This Just In: Your Federal Student Loans Might Be Forgiven
Even if you were denied public service loan forgiveness (PSLF) in the past, you may now qualify. The PSLF Limited Waiver is only available until October 2022. Get details straight from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) during a recent Women Employed webinar: here. We encourage you to share this with people you know who work in education, government, at a 501(c)(3) organization, or public-serving nonprofit. And if you qualify, apply soon! For questions on the limited PSLF waiver shared in the webinar, contact the Professional Development team at isac.pslf@illinois.gov.

Additionally, things are changing rapidly on the federal student loan front. While Women Employed is not a student debt expert, we want to share resources for you to stay informed: 

For additional questions on the PSLF waiver and your own loans, contact Federal Student Aid at studentaid.gov/help-center/contact.  
Let’s Wrap It Up: Recent Legislative Wins
Last month, Governor Pritzker signed Illinois’ FY23 state budget into law. The budget was the culmination of an unusual legislative session, which compressed the traditional five months into just over three. Even with the shortened timeline, we were able to make progress on our priorities:

  • Secured a historic $601 million investment in the state’s need-based financial aid Monetary Award Program (MAP) and extended MAP to make students seeking short-term certificates and credentials eligible.
  • Ensured student parents proactively receive information about resources available to them, like Illinois’ Child Care Assistance Program and the federal dependent care allowance. 


In addition, the Illinois Board of Higher Education passed an omnibus bill that will require institutions to develop and implement equity plans to increase the access, retention, and completion rates of underrepresented students, including women, adult students, and students of color. The bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature. You can find language on this provision starting on page 41 here.


Help Us Collect Stories about Developmental Education!
Do you work with students in developmental education or remedial courses? As part of Women Employed’s work to reform developmental education programs through the ASPIRE Project we are seeking student stories to better understand their experiences. Students can either take this survey for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card and/or sign up to be interviewed here for a guaranteed $25 Amazon gift card.  
 
If interested, please reach out to ASPIRE program specialist Lauren Wheeler at lwheeler@womenemployed.org to receive a sample email to send out to students. 
Moving Forward Together: 2022 College Changes Everything
Join Women Employed for three sessions at this year’s College Changes Everything (CCE) conference. We’ll be talking about our Accelerating Student Progress and Increasing Racial Equity (ASPIRE) developmental education Project, the new and improved digitized Career Foundations course, and how best to support Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) such as Illinois’ Asian American Native American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Predominantly Black Serving Institutions (PBIs).

Mark your calendars from the 2022 College Changes Everything (CCE) virtual conference taking place the week of July 11, 2022.

Calling All Adult Writers!
Woman writing
The 2022 Illinois Emerging Writers Competition—Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award competition is open to Illinois residents aged 18 and over.

Cash prizes are awarded for first ($500), second ($300) and third place ($100), and winning poems are submitted for possible publication in Illinois literary magazines.

The entry deadline is June 30, and you’ll find the entry form, guidelines, and release here. 
Join Us for The Working Lunch
Join us virtually on May 17th for Women Employed’s signature annual event, The Working Lunch. Featuring Dr. Ngozi Ezike as our keynote speaker, we will honor and celebrate individuals who have dedicated their lives to championing equity for women and are unwavering in their commitment to ensuring fundamental and systemic change at all levels. We look forward to celebrating our accomplishments and showcasing how we are helping women EMERGE stronger than before.
The Working Lunch–Hybrid Edition 
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Program: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. 

Learn more at womenemployed.org/twl

And don't forget to purchase your raffle tickets—you could win some amazing prizes, including roundtrip airfare anywhere in the world Southwest Airlines flies! Learn more at womenemployed.org/raffle
Follow us!