Governor Quinn Designates February Financial Aid Awareness Month, Partners With State Agency to Promote

Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) to hold training workshops, encourage parents to apply early

By Theresa Tracy

NFL players aren’t the only ones gearing up for a Super Bowl this month. Students and parents—hoping to access billions of dollars in federal student financial aid—are preparing for College Goal Sunday (CGS)—the day when volunteers and counselors are on hand to assist families who need help completing federal financial aid forms.

Getting into college is no easy feat. Paying for it can be even tougher. College costs are on the rise and recent reports project a seven percent increase this year depending upon the type of school a student plans to attend.

Fortunately, Illinois students have access to $135 billion in financial aid. But in 2009, 138,000 eligible Illinois students missed out on financial aid because they either didn’t complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or they completed it too late.

“We thought we had more time but in fact, we’d missed the deadline,” said Tonya McClain, a single mother of two who needed assistance paying for her oldest daughter’s last year of college. The McClains, who should have been eligible for aid, had to borrow the money instead. “It will take years to pay off the debt,” McClain said.

Governor Patrick Quinn and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) are hoping to change that this year. The governor has designated February as Financial Aid Awareness Month (FAAM) —marking it as a period during which Illinois families can access information about opportunities available to help them pay for college.

ISAC has launched a statewide initiative urging families to complete the FAFSA in February. Events are planned throughout the month but the highlight is February 21, College Goal Sunday—widely considered the Super Bowl of Financial Aid Awareness Month. CGS is typically held a week or two after Super Bowl Sunday and has grown into a nationwide volunteer program due largely to the efforts of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and Lumina Foundation.

“Our outreach efforts this month will focus on FAFSA completion,” said ISAC Executive Director Andrew Davis. “Families need to know how to pay for college. Getting a handle on the financial aid process is an important part of that,” said Davis.

To find an event near you or to learn more about College Goals Sunday, visit www.collegezone.com/calendar to download a complete list of Financial Aid Awareness Month events.

To complete the FAFSA online, visit www.fafsa.gov.

To contact ISAC -

Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC)
100 W. Randolph Street, Ste. 3-200
Chicago, IL 60601
312-814-3679