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November 6, 2024 – The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) has teamed up with schools and community-based organizations to kick off its 9th annual College Changes Everything (CCE) Campaign this fall.
ISAC and school and community partners provide extra support for students and families each year at this time, offering free college application and financial aid application completion workshops statewide. While the CCE Campaign generally spans the fall and early winter, this year it will extend later into the season to accommodate the later launch of the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). According to the U.S. Department of Education, the 2025-2026 FAFSA will launch in December. To align with the launch of the FAFSA, the 2025-26 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) for qualifying undocumented students will also launch in December 2024.
“As always, ISAC and our statewide partners are prepped and ready to support students and families in achieving their postsecondary goals—whether that means a 2- or 4- year college degree, or a certificate program,” said Executive Director of ISAC Eric Zarnikow. “We are hopeful that the technical issues students in Illinois and across the country experienced last year with the launch of the new FAFSA have been addressed by the Department of Education. ISAC and CCE Campaign partners are ready to work with all students and families and help them navigate any potential issues so they can access all the financial aid for which they are eligible.”
The FAFSA is the key to unlocking federal, state, and some institutional student financial aid to help pay for college, vocational school, or graduate school. The FAFSA is not just an application for student loans, but also for aid that students don’t have to pay back. That includes scholarships as well as federal grants such as the Pell grant, and state grants like the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, which is the state’s largest need-based grant program for low-income college students. Students should complete the 2025-26 FAFSA as soon as possible when it becomes available in December 2024.
While most students will complete the FAFSA to determine if they qualify for federal, state, and some institutional financial aid, the Alternative Application provides a pathway for qualified undocumented students (who are not eligible for federal financial aid) to apply for the MAP Grant. If a student is unsure whether to complete the FAFSA or Alternative Application, they should contact the financial aid office of the college or university they plan on attending, or ISAC for free assistance. Pre-screening questions on the Alternative Application itself can also assist in determining which application to complete.
