Welcome to the Counselor Zone

At your fingertips, High School Counselors/Personnel, College Admission Counselors, library and community agency staff have access to a centralized source of information concerning college planning, paying for school, and career planning information for students and their parents, as well as information concerning ISAC's programs, processes, and resources.

Counselor Message Board

The Counselor 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.

 In observance of the New Year's holiday, ISAC staff will be unavailable after 2 p.m. (CT) on Monday, December 31, and the ISAC offices will be closed on Tuesday, January 1. Our offices will reopen on Wednesday, January 2. Access isac.org/counselor anytime, or send an e-mail message to the School Services Department for questions or inquiries.

The application for the 2013-14 Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program is now available. College students pursuing a degree in special education and willing to commit to teaching in Illinois after completing their degree may be eligible to apply. Details about this program, including specifics on how to apply, are provided for students at the Illinois SETTW Program page (which is located within the Students & Parents — During College — Types of Financial Aid area at isac.org). In order for an application to receive priority consideration for awarding, it must be received at ISAC on or before March 1, 2013.

The interactive application for the 2013-14 Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program is now available. Minority students who will be in college during the 2013-14 academic year and are willing to commit to teaching in Illinois after completing their degree may be eligible to apply for the MTI Scholarship. Details about this program, including specifics on how to apply, are provided for applicants at the MTI Scholarship Program page (which is located within the Students & Parents — During College – Types of Financial Aid area at isac.org). In order for an application to receive priority consideration for awarding, it must be received at ISAC on or before March 1, 2013.

Qualified Illinois high school students have been designated as 2013-14 State Scholars, and a November 30 e-Message provides information for counselors regarding the State Scholar announcement process. Congratulatory letters from ISAC have been mailed to Scholars, and a Certificate of Achievement for each Scholar has been mailed to high schools. A listing of all 2013-14 State Scholars is located in the “State Scholar Announcements" area of the Students & Parents – Before College section at isac.org. A sample press release (which can be used when announcing your school's State Scholars) is available within the State Scholar Finalists section of the ISAC Gift Assistance Programs area.

Online registration is now available for winter sessions of ISAC’s Financial Aid Certification Program. As a reminder, ISAC has integrated professional development opportunities into a formalized annual certification series that gives professionals a detailed understanding of financial aid programs and systems. All sessions are offered at no cost to counselors, mentors, and members of the general public. Further details – including access to locations, dates, and online registration for the winter sessions - are provided in a November 19 e-Message.

Be sure to regularly visit the 2013-14 FAFSA Completion page (located in the Applying for Financial Aid area of the e-Library at isac.org) for the latest information regarding the upcoming financial aid processing cycle.

College Illinois!® Prepaid Tuition Program

State Legislative Update

Outreach Calendar/Events

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

Federal Student Aid's FAFSA4caster

FAFSA Completion Information