How Can I Find Government Information?

About the government documents library

Do you want to learn more about the US Presidential Election?  Do you need to understand how a bill becomes a law? Are you interested in historical photographs?  Are you a student looking for information about financial aid?  Oakton Community College Library is one of the nation’s nearly 1,250 designated libraries in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) with government information to help you answer these questions.

• What is the FDLP?  The Federal Depository Library Program was established by Congress in 1813 to ensure that the American public has access to its Government's information. 
• What is in a Depository library?   Federal depository collections are filled with information on careers, business opportunities, consumer information, health and nutrition, legal and regulatory information, demographics, and many other subjects in print and on-line.
• What if I just want on-line information?  No problem.  You can find links to departments, agencies, and reports on our Web site.
• What if I need information about a specific topic?  You can find in-depth information by subject, along with more information about using government resources, on our Government Information research guide.

Still need more?  You're in luck!  Click below to find special information right on this page for:

• Students, 
• Faculty and Staff,  
• Veterans and Military Personnel, and
• What you need to know about taxes.
  

Federal Student Aid

Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, plays a central and essential role in supporting postsecondary education by providing money for college to eligible students and families. The Federal Student Aid Gateway is the source for free information, guidance and tools for federal student assistance.

ISAC

ISAC is the official web site of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), a one-stop financial aid center, offering a comprehensive array of programs and services.

Federal Student Aid

FederalStudentAid is an official U.S. government web site designed for college students and their families. Through the website, you can link to government (and selected non-government) web sites to help you choose the right college, apply online for financial aid and scholarships, find summer jobs, and much more.

Oakton Community College's Office of Student Financial Assistance

The Office of Student Financial Assistance administers a wide array of financial assistance programs available from several sources. Financial assistance is available in the form of grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans. Assistance may be need-based or non-need based.

Serve.gov

On April 21, 2009, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, an expansion of opportunities for all Americans to serve their communities and our country. Serve.gov is a comprehensive clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities. Americans who are interested in volunteering can use this tool to locate opportunities to serve across the country and around the world.

Serve Illinois

Serve Illinois is the web site of the Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. On this site you can find information on service programs such as AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Learn and Serve Program. Additionally, you can find information about volunteer opportunities, resources, scheduled training, and service day events in your area.

Special Report: Moving into Town

“Moving into Town”—and Moving On: The Community College in the Lives of Traditional-age Students (Dept. of Education, Feb. 2005)

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Of Special Interest to Faculty and Staff

The Trillion Dollar Gap

In a report published in February 2010, The Pew Center on the States found that "states and participating localities should have paid about $108 billion in fiscal year 2008 to adequately fund their public sector retirement benefit systems. Instead, they paid only about $72 billion." This report, The Trillion Dollar Gap: underfunded state retirement systems and the road to reform is available.

This gap has increased since the first report in 2010. The update report published in June 2012, The Widening Gap Update: States are $1.38 Trillion Short in Funding Retirement Systems is available. To learn more about this issue in relation to your state, find the relevant report in the State Fact Sheets.

Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability

The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability was created in 1972 by the 77th General Assembly to provide the Legislature with research and information regarding state and national economies, revenue projections and operations of Illinois Government.

The Commission is mandated to report to the General Assembly on economic trends in relation to long-range planning and budgeting; and to study and make such recommendations as it deems appropriate on local and regional economic and fiscal policies and on federal fiscal policy as it may affect Illinois This mandate results in several reports on various economic issues being published throughout the year.

• Monthly Briefings provide updated revenue, expense, and pension information.
• Economic and Revenue Forecast reports describe and project economic conditions and their impact on State revenues. 
• The Illinois Bonded Indebtedness Report examines the State's debt position and other issues related to conditions in the financial markets. The most recent report is the 2008 Illinois Bonded Indebtedness Report, published in January 2009.
• The Legislative Capital Plan Analysis is a five-year analysis of the states capital needs. The FY 2010 Capital Plan Analysis was published in May 2009.
• The Liabilities of the State Employees Group Insurance Program provides the General Assembly with an estimate of liabilities of the Group Insurance Program each fiscal year. Liabilities of the State Employees’ Group Health Insurance Program FY 2010 was published in March 2009.
• The Commission also publishes an annual fiscal year Budget Summary and special reports on issues that could impact the financial well being of Illinois.

Current Co-Chairs of The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability are State Senator Jeffrey Schoenberg and State Representative Richard Myers. Contact information:

The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability
703 Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL. 62706
Phone: 217.782.5320
Fax: 217.782.3513
Email: webmastercgfa@ilga.gov

State Universities Retirement System (SURS)

The mission of the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) is to: (1) provide for SURS annuitants, participants, and their employers, in accordance with State law, the best and most cost-effective benefit administration services in the United States; (2) manage and invest the fund´s assets prudently; and (3) endeavor to achieve and maintain a financially sound retirement system. The SURS Web site includes links to forms and guides, resources, helpful Web sites, the Advocate newsletter, and legislation and rules.

Illinois Community College Faculty Association (ICCFA)

The Illinois Community College Faculty Association (ICCFA) is a statewide organization that represents the common interests of all faculty in the public community colleges in Illinois; promotes teaching and learning excellence and professional development; provides a faculty presence on the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB); and informs faculty of issues which affect the 48 public community colleges in Illinois. See the Legislative Affairs page of the ICCFA's Web site for the status of proposed or pending bills which impact community college faculty, students, and institutions, including amendments to the Illinois Pension Code.

Chronicle of Higher Education

The Chronicle of Higher Education is published every weekday and its Web site features the complete contents of the latest issue; daily news and advice columns; thousands of current job listings; articles published since September 1989; discussion forums; and career-building tools.

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Of Special Interest to Veterans and Military Personnel

USA.gov

USA.gov for U.S. Military Personnel and Veterans includes official information and services from the U.S. government.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers links to

• Veterans Services, including health care, benefits, and memorials;
• Partner Organizations; and
• a directory of Veterans Service Organizations.

Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs

The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs includes information

• to assist veterans and their dependents and survivors in obtaining the benefits they are entitled to under the law,
• to locate education and training programs at colleges and vocational training centers in Illinois, and
• to obtain skilled nursing care for eligible veterans.

Veterans Care Program

The Veterans Care Program is designed to provide comprehensive, affordable healthcare to Illinois' uninsured veterans.  The Veterans Care Program covers those veterans who have the least access to reliable healthcare. These are the veterans who cannot currently access Veterans Health Administration's benefits and who meet specific income requirements.

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What You Need to Know about Taxes

Federal Tax Forms

• Tax Assistance for Individuals: 800.829.1040
• Tax Assistance for People with Hearing Impairments: 800.829.4059 (TDD)
• Form 1040, U.S. individual tax return form for 2009.
• 1040 Instructions, general instruction booklet - 95 pages.
• Schedule A (1040) Itemized Deductions
• Form 1040A, U.S. individual tax return form for 2009.
• 1040A Instructions, instruction booklet - 84 pages.
• Form 1040EZ, Income tax return for single and joint filers with no dependents.
• 1040EZ Instructions, instruction booklet - 40 pages.

Illinois Tax Forms

• Illinois Department of Revenue
• Tax Assistance for Individuals: 800.732.8866
• Tax Assistance for People with Hearing Impairments: 800.544.5304 (TDD)
• Form IL-1040 , Illinois individual income tax return form for 2009
• IL-1040 Instructions, instruction booklet - 16 pages
• Form IL-505-I, Automatic Extension Payment,  The Illinois State form for automatic extension for individuals filing income tax return 2009
• Circuit Breaker, information about grants to senior citizens and persons with disabilities from the Illinois Department on Aging.
• Circuit Breaker and Illinois Cares Rx Application Forms.

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