IMPORTANT NEWS REGARDING STATE FINANCIAL AID FOR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS:

On July 24, 2026, a federal district court ruled that undocumented students are no longer eligible to receive financial assistance from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) for the 2026-2027 school year. The court’s ruling is the result of the Trump Administration suing the State of Illinois to deny college access to undocumented students who have graduated from Illinois high schools. SEE MORE ﹀

JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois · ISAC is an official agency of the State of Illinois

Counselors

At your fingertips, High School Counselors/Personnel, College Admission Counselors, library and community agency staff have access to a centralized source of information concerning college planning, paying for school, and career planning information for students and their parents, as well as information concerning ISAC's programs, processes, and resources.

Counselor Quick Links

Counselor Message Board

The Counselor Message Board is updated regularly – check back often for the latest information.

Join ISAC for a free, in-person event on October 28

ISAC is pleased to invite you to a free, in-person event on October 28 with acclaimed author and MIT professor Sherry Turkle as she discusses her new book, Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines. An October 7 e-Message provides additional details.

2027-28 FAFSA, Alternative Application and Important Dates

The 2027-28 FAFSA and Alternative Application are now available for students to submit. An October 1 e-Message provides information, updates, and important dates that may be of interest to Counselors.

Join ISAC for upcoming in-person events

A September 22 e-Message reminds partners to regularly check the Upcoming Professional Development Offerings page for professional development opportunities across the state.

2027-28 MAP Start-up formula approved

A September 23 e-Message announces that, at the September 17 Commission meeting, ISAC approved the 2027-28 (FY28) MAP start-up formula, which follows the FY27 recompute formula.

Second Annual First Gen Symposium: call for proposals extended

A September 23 e-Message announces that the call for proposals for the Second Annual First Gen Symposium – which will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2026 – has been extended to October 2, 2026. For the latest updates and to register, visit the First Gen Symposium page.

Upcoming professional development webinars

ISAC announces a lineup of free webinars this fall. A September 4 e-Message provides webinar dates and times. To register for these sessions or explore additional trainings on financial aid-related topics, please visit our Professional Development Offerings page.

Suspension of 2026-27 MAP award announcements

As announced in an April 20 e-Message, April 23, 2026 will be the last day for students to apply for 2026-27 MAP grants by submitting an initial 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) or, for qualifying students, an Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid. Announcements of awards for students whose FAFSAs are received by the federal processor or whose Alternative Applications are received by ISAC after that date will be put "in suspense" – basically, a waiting list for 2026-27 MAP. Further details are provided on the MAP page.

The links below have information on topics that were previously listed on the Message Board.

State Legislative Update

FAFSA Completion Initiative

Outreach Calendar/Events

FAFSA Completion Information

Most Recent ISAC Communiqué

September 2026

Rock the FAFSA	Applying for Financial Aid	FAFSA on the Web	Gift Assistance Programs Access
Transcript Exchange	Professional Development	ISCA	Illinois PaCE: Postsecondary and Career Expectations
Financial Aid Toolkit	Illinois Postsecondary Profiles	Federal Student Aid Handbook	ACT
The College Board	Scholarship Searches	IACAC	Access to Illinois Health & Human Services
Training Calendar	Resources for Non-U.S. Citizens (including Illinois DREAM Act)	LADDER up	Mapping Your Future