 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.
A November 17, 2008 electronic announcement from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) provides partners with updated information regarding extended Web site maintenance activities, taking place during the month of November, that are in addition to the routine maintenance that occurs each weekend. Details regarding specific dates, times, and impacted Web sites are included in the electronic announcement.
Various ISAC materials have been created in a large-print format for visually-impaired users, and are available in the Job Aids & Reference Materials area (#12) of College Zone's e-Library. The pieces can be printed and then copied and distributed as necessary by partners who may find them helpful.
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 2008-09 academic year.
Remind your college-bound students and their families that the Financial Aid Package Comparison Worksheet is a useful tool when determining which college(s) the student may be able to attend. High school counselors can access the worksheet via the Printable Materials page of the
e-Library, and families will find it via the "How and When to Apply for Financial Aid (Calendar)" pages of the Student and Parent Zones.
A November 5th electronic announcement from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) indicates that the
2009-10 Student Web Application Products Process Guide - which contains information about enhancements and other changes being made at the FAFSA4caster, FAFSA on the Web, and Federal Student Aid PIN Web sites - is available online.
Remind families that the 2008-09 College Illinois!(SM) general enrollment period is open. This 529 prepaid tuition plan allows parents to pay for tuition and fees now, protecting them against future tuition inflation. General enrollment continues through April 30, 2009.
Be sure to take advantage of several professional development opportunities being offered by ISAC for counselors and college access professionals over the next few months. Online registration is currently available for "The FAFSA Made Easier" (multiple dates through February), and "The Consumer Economics of Higher Education" (November 21st) workshops. Details for each workshop are provided within the e-Library's Partner Training area.
Remind your college-bound seniors (and their parents) that the fall is a good time to apply for a Personal Identification Number (PIN), to be used in January when applying for college financial aid.
More
U.S. Department of Education's Federal Aid First
State & Federal Aid Estimator
Federal Student Aid's FAFSA4caster
FAFSA Completion Information
Most Recent ISAC Communiqué:
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