Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) & FAFSA
ISA Corps members are near-peer mentors whose main mission is to expand ISAC’s college access and outreach programs and services to help students navigate the process of applying to and entering college. The ISA Corps is responsible for assisting students with career exploration, college selection, test preparation, scholarship searches,application completion, and the financial aid process. They also build and enhance ISAC’s partnerships with local schools, businesses, and nonprofits in order to deliver free career and college planning and preparation services to students and families.
Daniela Gonzales -Richwoods High School ISACorps Member
Hello, Richwoods!
I am your ISAC representative, and I am excited to meet and work with all of you on your college planning and goals. I will be in the Counseling Center most Tuesdays, 8-12. Come see me for information on college selection, filling out college applications, scholarships, and FAFSA information. See Mrs Dreher to sign up!
Please feel free to email or call me with any questions that you might have.
Email Daniela.Gonzales@illinois.gov
Phone: 309-214-5553
Work Hours 7:30- 3:30 pm
ISAC College Q & A
Questions about getting into college? About financial aid? Get answers from ISAC's experts sent directly to your phone! Text with our college mentors, get info. on college planning events, and reminders of important deadlines.
Please click here for directions on Creating and Using FSA ID
Please click for College Application Checklist
Please click for College: What sets you apart?
Please click for Rising College Freshman Checklist
Please click for Your College Future 9th-11th graders: Now and Then
Please click for FAFSA Non-Participation Form Y22
Recommended Resources
-FAFSA4caster, MAP forecaster, information and some online applications for IL grants, online handbook on all post-secondary institutions in IL as well as interactive map with contact information, CollegeGreenlight for comparing colleges and scholarship searches, as well as Illinois-specific career exploration with the Illinois Department of Employment Security assessments and resources.
The authoritative source for all Federal financial aid information: the site has videos, answers common questions, and has the application for the Federal Teach grant as well as many other resources.
A fun way to learn more about various colleges your student may be interested in. These virtual tours provide a good deal of information about the campuses covered, and while not every US university has invested in having a virtual tour—even looking at a school that is similar to the one you are interested in can help you prepare for a physical campus visit or give you specific details to compare between schools.
Has links to lots of college affordability resources such as trends in tuition and fees at various institutions, information on states’ spending on education over the years, and the CollegeScorecard tool.
If you are a data-driven consumer, this is the site for you. CollegeResults provides a quick snapshot into universities by the numbers and then allows you to quickly compare schools via its Similar Colleges page. For each university you research, CollegeResults will provide a list of colleges that it considers similar to the initial school, which saves time when making comparisons and also can be very interesting given that it frequently lists at least a school or two that are at the other end of the country.
When things seem overwhelming, take a break and browse through Big Future’s fun college resources, helpful checklists and articles, and rejuvenate yourself before tackling more scholarship applications.
Peoria County Tri-County Urban League offers assistance. Please click on the following link to access. FAFSA Help
Additional Websites: