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October 2025 IllinoisCAN Newsletter
Illinois College Access Network Newsletter
October 2025
Welcome to IllinoisCAN's monthly newsletter.
The mission of IllinoisCAN is to improve postsecondary access and success for low-income and first-generation college students in Illinois. IllinoisCAN builds the capacity and effectiveness of college access organizations to help students reach their goals. IllinoisCAN monthly newsletters are intended to be for us and by us – professionals around the state working to improve college access.
In this issue:
IllinoisCAN Steering Committee Nominations
IllinoisCAN seeks nominees who are passionate about college access to guide network growth and programming. Seven new members will be added to the committee, bringing its size to a total of 14 members – 2 per region of Illinois – an important step toward the goal of regional college access networks across the state.
The new Steering Committee members will serve a two-year term starting January 2026 through December 2027 and will meet virtually five times per year.
Please use the Illinois College Access Network (IllinoisCAN) Steering Committee Nomination Form to nominate yourself or others.
The deadline for nominations is November 7th. Please feel free to share this announcement among your networks.
College Changes Everything® (CCE) Campaign
With the launch of the 2026-27 Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application), we encourage you to utilize the ISAC services available that support students and families. ISAC's CCE Campaign offers schools and community-based organizations the tools and resources needed to host financial aid and college application completion workshops. The ISACorps™ is available to help students and families navigate the college and financial aid process, including in-person, virtually via videoconferencing, text, phone, or email. We look forward to partnering with you to support your students through the college and financial aid application process. See below for more information on how to take advantage of ISAC's support and services.
- The ISACorps of near peer mentors are available to assist students and families with their financial aid applications. Students can book a virtual one-on-one meeting with an ISACorps staff member using the ISAC Booking page at www.isac.org/booking. They can book a virtual meeting up to seven days in advance, and there's an option to meet with a Spanish-speaking ISACorps member if they prefer. Please share this link with students and colleagues in your network and community. In addition, ISACorps members are available to meet one on one with students, and to provide financial aid presentations and application completion workshops. You can schedule a presentation or workshop by completing an Outreach Request Form.
- With ISAC College Q&A text messaging service, students can get answers from ISAC experts to questions about college planning and financial aid, and receive important information about college planning events and deadlines.
The service is available in English and Spanish. To use ISAC College Q&A, students simply text their first and last name to:
- Service in English: 847-243-6470
- Servicio en Español: 773-823-0570
ISAC X FAN October Events
FAN Events in October
ISAC is a sponsor of 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, and for more details regarding these upcoming events:
If you're not able to participate in a live FAN event, all events are recorded. Visit the FAN Past Events page to view the library of past event topics and their recordings.
Rural Learners Deserve More: Here's How States Are Stepping Up
Check out the blog form state partners from Alabama and North Carolina, who share their strategies for increasing college access and degree attainment among rural learners. Learn more about the key events, outreach, and support you can replicate.
Students can't BE what they can't SEE!
Are you in industry? Connect students to YOUR industry!
Are you a school? Connect YOUR students to opportunity!
The Regional Career Connection project being facilitated by SI NOW is doing this important connection work! No matter what side of the coin you are on, check this out.
Businesses, organizations, and anyone looking to expose current students from the Southern Illinois region to future career opportunities can sign up to host a visit for students or add current events to the Regional Career Connection calendar. Students and schools from the Southern Illinois region can sign up for visits to these organizations. When your organization signs up to host a student visit, you can give them a behind-the-scenes look at your workplace, introduce them to career paths, and inspire the next generation.
Submit your event details and help shape tomorrow’s workforce today:
https://southernillinoisnow.org/regional-career-connections/
NCAN's Affordability Gap Report
NCAN's annual Affordability Gap (formerly known as "Growing Gap") report is out. Findings highlight that just 35% of public bachelor's-granting institutions and 48% of community colleges were financially within reach. Take a look at your state's profile on the affordability gap analysis and the interactive Tableau dashboard, where you can see which institutions in your state are affordable. These are great tools for advocacy, communications, fundraising, and advising!
https://www.ncan.org/general/custom.asp?page=Affordability
Get Involved
Do you have events, news, requests, or resources to share with college access colleagues? Submit content by November 5th to ISAC.IllinoisCAN@illinois.gov.
Newsletter Submission Guidelines: https://illinoiscan.org/resources/Newsletters/index.html
Follow us on Facebook:
Share IllinoisCAN with colleagues as we expand to our statewide network.
This message was sent to you by the Illinois College Access Network because our records indicate you are a member of the network and/or have engaged with IllinoisCAN activities.
If you have any questions regarding this message, please contact the Illinois College Access Network by calling 847.831.6765 or by sending an e-mail message to ISAC.IllinoisCAN@illinois.gov.
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