Whether you have a child planning for, currently attending, or graduating from college, College Zone can help you help them.

Click on the appropriate link (at left) to identify your child’s current grade or experience level.

Parent Message Board

The Parent Message Board is updated each week. New messages for the week are identified by the  symbol. Items under the More section, located toward the bottom of the page, provide links to information on topics that were recently listed on this Message Board.

 Enrollment for the College Illinois!® 529 Prepaid Tuition Program began on November 1, 2009 and remains open throughout the year. With College Illinois!, contract holders receive tuition and fee benefits as stated in the contract, regardless of fluctuations in the market. Because contract prices will increase each month, the sooner contracts are purchased, the more money families will save. College Illinois! SmartChoice pricing offers three distinct plans, putting parents and children on an educational path that best fits their needs and budget. Visit the College Illinois! Web site to enroll or learn more about the program.

 College Zone's College Cost Calculator, which provides an estimate of how much college may cost when a student is ready to attend, has been updated to reflect annual costs for the 2009-10 academic year.

 In observance of the Veterans Day holiday, ISAC offices will be closed on Wednesday, November 11th, reopening on Thursday, November 12th. Access collegezone.com anytime, or send an e-mail message to an ISAC College Zone Counselor for questions or inquiries.

The State of Illinois offers help with student loan repayment for Illinois residents who qualify based on certain eligibility requirements. Further details, including eligibility requirements and applications for individual programs, may be accessed via the Parent Zone's Loan Repayment/Forgiveness section.

An October 20th e-Message announces that on October 18, 2009, Public Act 96-792 was signed into law, restoring funding for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) for the remainder of the 2009-10 academic year for students whose initial 2009-10 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was received by the federal processor on or before May 14, 2009. Our sincere thanks to all students, parents, members of the financial aid community, and representatives of Illinois government who provided their support during the Save Illinois MAP Grants campaign. An updated Important Message regarding funding for 2009-10 MAP awards can be accessed via the Student Zone's MAP page.

A State Legislative Update, which was last updated on October 19th, contains the status of bills that pertain to programs administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) and higher education in general.

Now is a good time for high school seniors planning to start college in the fall of 2010, and their parents, to apply for a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to be used in January when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

More

Outreach Calendar/Events

U.S. Department of Education's Federal Aid First

List of ISAC's Participating Lenders

Federal Student Aid's FAFSA4caster

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