2027-28 FAFSA, Alternative Application, and Important Dates for Parents

10/01/2026

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) knows that preparing for college can be an overwhelming experience for you and your child, so we're sharing information and resources to help your family in the process.

2027-28 ACADEMIC YEAR

2027-28 FAFSA

The 2027-28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is now available online for students attending college between July 1, 2027 and June 30, 2028. If your student successfully submitted the 2027-28 FAFSA form during the fall 2026 beta testing period you do not need to resubmit it.

You can access online resources about the FAFSA in the Financial Aid Planning section of ISAC's website. FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, as well as several other forms of federal, state, and institutional financial assistance.

When completing the FAFSA online, remember that you, as a contributor, and your student must first obtain an FSA ID from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). If you received an FSA ID from ED to apply for financial aid in prior academic years, you will use the same FSA ID to complete the 2027-28 FAFSA.

Important Update to the 2027-28 Alternative Application

The Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid ("Alternative Application") provides a pathway for students who meet the provisions of the Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act to apply for the Monetary Award Program and be considered for other Illinois financial aid programs. For the 2027-28 academic year, eligibility criteria to complete the Alternative Application has changed. Students who are not eligible for federal financial aid, including undocumented students, should complete the Prescreening Questionnaire to determine if they are eligible to complete the application. Data collected in the prescreening questions will be retained by ISAC and will not be shared with colleges. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact ISAC's Student Engagement and Support Services at 800.899.4722 or contact an ISACorps Member™ in your area.

Financial Aid Support & Resources

ISAC is dedicated to helping educate students and parents about financial aid. Check out the following financial aid resources to help plan for college:

  • The ISACorps are recent college graduates trained to serve as near peer mentors to high school students and provide free services to help complete financial aid applications. Connect with an ISACorps member in your area or schedule an appointment for a free one-on-one virtual meeting.
  • If your child is the first member of your family to earn a college degree, we encourage them to join the First Generation Scholars Network to get support and resources from ISAC, their peers, and colleges across the state. They'll find events and programs that provide tools, resources, mentoring, and connections that can help make the transition to college life easier.
  • To find an in-person event near you and to see a list of virtual events, visit the Events page at the ISAC Student Portal.
  • If you have questions about the financial aid application process and ISAC's programs, you may speak with ISAC by calling 800.899.ISAC (4722). English- and Spanish-speaking counselors are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CT). If students have general questions, click on the "Live Support - Online" button, in the During College and After College pages for students and parents to chat with an ISAC representative.

Resources Available in the ISAC Student Portal

Visit the ISAC Student Portal to access the following resources.

  • For information about MAP grants:
    • MAP Paid Credit Hours Display - if you are a MAP grant recipient, use this option to track the number of MAP Paid Credit Hours you have remaining.

By June 30, 2027: High School Juniors Take College Assessment Exams for 2028-29 State Scholar Consideration

Eligibility for the State Scholar Program is based partly on a student's highest qualifying ACT or SAT score. For students who are currently high school juniors, only exams taken between August 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027 qualify for consideration in the State Scholar announcements that will be made during their senior year. This means students who will be college freshmen during the 2028-29 academic year will be named Scholars during the fall of 2027.

High school juniors who are potential candidates will need to take one of the accepted exams (ACT or SAT) during the dates above to be considered for State Scholar designation, even though Illinois' public institutions are prohibited from requiring the submission of student test scores as part of the admissions process.

Further details are provided at the State Scholar Program page of ISAC's website.

2026-27 ACADEMIC YEAR

FAFSA Is Still Available

Although ISAC has suspended the announcement of 2026-27 MAP grants for all students whose initial 2026-27 FAFSA was received and processed by the federal processor after April 23, 2026, the 2026-27 FAFSA application remains available online. The FAFSA application should be submitted as soon as possible by students attending college between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027 if they have not already done so. The FAFSA is used to determine eligibility for other forms of federal, state, and institutional financial assistance. The suspension of 2026-27 MAP award announcements does not impact any other financial aid programs.

Holiday Schedule

ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:

  • Monday, October 12 – Columbus Day
  • Tuesday, November 3 – General Election Day
  • Wednesday, November 11 – Veterans Day
  • Thursday, November 26 – Thanksgiving Day
  • Friday, November 27 – Day after Thanksgiving
  • Friday, December 25 – Christmas
  • Friday, January 1 – New Year's Day

Staff will be available the first business day after each holiday.

Access ISAC's website anytime or send us an email at [email protected]. We will review and respond to messages during regular business hours Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CT).

You are receiving this message because you registered for ISAC's e-Messaging service through the Parents subscription group.

If you have any questions regarding this e-Message, please contact an ISAC Student Engagement Representative by calling toll-free at 800.899.ISAC (4722). You may also reach out to ISAC Student Services by email at [email protected]. We are happy to assist you.