“FAFSA Made Easier,” “FAFSA Expert” and “Consumer Economics of Higher Education”

You’re invited!

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is pleased to announce that the staff in the Division of College Access and Outreach will once again present a series of professional development opportunities.  Scheduled to take place in the fall and winter, these interactive workshops are uniquely designed to help you and other college access professionals in assisting students and families through the process of planning for, applying to, and paying for educational opportunities beyond high school.

Plan to join us in January or February.  For your convenience, this year you will have the ability to attend up to 3 workshops per date and site.
 
How to register

Online registration becomes available December 1, 2009

Session descriptions

• “FAFSA Made Easier”
  Developed as an intensive line-by-line review of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for 2010-11.  Participants will gain insight about current intricacies of the FAFSA and anticipated changes.  Special emphasis is placed on dependency questions, financial aid worksheets, issues of student eligibility, and how to avoid common mistakes.
   
• “FAFSA Expert”
  Participants will build on information presented in FAFSA Made Easier.  Complex tax, asset, eligibility and need analysis questions are discussed.  Using case studies that reflect real life situations, participants will complete guided calculations of the Federal Need Analysis Methodology and learn how the information reported on the FAFSA impacts a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
   
• “Consumer Economics of Higher Education”
  At this highly rated session, participants are introduced to key elements for understanding financial aid options and to comprehensive consumer education information.  You will gain insight to help students identify their best college options, decipher award letters, and prepare for the responsibilities associated with financing college.

Locations, dates and campus maps

January 21, 2010
Kaskaskia College
Centralia, IL
campus map

January 22, 2010
Lincoln Land College
Springfield, IL
campus map

January 27, 2010
Black Hawk College
Moline, IL
campus map

January 29, 2010
Malcolm X College
Chicago, IL
campus map

February 3, 2010
Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Deerfield, IL
map

February 5, 2010
Waubonsee Community College
Sugar Grove, IL
compus map

February 10, 2010
Lake Land College
Matoon, IL
campus map

February 11, 2010
Illinois Central College
East Peoria, IL
campus map

February 19, 2010
Kankakee College
Kankakee, IL
campus map

February 26, 2010
Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Deerfield, IL
map

How to earn CE and CPDU credit

ISAC Professional Development Opportunities are approved for Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDU) as authorized by the Illinois State Board of Education and for Professional Counselor/Clinical Counselor Continuing Education (CE) credit as authorized by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations.  We will award CE and CPDU to session participants at a rate of one per contact hour.
 
How ISAC links you to NT4CM and KnowHow2HELP

The ISAC Professional Development Series is part of the National Training for Counselors and Mentors (NT4CM) and the statewide KnowHow2Help initiative.

• National Training for Counselors and Mentors (NT4CM)
  Developed by Federal Student Aid, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), and National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs (NCHELP), the program has expanded its partnership to include the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and American School Counselor Association (ASCA). This free, annual training program is designed to provide counselors and mentors with information and materials that will help them more effectively advise students and their families about how to prepare financially for college. These one–day training sessions provide attendees with comprehensive up–to–date information regarding federal and state student aid programs. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is the designated provider of NT4CM training in the state of Illinois and has been since the inception of the program in 2007.
   
• KnowHow2Help
  Created by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission as a counselor and mentor-focused supplement to the national KnowHow2GO college awareness campaign, a variety of ready–to–use college awareness materials is available to session participants at no cost during the 2009–10 ISAC Professional Development Series. As the lead partner of the campaign in Illinois, ISAC offers an ever–expanding array of professional development sessions and college access tools designed to help the educational, counseling, and social service professionals that support the students of Illinois in their pursuit of postsecondary education.

Questions

For more information about the 2009-10 Professional Development Opportunities presented by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), visit the Training Calendar for Partners within the e-Library at collegezone.com or send an e-mail to OutreachTraining@isac.org.