19th. Although ISAC's offices will be closed on February 19th, MAPnet will be available during regularly scheduled hours and will reflect 2006-07 and 2007-08 records processed by the Central Processing System (CPS) through Friday, February 16th. 2006-07 Monetary Award Program (MAP) and Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program payment requests submitted from 5 p.m. (CT) Friday, February 16th through 5 p.m. (CT) Tuesday, February 20th will be processed Tuesday night, and payment results (which will show late claim indicators for 1st term claims) will be available on MAPnet the morning of Wednesday, February 21st. Remember that you can access collegezone.com anytime, or send an e-mail message to ISAC's School Services Department. With the exception of holidays (such as those indicated above), ISAC staff will review and respond to messages during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT). Reconciling 2006-07 MAP Plus Payments MAP Plus reconciliation procedures are the same as those followed for the Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access (IIA) Program. Payments must be reconciled on a student-by-student basis, and any award cancellations are to be reported to ISAC. The offset process will then make the necessary adjustment(s) to the institution's subsequent claim submissions. Funds should be returned to ISAC only after a final reconciliation has been completed to close-out the regular school year. No refund checks are to be sent to ISAC until that time. As part of the close-out process for the 2006-07 academic year, letters will be mailed to financial aid directors in June, detailing the outstanding amount each institution must refund to ISAC for MAP Plus, MAP, and the IIA Program. The outstanding amount due, with proper documentation, should be returned to ISAC at that time. Additional Information Regarding MAP Plus Payment Processing There is currently a 10 - 14 day turnaround from the time ISAC processes a MAP Plus payment request to when funds are received at the school. Information regarding how to track payments is provided at the Comptroller's Web Site page, which is located within the MAP Payment section at collegezone.com. Priority Payment Claim Deadline Dates April 1, 2007 is the claim deadline for first semester/quarter, second semester (for schools where the second semester begins on or before February 15th) and second quarter. Further details regarding MAP Plus payment claim deadline dates are provided at the MAP Plus Payment page at collegezone.com. Next Payment Runs Schools that have not already done so are encouraged to submit their MAP Plus payment requests for both first and second terms. The next payment runs are currently planned as follows:
As a reminder, award announcements for applications submitted after September 18, 2006 continue to be held. Start-up for 2007-08 MAP and IIA Programs Successfully Implemented ISAC is pleased to announce that 2007-08 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 available resources for the 2007-08 cycle. 2007-08 Processing Effective today, February 7th, MAP and IIA Program data can be accessed via MAPnet. All 2007-08 Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) received by ISAC through (including) February 2nd are now available with their accompanying eligibility status information. 2007-08 ISIR data received by ISAC from February 5th through February 7th will be processed tonight, with results available in MAPnet tomorrow (February 8th). Daily processing of 2007-08 ISIR and eligibility status information begins tomorrow, February 8th.As a reminder, when applying the 2007-08 start-up formula, the maximum annual award amount (due to the 10% reduction factor) for a MAP grant is $4,471. Information Available at collegezone.com The State & Federal Aid Estimator, which provides an estimate of MAP and federal aid, will be updated to reflect the 2007-08 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 2007-08 acknowledgement letters that ISAC sends to students are available within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area, along with the MAP Rights & Responsibilities form and the IIA Information Sheet. In order to accommodate the volume of applications submitted since January 1st, ISAC anticipates starting to mail 2007-08 acknowledgement letters to applicants by February 12th. Once all letters for previously submitted applications have been sent, letters will be generated and mailed following a regular schedule. New Awards Announced for 2006-07 Teacher Education Scholarship Programs
* TESP includes the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) and Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship programs. Financial Aid 101: Building a Solid Foundation February 2007 Workshops
If you are interested in attending one of the Financial Aid 101 Workshops, please send an e-mail to Kim Eck, Training Coordinator, at keck@isac.org indicating which session you would like to attend. Seating at each site is limited, so please register early. Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided at the workshops, compliments of the Illinois Designated Account Purchase Program (IDAPP). Details regarding directions and parking will be provided to registered participants via e-mail a few days prior to the workshop. Results of Latest 2006-07 MAP Plus Payment Run (February 2nd) Now Available in MAPnet On February 2, 2007, ISAC processed payment claims for the Monetary Award Program Plus (MAP Plus). This includes all second term payment requests being held for processing, as well as first term payment requests received after the payment run that took place on January 31st. 2007-08 MAP and IIA Program Start-up Scheduled for February 7th e-Messaging service. Please note the following regarding MAPnet availability:
Information Available at collegezone.com
2006-07 MAP Plus Payment Status Update Payment Results Available at MAPnet MAP Plus payment results are available to view on MAPnet screens and reports as of today (Thursday, February 1st). Payment results will appear on the Student Detail: MAP Plus screen as well as the PLS Payment Results Report. MAP Plus payment results may also be retrieved via the Payment Results File Extraction. Please see the 2006-07 MAP 160 Byte File Layout Specifications for details on where the MAP Plus information may be found on the extract file. New Payment Requests Schools that have not already done so are encouraged to submit their MAP Plus payment requests for first and second terms. The next payment runs are currently planned for Friday, February 2nd and Friday, February 16th. The MAP Plus Payment Chapter of the MAPnet User Guide explains and provides sample screens and instructions for requesting and submitting MAP Plus Payments. As a reminder, award announcements for applications submitted after September 18, 2006 are being held. Priority Payment Claim Deadline Dates Deadline dates for the submission of payment requests for each term were approved at the January 26th Commission meeting, and are provided at the MAP Plus Payment page at collegezone.com. Questions? If you have questions regarding the release of MAP Plus payments, please contact a School Services Representative as indicated below. FINANCIAL AID DIRECTOR Easy Access to Financial Aid Information The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) wants to partner with your institution to offer your students easy access to the most current and comprehensive financial aid information available through ISAC's Web site - collegezone.com. By simply adding a few well-placed links to your college's Web site, your students and their parents can obtain the most up-to-date information and eligibility requirements for ISAC-administered scholarship and grant programs with the click of a mouse. If your institution has the need to make financial aid information available in Spanish, establishing a link to collegezone.com's Español Zone will provide a resource for your Spanish-speaking population. For access to the College Zone logo, and instructions for downloading it to be added to your Web site, visit the Job Aids & Reference Materials area (section #12 of collegezone.com's e-Library). Illinois college students and the institutions that serve them are priority one at ISAC. collegezone.com – the trusted source for college information – is just one of the ways we're working to ensure that higher education can become a reality for everyone. Please contact Araceli G. Jordan, Manager, Business Improvement, at AJordan@isac.org or 866.247.2172, extension 2116, if you have any questions or suggestions about Project Click. 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 January 2007 Available at College Zone Topics covered in the January 2007 ISAC Update include:
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