ISAC Hosts Fun Events at State Fair

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will host a variety of events for the whole family at this year’s Illinois State Fair.  ISAC, the State’s centralized agency for administering and promoting student financial assistance programs, will focus its fair activities on educating students and parents on how to prepare for and pay for a  college education.

Beginning Friday, August 8, ISAC will again exhibit a booth in the fair’s Tech Town area.  Visitors to ISAC’s booth are invited to use the available computers and navigate through collegezone.com, the agency’s new Web site due to be released September 1, 2003.   Parents and students of all ages can check out a preview of the new Web site and find information on college preparation and financial assistance availability specifically designed for their age group.

Representatives of ISAC will also be available in the Governor’s Tent at the fair this year.  They will be promoting a new student aid program initiated by Governor Blagojevich, the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarship Program.  Visitors will be asked to sign a large banner with the name of their favorite teacher as part of the organization’s campaign to promote the value of teaching and to encourage students to consider pursuing a career in education.

Finally, the Commission’s College Illinois! Prepaid Tuition Program is proud to announce, for the first time ever, the appearance of Tony Tuition and Rex the Exclamation Point to the Illinois State Fair.  Tony and Rex serve as College Illinois!’ mascots, and they frequently appear at community and promotional events statewide to encourage parents to consider College Illinois! to prepay for future college tuition and fees.  These life-size friends will be walking around the fair, meeting and greeting families, on Saturday, August 9 and on Kids’ Day, Friday, August 15.

Anyone who has questions about college financial assistance or prepaying college tuition should visit an ISAC representative in either Tech Town or the Governor’s Tent throughout the fair.  The Illinois State Fair runs from Friday, August 8 through Sunday, August 17, at the State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.

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.