ROCK ISLAND – State Senator Mike Halpin is highlighting the start of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission’s annual College Changes Everything Campaign—beginning with recognizing October as CCE Month.

“College Changes Everything Month reminds us that education is more than an individual journey,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island), chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee. “It’s a collective investment in our state’s future. By celebrating this month, we are acknowledging that every student’s success is a step toward a more thriving community.”

CCE is a college access movement that recognizes college can be a life-changing experience not only for students, but also for families and communities. In Illinois and across the nation, those who obtain education beyond high school not only see a significant impact on their potential career prospects and future salary, but also lower levels of poverty, crime and obesity rates in their communities. CCE is an essential part of helping Illinois reach its goal of increasing the proportion of adults in the state with high quality degrees or credentials to 60% by 2025.

For the past eight years, during CCE Month, ISAC has collaborated with schools and community-based organizations to provide free college and financial aid application completion workshops statewide. This year, CCE campaign activities will extend through the winter to better support students and families in light of the transition to a later launch date of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

“The College Changes Everything campaign aligns with our states’ values of affordability, access and equal opportunity in education,” said Halpin. “Together, we can empower and uplift students across Illinois to reach their full potential. I encourage all students and families to take advantage of the free workshops to alleviate as much stress as possible come college and FAFSA application time.”

For more information about CCE Month or the CCE campaign, visit the CCE website.

ROCK ISLAND – State Senator Mike Halpin announced that Galesburg, Macomb, Moline, Monmouth and Rock Island are set to receive a combined total of $1,946,000 to support community revitalization efforts.

“Community blight and vacant properties are a detriment to growth and economic development,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “Getting some of the blight cleaned up is good for property values and gives families and businesses alike all the more reason to move in.”

The Illinois Housing Development Authority recently approved $19 million to support affordable housing and community revitalization efforts across Illinois. Awarded under the Strong Communities Program, the initiative will provide funding to 68 units of local governments and land bank authorities for the acquisition, maintenance, rehabilitation and demolition of abandoned residential properties in their communities. The program is designed to support local revitalization efforts and attract further investment in communities that may lack the resources needed to tackle vacant, abandoned and deteriorated properties.

ROCK ISLAND – State Senator Mike Halpin announced that 23 school districts across Western Illinois will receive over $4 million in evidence-based funding.

“If we want to give children across Western Illinois the best opportunity for success in the modern world, it happens through education,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “The evidence-based funding model works; it gives extra funding to school districts to give students better outcomes.”

The funding comes from the 2017 Illinois Senate Democrat-backed evidence-based funding formula — an overhaul of the way the state funds K-12 education. The law made school funding more equitable by calculating the needs of individual school districts and basing its state revenue on those needs. The formula takes into account a district’s total enrollment, poverty rate and number of special education or English language learners, among other factors.