ISAC Student PortalISAC Communiqué
Volume 36, Number 1C
July 2026
| Messages sent to: | Multiple Subscription Groups |
| High School Counselors/Teachers | |
| ISAC Communiqué |
Welcome to the July 2026 ISAC Communiqué, which is a compilation of e-Messages sent through ISAC's e-Messaging service throughout July.
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 Partner Services by calling 866.247.2172 or sending an email message to [email protected]. 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.
Register for Upcoming PaCE Curriculum 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 July 24, 2026.
The PaCE Curriculum empowers students to discover who they are, explore exciting career pathways, and build the skills that set them up for future college and career success. Join us for a collaborative professional development experience where we'll dive into the updated 6th-8th grade PaCE lessons together. You'll experience the activities firsthand, see how they spark curiosity and connect to high school benchmarks, and leave with a clear roadmap for guiding your students. Walk away with fresh tools, engaging strategies, and the confidence to support a smooth and successful transition from middle school to high school!
Registration is open until two days before the event or until capacity is reached.
For questions, reach out to [email protected].
LAST CALL! 2026 CCE Conference is the Thursday!
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 July 13, 2026.
Dear Colleagues,
This is your last call to join us at this year's College Changes Everything® (CCE) conference. The CCE conference offers a space for learning, advocacy, and action that you won't want to miss. This is your opportunity to be part of the conversation that shapes students' futures and the systems they navigate – not as a passive observer, but as a contributor, change agent, and student advocate.
Register now and join us on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at the Tinley Park Convention Center as we explore this year's powerful and dual-sided theme: Education Matters.
More information about the conference is available on the conference website.
Space is limited – register today to reserve your place! Conference registration is $40, payable by credit card via Eventbrite.
2026 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.
to help make education beyond high school accessible and affordable.
2026 CCE Conference is One Week Away
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 July 9, 2026.
Dear Colleague,
Don’t miss out on this year’s College Changes Everything® (CCE) Conference. Whether you work directly with students or are a part of shaping the systems they navigate, the CCE Conference offers a space for learning, advocacy, and action. This is your opportunity to be part of the conversation, not as a passive observer, but as a contributor, change agent, and student advocate.
Register now and join us on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at the Tinley Park Convention Center as we explore this year’s powerful and dual-sided theme: Education Matters.
More information about the conference is available on the conference website.
Space is limited – register today to reserve your place! Conference registration is $40, payable by credit card via Eventbrite.
2026 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.
to help make education beyond high school accessible and affordable.
2026 CCE Conference — Keynote Announcement & Preliminary Agenda
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 July 2, 2026.
www.collegechangeseverything.org
Dear Colleagues,
We call upon you to join us with intention, commitment, and passion at the 2026 College Changes Everything® (CCE) conference on Thursday, July 16, 2026 at the Tinley Park Convention Center to explore this year's theme: Education Matters. Whether you work directly with students or are a part of shaping the systems they navigate, the 2026 CCE conference offers a space for learning, advocacy, and action. Come ready to be challenged, inspired and most importantly, to act. More information about the conference is available on the conference website.
Keynote Speaker
We are pleased to announce this year's conference keynote speaker, Enrique Rodríguez, News Anchor for Univision Chicago and 11-time Emmy award winner from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Visit the conference website to learn more about this year's keynote speaker.
Preliminary Agenda
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.
Registration
Space is limited – register today to reserve your place! Conference registration is $40, payable by credit card via Eventbrite.
2026 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.
to help make education beyond high school accessible and affordable.
HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS/TEACHERS
FY27 ISAC Program Funding: Budget Bills Approved
Sent to High School Counselors/Teachers on July 1, 2026.
Governor Pritzker has approved House Bill (HB) 111 (operating budget bill) and HB 2949 [budget implementation bill (BIMP)], which together provide funding and statutory authority for Illinois programs and services, including ISAC's programs, for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27). Both bills were approved by the Illinois General Assembly shortly before both chambers adjourned in the early morning hours of June 1, and they were forwarded to the governor June 10 for review and signature.
The governor, working in cooperation with lead appropriators in both chambers, did issue several line-item vetoes to correct errors and remove duplicative language from HB 111, but with those changes, the remainder of the budget for FY27 was approved and is now in effect. The bills are now considered law and are officially Public Act 104-0464 (budget) and Public Act 104-0466 (BIMP). (Before considering printing, please note the documents' length.)
Overall, the FY27 funding levels for ISAC-administered programs are very similar to the current year's budget. Most significantly, general funds for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) are held at the current level, keeping program appropriations at just under $721.6 million.
The budget includes an increase for the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program ($10 million, up from $7.5 million in FY26). In addition, ISAC will administer a $250,000 grant for the N'DIGO Foundation, a previous ISAC grantee, "to fund internships to train students and youth in communications."
Some ISAC programs will experience decreased funding in the FY27 budget.
- The budget reduces to $5 million (down from $6 million in FY26) funds to reimburse public universities for a portion of the tuition and fees that have been waived on behalf of eligible veterans and guard members through the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs. The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) receives funding to reimburse Illinois community colleges for the costs associated with these same programs; their appropriation is expected to cover community colleges' IVG and ING Grant costs in full.
- While funding for the Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire, or Correctional Officers is down slightly ($1.1 million, down from $1.3 million in FY26), we do not anticipate students being impacted by this reduction.
- The Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program is funded at only $250,000 from general funds, down from $1.25 million in general funds that the program received for FY26.
FY27 ISAC Program Appropriation Highlights
MAP – $721,566,200
Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity Scholarship – $5,000,000
Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois – $10,750,000
Golden Apple Accelerators – $5,000,000
Teachers of Illinois Scholarship – $8,000,000
Nursing Education Scholarship – $4,000,000
Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire, or Correctional Officers – $1,100,000 (decrease)
Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship – $1,100,000
Grant Program for Exonerees and their Dependents – $150,000
ING Grant and IVG reimbursement for public universities – $5,000,000 (decrease)
Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License Scholarship Program and School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program (combined appropriation) – $2,000,000
Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment – $10,000,000 (increase)
Human Services Professional Loan Repayment – $250,000 (decrease)
Illinois Teachers Loan Repayment – $975,000
Nurse Educator Loan Repayment – $400,000
Veterans' Home Medical Providers' Loan Repayment – $26,400
Aspirational Institutional Match Helping Illinois Grow Higher Education (AIM HIGH) Grant – $50,000,000*
* AIM HIGH funds are disbursed in lump sums by ISAC to public universities.
With the approval of the budget, program implementation and operational activities for the 2026-27 academic year will begin to move forward. As always, we will regularly provide updates and processing details regarding each of our programs as we proceed through the year.
State Legislative Update
Additional details regarding the FY27 state budget, as well as highlights of action taken by the Illinois General Assembly during its spring legislative session that may be of interest to the state's financial aid community, will be provided in an upcoming State Legislative Update.
June 2026 ISAC Communiqué
Sent on July 1, 2026.
The June 2026 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 June 2026 ISAC Communiqué include:
- Invitation: Engagement Opportunities in the Development of the New State Attainment Goal
(sent June 30, 2026) - CCE Conference in 3 Weeks: Don't Miss Out!
(sent June 25, 2026) - Join Us at the 2026 CCE Conference: Registration is Open!
(sent June 18, 2026) - Submit Data for SSP & OCCA Processing by July 1
(sent June 16, 2026) - Commission Meeting Thursday, June 25
(sent June 11, 2026) - New Tool Available to Support Middle School PaCE Framework
(sent June 10, 2026) - 2026 CCE: Registration Open
(sent June 4, 2026) - May 2026 ISAC Communiqué
(sent June 1, 2026)
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.
