The IllinoisMentor online service, accessed through collegezone.com, is aimed at students in eighth grade through high school and beyond and is a free tool for career and college planning. Students can take virtual campus tours of Illinois colleges and universities, research colleges’ admission requirements, complete online admission applications, and communicate directly with school counselors via e-mail.

“Since introducing the College Zone Web site in 2003, ISAC has continued to upgrade the technology and interactivity for visitors to the site. IllinoisMentor is one more resource for students, families, and guidance counselors that will help bridge the gap as they learn more about how to pursue a college education,” explained Larry E. Matejka, Executive Director of ISAC. “Our goal is to provide one more tool to students who still think that college may be unattainable – and help them make college a reality."

To promote the new IllinoisMentor service, ISAC will be asking high school guidance counselors to encourage their students to visit collegezone.com. For those guidance counselors who request a College Zone promotional kit from ISAC during February and March 2006, their high school will be entered into a drawing. To provide more students with access to collegezone.com, twelve Illinois high schools, one from each of ISAC’s twelve regions throughout the state, will be randomly selected to win two Dell computers. One computer must be stationed at the high school so that all students have access to collegezone.com. The other computer must be given to a student attending the winning high school in a random drawing open to all students. ISAC expects to announce the winners and award the free Dell computers during April 2006.

Expanding the College Zone Web site at this time is appropriate since February is  traditionally a critical point in helping students apply for both college admission and financial assistance. ISAC encourages students and families to begin completing financial aid applications now. In conjunction with the College Awareness and Preparation (CAP) project, ISAC will be working with its partners in the financial aid community to present over 50 financial aid workshops across the state during the month of February. Students and families are invited to attend these free workshops open to the public. A list of all free CAP workshops is available on collegezone.com by clicking on Outreach.

Students and families may also call ISAC toll-free at 800.899.ISAC (4722) to speak with a College Zone Counselor for assistance in learning about the financial aid process, to access information on ISAC’s scholarship, grant, and loan programs, and to receive more details on free CAP workshops.

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.