•February 10, 2016•

While the current budget delay has made this a challenging time for higher education in Illinois, financial aid is available to help make college possible for Illinois students—if they apply for it. As part of Financial Aid Awareness Month, students are reminded to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)—the form that determines a student’s eligibility for most federal, state, and college financial aid programs. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), the state agency that works with students and families year-round to increase college access, is offering a host of free workshops and other assistance to assist students in completing the form as soon as possible.

“In the 2014-15 school year, students in Illinois received more than $1.5 billion in state and federal aid for college,” said Eric Zarnikow, executive director of ISAC. “We know that the delay in funding the state’s Monetary Award Program (MAP) for the 2015-16 school year has created significant uncertainty for students and schools, but if students want to be considered for almost any form of financial aid, they should not delay in filing their FAFSAs for the upcoming school year.”

The 2016-17 FAFSA became available on January 1, 2016, and ISAC has been recommending to students that they file as soon as possible after that date. Here’s why:     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.