JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

ISAC Communiqué

Volume 34, Number 4C
October 2024

Messages sent to:   Multiple Subscription Groups
  ISAC Communiqué

Welcome to the October 2024 ISAC Communiqué, which is a compilation of e-Messages sent through ISAC's e-Messaging service throughout October.

The articles in this electronic Communiqué have been organized according to the Counselor subscription groups to which the messages were distributed.

Questions?

Questions regarding information in this electronic Communiqué can be directed to School Services at 866.247.2172 or at ISAC.schoolservices@illinois.gov. 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

Upcoming Important Dates from ISAC
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on October 25, 2024.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) would like to make you aware of the following information, which may be of interest to you and/or your college-bound students.

Unless otherwise noted, links in this message are to corresponding pages at ISAC's website (isac.org).

You may either scroll through the remainder of this message, or click on the appropriate link(s) to go directly to a specific section:

2025-26 (July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026)

2024-25 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025)

General Information (Not Specific to One Academic Year)

2025-26 ACADEMIC YEAR

By December 1: Anticipated 2025-25 FAFSA® Availability

In a late September posting at the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Financial Aid Toolkit site, the U.S. Department of Education indicated that, effective since October 1, 2024, a small number of students are able to submit the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. This limited beta phase is expected to continue through late November 2024.

The application is anticipated to be available to all students on or before December 1, 2024. ISAC plans to release the 2025-26 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid to coincide with the date that the FAFSA is fully made available to all students in December.

The e-Library's 2025-26 FAFSA Completion area will continue to be updated as details are released regarding the 2025-26 federal process for requesting financial aid.

College-bound students and their families, who may be seeking information, can be directed to the Financial Aid: Completing the FAFSA area of ISAC's website – which will also be updated as information becomes available – and the Federal Student Aid website (studentaid.gov).

FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, as well as several other forms of federal, state and institutional financial assistance.

By June 30, 2025: High School Juniors Take College Assessment Exams for 2026-27 State Scholar Consideration

Eligibility for the State Scholar Program is based, in part, on a student's highest qualifying ACT or SAT score. For students who are currently high school juniors, only exams taken between August 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025 qualify for consideration in the State Scholar announcements that will be made during their senior year (i.e., high school juniors, who will be college freshmen during the 2026-27 academic year, will be named Scholars during the fall of 2025).

High school juniors who are potential candidates will need to take one of the accepted exams during the specified timeframe to be considered for State Scholar designation, even though Illinois' public institutions are now prohibited from requiring the submission of student test scores as part of the admissions process.

Further details are provided for students at the State Scholar Program page of our website.

2024-25 ACADEMIC YEAR

November 1: Sixth Semester Data Due for State Scholar Processing

As first announced in a September 20 e-Message, high schools that have not already done so are encouraged to submit their sixth semester data as soon as possible, and no later than Friday, November 1, 2024. Data (for high school seniors, who will be college freshmen during the 2025-26 academic year and will be named State Scholars during the fall of 2024) may be submitted via the Excel file upload and online processes.

In addition, an October 8 e-Message announces that the 2025-26 State Scholar early announcement processing cycle has begun for those high schools that have chosen to participate, and an October 16 e-Message answers some commonly-asked questions regarding the processing cycle for 2025-26 State Scholars.

Future program updates will be communicated via the usual means (i.e., the "Program News" section of the State Scholar Program area, the Counselor Message Board, and/or ISAC's e-Messaging service).

Reminder

The September 20 e-Message also reminds counselors about changes to the Certificates of Achievement process, which are now in effect.

GENERAL INFORMATION

November 19: Curriculum Training on the Middle School PaCE Framework

Join ISAC for a free, half-day (8 a.m. – 12 p.m.) training on the recently developed Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Curriculum for 6th through 8th grade, which is being offered at Rend Lake College (Ina) on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. More information, including how to register, is provided in an October 15 e-Message.

December 5: Next Commission Meeting

The next meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is scheduled to take place on Thursday, December 5, 2024. Further details, including a listing of tentative agenda items, will be available prior to the meeting via the ISAC's Governing Board: The Commission section of the About ISAC area.

The Commission Meeting Schedule page will soon be updated with information regarding all meetings scheduled in 2025.

Through December: Professional Development Webinars

An October 2 e-Message provides details, including how to register, for several professional development webinars being offered by ISAC through December.

Through December: Two-Part PaCE Trainings

Join ISAC for free two-part, in-person Illinois PaCE events. These half-day training opportunities are being offered through December at Heartland Community College (Normal) and Southern Illinois University–Carbondale. Further details, including specific dates and access to registration, are provided in an October 11 e-Message.

Holiday Schedules

ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:

  • Tuesday, November 5 – General Election Day
  • Monday, November 11 – Veterans Day
  • Thursday, November 28 – Thanksgiving Day
  • Friday, November 29 – Day after Thanksgiving
  • Wednesday, December 25 – Christmas
  • Wednesday, January 1 – New Year's Day

Staff will again be available the first business day immediately following each holiday.

Processing Schedules

Although ISAC staff will be unavailable on the days listed above, the State Scholar Program system will be available during regularly scheduled hours.

Click on the following link to access holiday processing schedules for State Scholar records.

System Availability

For Assistance

Access the Counselors area anytime, or send an e-mail message to School Services. With the exception of days when ISAC staff members are unavailable, we will review and respond to messages during regular business hours of Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CT).

State Scholar Processing Reminders
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators and High School Counselors/Teachers on October 16, 2024.

Unless otherwise noted, links in this message are to corresponding pages at the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) website (isac.org).

This message is provided to assist high schools with the 2025-26 State Scholar processing cycle, and to answer some commonly-asked questions.

You may either scroll through the remainder of this message, or click on the appropriate link(s) to go directly to a specific section:

If Sixth Semester Data Has Been Submitted for a Student, Why Do They Not Appear on the Student List Eligibility Screen or as an Early Announced Scholar?
When Is Sixth Semester Data Due?
For the Early Announcement Process, Where Is the "Run Selection" Box Located?
How Are Corrections Made after State Scholars Have Been Named for a High School?
How and When Are Appeals Submitted?
Where Can I Find More Information about the State Scholar Process?
(includes Reminder Regarding Certificates of Achievement)

If Sixth Semester Data Has Been Submitted for a Student, Why Do They Not Appear on the Student List Eligibility Screen or as an Early Announced Scholar?

  • Only students for whom ISAC has successfully matched college entrance exam results will display on the Student List Eligibility screen and – for participating high schools – be considered during the early announcement process.
  • If a student's record does not appear on the Student List Eligibility screen or has not been considered during the early announcement process:
    • The high school should confirm that the student took an entrance exam (ACT or SAT) during the required timeframe (i.e., between August 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024).
      • If an entrance exam was taken during the required timeframe, then – after final State Scholar announcements have been made in late November – an appeal, including the student’s Test Score report, should be submitted to ISAC.
        • Only Test Score reports provided from the testing company will be accepted (ISAC cannot accept school system reports).
        • Appeals should not be submitted until after the final State Scholar announcements have been made (appeals submitted prior to that time will be held and reviewed after final announcements have been completed).
      • If an entrance exam was not taken during the required timeframe, then the student is not eligible for 2025-26 State Scholar consideration.

When Is Sixth Semester Data Due?

In order to ensure students are considered for 2025-26 State Scholar designation, submit sixth semester data to ISAC no later than Friday, November 1, 2024.

For the Early Announcement Process, Where Is the "Run Selection" Box Located?

  • High schools choose whether to include their eligible students for consideration in the early processing cycle.
    • Checking the "Run Selection" box (located on the "State Scholar Program: Search By School: Results" screen of the SSP system) allows the high school's students to be included for consideration in the next round of 2025-26 State Scholar announcements.
    • For high schools that submit sixth semester data via an Excel spreadsheet, the "Run Selection" checkbox becomes available to check after ISAC has processed the file and resolved any discrepancies.
      • An e-mail is sent to the high school's Primary Administrator (principal) and the School Contact (as listed in the SSP system's "State Scholar Program: Search by School: Results" screen) to indicate when the "Run Selection" box is available to check.
      • Before checking the box, be sure to review all submitted student data for accuracy.
    • For high schools that use the online process, the "Run Selection" box will be available immediately. The school simply needs to check the "Run Selection" box once the final sixth semester data has been submitted.

How Are Corrections Made after State Scholars Have Been Named for a High School?

Once a high school's State Scholars have been announced, changes to already-submitted data (for example, correcting the spelling of a name, or reporting that a student was designated as a State Scholar in error) must be submitted in writing to School Services via: a fax to 847.831.8549; an e-mail to isac.schoolservices@illinois.gov; or, regular mail to ISAC's Deerfield address.

How and When Are Appeals Submitted?

Where Can I Find More Information about the State Scholar Process?

The following resources provide additional information about the State Scholar Program, including submitting sixth semester data, participating in the early announcement process, accessing Certificates of Achievement* and validating State Scholar badges:

* Reminder Regarding Certificates of Achievement

Effective beginning with the announcement of 2025-26 State Scholars, ISAC no longer prints Certificates of Achievement. Rather, Certificates of Achievement are printed by the high school.

High schools have the option of downloading and printing Certificates of Achievement as soon as their Scholars have been named.

Join Us for Our Curriculum Training on the Middle School PaCE Framework
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on October 15, 2024.

Illinois PaCE

We are excited to offer another opportunity to attend a half-day training on the recently developed Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Curriculum for 6th through 8th grade. During this training, you will gain an understanding of how student engagement with the curriculum helps meet the Illinois PaCE benchmarks for middle school, as well as learn about the structure and content of the curriculum.

Join us at Rend Lake College in Ina, Illinois on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Registration is now open, and the training is free to attend. Please share this opportunity with your networks! Registration will close on November 15, 2024, or when full capacity is reached.

We thank Rend Lake College for their partnership and donation of space for this training.

For more information and registration, visit the Professional Development Offerings page. For questions, contact isac.pace@illinois.gov.

Don't Forget to Join Us for Free PaCE Trainings!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on October 11, 2024.

Illinois PaCE

Don't forget to join us from October through December for our free in-person Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) events for school counselors, college and career staff, and everyone who supports students throughout the college-going process. The trainings will include time to collaborate with your team and ISAC staff.

Illinois PaCE Trainings

This is a reminder to register for our two-part half day PaCE Trainings.

Join us for Part One and Part Two at either location:

  • Heartland Community College (Normal, Illinois)
    • Part One: October 25, 2024, 12:30 – 4 p.m.
    • Part Two: December 3, 2024, 12:30 – 4 p.m.
    • Southern Illinois University–Carbondale (Carbondale, Illinois)
      • Part One: November 1, 2024, 12:30 – 4 p.m.
      • Part Two: December 6, 2024, 12:30 – 4 p.m.

    We thank our colleagues at Southern Illinois University–Carbondale and Heartland Community College for their partnership and donation of space for this training.

    For more information and registration details, visit the Professional Development Offerings page. For questions, contact isac.pace@illinois.gov.

    Early Announcements of 2025-26 State Scholars Have Begun
    Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators and High School Counselors/Teachers on October 8, 2024.

    Unless otherwise noted, links in this message are to corresponding pages at the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) website (isac.org).

    First Early Announcements of 2025-26 State Scholars Completed

    ISAC is pleased to announce that the 2025-26 State Scholar Program (SSP) early announcement processing cycle has begun for those high schools that have chosen to participate. Scholars whose high schools participate in the early announcement process can benefit by including this academic achievement on their college admission applications.

    • Starting today (Tuesday, October 8, 2024), congratulatory letters will be mailed to named Scholars.
    • High schools for whom Scholars are named may check an individual student's status by viewing the "Selected for State Scholar" column on the "Student Results" screen within the SSP system.
    • A "Finalist" report may be generated via the SSP system. Instructions for generating this report are provided on pages 13-14 of the SSP Online Processing User Guide.

    Weekly Announcement of State Scholars

    From this point forward, a weekly announcement of 2025-26 State Scholars will be made for students attending high schools that have submitted sixth semester data with no unresolved discrepancies and have chosen to participate in the early announcement process. Results for these high schools will be reflected in the SSP system on Tuesday mornings.

    Reminders

    • Sixth semester data is due to ISAC no later than Friday, November 1, 2024.
    • Students with an Illinois Standard Test Score (ISTS) of 30 or higher are automatically designated as State Scholars; students with an ISTS lower than 30, but whose Weighted Selection Score (WSS) is greater than or equal to the cutoff score of 47, are also designated as State Scholars.
    • High schools choose whether to include their eligible students for consideration in the early processing cycle.
      • Checking the "Run Selection" box (located on the "State Scholar Program: Search By School: Results" screen of the SSP system) allows the high school's students to be included for consideration in the next round of 2025-26 State Scholar announcements.
      • For high schools that submit sixth semester data via an Excel spreadsheet, the "Run Selection" checkbox becomes available to check after ISAC has reviewed the file.
        • Once ISAC has reviewed the file, an e-mail is sent to the high school's Primary Administrator (principal) and the School Contact (as listed in the SSP system's "State Scholar Program: Search by School: Results" screen) to indicate the "Run Selection" box is available to check.
        • Before checking the box, be sure to review all submitted student data for accuracy.
    • Students whose high schools submit sixth semester data, but choose not to participate in the early announcement process, will be considered for State Scholar designation when the last announcement round takes place in late fall.
    • A sample press release, which can assist schools in announcing State Scholars, will be provided at the ISAC website after final announcements have been made.

    Resources Available Online

    The following resources provide additional information about the State Scholar Program, including submitting sixth semester data, participating in the early announcement process, downloading and printing Certificates of Achievement* and validating State Scholar badges:

    *Reminder Regarding Certificates of Achievement

    Effective beginning with the announcement of 2025-26 State Scholars, ISAC no longer prints Certificates of Achievement. Rather, Certificates of Achievement are printed by the high school.

    High schools have the option of downloading and printing Certificates of Achievement as soon as their Scholars have been named.

    Do You Send Paper Transcripts? Make the Switch to Electronic. It's Easy!
    Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, and Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants on October 3, 2024.

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    Don't forget to join us for the ISAC Transcript Exchange webinar!

    Are you wondering if you should make the switch from sending paper transcripts to sending transcripts electronically? If yes, the ISAC Transcript Exchange is just what your school needs!

    The ISAC Transcript Exchange, powered by Parchment, allows high school students to have their transcripts sent electronically to the college(s) of their choice, the Common App, and more for free. The ISAC Transcript Exchange is free for all Illinois public and private high schools.

    The ISAC Transcript Exchange – Parchment Preview

    Join us next Thursday (October 10) from 10-10:45 a.m. (CT) to learn about the ISAC Transcript Exchange, including how to navigate the student and administrator dashboards and gain efficiencies by switching from paper to electronic transcripts.

    To register, visit the Professional Development Offerings page.

    For questions, contact Lenore.Smith@illinois.gov.

    Note: ISAC will not be offering Continuing Education or Professional Development hours for this webinar.

     

    Free Professional Development Webinars this Fall
    Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations, and Public Libraries on October 2, 2024.

    We are excited to share the following free webinars happening this Fall. Please share these offerings with colleagues and partners! Professional Development and Continuing Education hours will be available.

    Illinois PaCE Updates & Q&A
    Join us on Thursday, October 10, from 11 - 11:45 a.m. (CT) where we will provide updates to legislation regarding Implementation of the Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework in schools, as well as resources available to schools and districts to support their college and career readiness efforts with the Illinois PaCE Framework.

    ISAC & Federal Updates (General Updates)
    Join us on Tuesday, October 22, from 10 - 11:30 a.m. (CT) for the latest updates on state and federal financial aid programs and initiatives that impact students. Attendees will also receive updates on the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and FSA IDs.

    FAFSA Q&A with ISAC PD
    Join us on Monday, November 18, from 11 - 11:45 a.m. (CT) to discuss the latest updates on the 2025-26 FAFSA and any open issues with possible work arounds. You will have the opportunity to have questions answered live from ISAC's Professional Development team.

    Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative
    Join us on Friday, December 13, from 11 - 11:45 a.m. (CT) for an overview of this free resource to high schools to help identify students who have and have not completed a financial aid application. Learn how to view your Class of 2025 financial aid application completion data, opt-out form submissions, and tips for troubleshooting common issues.

    For registration details and more information, visit the Professional Development Offerings page.

    For questions, contact isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.

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    ISAC COMMUNIQUÉ

    September 2024 ISAC Communiqué
    Sent on October 1, 2024.

    The September 2024 edition of the ISAC Communiqué is now available for your review, and may be accessed via the Partner e-Messages & Newsletters section of the e-Library for Partners at isac.org. This electronic version of ISAC's newsletter is a compilation of information provided to Counselor partners via ISAC's e-Messaging service over the past month.

    Topics covered in the September 2024 ISAC Communiqué include:

    • Don't Forget to Register for the College Access Symposium!
      (sent September 30, 2024)
    • Call for Proposals Has Been Extended!
      (sent September 25, 2024)
    • 2025-26 MAP Start-up Formula Approved
      (sent September 23, 2024)
    • Join Us for Our In-Person PaCE Training!
      (sent September 23, 2024)
    • Processing Update for 2025-26 State Scholars (Impacting High School Graduating Class of 2025)
      (sent September 20, 2024)
    • Register Now for the 2024 College Access Symposium!
      (sent September 17, 2024)
    • Commission Meeting Thursday, September 19
      (sent September 13, 2024)
    • Announcing ISAC Webinars on ECACE Scholarship Program
      (sent September 13, 2024)
    • Do You Send Paper Transcripts? Make the Switch to Electronic, It's Easy!
      (sent September 12, 2024)
    • Save the Date for the College Access Symposium
      (sent September 10, 2024)
    • Back to School in Full Swing? Join ISAC for FREE Professional Development Webinars in September!
      (sent September 4, 2024)
    • August 2024 ISAC Communiqué
      (sent September 3, 2024)

    Encourage Your Colleagues to Sign Up for e-Messaging

    ISAC's e-Messaging service is our primary means of communicating information to Counselor partners.

    Encourage your colleagues who have not done so to subscribe through the Counselors e-Messaging sign-up page at isac.org today, so that they won't miss future announcements or updates from ISAC.

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