Whether you’re planning to go to college, are attending now, or have recently graduated, College Zone can help you take all the right steps to make your experiences and transitions go smoothly.

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

Student Message Board

The Student 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.

 ISAC has available - in various locations throughout the College Zone Web site - two brochures created by the National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs, Inc. (NCHELP) which discuss private/alternative student loans. The brochures, A Guide to Responsible Borrowing and Understanding the Cost of Borrowing, can be printed and used for reference by families considering borrowing options for college.

 In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, ISAC offices will be closed on Monday, January 19th, reopening on Tuesday, January 20th. Access collegezone.com anytime, or send an e-mail message to an ISAC College Zone Counselor for questions or inquiries.

 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 Federal Trade Commission's Scholarship Scams Web site. 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.

Mapping Your Future, a public service nonprofit organization offering free services to families preparing for college, has issued a Press Release highlighting how they are helping students, families and schools during tough economic times. Among Mapping Your Future's services are college planning, career selection, financial aid and money management. ISAC is a Mapping Your Future Sponsor.

The 2009-10 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available online. When completing the FAFSA on the Web, remember that you (and your parent, if you are a dependent student) must use an electronic Personal Identification Number (PIN) from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Once obtained, the same PIN is used to complete each year's FAFSA.

Check out the College Awareness & Preparation (CAP) page for information regarding resources that are available to help you complete the financial aid process. Several events, including FAFSA completion seminars, will take place across the State of Illinois through March. Plan to attend the event that best fits your schedule.

If you plan to attend college during the 2009-10 academic year, check out the U.S. Department of Education's "Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid" (available to download as a .pdf document).

More

2009-10 State Scholar Announcements

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

List of ISAC's Participating Lenders

State & Federal Aid Estimator

Federal Student Aid's FAFSA4caster

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