CHICAGO – With young people facing high rates of unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic, State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) announced that the Illinois Youth Investment Program is extending its grant application deadline to Aug. 3, 2020.

“For most of my career I have been dedicated to the development of young people and am continuously amazed at the things that they can accomplish,” Villanueva said. “Organizations looking to help at-risk young people should apply for these grants so that they have the necessary resources to set them up for success.”

CHICAGO – With college students preparing to return to campus, State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) announced that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is offering free consultation to students applying for financial aid.

“The financial aid process can be frustrating, especially for those who are first generation college students,” Villanueva said. “ISAC can help apply for financial aid, answer questions and help maximize the benefits you receive.”

CHICAGO – Teachers and students will have extra support during the COVID-19 crisis thanks to an education package championed by State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) that was signed into law on Thursday.

“These changes will help students and teachers to overcome the new challenges they face during the pandemic,” Villanueva said. “As we move forward, we must find new ways to ensure that students are able to maintain a path to success in their education.”

CHICAGO – After the U.S. Supreme Court voted to uphold the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) released the following statement:

“DACA allows hundreds of thousands of people to access the things they need to provide for their families. The Supreme Court made the right decision by allowing DACA recipients to continue to be protected under the law.

“’DACAmented’ people are hard-working taxpayers who are American in everything but on paper. Now that DACA has been upheld by the Supreme Court, national leaders must take further action to give all undocumented people a permanent path toward citizenship so they can no longer be used as political leverage for immigration debate.”