The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is committed to helping students plan and pay for college.  ISAC works to provide the information and assistance students need to make informed choices about college.  Then, through the state grant and scholarship programs they administer, ISAC can help make those choices a reality.  

If you are planning to go to college, you might be wondering how you will pay for it.  Use The Financial Aid Process:  Paying for College guide to find out how to get financial aid that can help with that.  

All seniors must complete the FAFSA Graduation requirement in order to meet graduation requirements for a high school diploma. More information and frequently asked questions can be found here. You can also check out these Video tutorials on completing the FAFSA. In addition, see troubleshooting info here.

Seniors and their families should use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to apply for financial aid.  The application previously opened on January 1st, 2024.  Previous applications opened October 1st.  The 2025 release date has not been shared yet. Once it opens, families are encouraged to fill it out asap. Some states and colleges have limited funds, so don't delay! 

The information you report on your FAFSA, including specific tax information and family income, is used to calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC).  Your EFC is an index number that college financial aid staff use to determine how much financial aid you would receive if you were to attend their school.

Assistance is available from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) and Joliet Junior College (JJC).  Specific details are listed below.  A website that can be helpful in breaking down the FAFSA form is Stand out College Prep.  This can give you step by step directions on the FAFSA process.  

Illinois Student Assistance Commission (Isac)

The mission of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission's (ISAC) is to provide Illinois students with information and assistance to help make education beyond high school accessible and affordable.  

There are a few ways to get help from ISAC:

• Register for ISAC's upcoming virtual Financial Aid Application Completion Workshops.

• Sign up to receive ISAC updates/reminders or get your questions answered by ISAC experts by texting (708) 216-4910.  

Joliet Junior College (JJC)

Joliet Junior College (JJC) provides our students and their families with financial aid resources and support.  More information is posted in the JJC Financial Aid Office information sheet, including what families need to get started and how they can schedule a virtual appointment with JJC for financial aid application assistance.  JJC has also created some helpful financial aid videos:

• JJC Financial Aid 101 presentation

• JJC Applying for Financial Aid Help Videos

Net price calculators are available on each college’s website and allow prospective students to enter information about themselves to find out what students like them paid to attend the institution in the previous year, after taking grants and scholarship aid into account. 

The US Department of Education's Net Price Calculator Center offers a tool to search for any college's net price calculator.

Making a decision on which college to attend is not easy.  Once a student receives admission decisions and financial aid packages, it can be helpful to create a list of the pros/cons of each college and compare financial aid packages.