CHICAGO - The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) announced record usage of its Illinois electronic Transcript Exchange service (ILTE), with 2,086 transcripts sent in 2008.

A new universal computer driver developed by XAP Corporation, ISAC's technology partner in this venture, allows schools utilizing virtually any student information system (SIS) to create an electronic version of a student's transcript to send to a college or university. As a result of this technological advance, ILTE participation increased 561 percent among state high schools in 2008.

"A growing number of high schools throughout Illinois are discovering that ISAC's electronic transcript exchange simplifies the transcript sending process and allows them to save time and money on paper, printing and postage without any financial investment on their part," said Andrew Davis, Executive Director of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, citing a study that estimates a 50 percent reduction in costs of electronic distribution versus the traditional paper "snail-mail" process. "High school setup is now easier than ever and can take as little as four business days to complete."