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1
ISAC Update
and
An Overview of
MAP
July 29, 2020
Agenda
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❑ ISAC Update
◼ 2019-20❑ Reconciliation
❑ Close-out
◼ 2020-21 MAP
◼ COVID-19 Guidance
❑ An Overview of MAP
❑ Questions/Comments
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ISAC UPDATE
2019-20 Reconciliation❑ Data reconciliation should continue for the following programs.
◼ Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois
◼ Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant
◼ Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG)
◼ MAP
◼ Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship
❑ As part of the payment offset process for MAP and the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois
and MTI Scholarship programs, new claims are compared to outstanding amounts owed to
ISAC, and payment is made accordingly.
◼ After ISAC determines that all payment processing is final for these three programs,
colleges with an outstanding amount owed to ISAC will receive an e-mail notice
indicating the total amount to be returned for each program (anticipated for mid-
August). Until then, data reconciliation only should take place and no funds should be
returned to ISAC.
❑ Information regarding the potential release of late claims will be shared via the usual means
of communication
◼ In the meantime, continue to visit the Program News sections for individual gift assistance
programs for status updates and operational details5
2019-20 Close-out
August 7 – Adjustments to cancel or reduce previously-submitted claims for the following programs will continue to be accepted through (including) August 7, 2020.
• Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois
• ING Grant
• IVG
• MAP
• MTI Scholarship
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2019-20 Close-out
August 8 – 2019-20 data will become available for historical view only in the GAP Access component for each of the following programs on Saturday, August 8, 2020.
• Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois
• ING Grant
• IVG
• MAP
• MTI Scholarship
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2020-21 Monetary Award Program
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2020-21 MAP Recompute Formula
❑ Effective maximum annual award amount is $5,340
▪ No reduction factor
2020-21 MAP Suspense
❑ISAC has suspended the 2020-21 Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants for applicants whose initial 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) was received by the Central Processing System (CPS), or whose initial Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid was received by ISAC, on or after Wednesday, July 1, 2020.
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Guidance on
COVID-19
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ISAC adjustment guidance allows students who were unable to complete
coursework due to COVID-19 to retain their award amount to cover incurred
charges, but not be charged with using program benefits for the term.
❑ For the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and the Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant
programs, schools may adjust enrollment hours in GAP Access for the Spring
2020 term for students who had enrollment changes due to COVID-19 without
adjusting award amounts for students. ❑ However, for students who had complete withdrawals requiring enrollment hours
to be adjusted to zero, a request will need to be submitted to ISAC to complete
that process using the template provided by ISAC.
❑ For MAP, all levels of adjustments, including zero hours, may be made in GAP
Access.
❑ Colleges are encouraged to make all Spring 2020 COVID-19-related partial
withdrawal adjustments for MAP, IVG and ING in GAP Access as part of their
2019-20 reconciliation and close out process by August 7, 2020.
ISAC Guidance –
MAP, IVG and ING
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❑ For the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI), Golden Apple (GA) Scholars, Special
Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW), and Grant Programs for
Dependents of Police/Fire/Correctional Officers programs, colleges are asked to
provide a list of program recipients who completely withdrew during the Spring
2020 term (second semester/second or third quarter) as a result of COVID-19-
related circumstances to ISAC using the template provided.
❑ Adjustments will be made to student records by ISAC based on the
information submitted
ISAC Guidance –
MTI, GA, SETTW and PFC
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Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant
❑ Need-based grant
❑ ISAC’s largest program
❑ One of the largest of its kind in the country
❑ In 2019 MAP paid $392,242,956 and served 128,865
students
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Program Participants
Lists of the Illinois postsecondary schools approved to participate in each ISAC program are available for each academic year.
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MAP Cycle
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CLOSE-OUT
At the end of each award year, June - July - August
RECONCILIATION
Throughout the award year, August – July
PAYMENT CLAIM PROCESISNG
Typically begins in August and ends in June
Fall term claim deadline date typically in December
RECOMPUTE
Based on finalized budget
Prepare for payment request process using Recompute Formula
Implemented May – July, depending on budget process
START-UP
Based on budget proposal and expectations
Student eligibility data is made available using a “Start-Up” Formula
Implemented shortly after a new FAFSA becomes available
MAP Formula
❑ Method used to distribute appropriated MAP funds
❑ Several factors are used to determine eligibility and award amount:◼ Financial need (EFC)
◼ Cost of tuition and fees
◼ Appropriations
❑ ISAC Commissioners approved the 2020-21 MAP Start-
up Formula◼ Effective maximum annual award amount is $5,340
❑ No reduction factor
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MAP Application Process
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the
Alternative Application serve as the application to be
considered for MAP.
Critical FAFSA data elements for MAP:
State of residence – student and parent
Grade level -- must be an undergraduate
Degree information -- can’t have a bachelor’s degree or be
working on a master’s
School choice – must list at least one MAP-approved Illinois
school
Students should apply as early as possible after the FAFSA
and Alternative Application becomes available
Residency Requirements
For a dependent student:
• The parent who is required to complete the FAFSA must physically reside in Illinois and Illinois must be his/her true, fixed and permanent home
For an independent student:
• Must physically reside in Illinois
• Must have resided in Illinois for 12 continuous full months prior to the start of the academic year for which assistance is requested
• Illinois must be his/her true, fixed and permanent home
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MAP Suspense
❑ Suspense occurs when projections indicate appropriation will be exhausted
❑ ISAC’s Research, Planning and Policy Analysis (RPPA) Department continuously monitors the number of eligible applicants◼ Once the first term payment claim deadline date has passed, the suspense date is
re-evaluated
❑ ISAC suspended the announcement of 2020-21 MAP
grants for all students whose initial FAFSA® was received
by the Central Processing System (CPS), or whose initial
Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid was
received by ISAC, on or after Wednesday, July 1, 2020.
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MAP Benefits
❑ Tuition & Mandatory Fees
◼ Mandatory fees are those charged to each and every
full-time student for each term
◼ For community college students, benefits are limited to
in-district tuition and mandatory fees
❑ Remedial courses
◼ Eligible for MAP as long as student has been
accepted into an eligible degree or certificate program
and is taking the course(s) as part of that program
◼ Can receive benefits for one academic year (30
semester hours or 45 quarter hours)
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MAP Benefits
❑ Student’s calculated eligible amount displays in the MAP
system (GAP Access)
◼ Based on full-time enrollment of 15 credit hours
❑ Actual payment amount is based on number of credit
hours in which the student is enrolled
◼ Maximum of 15 hours and minimum of 3 hours paid per term
◼ Student receives 1/15 of their eligible award amount for each credit
hour, using proration methodology
❑ Multiply student’s maximum annual amount by a fraction:
▪ Number of hours enrolled is the nominator
▪ 15 hours is the denominator
▪ Example: $2,000 x 12/15 = $1,600 for a student enrolled in 12 credit hours
▪ Divide award amount by the number of terms
▪ Example: $1600/2 semesters = $800 per term25
MAP Benefits
❑ MAP Paid Credit Hours (MPCH)
◼ Method for tracking MAP usage
◼ Equivalent to 4½ years of full-time enrollment
◼ Can receive maximum of 135 MPCH
❑ Eligibility can be extended for one term if student has less
than 135 but not enough left for credit hours enrolled
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Awarding MAP
• Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program
• Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program
• Grant for Dependents of Police/Fire/Correctional Officers (PFC Grant)
• Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW)
If students are also
eligible for the following
ISAC programs,
these must be factored into the award package
before MAP: 27
Awarding MAP
❑ Based on VA rules, MAP should be considered
first payer for student veterans who are also using
Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill) in the same term
◼ Chapter 33 can be used to cover any remaining tuition
and mandatory fees not covered by MAP
❑ Students can also choose to not use their state benefits if it is
in their best interest to do so
◼ Keep in mind that the VA’s definition of mandatory fees
is different than ISAC’s
◼ Refer to the School Certifying Officials Handbook for
more information
❑ www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/ 28
Student Notification:
School Requirements
❑ As part of the student notification process,
schools are required to:
◼ Announce MAP awards to the students enrolled at
their institutions
◼ Clearly identify the awards on the award notification
as: State of IL MAP Grant (Est)
◼ Include specific MAP award letter language on or
with the school issued award letters
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Student Notification:
School Requirements
Schools are required to notify applicants of changes in their eligibility status
• Reasons for changes in eligibility status include students who:
• are not eligible due to a zero award
• have an incomplete record
• have a loan in default
• are considered late applicants
Schools are also encouraged to provide students with a link to the MAP Rights & Responsibilities document
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Verification
Schools are expected to verify residency for recipients of any ISAC gift assistance programs for which Illinois residency is a requirement
If an applicant is selected for verification in conjunction with federal student assistance, that applicant should also be verified for ISAC-administered programs
• A selected applicant must be verified for ISAC programs even if the applicant is ineligible for federal student assistance
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Verifying Residency
❑ Any conflicting data must be resolved
❑ Communicate with admissions/records office
◼ In-state tuition charge does not automatically mean that a student
is an Illinois resident and eligible for ISAC programs
❑ When a school certifies a payment request, it is certifying
that the student is an enrolled, eligible Illinois student
meeting satisfactory academic progress
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Verifying Residency
❑ Data in GAP Access may be sufficient to confirm
residency, however, if the institution has any information
that indicates the applicant may not be a resident of
Illinois, further verification is needed
❑ Because of the differences in residency requirements for
dependent and independent status, residency should be
verified for applicants who have changed dependency
status to become an independent student
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Verifying Residency
❑ Examples of acceptable documentation for verifying Illinois residency
(as listed in Administrative Rules) include:
◼ State of Illinois tax return or federal tax transcript
◼ Illinois high school or college transcript
◼ Illinois driver's license
◼ Utility or rent bills in the applicant's (or parent's) name
◼ Illinois auto registration card
◼ Residential lease in the applicant's (or parent's) name
◼ Wage and tax statements (IRS Form W-2)
❑ For an independent student, the dates recorded on the documents must
indicate the applicant has resided in Illinois for the relevant 12
continuous, full months
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Verifying Residency
❑ As long as there is no conflicting information, additional steps to verify
residency is not required for:
◼ An applicant who received payment of a MAP award during the previous
academic year
◼ An applicant who was enrolled in an ISAC-approved MAP institution or an
ISAC-approved Illinois high school for the preceding consecutive 12
months prior to the start of the academic year for which assistance is
requested
❑ For more info, an
FAQ document is
available on the
Partner Training
page in the
e-Library
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Administering MAP
❑ Student eligibility and payment information is managed
and processed via ISAC’s Gift Assistance Programs
(GAP) portal: GAP Access
◼ It provides a secure authentication process for accessing student
data and updated technology for managing student data
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Managing GAP Access
❑ The financial aid director at each school is considered the
Primary Administrator for GAP Access and is responsible
for approving staff access at their institution
❑ There are two additional levels of system users
◼ School Administrators can add and update access for the
school’s GAP Access users
◼ School Users can have the ability to view and update program
data depending on the access levels given to them by an
administrator
❑ Schools should have a process in place to remove non-
active users on a frequent and regular basis
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GAP Access Security
In an effort to improve the security of ISAC partner-facing websites containing personally identifiable information (PII),
a 2-factor authentication security measure is utilized in
GAP Access.
Each time a user logs in to the portal, the 2 -factor
authentication process will require the use of a one-time verification code – which is
obtained through an application – in conjunction with a user ID
and password..
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Student
Detail Screen
Student Detail Screen
To resolve an ISAC Conflict you must
send the ISAC Conflict Template in an
email to [email protected].
MAP Payment Processing
❑ Payment requests are made via the GAP Access Portal
❑ Schools may also send payment requests to ISAC via a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) process◼ File specifications for FTP processing are available on the
Electronic Tools page in the e-Library
❑ Payment is sent to the school on behalf of the student
❑ Payment comes from the State Comptroller’s office
❑ Schools must meet MAP payment claim deadline dates that are set each term
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Select:
• Payment -- to
request a payment
• Cancel -- to cancel
a previously
requested award
• Hold – to prevent
the record from
being submitted
• Delete – to remove
the payment
request before
submitting
MAP Payment Process
❑ Payment is made through an offset process
❑ New payment requests are compared to outstanding amounts owed to ISAC as a result of cancellations and adjustments made, and payment is made accordingly.
❑ Designed to accommodate the many changes in student eligibility that can occur during the awarding and disbursement of financial aid◼ Includes decreases, increases, initial requests and full
refunds
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Payment Results Summary/
Invoice Detail Reports
❑ This is a compilation of four reports generated by ISAC following a school’s payment request. It includes:◼ Payment Results Report
◼ Payment Exception Report (if there were exceptions)
◼ Payment Results Summary (by term)
◼ Payment Results Summary (all terms)
❑ This report should be printed or downloaded each time a payment request is submitted
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Payment Results Summary/Invoice
Detail Report
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Invoice
Results Connection
Payment Results/exceptions, Invoice, Payment
Detail, Voucher all connect by Invoice Number
Payment Results Summary/Invoice
Detail Report
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Payment Results Codes
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Payment Reject Codes
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Reconciliation
❑ Schools are encouraged
to finalize reconciliation
activities and report all
cancellations as soon
as possible
❑ Payments must be
reconciled on a
student-by-student
basis
❑ Guidance is provided
in the FAAs section of
isac.org
60
Fiscal Year Reconciliation
❑ Schools will receive a notice from ISAC at the end of the award year indicating refund amount due◼ Schools should wait until receiving notification to send
refund checks to ISAC
❑ A completed Check Return Form should accompany any refund checks sent to ISAC along with documentation that clearly indicates the amount being returned for each student
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MAP Reports
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MAP Reports
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Alternative Application Student
Record School File Layout
❑ The file layout for the Alternative Application Student Record can be
found in the Electronic Tools section of the e-Library at isac.org
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Sorting in GAP Access for Alternative Application Records
• Sort on the SSN Match Flag field
• Alternative Applicant Student Records will have a blank SSN Match Flag
• FAFSA applicants will have a value in the SSN Match Flag field
• On the Columns screen, add the SSN Match Flag field as a data element to include in your student list view
• Then navigate to the Sort screen and add the SSN Match Flag field to the list of fields on which you want to sort
• When you return to the sorted student list, all student records with a blank SSN Match Flag field will be grouped together at the end of the list.
To view your students on Student List go to your last page
SSN Match
Flag
FTP Process
❑ Colleges can request MAP payment utilizing the file extraction
feature of the MAP system in the GAP Access portal or by sending
payment requests via File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
❑ Payment Reports can then be generated from the Reports screen in
the MAP system
❑ Each individual needing access to ISAC’s secure FTP site will need
to have a valid GAP Access user ID and password
◼ Only users with valid GAP Access user IDs and passwords will be able
to access the site to exchange data for the Monetary Award Program
(MAP), the Illinois Veteran Grant Program (IVG) and ISAC Program
Reviews (Audits)
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MAP RESOURCES
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MAP User Guide
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2020-21 Operational Guide for
Alternative Application Processing
❑ ISAC is not selecting 2020-21 Alternative Application records for
verification, however, colleges are expected to confirm that students
meet all MAP eligibility criteria and to resolve any conflicting
information they become aware of during the MAP awarding and
disbursement process.
❑ To assist colleges with this process, the 2020-21 Operational Guide
has been posted to the MAP, Applying page in the FAA area of
isac.org and on the Partner Training page in the E-Library
◼ Provides guidance for FAAs on confirming MAP eligibility for students
who meet the RISE Act criteria and includes references to related rules
and regulations
❑ The MAP Eligibility User Guide has also been updated to incorporate
information about Alternative Application student records in
GAP Access
◼ The updated version will be posted later this week79
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ISAC Contact Information
School Services
ISAC Call Center – Student Services
*****************************
Tania Mendoza, Partner & Training Services
Kim Eck, Partner & Training Services
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Questions/Comments?
Thanks for attending our webinar, “ISAC
Update and An Overview of the Monetary
Award Program (MAP).” We hope you
enjoyed it!
