ISAC and TAP Help Illinois Taxpayers Get College Aid - Letter to Editor

Dear Editor,

I recently heard the story of an Illinois teenager who hoped to attend college in pursuit of an advertising career.  She was the first in her family to consider college; funds were tight.  She was unsure where to turn until a volunteer from the not-for-profit Tax Assistance Program (TAP) entered her life.  The TAP volunteer helped this young woman and her family fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), resulting in her securing $29,000 in aid to enable her to attend a four-year university. 

Next to a marriage license, the FAFSA may be the most important form you ever complete.  The basic building block in creating a college financial aid package, the FAFSA determines eligibility for grants, scholarships, loans and work-study programs, and is the essential first step in receiving financial aid from federal, state and private sources.  A national study found that of the students who did not submit a FAFSA, 43 percent were from low-income households and would have been most likely to have received assistance. 

Founded in 1994, TAP recruits 1,900 volunteers help low-income families complete their income tax returns for free.  Since the FAFSA requires information from a tax return, TAP formed a partnership with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) in 2004 to train TAP volunteers to help eligible families complete the FAFSA. Since then, nearly 4,000 Illinois families have completed the FAFSA with help from ISAC-trained TAP volunteers, reaping an estimated $40 million more in college aid for Illinois students.

For free help in completing your income taxes and FAFSA, visit http://www.taxassistance.org/.  For more about ISAC’s programs and grants, visit www.collegezone.com. The sooner you submit your FAFSA, the more likely you’ll be to qualify for substantial college aid.  This partnership between TAP and ISAC helps Illinois taxpayers get in the game.

Sincerely,
Andrew Davis
Executive Director
Illinois Student Assistance Commission

Confirmation Contact: Deb Calcara, 217-782-2020

About ISAC
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is the State’s centralized provider of financial assistance aimed at helping students and families access postsecondary education and/or training. Each year, the Commission awards an estimated $400 million in scholarship and grant aid to nearly 185,000 qualified students, and also provides an additional $740 million to borrowers through its student loan programs. The agency offers credit-based alternative loans, a 529 prepaid tuition program known as College Illinois!, and a broad array of outreach and informational services to ensure that families have access to the information they need to pay for a college education. More information is available by calling toll-free 800.899.ISAC (4722) or visiting the agency’s Web site at www.collegezone.com.