Student & Parent Message Board
The Student & Parent Message Board is updated each week.
In order to perform necessary maintenance, several ISAC websites will be unavailable from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. (CT) on Sunday, June 23, 2013. Further details are provided in a
June 19 e-Message.
Students and their families who are seeking ways to finance a college education should beware of
scams (including attempts at identity theft or fraud). Learn more about financial aid scams at the
Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams page of the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Information website. Call the federal Office of Inspector General hotline at 800.MISUSED (647.8733) to report suspected identity theft or fraud. A
MISUSED web resource is also available. In addition, you may wish to review a document from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) entitled “
Don’t Get Scammed on Your Way to College!”
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced the variable student loan interest rates that will be in effect for the period July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014. For Federal Stafford loans disbursed prior to July 1, 2006, the rate is 1.75% for loans during in-school, grace and deferment periods, and 2.35% for loans in repayment. For Federal PLUS loans disbursed prior to July 1, 2006, the rate is 3.15%.
A
recent article from The New York Times reports that retailers are promoting their "back-to-school" campaigns earlier than ever, in an effort to get families to start thinking now about making purchases for the school year that will begin next fall. Because there is uncertainty regarding what the economic future may bring, companies hope to entice customers to spend their money now.
Families are encouraged to check out "Find a Book" - which is located at
www.lexile.com/findabook - as a resource to encourage students to continue reading during the summer months. This free online utility provides a way for parents and children to quickly and easily search for books that match a child’s reading level and interests, as well as locate a local library carrying each title. Additional details are provided in a
recent press release from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
B4College Alerts is a new smartphone app, currently available for Android-powered phones, developed by ISAC to provide timely and personalized alerts to college-bound students. Two types of alerts are offered: FAFSA Completion and ISACorps Events. Learn more about the app, view an informational video, and/or download the app (via either Google Play™ or QR code) at the
B4College Alerts page of this website.
The
Impact of Sequestration on the Federal Student Aid Programs page at
Federal Student Aid’s StudentAid.gov provides general information on how “across-the-board” federal budget cuts (known as the sequester) will impact federal student aid programs. As a reminder, the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011 stipulates that the sequester is to take effect if Congress failed to enact legislation to reduce the federal deficit. The required budget cuts took effect as of March 1, 2013.
Prepaid Tuition 
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