Registration Now Open!
REGISTER NOW!
July 16, 2026
Tinley Park Convention Center
Tinley Park, Illinois
Because education matters, and everything about education matters.
Through conversations, storytelling, best practices, and calls to action, the College Changes Everything® (CCE) Conference offers a space for learning, advocacy, and action. This year, for our 16th gathering, we call upon you to join us with intention, commitment, and passion as we explore this year’s powerful and dual-sided theme: Education Matters.
Conference registration is $40.00, and only credit card payments via Eventbrite are accepted. Space is limited and fills quickly. Please make your RSVP by registering now!
Education is consequential, transformative and urgent; it is the ladder of opportunity that helps transform lives. And, matters of education – the systems, policies, and barriers – require our attention and collective action.
Whether you work directly with students or are a part of shaping the systems they navigate, CCE 2026 is your opportunity to be part of that conversation, not as a passive observer, but as a contributor, change agent, and student advocate as we explore:
- Which policies are quietly harming our students, and how do we work within imperfect systems while simultaneously pushing to change them?
- How do we dismantle the visible and invisible barriers that prevent students from accessing the education they deserve?
- How do we move from isolated programs to scalable institutional change that allows us to build educational ecosystems where innovation is not the exception, but the expectation?
- If education truly matters, what are we willing to change about our institutions, our practices, and ourselves, to prove it?
Come ready to be challenged, inspired and most importantly, to act.
Who Should Attend
The annual conference is Illinois’ preeminent postsecondary access and success event and brings together stakeholders committed to increasing the proportion of adults in the state with high-quality degrees and credentials. Its greatest strength lies in uniting a diverse statewide audience around educational opportunity and student success – including college access practitioners; high school leaders, counselors, and case managers; college and university administrators; employers and workforce development professionals; and policymakers and elected officials. The conference also offers stakeholders an opportunity to strengthen collaborative and collective leadership in pursuit of the state’s goals.
Cancellation and Change of Attendee
Registration Cancellation/Change of Attendee Form
Cancellation Policy – If you need to cancel your registration, complete the Registration Cancellation/Change of Attendee Form linked above and email to ISAC at: isac.collegechangeseverything@illinois.gov. Refund requests will be honored if they are received by ISAC no later than 5 p.m. Central Time, Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
Change of Attendee – If someone is attending the conference in your place, please print and complete the Registration Cancellation/Change of Attendee Form linked above and email it to ISAC at: isac.collegechangeseverything@isac.illinois.gov by 5 p.m. Central Time, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. After July 1, your replacement will need to bring the completed form to the conference.
If you have any questions, special dietary restrictions, or other accommodation requests, please email isac.collegechangeseverything@illinois.gov, and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Tinley Park Convention Center
The Tinley Park Convention Center is located just 30 miles from downtown Chicago at 18451 Convention Center Drive, Tinley Park, IL 60477.
We have secured a conference hotel rate of $159.00 before tax and fee charges at the EVEN Hotel connected to the convention center. You can book a reservation by phone at 708-444-1100 and reference “ISAC/College Changes Everything Conference” to get the rate. There are a limited number of rooms at this rate so book as soon as you can. The conference rate is available for reservations made by June 16, 2026.
2026 College Changes Everything Conference Planning Committee
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission
- Illinois Board of Higher Education
- Illinois Community College Board
- Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- Illinois Department of Employment Security
- Illinois State Board of Education
- Illinois College Access Network
- Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities
- Advance Illinois
- Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University
- ACT Now
- Women Employed
The College Changes Everything® Conference is sponsored
by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
Providing Illinois students with information and assistance to help make education beyond high school accessible and affordable.