The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) teams up with schools and community-based organizations to kick off its 9th annual College Changes Everything® (CCE) Campaign this fall. ISAC and school and community partners provide extra supports for students and families each year at this time, offering free college application and financial aid application completion workshops statewide.  While the CCE Campaign generally spans the fall and early winter, this year it will extend later into the season to accommodate the later launch of the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). According to the U.S. Department of Education, the 2025-2026 FAFSA will launch in December. To align with the launch of the FAFSA, the 2025-26 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) for qualifying undocumented students will also launch in December 2024. If a student is unsure whether to complete the FAFSA or Alternative Application, they should contact the financial aid office of the college or university they plan on attending, or ISAC for free assistance. Pre-screening questions on the Alternative Application itself can also assist in determining which application to complete. For more information, www.studentportal.isac.org/events, www.isac.org/booking, www.collegechangeseverything.org, www.isac.org/FAFSA-Completion, or call 800-899-4722.