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Free financial aid workshops for
college-bound students
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[JAN. 28, 2005]
SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois will
again recognize February as Financial Aid/Admission Awareness Month,
known as FAAM. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the
state's centralized agency responsible for administering college
financial assistance programs such as scholarships, grants and
educational loans, is working with Illinois' financial aid community
to provide over 100 free workshops to students and families
throughout the state during the month of February. The FAAM workshop
at Lincoln Community High School will be on Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. |
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Students preparing to enroll in college
this fall should begin the financial aid application process now.
All students, from high school juniors to adults returning to
college, as well as parents seeking help with completing the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, can receive
individual assistance from financial aid professionals during any
FAAM workshop. The FAFSA is available, free of charge, on the
Internet at
www.fafsa.ed.gov and in paper form at high schools,
libraries and colleges. Completing the FAFSA accurately and on time
is the first and most important step to obtaining state and federal
student aid. FAAM workshops will be offered at more than 90 sites
statewide. Two Sundays, Jan. 30 and Feb. 27, have also been
designated College Goal Sundays, during which free workshops will be
available as well. Financial aid professionals will be available to
assist families with completing the FAFSA and answer related
questions. Families should bring all completed or estimated 2004
income tax forms, along with any other asset information for
students and parents, in order to complete the 2005-2006 FAFSA. Most
sites will provide computer access for electronically filing the
application. To expedite the process, families should complete as
much of the FAFSA as possible prior to attending the workshop.
A list of all free FAAM workshops, including the College Goal
Sunday workshops, is available at
www.faam.org or see the list below.
Information on how to plan, find, apply and pay for a college
education can always be obtained at the Illinois Student Assistance
Commission site,
www.collegezone.com. Students and families may also call the
commission toll-free at (800) 899-ISAC [4722] to speak with a
College Zone counselor or to receive more information on the
workshops.
[to top of second column in this article] |
 FAAM is a collaborative effort by the Illinois Association for
College Admission Counseling, the Illinois Association of Student
Financial Aid Administrators, the Illinois Student Assistance
Commission and various lending institutions.
About the Illinois Student Assistance
Commission
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is the state's
centralized provider of financial assistance aimed at helping
students and families access postsecondary education and 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 $1 billion 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 site at
www.collegezone.com.
[Illinois
Student Assistance Commission news release]
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