ISAC Student PortalISAC in the News
December 27, 2021 - Scholarship available to address shortage of early childhood educators - The Illinois Student Assistance Commission launched a new scholarship to create more opportunities for educators and help fill job demand.
December 22, 2021 - Pritzker appoints Ade to Illinois Student Assistance Commission - Governor J.B. Pritzker appointed Payton Ade, student trustee on the Board of Trustees and sophomore interpersonal communication major, to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
November 13, 2021 - Estos son los errores más comunes de los estudiantes al llenar la solicitud de FAFSA - Eddie Brambila, director de desarrollo de la comisión ISAC, afirmó que uno de los errores más comunes al llenar la Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes (FAFSA) es no reportar correctamente el nombre, así como cambiar la información sobre los padres y no diligenciar el correo electrónico, pues este es el principal medio de comunicación.
ISAC’s Eddie Brambila discusses common mistakes in completing the FAFSA.
November 5, 2021 - All Illinois public universities to join Common App platform - On Thursday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Board of Higher Education in partnership with the Illinois General Assembly, announced that $1 million in funding will be utilized to add all of the state's public universities onto the Common App platform.
November 3, 2021 - Public Service Loan Forgiveness overhaul - ISAC’s Eddie Brambila discusses the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
October 12, 2021 - Paso a paso: Así debes llenar la solicitud de FAFSA para acceder a becas y créditos universitarios - Claudia Aly, Coordinadora de Enlace Familiar en la Comisión de Asistencia Estudiantil de Illinois (ISAC), habla sobre la importancia de llenar la solicitud de ayuda financiera FAFSA o la Solicitud Alternativa y el proceso de aplicación.
ISAC’s Claudia Aly, ISAC’s Parent Outreach Coordinator, discusses the importance of completing a FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid, and the application process.
October 11, 2021 - Don’t pay for educational planning services you can get for free - As the process for students to complete college and financial aid applications accelerates each fall, so too does marketing for fee-based educational planning services.
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September 29, 2021 - Pritzker declares October 'College Changes Everything' Month to promote college planning activities - Gov. J.B. Pritzker has declared October 'College Changes Everything Month' in honor of more college planning activities happening throughout the month.
September 28, 2021 - Career exploration: Students can survey ag jobs with new online tool - High school students unsure of their future careers have a new interactive, online tool with information about occupations in Illinois agriculture and other industries.
August 27, 2021 - Gov. Pritzker Signs Legislation Providing Student Borrowers With Critical Information On Educational Lending Options - Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 2746, the Know Before You Owe Private Education Loan Act, into law. The legislation aims to provide potential student borrowers with critical information, allowing them to make informed decisions about how to responsibly finance their education. The bipartisan legislation passed unanimously in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly.
August 24, 2021 - Illinois passes new legislation advancing higher education equity: New bills signed by Pritzker strengthen higher education opportunities - On Monday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a package of legislation aimed at advancing equity and opportunity in higher education institutions across Illinois. The three bills, Senate Bill 1085, Senate Bill 815 and House Bill 3359, help protect prospective college students and their families from predatory college-planning companies, advance equity in state funding for higher education and ensure personal support workers can attend classes with students with disabilities, free of charge.
August 17, 2021 - Student loan moratorium: what to keep in mind - Earlier this month, the Biden Administration extended the moratorium on student loan payments to January 31st. So what should students and graduates do to make sure they're not caught off guard?
August 13, 2021 - New tool helps with career planning - The Illinois High School 2 Career tool was created by the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Employment Security and Illinois Student Assistance Commission as a way to help inform high school students about various job fields.
August 20, 2021 - Administración Biden perdona deudas estudiantiles a personas con discapacidad severa: Esto debes saber - Eddie Brambila, de la Comisión de Asistencia Estudiantil de Illinois, explica que si una persona pidió un préstamo estudiantil federal y el seguro social determinó que tiene discapacidades severas “se le perdona toda la deuda de manera automática”. Brambila contó además que esto comenzará a ocurrir desde septiembre de este año.
June 15, 2021 - ‘Illinois students will always have a voice’: General Assembly passes measure to extend term limits for ISAC student commissioners - Legislation passes both state houses that would ensure that student voices will still be heard in Illinois, past their expiration date. It only requires the governor’s signature.
June 15, 2021 - Heartland Forward Launches Statewide Campaign to Help Illinois Families Access Federal Broadband Assistance Program - Heartland Forward today joined federal, state and local collaborators in unveiling a public awareness campaign to help connect Illinoisans to affordable internet through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program.
March 31, 2021 - Pritzker, education advocates release resource guide to help districts support students, teachers - Many parents and teachers know students struggled to meet the challenge of learning during a pandemic. The Pritzker administration hopes $7 billion in federal funding can help support kids returning to a "normal" classroom setting.
March 31, 2021 - Biden extiende la suspensión de intereses en préstamos estudiantiles - Eddie Brambila, de la Comisión de Asistencia Estudiantil de Illinois (ISAC), explica cuáles personas califican para los beneficios anunciados por el gobierno, en una entrevista con Univisión Chicago.
March 25, 2021 - ¿Vives en Chicago? Conoce opciones y recursos para estudiantes que quieran ingresar a la universidad - Abel Montoya, director de alcance comunitario en Illinois Student Assistance Comission, asegura que los jóvenes "deben saber que hay métodos para conseguir dinero y pagar sus estudios superiores". Montoya habla de los fondos disponibles tanto para estudiantes que nacieron en Estados Unidos como para los que no.
March 20, 2021 - Quedan alrededor de $11,000 sin reclamar en ayudas estudiantiles - En subsidios federales, como la Pell Grant, se están dejando hasta $6,345 sin reclamar. Por otro lado, en subsidios estatales, se dejan hasta $5,340.
March 18, 2021 - With Illinois Financial Aid Applications Down, Campaign Urges Students To Apply - According to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, overall FAFSA completion is down nearly 5% compared to this time last year, and applications are down by about 7% among students who are eligible for the state’s Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants, which are given to low-income students who attend approved Illinois colleges.
March 16, 2021 - Koehler celebrates “Rock the FAFSA” week - State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) is celebrating the Illinois State Board of Education’s “Rock the FAFSA” week in an effort to encourage students in the 46th District and across the state to take advantage of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
March 16, 2021 - Watch now: Here's why Illinois high school seniors must fill out student aid form - To give sign-up efforts a boost, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education and the governor’s office, is sponsoring “Rock the FAFSA” this week, to increase awareness of the importance of completing a FAFSA.
March 10, 2021 - Illinois students: Here's how to get free help with the FAFSA - March 15-19 is Rock the FAFSA week, when schools are encouraged to set up virtual workshops or in-person events to help students complete the paperwork, in partnership with the state commission.
March 10, 2021 - Pritzker signs education equity bill into law - House Bill 2170, known as the Education and Workforce Equity Act, contains more than 20 provisions aimed at decreasing racial gaps in opportunity and attainment that currently persist in the state’s education system.
February 17, 2021 - Pritzker budget plan keeps spending flat, closes $900 million in 'corporate loopholes' - Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday proposed a $41.58 billion state budget for the next fiscal year that relies on more than $900 million in savings from the elimination of “corporate loopholes,” relatively flat spending overall, increases for some programs, no income-tax increase and a second year of skipping a recommended $350 million boost for the school aid formula.
January 12, 2021 - Illinois legislators pass sweeping education measure that is one pillar of Black Caucus’ agenda - Both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly on Monday passed the Legislative Black Caucus’ broad education proposal that makes changes to statewide education laws from early to higher education.
January 12, 2021 - ISAC provides free assistance for students completing financial aid applications - Helping to ensure that more Illinois students have the funds to follow a path to education after high school has become increasingly difficult in the midst of a pandemic.
January 8, 2021 - ¿Qué esfuerzos se están realizando en Illinois para que los jóvenes logren acceder a la educación superior? - Abel Montoya, miembro de la Comisión de Asistencia Estudiantil, señala que están tratando de llegar a todas las comunidades con el fin de que los alumnos llenen el formulario de FAFSA y así puedan aplicar a una ayuda financiera, tanto federal como estatal, que les permita seguir avanzando en su formación académica y profesional.
