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Media Affairs Contact: Paul Palian, 312-814-3679 (Direct), 630-312-9736 (Cell), ppalian@isac.org Lisa Encarnacion, 312-814-2224 (Direct), 312-590-9970 (Cell), lencarnacion@isac.org Emergency, 312-814-3689 or 312-590-9432 TEN DAYS LEFT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF JULY PREPAID TUITION DISCOUNTS Back to school shopping? College Illinois!® 529 Prepaid Tuition Program prices increase Aug. 1 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Back-to-school shopping season is the best time to lock in college tuition prices, according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). That’s because Saturday, July 31, is the last day to take advantage of the College Illinois!® 529 Prepaid Tuition Program’s July pricing discounts. The College Illinois! 529 Prepaid Tuition Program is a state-sponsored plan that allows purchasers to lock in the cost of tuition today. When a beneficiary is ready to go to college, he or she can choose to attend almost anywhere because benefits can be used at all Illinois public universities and community colleges or applied at most public and private institutions nationwide. “As a new school year begins, it’s smart to recognize that college is another year closer,” said ISAC Executive Director Andrew Davis. “Considering that college tuition rises between six and eight percent annually, to get the maximum benefit, it’s best to start saving early and lock in a child’s college tuition prices today.” With over $1 billion in assets, the College Illinois! 529 Prepaid Tuition Program is solid. Since the program’s inception in 1998, families have trusted the program to provide tuition benefits for more than 66,000 future college students. In fact, nearly 14,000 students have already utilized College Illinois! benefits to pay for college at 768 campuses across the country. Unlike other college savings plans, a College Illinois! 529 Prepaid Tuition Program contract between the purchaser and the state of Illinois ensures tuition and fee benefits for college, regardless of fluctuations in the market. Prepaid tuition benefits keep pace with the increases in tuition and fees equal to those found at in-state, public institutions. Parents and grandparents can purchase as few as one semester at a community college or as many as nine semesters at a public university. Various payment options are available, including monthly and annual installments. Although enrollment is open year-round, prices adjust on the first day of each new month, every month, so it pays to purchase before August 1. Parents and grandparents can purchase this secure option for their child’s educational future at the lowest prices today by visiting www.529prepaidtuition.org, or call toll-free at (877) 877-3724 for program information, materials and enrollment guidelines. Administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the College Illinois! 529 Prepaid Tuition Program is a secure college funding option because benefits do not fluctuate with the stock market. Since the program’s inception in 1998, more than 66,000 prepaid tuition contracts with a value of more than $1.6 billion have been purchased. ISAC’s commissioners are responsible for the overall management of the program and its investments, including hiring a qualified slate of investment managers and other professionals. 847**10 # # # More about College Illinois!® 529 Prepaid Tuition Program Pricing and Plans A tiered pricing system called SmartChoice, introduced in 2008, makes plans even more affordable than ever before. SmartChoice pricing provides three distinct price and benefit levels (Community College, University and University+) with different payment options. The plans are completely flexible and let the purchaser choose a pricing option that best matches their financial needs and realities. Combination plans including four semesters at a community college and four semesters at a university level are also available. Various payment options include monthly and annual installments and multiple down payment levels. In addition, program beneficiaries can choose to attend college anywhere because benefits can be used outside of the state at public and private institutions nationwide. Upon purchasing a contract, Illinois taxpayers can annually deduct up to $10,000 per individual or $20,000 for married couples filing jointly, and all plan earnings are exempt from state and federal taxes. Neither ISAC nor the College Illinois! 529 Prepaid Tuition Program can provide legal or tax advice. Please consult a professional tax advisor concerning federal and state tax implications before purchasing a contract. To enroll in the College Illinois! 529 Prepaid Tuition Program, visit www.529prepaidtuition.org, or call (877) 877-3724 for program information, materials and enrollment guidelines. About the Illinois Student Assistance Commission: The Illinois Student Assistance Commission provides students of all ages and backgrounds with the resources and support to obtain financial aid for higher education. A state agency, ISAC has paved the path to post-secondary education with innovative programs for more than 50 years. The commission continued its mission to make college accessible and affordable for Illinois students by administering over 183,000 grants and scholarships totaling over $430 million in FY2009 alone. The Commission provides educational funding with student loans, as a loan guarantor and via numerous public programs such as the Monetary Award Program (MAP), the Illinois Veteran Grant and the College Illinois!® 529 Prepaid Tuition Program. Students and families have free access to a wealth of financial aid and college planning information at ISAC’s family of websites available at www.knowhow2GOIllinois.org and www.529prepaidtuition.org. This e-mail is a service of the State of Illinois. If you have any questions about this e-mail or the attached document, please contact the Illinois Office of Communication and Information (IOCI), Room 611, Stratton Office Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706, (217) 558-1548.
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Released: July 20, 2010 Media contact: Save $3 on the classic Boulevard Lakefront Tour bike ride The classic Boulevard Lakefront Tour returns Aug. 29, 2010 with a fresh spin a Chicago favorite bike ride. This year’s ride features a new start/finish on the UIC campus, plus three new routes that highlight your favorite parts of the tour and show you even more of Chicago. Sign up by July 25 and save $3 at www.boulevardtour.org . Regular registration is $30 and $25 for Active Trans members. Registration includes an event T-shirt, rest stop access and access to the post-ride festival. Stick around and enjoy live entertainment, delicious food and beer compliments of Goose Island. What: Boulevard Lakefront Tour The Active Transportation Alliance is a non-profit, member-based advocacy organization that works to make bicycling, walking and public transit so safe, convenient and fun that we will achieve a significant shift from environmentally harmful, sedentary travel to clean, active travel. The organization builds a movement around active transportation, encourages physical activity, increases safety and builds a world-class transportation network. The Active Transportation Alliance is North America’s largest transportation advocacy organization, supported by more than 6,000 members, 1,000 volunteers and 35 full-time staff. For more information on the Active Transportation Alliance, visit www.activetrans.org or call 312.427.3325. ###
July 19, 2010 Tom Green 217.558.1538 Illinois Department of Human Services to Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Historic Americans With Disabilities Act Governor proclaims July 22, Americans with Disabilities Act Day Special event at James R. Thompson Center highlights ADA Accomplishments WHAT: The Illinois Department of Human Services will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act at a special event, “Celebrate 20 Years of ADAction.” The state's celebration highlights the talents and accomplishments of persons with disabilities through an art exhibition hosted by the Little City Foundation, entertainment, hands-on art activities, exhibits, workshops, a 3-on-3 wheelchair basketball tournament, and an employment and resource fair. WHEN: Thursday, July 22, 2010 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (speaking program begins at noon) WHERE: James R. Thompson Center at 100 West Randolph Street Chicago WHO: Michelle R.B. Saddler, Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services Lisa Madigan, Illinois Attorney General Rocco Claps, Director, Illinois Department of Human Rights State Senator Martin Sandoval State Senator Pam Althoff State Representative Maria “Toni” Berrios State Representative Andre’ Thapedi State Representative Esther Golar ###
July 21, 2010 Marcelyn Love 217/558.1542 State Introduces New Toolkit to Help Businesses Boost Recycling Groups needed to host recycling workshops SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) in partnership with the Illinois Recycling Association (IRA) today announced the availability of a new toolkit to help Illinois businesses and organizations reduce the amount of material they pay to have landfilled. The “Recycling Works: A Toolkit for Reducing Waste in the Workplace” resource guide was developed by Shaw Environmental with the support of a DCEO grant to IRA. “Illinois businesses and other public and private entities still generate significant amounts of scrap and waste materials that end up being landfilled,” said DCEO Director Warren Ribley. “This toolkit is designed to provide businesses, schools, universities, governmental and other institutions with up-to-date information to evaluate and establish waste minimization and avoidance, reuse and recycling programs.” IRA is currently looking for opportunities to coordinate and partner with local interested groups to host 2-3 hour recycling workshops. These events should be designed to be very low cost or free to invite the greatest amount of participation. The number of workshops that can be held will be limited and final locations will need to be geographically diverse. Groups interested in partnering to host a workshop should contact Mike Mitchell, Executive Director of IRA at 708-358-0550 (office), 773-203-3453 (cell) or via email at executivedirector@illinoisrecycles.org. Two free toolkit seminars are currently scheduled on July 28 at the INB Center in Springfield and on August 11 at the Clock Tower Conference Center in Rockford. Specific details and registration information for these events can be found on the IRA’s website, www.illinoisrecycles.org. Information about future workshops will be posted to this site as it becomes available. The “Recycling Works” Toolkit is now available to be downloaded as a PDF document from the DCEO (www.illinoisrecycles.com) or IRA (www.illinoisrecycles.org) websites. Finally, DCEO and IRA are working to finalize other tools that will supplement this initiative. A database of recycling opportunities in Illinois is expected to be completed within the coming months. More details will be forthcoming. 846**10 This e-mail is a service of the State of Illinois. If you have any questions about this e-mail or the attached document, please contact the Illinois Office of Communication and Information (IOCI), Room 611, Stratton Office Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706, (217) 558-1548. |
