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Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act and Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid

(last updated October 6, 2025)

Alternative Application Information Privacy and Security Disclosure:

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) has strict security and confidentiality policies and procedures in place to protect the integrity of student records. ISAC does not share applicant or recipient addresses or names with third parties unless the third party is your school or an authorized agent of ISAC's and information will only be used in furtherance of your student aid request or for research purposes. Such third parties are subject to restrictions regarding data confidentiality, use and security. [(110 ILCS 947/70(g)) (23 IL.Admin.Code 2700.55)] Non-identified financial aid applicant and recipient information is shared publicly in the aggregate to support research that, for example, identifies how program funds benefit students. ISAC is required to share your individual data pursuant to a valid subpoena or to investigate fraud (110 ILCS 947/20).

The Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act allows eligible undocumented students to apply for all forms of state financial aid. The Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) provides a way for these qualified students to apply for Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants, the state's largest need-based grant program for low-income college students. For eligible students, the Alternative Application is also part of the application process for the Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program (visit the Teachers of Illinois Scholarship page of this website for more information). 

Eligibility for ISAC Programs
Eligibility for MAP
Application Process for MAP
Applying for Other ISAC Programs
Access the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid

Eligibility for ISAC Programs

The RISE Act provides a way to apply for ISAC gift assistance programs – including MAP, the Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program, the Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Programs and others – to those who meet the RISE Act criteria and each program’s eligibility requirements. The RISE Act does not exempt applicants from meeting existing program eligibility criteria.

Undocumented Students

Undocumented students may be eligible to apply for ISAC’s programs if they meet all of the criteria set forth in Illinois statute regarding in-state tuition eligibility.

  • 2025-26 academic year – Students enrolling in a term or semester that begins before July 1, 2026 must meet the following criteria:
    • resided with their parent or guardian while attending an Illinois public or private high school;
    • graduated from a public or private high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in Illinois;
    • attended school in Illinois for at least 3 years and graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma;
    • provides an affidavit stating that they will file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States at the earliest opportunity they are eligible to do so; and
    • has not established a residence outside of Illinois.
  • 2026-27 academic year – Student enrolling in a term or semester that begins on or after July 1, 2026 must meet the criteria of either the high school pathway (1) or the high school and community college pathway (2).
    1. High School Pathway
      • attended an Illinois high school in Illinois for at least 2 years;
      • graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma;
      • resided in Illinois during high school and did not move out of Illinois prior to enrolling;
      • provides an affidavit stating that they will file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States at the earliest opportunity they are eligible to do so; and
      • has not established a residence outside of Illinois.
    2. High School and Community College Pathway
      • attended an Illinois high school and/or community college in Illinois for at least 2 years and attended a cumulative total of at least 3 years before enrolling at the university;
      • graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma and earned an associate degree or completed 60 transferrable credit hours;
      • resided in Illinois during high school and/or community college and did not move out of Illinois prior to enrolling;
      • provides an affidavit stating that they will file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States at the earliest opportunity they are eligible to do so; and
      • has not established a residence outside of Illinois.

Eligibility for MAP

To begin the MAP application process, RISE Act eligible students may complete the Alternative Application. The data from the Alternative Application will be used to calculate a Student Aid Index (SAI) – which, beginning with the 2024-25 application cycle, replaces the expected family contribution (EFC) used in prior years and is used in determining a student’s MAP eligibility.

The Alternative Application is not compatible with mobile devices.

Application Process for MAP

Access the application here

The following describes in general terms the steps of application completion and the process used to determine MAP eligibility.

  • Pre-screening questions at the beginning of the application help students determine which application (Alternative Application vs. FAFSA) should be completed.
  • If an applicant’s answers to the pre-screening questions show the Alternative Application should not be completed, a message will advise them to consult their high school counselor, a financial aid professional, or an ISACorps member for assistance in completing the FAFSA.
  • Similar to the FAFSA, students will only complete the application questions that are relevant to them.
  • A Student Aid Index (SAI) will be calculated from the information submitted on the Alternative Application, which will be used in determining a student's eligibility for MAP.
  • MAP award amounts will be calculated for eligible students and provided to colleges by ISAC.
  • As with all MAP awards, eligibility notification will be provided to the student by the college, not ISAC.

Applying for Other ISAC Programs

Students who want to learn about and apply for ISAC programs other than MAP can access program information and the applications through this site, in the Students, During College area. The Alternative Application is for MAP consideration only, and is also used in conjunction with applications for the Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program, the Nursing Education Scholarship and the Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program to determine program eligibility.