ISAC Exec Director To Retire After 26 Years

Under Matejka, agency had unmatched growth, aided millions of Illinois college students

As Executive Director since July 1980, Matejka has served longer than any current Illinois state agency director, during which the agency has enjoyed enormous growth. Since 1981, ISAC has awarded $5.7 billion in Monetary Award Program (MAP) awards to 3.1 million students while guaranteeing 4.2 million in loans valued at $14 billion. The MAP grant has grown from $85.1 million in 1981 to $347.4 million this year, serving nearly double the number of students. Last year, ISAC guaranteed $1.24 billion in loans to 232,631 students and issued another 185,000 grants totaling $400 million.

“Larry Matejka personifies the ideal public servant,” said ISAC Chairman Don McNeil. “He is absolutely dedicated to the students we serve, and a man of vision and unquestioned integrity. The people of Illinois and generations of college students owe Larry an enormous debt of gratitude for his 26 years of service to ISAC and four decades of service in the education field.”

Matejka announced his plans during his annual “State of the Agency” address to staff. “I am excited about the next steps and what lies ahead for this agency,” Matejka said. “The strength of ISAC is its people. The programs we administer are tremendous but what makes programs work are the hundreds of dedicated staff and their commitment to service.”

Matejka is a nationally-recognized advocate of simplifying the student financial aid process and eliminating application fees. He is a past president of the Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (ILASFAA) and National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs (NCHELP), the only person ever to be re-elected to that post. He served twice as Chairman of the federal Higher Education Reauthorization Committee and was a founding leader of the Guarantee Agency CEO Caucus. Prior to joining ISAC, he was Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Director of Financial Aid at the University of Illinois in Champaign, and Director of Financial Aid at Illinois State University.

Under Matejka’s leadership, Illinois became the first state to eliminate its own separate application for financial assistance and instead award aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form at no cost to applicants. During his tenure, the agency has become a national leader in making college affordable with the MAP grant. The College Illinois! prepaid tuition program, started in 1998 to help families save for college, now has 53,000 contracts. The College Zone Web site and its free, innovative “IllinoisMentor” college and career counseling program receives tens of thousands of visitors annually.

The change comes as ISAC enters its 50th year of helping Illinois college students receive financial assistance. Legislation creating the agency – previously known as the Illinois State Scholarship Commission – was approved by the Illinois General Assembly and signed into law by Governor William Stratton in 1957.

“Larry Matejka has played an instrumental role in the development and growth of nearly every federal and state grant and loan program a typical Illinois college student can benefit from,” McNeil added. “He has truly made a difference in the lives of millions.” Only the third Executive Director in the agency’s history, Matejka will leave at the end of the year. The ISAC board plans to have a replacement chosen and in place by then, McNeil said.

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.