Certify 2024-25 Nursing Education Scholarships (NES)

10/01/2024

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

The following provides important updates regarding 2024-25 Nursing Education Scholarships (NES).

2024-25 Certification Data Being Accepted

Effective today (Tuesday, October 1, 2024), colleges may certify 2024-25 NES eligibility using the NES system.

In order to ensure qualified applicants are considered when awarding takes place (anticipated for early November), colleges are encouraged to complete and submit all certifications by October 25, 2024.

What's New

• The 2024-25 NES certification process includes a new field for the college to indicate if a student who is already credentialed in nursing is now pursuing a higher degree.
  • If an award recipient completed a certificate, diploma or degree program for which they received scholarship assistance, and they are now pursuing a higher level of education:
    • they will be considered a new applicant, and
    • their maximum available years of assistance will be based on the maximum for the new degree being sought.

Reminders

• NES certification takes place prior to the awarding process [similar to the certification process of the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program].
• NES certification is done for the academic year (rather than by term).
  • Colleges verify recipients' enrollment status as part of the payment request process, which will be implemented later this year after awarding (anticipated for early November) has taken place.
• As part of the certification process, Title IV institutions must provide the applicant's Student Aid Index (SAI).
  • Enter a value from 0 [zero] through 999999.
  • Report the SAI from the valid Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) on which a student's financial aid would be based, as of the date that certification is completed (i.e., the date the college submits NES certification data to ISAC).
  • If changes are pending that will impact the student's SAI (e.g., corrections, verification, or professional judgment reviews), the college may choose to postpone submitting certification data for the student until after the ISIR transaction reflecting the revised SAI has been received.
  • The SAI field is grayed out (not accessible) for non-Title IV institutions that do not receive ISIRs. ISAC will populate that data element for non-Title IV schools, using the most recent ISIR transaction.
• All certification records available in the system must be completed, regardless of whether the college certifies a student as eligible or ineligible and regardless of whether the student is currently enrolled.
• The NES system is available each day from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. (CT).

The NES User Guide includes details regarding functionality to certify student eligibility for this program, as well as an explanation of cyclical program processes.

Looking Ahead

When 2024-25 NES payment processing becomes available later this year (after awarding has taken place), the following procedures – which were implemented during the 2023-24 processing cycle – will remain in effect:

• Awarded funds that had been disbursed directly to students as a "stipend" in the 2022-23 and earlier academic years are now included as a living allowance in the scholarship amount requested by and paid to the college.
• Funds resulting from each payment request submitted via the NES system are delivered to the college in a lump sum (either electronically or as a check, depending on how the college has set up their payments), rather than as individual checks for each student.
• Payment Offset and Reconciliation procedures apply to Nursing Education Scholarships.
  • Refund checks should not be sent for cancellations/adjustments made throughout the award year.
  • Funds should only be returned to ISAC after a final reconciliation has been completed at the end of the regular school year.

Future Updates

Watch for future 2024-25 NES updates – including details about awarding and the payment process, once available – via our usual methods of communication (including the NES Program News area, the FAA Message Board, and ISAC's e-Messaging service).

You are receiving this message because you registered for ISAC's e-Messaging service through one or more subscription groups for FAAs.

If you have any questions, please contact School Services by sending an e-mail to isac.schoolservices@illinois.gov or calling 866.247.2172