ISAC Student PortalISAC Communiqué
Volume 33, Number 11C
May 2024
| Messages sent to: | Multiple Subscription Groups |
| ISAC Communiqué |
Welcome to the May 2024 ISAC Communiqué, which is a compilation of e-Messages sent through ISAC's e-Messaging service throughout May.
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.
Preliminary Agenda Available
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 May 31, 2024.
Register Now!
July 18, 2024 – Tinley Park Convention Center
CCE 2024 – Community Health
You belong at the 2024 College Changes Everything® (CCE) conference along with other equity designers from across the state. Since the first CCE conference, looking at equity from different perspectives has been an underlying tenet of the annual convening as it brings together caring professionals who want to ensure all students have opportunities for college access and success and are career ready. We need your expertise and participation as we collaborate to explore how education is an essential element of other policy areas, such as how the role of community health plays in advancing educational equity for Illinois students and families. Community health highlights the interconnectedness of a student's environment with their well-being, and a student can be a member of different communities. Community can be based on a variety of factors – geographic, social, cultural, virtual, professional, intentional/specific purpose, economic, interfaith, neighborhood, supportive, and more. We know collective efforts maximize impact, and partnerships enhance sustainable solutions. Attending this conference can help us proactively and intentionally create healthy communities where everyone thrives.
Preliminary Agenda
While the conference agenda is still being finalized, a preliminary agenda is now available on the conference website. The preliminary agenda contains the interest sessions that will be part of the day of collaboration and engagement.
Registration
Registration is $40.00, and only credit card payments are accepted via Eventbrite. Space is limited and fills up quickly – Register Now! Please share this e-Message with your colleagues and others in your network so they can register, too. More information about the conference is available on the conference website.
Tinley Park Convention Center and Hotel
The Tinley Park Convention Center is located at 18451 Convention Center Drive, Tinley Park, IL, and is connected to the EVEN Hotel Chicago-Tinley Park Convention Center. We have secured a conference hotel rate of $159.00 before tax and fee charges. You can book a reservation by phone at 708-444-1100 and mention "ISAC/College Changes Everything Conference" to get the rate, or you can book online here. The conference rate is available for reservations made by June 26, 2024.
We look forward to seeing you in Tinley Park on July 18, 2024.
2024 College Changes Everything Conference Planning Committee
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission
- Illinois Board of Higher Education
- Illinois Community College Board
- Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- Illinois Department of Employment Security
- Illinois State Board of Education
- Illinois College Access Network
- Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities
- Advance Illinois
- Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University
- ACT Now
- Women Employed
- iCan Dream Center
by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
Helping Illinois reach its Goal 2025: to increase the proportion
of adults in Illinois with high-quality college degrees and
postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025.
Countdown to June 30: Navigating Federal Student Loan Debt Relief
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 May 22, 2024.
The Department of Education (ED) recently extended the flexibilities for borrowers on Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans. The IDR Account Adjustment will now end on Sunday, June 30, 2024. The adjustment is a set of temporary changes that allows federal student loan borrowers to receive credit for certain previously ineligible payments while under an IDR plan and/or pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
We want to make all Federal Direct Loan and Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) borrowers aware of this opportunity and how to navigate the process! All webinars are in Central Time, and we will offer two Q&A sessions where you can come get your questions answered. For registration details, visit the Professional Development Calendar. For questions, contact isac.borrowersupport@illinois.gov.
Webinar Dates:
- Wednesday, May 29, 9 – 9:45 a.m.
- Tuesday, June 11, 1 – 1:45 p.m. (Q&A Session)
- Thursday, June 20, 2 – 2:45 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 26, 12 – 12:45 p.m. (Q&A Session)
- Friday, June 28, 9 – 9:45 a.m.
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 May 21, 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)
Prepare for Upcoming State Scholar Processing Cycle (for determining 2025-26 State Scholars)
High schools will be notified via the usual communication methods (the State Scholar Program News area, the Counselor Message Board, and this e-Messaging service) once sixth semester data – which will be used to determine State Scholar eligibility for high school juniors who will be college freshmen during the 2025-26 academic year, and will be named Scholars during the fall of 2024 – is being accepted.
As you begin preparing for the upcoming State Scholar processing cycle, remember that sixth semester data is accepted only via the State Scholar component of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs Access (GAP Access) portal. Information regarding how to register for GAP Access is provided via the Required Sixth Semester Data page within the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs section.
School Contact Information and Managing GAP Access Usage
Please notify ISAC of any changes in your school's administration (i.e., new principal).
In keeping with the goal of securing all confidential data, the principal of each high school is designated as that school's GAP Access Primary Administrator. While we understand principals are not usually involved in the day to day processes, we do require the school principal to register for their own GAP Access account.
In addition, an April 17 e-Message outlines recent changes that have made it easier for Primary Administrators to oversee and manage GAP Access usage by the staff in their offices, thus eliminating any time that may have been involved while waiting for ISAC staff to respond to requests.
By June 30, 2024: High School Juniors Take College Assessment Exams for State Scholar Consideration
Eligibility for the State Scholar Program is based, in part, on a student's highest qualifying ACT or SAT score. 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.
For current high school juniors, only exams taken between August 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024 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 2025-26 academic year, will be named Scholars during the fall of 2024). Further details are provided for students at the State Scholar Program page of our website.
Reminder Regarding Certificates of Achievement
High schools are reminded that – effective with the upcoming State Scholars processing cycle for Illinois students who will be college freshmen during the 2025-26 academic year – ISAC will no longer print Certificates of Achievement. Rather, all high schools will need to print Certificates of Achievement for their State Scholars.
FAFSA and Alternative Application Remain Available
The 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) remains available online, and – if not already done – should be completed as soon as possible by students who will be attending college between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. 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.
In addition, the 2024-25 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) is also available (in English and Spanish). Qualifying undocumented students may file the Alternative Application – which is patterned after the FAFSA – to apply for the MAP grant. Further details are provided at ISAC's Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act page.
The e-Library's 2024-25 FAFSA Completion area is updated on a regular basis as details regarding the status of FAFSA processing are released.
College-bound students and their families, who may be seeking information about the financial aid application process, can be directed to the Financial Aid: Completing the FAFSA area of ISAC's website and the Federal Student Aid studentaid.gov website.
Professional Development Offerings
Be sure to regularly visit ISAC's Upcoming Professional Development Offerings page and register for in-person and virtual events that can aid you as you assist your college-bound seniors with the processes of applying for financial aid and preparing to start college in the fall.
Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative
All Illinois public high school students are required to complete either the FAFSA or the Alternative Application as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma. ISAC's Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative is a resource that can help high schools monitor their students' compliance with this mandate.
The Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative helps public and private high schools identify students who have completed a financial aid application or the financial aid application nonparticipation form (waiver). As announced in an April 16 e-Message, new 2024-25 match data is available on a daily basis.
Message from the Illinois State Board of Education
An April 30 e-Message shares the content of a letter that was recently sent to superintendents and high school principals from Dr. Tony Sanders, State Superintendent of Education, Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The letter discusses a provision that allows school administrators to grant waivers due to extenuating circumstances, and how such school-granted waivers must be recorded in the ISAC GAP Access platform no later than July 31, 2024 for compliance. Specific details for recording school-granted waivers are provided in the recently-updated Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative – Access and Agreement User Guide.
MTI Scholarship Applications Still Being Accepted
Make sure your college-bound seniors are aware that the 2024-25 application for the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program continues to be accepted, even though the March 31, 2024 priority consideration date has passed. Complete applications – including the 2024-25 FAFSA (or Alternative Application, if applicable) – received after this date will continue to be considered for the MTI Scholarship Program for as long as funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded. Encourage all minority students and qualified bilingual minority applicants who meet the program's eligibility requirements to complete and submit their applications as soon as possible.
First Generation Scholars Network
Encourage your graduating seniors who will be the first in their family to earn a college degree to join the First Generation Scholars Network to get support and resources from ISAC, their peers, and colleges across the state. Students heading to their first year of college this fall will find events and programs that provide tools, resources, mentoring, and connections that can help make the transition easier.
Presentations from the First Gen Symposium, which took place at North Central College in March, are available at the First Gen Symposium page of ISAC's website. The symposium provided an opportunity for attendees to learn and share best practices for supporting first generation students in postsecondary planning.
Online Resource Helps Students Find Leads for Summer Employment/Internships
Counselors are urged to promote the "Internship and Summer Jobs" online resource, which may be accessed via the Toolbox area of the ISAC Student Portal, to their students who may be seeking summer employment or internships.
Outreach Resources
Information About the ISACorps and outreach programs are available on our website.
In the Outreach Resources section, you will find additional information on how we can assist you with your school's efforts to provide college-bound students with information about financial aid.
e-Messaging Reminder
ISAC's e-Messaging service is our primary means of communication with our high school partners. Please share this information with any colleagues who may not yet be registered to receive ISAC's e-Messages.
June 20: Next Commission Meeting
The next meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, June 20, 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.
Visit the Commission Meeting Schedule page for information regarding all meetings scheduled in 2024.
July 18: 2024 College Changes Everything® Conference
Register today for the annual College Changes Everything® conference – Community Health – which will take place on July 18, 2024, at the Tinley Park Convention Center in Tinley Park, Illinois. Further details are provided in a May 9 e-Message and at the College Changes Everything conference website.
Holiday Schedules
ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:
- Monday, May 27 – Memorial Day
- Wednesday, June 19 – Juneteenth
- Thursday, July 4 – Independence Day
Staff will again be available the first business day immediately following each holiday.
For Assistance
Access the Counselors area anytime, or send an e-mail message to ISAC's School Services Department. 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).
Join ISAC for our NEW PaCE 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 May 15, 2024.
We are excited to announce our new 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 ISAC's office in Deerfield on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Registration is now open, and the training is free to attend. This training is open to both middle and high school practitioners. Please share this training opportunity with your colleagues and districts.
Registration will close on June 7, 2024, or when full capacity is reached. For more information and registration details, visit the In-Person PaCE Training page. For questions, contact isac.pace@illinois.gov.
Don't Forget: Spring into Action Webinars
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 May 13, 2024.
There is still time to join our call-to-action webinars to hear how ISAC can support your students and families with free assistance, through the summer and year-round, as they navigate this delayed FAFSA cycle.
Learn more about the latest updates to the FAFSA, best practices for navigating the corrections and verification processes, and ISAC resources available to you and your students. Take action to ensure students have the assistance and support they need.
To register, visit the Professional Development Calendar. For questions, contact isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.
Webinar Dates
- Tuesday, May 14, 12-1 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 22, 2-3 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 28, 10-11 a.m.
Invitation to 2024 CCE Conference
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 May 9, 2024.
Register for the 2024 CCE Conference
July 18, 2024 – Tinley Park Convention Center
You're invited to register now to join other equity designers as we come together at the 2024 College Changes Everything® (CCE) conference – Community Health. The annual conference is the state's foremost college access and success and career readiness event. Diverse stakeholders come together and learn from each other to help Illinois reach its Goal 2025 – to increase the proportion of adults in Illinois with high-quality degrees and postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025.
Equity continues to be at the heart of the CCE conference as we strive to ensure all students have opportunities for college access and success and they are career ready. At last year's conference, our collective question was: How do we advance educational equity for Illinois students and parents? This year we consider the role of community health on educational equity. As we champion CCE to highlight how education is an essential component of other policy areas, we need to highlight the role community health plays in advancing educational equity for Illinois students and families. So this year, let's explore these questions: Can you have educational equity without community health? Can you have community health without educational equity? Community health encompasses various aspects contributing to the well-being of a particular population. Community is a multifaceted concept allowing partners to define it based on who their work serves and how they do their work (e.g., geographic, social, cultural, virtual, professional, intentional/specific purpose, economic, interfaith, neighborhood, supportive, and more). Communities can be dynamic, evolving entities shaped by its members' interactions and shared experiences. Partners should approach defining health as it relates to their work in a holistic way that includes: mental, physical, and environmental.
We know from other initiatives supporting educational equity, collective efforts maximize impact and partnerships enhance sustainable solutions. Informed planning leads to effective policies, resource allocation, and tailored programs. While we won't change everything that needs to be changed in the system in one day, we can in one day have an impact on ourselves and scaffold collaboration with others. We make up the system, and change starts with us. Each of us has a perspective and a power to make positive change. At the conference we will leverage the knowledge, expertise, and personal experiences each attendee brings with them to examine how we bring more equity to Illinois students and families. Together we can focus on the DEIA issues needing attention and identify when and how they can be addressed. Please RSVP by registering online. Registration is $40.00, and only credit card payments are accepted via Eventbrite. Space is limited and fills quickly. Please share this e-Message with your colleagues and others in your network so they can register, too. More information about the conference is available on the conference website.
Who Should Attend
The annual conference is the state's preeminent college access and success and career readiness event and brings together stakeholders to help Illinois reach its Goal 2025 – to increase the proportion of adults in Illinois with high-quality degrees and postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025. Since the first CCE conference, equity has been an underlying tenet of the annual convening as it brings together caring professionals who want to ensure all students have opportunities for college access and success and are career ready. A key strength of the conference is in bringing together a diverse audience from across the state to focus on educational opportunity and student success: college access practitioners; high school leaders, counselors, and case managers; college and university leaders and administrators; employers and workforce development professionals; and policymakers and elected officials interested in higher education and career readiness. The conference also serves as an opportunity for stakeholders to improve their practice of collaboration and collective leadership as we work toward the state's goal. We hope you will attend the conference as we stand together as a group of like-minded professionals committed to improving outcomes for all learners.
Sessions
Breakout interest sessions provide timely information and engage the audience in thoughtful discussions on the serious issues we face in reaching the state goal, and are presented by state and national experts and practitioners. The full agenda will be provided later this spring. Topics will include: college readiness; navigating the college-going process; supporting special student populations; student support services; career readiness; changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), and more.
Tinley Park Convention Center and Hotel
The Tinley Park Convention Center is located at 18451 Convention Center Drive, Tinley Park, IL, and is connected to the EVEN Hotel Chicago-Tinley Park Convention Center. We have secured a conference hotel rate of $159.00 before tax and fee charges. You can book a reservation by phone at 708-444-1100 and mention "ISAC/College Changes Everything Conference" to get the rate, or you can book online here. The conference rate is available for reservations made by June 26, 2024.
We look forward to seeing you on July 18, 2024, at the Tinley Park Convention Center, Tinley Park, Illinois. Registration for the conference will open later this spring.
Please share the information in this e-Message with colleagues in your organization and others in your network.
2024 College Changes Everything Conference Planning Committee
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission
- Illinois Board of Higher Education
- Illinois Community College Board
- Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- Illinois Department of Employment Security
- Illinois State Board of Education
- Illinois College Access Network
- Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities
- Advance Illinois
- Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University
- ACT Now
- Women Employed
- iCan Dream Center
by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
Helping Illinois reach its Goal 2025: to increase the proportion
of adults in Illinois with high-quality college degrees and
postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025.
April 2024 ISAC Communiqué
Sent on May 1, 2024.
The April 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 April 2024 ISAC Communiqué include:
- Join us for a PaCE Half-Day Training!
(sent April 30, 2024) - Message from the Illinois State Board of Education – FAFSA
(sent April 30, 2024) - Close Out the Year with FREE Professional Development from ISAC!
(sent April 29, 2024) - Act Now to Take Advantage of the Income-Drive Repayment (IDR) Account Adjustment
(sent April 25, 2024) - Spring into Action with Free ISAC Webinars
(sent April 25, 2024) - Register Now for the Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Symposium!
(sent April 23, 2024) - Changes to GAP Access Registration Process
(sent April 17, 2024) - Join Us to Learn about the Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Account Adjustment
(sent April 17, 2024) - 2024-25 Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative is Now Available!
(sent April 16, 2024) - Change of Date and Location for PaCE Half-Day Training
(sent April 16, 2024) - Still Time to Submit Your CCE Conference Proposal
(sent April 9, 2024) - Join Us for the Illinois PaCE Symposiums!
(sent April 8, 2024) - Join Us to Learn about the One-Time Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Account Adjustment
(sent April 4, 2024) - Deadline Extended – Submit Your Proposal
(sent April 3, 2024) - Do You Send Paper Transcripts? Make the Switch to Electronic, It's Easy!
(sent April 3, 2024) - Don't Forget to Register for Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Training Opportunities
(sent April 2, 2024) - March 2024 ISAC Communiqué
(sent April 1, 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.
