Whether you have a child planning for, currently attending, or graduating from college, College Zone can help you help them.

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

Parent Message Board

The Parent 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.

 Access to the College Zone Web site will be unavailable due to system maintenance between midnight and 3 a.m. (CT), Sunday, November 8th.  Access is expected to be restored no later than 3 a.m.

 Is your son or daughter in the process of seeking employment? They can create and print their own resume using the new Resume Builder that is provided within the Career Planning area of the What's Next Illinois Web site. In order to utilize this function, individuals must have established an account (free of charge).

Enrollment for the College Illinois!® 529 Prepaid Tuition Program began on November 1, 2009 and remains open throughout the year. With College Illinois!, contract holders receive tuition and fee benefits as stated in the contract, regardless of fluctuations in the market. Because contract prices will increase each month, the sooner contracts are purchased, the more money families will save. College Illinois! SmartChoice pricing offers three distinct plans, putting parents and children on an educational path that best fits their needs and budget. Visit the College Illinois! Web site to enroll or learn more about the program.

College Zone's College Cost Calculator, which provides an estimate of how much college may cost when a student is ready to attend, has been updated to reflect annual costs for the 2009-10 academic year.

In observance of the Veterans Day holiday, ISAC offices will be closed on Wednesday, November 11th, reopening on Thursday, November 12th. Access collegezone.com anytime, or send an e-mail message to an ISAC College Zone Counselor for questions or inquiries.

Now is a good time for high school seniors planning to start college in the fall of 2010, and their parents, to apply for a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to be used in January when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

More

State Legislative Update

Outreach Calendar/Events

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

List of ISAC's Participating Lenders

Federal Student Aid's FAFSA4caster