Barbara Flynn Currie.

As the current school year winds to an end, many students are preparing to embark on their first year of college. Inevitably, part of that planning is figuring out how to pay. Below are a few resources I'm happy to share.

If you have questions about these or other programs, please give my office a call at 773-667-0550 or send an e-mail to RepCurrie@sbcglobal.net.

Illinois Student Assistance Commission

In 1957, state lawmakers created the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) to help make sure that financial considerations don't prevent Illinois students from realizing their postsecondary educational goals. ISAC's mission is to make college accessible and affordable for all Illinois students. It's by far the largest provider of financial aid in the state.

ISAC is a one-stop financial aid center, offering a comprehensive array of programs and services. At every stage of the financial aid process, ISAC is there, acting as a centralized source of information and guidance. ISAC administers most of the key state and federal grant, scholarship, loan and prepaid tuition programs available to postsecondary students. It annually awards close to $750,000,000 to nearly 250,000 qualified applicants.

As a one-stop center, ISAC tries not only to broaden access to postsecondary education, but to simplify the process of reaching that goal as well. Visit www.CollegeZone.com to learn more about how ISAC can assist you.

Conference of Women Legislators Scholarship

The Conference of Women Legislators (COWL), a bipartisan coalition of women legislators in the Illinois General Assembly, awards a limited number of scholarships as part of its mission to promote economic independence, community service and leadership development. The scholarship program is geared to ward mature women who want to earn a college degree. Each grant is $2,500.

Scholarship applicants are required to enroll in an Illinois accredited college or university for a minimum of seven credit hours to qualify, which means the scholarships are available to part-time as well as full-time students. In addition to academic achievement, the scholarship committee also considers the applicant's commitment to community service. Applications must be postmarked by April 09, 2010. Awardees will be notified of the decisions by May 7, 2010. Scholarship applications may be downloaded from the COWL website at www.cowlil.com.


General Assembly Scholarship

Although the House has voted to eliminate General Assembly tuition waivers, it isn't clear whether the Senate will follow suit. Should they not, I will continue to make the waivers available for people who live in the 25th Representative District and plan to attend or are currently attending an Illinois state university.

A total of eight one-year tuition waivers are awarded annually. Renewal is not guaranteed, but successful applicants are welcome to re-apply. Applications must be received in the District Service Office by June 15.

Applications are reviewed by the 25th District Scholarship Committee. The Scholarship Committee has established a set of criteria on which to grant the awards. These criteria are included in the General Assembly Scholarship Packet.

Click here to download the General Assembly Scholarship Packet.

Good luck with your college plans!