ISAC Student Loan, CTE, FAN, PaCE, and First Gen Resources

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Please find below information on timely resources and events from The Illinois Student Assistance Commission:

  • Student Loan Repayment Adjustment – Join ISAC to learn about the one-time Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) account adjustment for Federal Direct Loan and Federal Family Education Loan borrowers. The adjustment is a set of temporary changes that allows federal student loan borrowers to receive credit for certain previously ineligible payments while under an IDR plan and/or pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). To learn more and to register for upcoming webinars, please visit ISAC’s Federal Student Loan Forgiveness page. For questions on PSLF and IDR, contact isac.borrowersupport@illinois.gov.
  • Perkins State Plan Overview Webinar – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is hosting a webinar on February 27th at 10:30 a.m. about the 2025-28 Perkins State Plan Overview and Performance Measures. This webinar will provide an overview of revisions to the Career and Technical Education (CTE) State Plan and the new performance measures that will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education on May 10th.
  • FAN Webinars This Week and in March – ISAC helps sponsor Family Action Network (FAN) events, which are always free and open to the public. FAN curates a high-quality speaker series on a variety of topics relevant to our work. Please visit the FAN website to register for these upcoming events provided via Zoom and see the attached flyers for more details:
  • Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There – Tuesday, February 27, 2024, at 7 p.m. (Event Flyer)
  • Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being – Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 7 p.m. (Event Flyer)
  • Holy Shift!: Moving Your Company Forward to the Future of Work – Thursday, March 7, 2024, at 7 p.m. (Event Flyer)
  • Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls – Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 7 p.m. (Event Flyer)

If you’re not able to participate in a live FAN event, all events are recorded. Visit the FAN website’s Past Events page to view the library of past event topics and their recordings.

  • New PaCE Trainings – ISAC is pleased to announce our new half-day trainings on the Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework. Registration is now open and there is no registration fee to attend. The training is perfect for those just getting started with adopting or customizing a PaCE Framework. For more information and registration details, visit the In-Person PaCE Trainings page.  Join us at either:
  • Illinois Student Assistance Commission (Deerfield) – Thursday, March 14, 2024, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. or
  • Lincoln Land Community College (Springfield) – Thursday, March 21, 2024, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • New First Up Podcasts –These podcast episodes are filled with informative conversation, advice, and stories of the difficulties and triumphs that many first generation students and their families face. Tune in every Wednesday for discussions on things we wish we knew before, during, and after college. Visit https://firstuppodcast.buzzsprout.com/share for links to the various podcast platforms, and check out the most recent episodes:
  • Tackling Boundaries and Expectations – An ISAC GearUp Specialist discusses setting boundaries and fighting off expectations. These are important conversations to have with the people around you, and even with yourself at times.
  • Valentine’s Day: Self-Care – This episode shares a list of 20 self-care activities (including tips from the episode on mindfulness) that students can use to alleviate stress.  Everyone combats stress differently, but incorporating a few of these tips may help you and your daily routine.
  • The Financial Aid Process – This episode provides a quick walkthrough of what the financial aid process could look like for your typical high school senior planning to attend a college or university.  For students and families needing assistance with any postsecondary planning, they always contact their local ISACorps member at https://studentportal.isac.org.
  • Parenting – ISAC’s Parent Outreach Coordinator and Career Pathways Initiative Specialist share ways parents can advocate and be more supportive to their students.
  • Seeking Support for Dyslexia on Campus – This episode’s guest shares his personal experiences with dyslexia, seeking help, and eventually learning to appreciate his learning disability. Dyslexia is a learning disability that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. ISAC is extremely grateful for the guest being vulnerable and sharing his personal journey, challenges, and words of encouragement. We hope you can learn something from this beautiful episode.