Operational Update: Federal Challenge to RISE Act and Impact on 2026-27 School Year

08/07/2026

On July 24, 2026, a federal district court ruled that the current version of the RISE Act, as applied to undocumented students, is unlawful. As a result of the court's ruling, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is prohibited from providing state financial assistance to undocumented students under the current version of the RISE Act for the 2026-2027 school year.

As a result of this ruling, ISAC is legally required to take the following actions, effective immediately:

  • ISAC cannot accept any payment claims and will not issue any payments on Monetary Award Program (MAP) or other scholarship and grant programs that have previously been awarded for undocumented students for the 2026-27 academic year.
  • ISAC has closed the 2026-27 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid and will not accept any further submissions.

We know this court decision brings tremendous uncertainty and financial challenges for Illinois undocumented students. The State of Illinois recognizes the harms to students as a result of this decision, and remains dedicated to college access, affordability, and opportunity for all students.

In June 2026, Governor Pritzker signed into law an amendment to the RISE Act (HB 5093) that goes into effect for the 2027-2028 school year. The court's ruling does not apply to HB 5093. The Alternative Application for the 2027-28 school year will open on October 1, 2026.

We know that you, your higher education colleagues and most importantly, your students and families will have a lot of questions about what this means for them. We are including with this message a Student FAQ Resource that you can share with them.

This is a developing situation, and we will share updates as they are available. If you have any questions, please contact Partner Services by sending an email to [email protected] or calling 866.247.2172.

You are receiving this message because you registered for ISAC's e-Messaging service through one or more subscription groups for FAAs.

If you have any questions, please contact Partner Services by sending an email to [email protected] or calling 866.247.2172.