ISAC Student PortalISAC in the News
November 14, 2022 - Federal Appeals Court Ruling Keeps Biden Student Debt Forgiveness Plan On Hold - Joining "Chicago Tonight" to discuss the current state of the loan forgiveness effort is Lynne Baker, managing director of communications at the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
November 1, 2022 - Illinois Student Assistance Commission Promoting FAFSA Forms - The Illinois Student Assistance Commission says help is available for families struggling to fill out college applications and financial aid forms.
October 29, 2022 - Illinois offers incentive to mental health specialists for working in underserved communities - In an effort to convince more behavioral health professionals to work in low-income and rural communities, the state of Illinois is offering to help some of them with their student loans.
October 24, 2022 - Which student loans qualify for forgiveness? Here’s what Illinois borrowers should know - According to Lynne Baker, spokesperson for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, more than 70% of direct federal student loan borrowers could have more than 25% of their debt canceled, as long as they meet the federal income criteria.
October 24, 2022 - Student Debt Relief Can Move Full Speed Ahead Despite Temporary Hold, Education Secretary Pledges - Lynne Baker of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission discusses the temporary hold on the Biden-Harris Student Loan Debt Relief Plan on WTTW's “Chicago Tonight.”
October 19, 2022 - ISAC urges eligible borrowers to fill out the newly released student debt relief online application - The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is urging eligible borrowers to fill out the newly released application for student debt relief.
October 19, 2022 - Everything to Know to Apply for Student Loan Forgiveness - Sara Espinosa of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission discusses the Biden-Harris Student Loan Debt Relief Plan on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight.”
October 10, 2022 - Illinois Student Assistance Commission Urging Families to Apply for FAFSA Now - The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is urging families to get college financial aid forms filled out this month.
September 6, 2022 - New loan repayment program looks to bolster Illinois mental health worker numbers - The program offers debt repayment for those who have worked for at least one year at a community mental health organization in an underserved area.
August 30, 2022 - Solicitud para acceder al perdón de la deuda estudiantil estará disponible desde octubre: esto debes saber - Eddie Branbila, de la comisión de asistencia estudiantil de Illinois, explica que las solicitudes para acceder al programa de condonación de deuda estudiantil anunciado por el presidente Joe Biden estarán disponibles a partir de octubre.
August 25, 2022 - Who Qualifies and How to Apply for Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Plan - Under the current criteria, that means more than 70% of federal student loan borrowers in Illinois could have more than 25% of their debt canceled, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission reports.
August 25, 2022 - Plan de alivio de préstamos estudiantiles - Eddie Brambila de la Comisión de Asistencia Estudiantil comparte información con Univisión Chicago acerca del Plan de Alivio de Préstamos Estudiantiles anunciado por la administración Biden-Harris.
ISAC's Eddie Brambila discusses the student loan repayment pause and the new Biden-Harris Student Loan Debt Relief Program.
August 24, 2022 - 'Step in the right direction': What Biden's student loan relief plan could mean in Illinois - About 1.52 million student loan borrowers in Illinois hold $57.3 billion in direct student loans, said Lynne Baker, speaking for the Deerfield-based Illinois Student Assistance Commission, citing Department of Education data.
August 24, 2022 - Biden Announces Long-Awaited Student Debt Forgiveness Plan, Will Forgive $10,000 For Millions - Constantine Yannelis, associate professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Horacio Mendez, president & CEO of Woodstock Institute, and Lynne Baker, managing director of communications at the Illinois Student Assistance Commission join “Chicago Tonight” to talk more about the student loan debt relief plan.
August 1, 2022 - Letters: Illinois offers many supports for high school seniors to complete FAFSA - In 2019, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law the state’s FAFSA mandate. In its first year of implementation during the 2020-21 academic year, Illinois moved from 13th in the nation for high school senior FAFSA completions to No. 6 in the nation.
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June 9, 2022 - ¡Orgullo latino! Estudiante inmigrante de CPS es admitida en Harvard - Abel Montoya, el Director de Alcance Comunitario, habla sobre la ayuda financiera para los estudios superiores y cómo obtenerla en una entrevista con Univisión.
In an interview with Univision, Abel Montoya, Director of Outreach Operations, discusses financial aid for college and how to obtain it.
April 6, 2022 - Finance professionals encourage urgency for new student loan deadline - Federal student loan payments have been paused for nearly two years. Now, the Biden administration is extending the pandemic moratorium again.
March 10, 2022 - State of Illinois launches interactive tool to help students choose right college - Illinois Postsecondary Profiles Project is a user-centered resource for learning about postsecondary institutions
March 3, 2022 - Local Illinois counties received FAFSA recognition - The state of Illinois says that Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) congratulated high schools across the state that received a Recognition of Excellence designation for their efforts in supporting students and families through the financial aid process.
February 17, 2022 - Local college advisors encourage students to use new Illinois online tool to customize colleges choices - It can be overwhelming to narrow down a college. The options are limitless, especially here in Illinois. But now, the Illinois Postsecondary Profiles project can give students a clearer picture of what their futures could look like.
February 8, 2022 - Watch now: Pritzker highlights proposed increase in higher ed funding - The higher education funding boost in Gov. J.B. Pritzker's proposed state budget could mean more money flowing directly to universities, as well financial aid for students.
January 27, 2022 - Bennett encourages early childhood educators to enhance credentials with new Illinois scholarship program - State Sen. Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is spreading the word about a newly established scholarship program in the state aimed to help advance the credentials of people who work in early childhood education. Bennett took to social media to inform his constituents of the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program.
January 13, 2022 - La empresa Navient acuerda indemnizar a estudiantes que recibieron préstamos que no podrían pagar - ISAC’s Director of Outreach Operations Abel Montoya discusses the recent Navient student loan settlement and shares tips on how students and families can identify and avoid predatory loans.
