Abel Montoya
Director of Outreach Operations
Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Increase the proportion of
Illinois adults with a
postsecondary credential to
60% by 2025
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More than 46,100 student did not graduate
from Illinois’ high schools in 2009*
◦ Lost lifetime earnings of nearly $12 billion
◦ Lost over $2.8 billion in accumulated wealth
◦ $210.2 million in community college remediation
cost and lost earnings
◦ $647 million in additional health care costs
*http://all4ed.org/about_the_crisis/schools/state_information/Illinois
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If students color graduate at same rate as
Caucasian students, $13 billion would be
added to Illinois’ economy.
If male grad rate increased by 5%, state would
see $379 million in reduced crime spending
and increased earnings each year.
*http://all4ed.org/about_the_crisis/schools/state_information/Illinois
www.WhatsNextIllinois.org
College Illinois Transcript Exchange
FAFSA data sharing partnerships
www.WhatsNextIllinois.org
Career planning
High school planning
College planning
Financial aid planning
Gives students a starting point
Inventories help students find
possible careers and identifies the
paths needed to reach goal
What are my
strengths?
What are my
Interests?
What do I need from
work?
Ability Profiler
Interest Profiler
Work Values Sorter
Basic Skills Survey
Cluster Finder
Workplace Skills
Checklist
Purpose: Bring the student’s qualities &
strengths to the surface
No right or wrong answers!
Keeps students on track for graduation
Reinforces the expectation of
graduating from high school
Supplement to work counselor is doing
Free test prep
College search
Explore majors
Gives insight to the financial aid process
EFC calculator
Scholarship search
Financial literacy information
Parent component
Provides overview of site
Can connect to student account
Translated into Spanish
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Review student profiles
Create groups to manage students
Outcome and usage reports
Communication tool
Site level customization
Assisting with the transition to
postsecondary institutions
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Collaboration between ISAC and the Illinois
State Board of Education (ISBE)
◦ Electronic delivery of high school transcripts to
colleges
◦ Process by which students will be considered for
ISAC’s High School Scholarship Programs (HSSP)
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Statewide initiative
www.CollegeIllinois.org
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Using Docufide by Parchment for program
Weekly webinars through mid August
Registration for high schools begins on
August 15
Can be implemented on district or LEA level
Sending transcripts to colleges is available
immediately
Sending data electronically to ISAC
commences next year
No cost to student, high school, or college
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Available to MAP (Monetary Award Program)
approved colleges
◦ 53 colleges already registered in Illinois
◦ 11 of 12 public universities in Illinois are registered
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Can send transcripts electronically for free to
registered colleges in 11 other Midwest
Higher Education Compact (MHEC) states
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Can send transcripts from high school to high
school
Colleges can send transcripts to ISBE as part
of teacher certification process
Unique ISBE state identifier on transcript will
assist with state longitudinal data system
Ease process for students applying to and
matriculating at postsecondary institutions
Initiatives to increase FAFSA
completion rates
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Goal: 800,000 applications for 2011-12
academic year
◦ 643,078 (60%) as of July 21
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Website gives breakdown by high school, number
completed, and percentage completed:
www.collegeillinois.org/home/fafsa/
◦ Numbers are based on internal matching process
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“Applying for financial aid is not easy, but it may be the
most critical step for low-income students on the road
to college.”1
1Roderick,
M., Nagoaka, J., Coca, & Moeller, E. (2008). Executive Summary: From High School to the
Future—Potholes on the Road to College, 4.
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Data sharing agreement between school district
and ISAC is put in place
District sends encrypted list identifying students
eligible to fill out FAFSA
ISAC compares list with FAFSA data
ISAC sends encrypted list to district identifying
which students have completed FAFSA
District informs their staff which students have
yet to complete the FAFSA
ISAC outreach staff will assist with FAFSA
completion workshops
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FAFSA data sharing program began in 2007
List is sent on a weekly basis
List only contains students eligible to fill out
FAFSA
Counselors seek out students at school
Significant increase since program inception
# of seniors
# completing
FAFSA
% completing
FAFSA
FY 2007
18,366
10,552
57.5%
FY 2008*
17,629
10,963
62.2%
FY 2009
18,484
12,574
68.0%
FY 2010
18,615
13,929
74.8%
FY 2011
18,613
15,323
82.3%
FY 2012
18,368
15,179
82.6%
FAFSA completion among CPS students
*Matching project began with the
graduating class of 2007 for
FY08 FAFSAs
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First year receiving data
◦ Rockford Public Schools
◦ District U-46 (Elgin School District)
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Recent agreements
◦ Eldorado High School
◦ Woodlawn High School
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And counting . . .
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Required to receive state and federal grants
Provides access to subsidized loans
Determines eligibility for work-study
Used by colleges to determine eligibility for
certain institutional monies
Reinforces college going mentality
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MAP Grant
◦ Funding is precarious at times
◦ Increased need in Illinois results in earlier
suspension date:
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March 26, 2011
April 19, 2010
May 15, 2009
July 26, 2008
PELL Grant
◦ Funding is currently being debated in DC . . .
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Assist students and parents in creating
accounts in www.WhatsNextIllinois.org
Have high schools participate in College
Illinois Transcript Exchange webinars
Have MAP approved colleges in Illinois
register to be electronic receivers of
transcripts
Share FAFSA Data Sharing Agreement with
high schools and/or high school districts
Advocate for continued MAP & PELL funding