ISAC Student Portal2027-28 FAFSA, Alternative Application, and Important Dates for Financial Aid Administrators
10/01/2026
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) would like to share information which may be helpful to you and/or your students.
2027-28 ACADEMIC YEAR
2027-28 FAFSA and Alternative Application
The 2027-28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) cycle – including availability of the online FAFSA for all students – has opened, and the FAFSA Processing System (FPS) is transmitting 2027-28 FAFSA results to colleges. Students (and any contributors, if applicable) who successfully submitted the 2027-28 FAFSA form during the fall 2026 beta testing period do not need to resubmit it.
The 2027-28 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid ("Alternative Application") is also available. The 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 (MAP) 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. Students with questions or who need assistance may contact ISAC's Student Engagement and Support Services at 800.899.4722 or contact an ISACorps™ member in their area.
The Financial Aid Planning area has resources to help students complete the financial aid process.
MAP Processing Cycle
At its September 17, 2026 meeting, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission approved a start-up formula for 2027-28 academic year Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants. The formula includes the same 4% reduction that was in place for 2026-27 MAP awards, resulting in an effective maximum award of $8,064. Additional details regarding the formula are provided in a September 23, 2026 "2027-28 MAP Start-up Formula Approved" e-Message.
The 2027-28 Required School-Issued Award Notification Language and 2027-28 MAP 160-Byte File Layout Specifications document will be posted at the ISAC website when they become available.
ISAC will announce when the 2027-28 MAP processing cycle has begun and 2027-28 MAP eligibility information is available in the MAP system.
Pilot Program to Notify Applicants of Possible MAP Eligibility
A direct email communication pilot program coincides with the start of the 2027-28 application cycle. The purpose of this pilot program is to measure the effects of notifying students that they may be eligible for a MAP grant. Further details, including the email text, are provided in a September 24, 2026 "Pilot Program Email to be Sent to Select First-time Freshmen Filers" e-Message.
2026-27 ACADEMIC YEAR
October 31: School Social Work Scholarship Application Priority Consideration Date
The application for the 2026-27 School Social Work Scholarship (SSWS) is available to complete and submit online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal. The priority application consideration date for the 2026-27 academic year is October 31, 2026. Complete applications submitted after that date will be considered only if available funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded.
Certify Eligibility
Colleges may certify applicants' 2026-27 SSWS eligibility via the SSWS system.
December 4: First-Term Claim Deadline Date for MAP
2026-27 MAP first-term payment requests (i.e., claims) are due on or before December 4, 2026.
When submitting claims, remember that ISAC has suspended the announcement of 2026-27 MAP grants for all students whose initial 2026-27 FAFSA is received by the federal processor after April 23, 2026.
December 31: First-Term Priority Claim Deadline for ECACE, Golden Apple, NES, SSWS, and TISP
December 31, 2026 is the 2026-27 first-term priority payment request (claim) deadline for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program, Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program, Nursing Education Scholarship (NES), SSWS, and Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program (TISP).
Further details are provided in a September 22, 2026 "2026-27 Payment Requests Being Accepted: ECACE, Golden Apple, NES, SSWS, TISP" e-Message.
December 31: Fall-Term Deadline to Report Benefit Usage Data for IVG and ING Grant
ISAC is accepting fall-term benefit usage data for the 2026-27 Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs.
- IVG data for the fall term is due on or before Thursday, December 31, 2026.
- The date by which IVG data for the summer term must have been submitted in order to be considered timely has passed; however, colleges are still encouraged to submit summer-term data as soon as possible.
- ING Grant data for the fall term is due on or before Thursday, December 31, 2026.
IVG benefit usage data and ING Grant benefit usage data is submitted to ISAC by colleges via the benefit usage functionality within each program's system. Colleges report enrollment hours and dollar amounts for initial benefit usage by students, as well as adjustments to previously-submitted data. Reporting of benefits used must take place so that usage can be accurately reflected on students' accounts, even though ISAC may not be able to fully reimburse institutions for 2026-27 IVG or ING Grant awards.
Further details are provided in an August 24, 2026 "Submit 2026-27 IVG & ING Grant Benefit Usage Data" e-Message.
March 1: Spring-Term Application Deadline for Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire, or Correctional Officers
March 1, 2027 is the spring- and summer-term application deadline for the 2026-27 Grant Programs for Dependents of Police/Fire/Correctional Officers. Students complete and submit applications online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal. Applications received after March 1 will be considered for summer-term awards only.
March 1: Spring-Term Application Deadline for the Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program
March 1, 2027 is the spring- and summer-term application deadline for the 2026-27 Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program. Students complete and submit applications online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal. Applications received after March 1 will be considered for summer-term awards only.
2026-27 FAFSA Remains Available
Although ISAC has suspended the announcement of 2026-27 MAP grants (for all students whose initial 2026-27 FAFSA is received by the federal processor after April 23, 2026), the 2026-27 FAFSA remains available online. Please inform your students that their 2026-27 FAFSA should be completed and submitted as soon as possible if they will be attending college between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027. FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for several types of federal, state and institutional financial assistance. The suspension of 2026-27 MAP award announcements does not impact any other financial aid programs.
GENERAL INFORMATION
One Click College Admit Opt-in Remains Available for Students
One Click College Admit – an initiative of the State of Illinois – is the state's free, quick, and stress-free direct admissions program into most state public universities and all community colleges.
Participating students pay no application fees and do not need to submit essays or letters of recommendation for general admission to these state universities or their local community college – the only requirement to be considered for admission to most of the state's universities is meeting the university's minimum grade point average (GPA).
Interested students can visit the One Click College Admit site (https://oneclickadmit.org/) for more information and to opt in to participate. Please note, students who are under 18 years of age must have their parent or guardian complete and sign the consent and release form.
Upcoming "Monthly Program & Operational Update" Webinars
Our "Monthly Program & Operational Update" webinars will be offered at 2:00 p.m. (CT) on the following dates.
- Wednesday, October 28, 2026
- Wednesday, November 18, 2026*
- Wednesday, December 16, 2026*
* Webinar earlier in month than usual to accommodate holiday schedules.
To participate, visit the Partner Training page in the e-Library on the day of the event to access the webinar link and presentation materials.
Upcoming ILASFAA Events
Mark your calendar and plan to participate in the following Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (ILASFAA) events.
- 2026 Fall Workshop for Financial Aid Advisors
- Friday, November 13, 2026 – Elgin Community College
- Monday, November 16, 2026 – Rend Lake Community College
- 2027 ILASFAA Annual Conference – Cruising Through Turbulent Waters
- March 15-17, 2027 – The Westin Chicago Lombard
December 3: Next Commission Meeting
The next meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is scheduled to take place at 1:00 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, December 3, 2026. Further details, including a listing of tentative agenda items, will be available prior to the meeting via the ISAC's Governing Board: The Commission section of the About ISAC area.
The Commission Meeting Schedule page will soon be updated with information regarding all meetings scheduled in 2027.
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 again be available the first business day immediately following each holiday.
Processing Schedules
All ISAC-administered program systems within the GAP Access portal are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – including holidays. For MAP and other program systems, results for claims submitted from 7:00 p.m. (CT) the business day prior to the holiday through 7:00 p.m. (CT) the business day following the holiday will be available via the appropriate program's system on the morning of the second business day after the holiday.
Click on the following link to access holiday processing schedules for all systems within the GAP Access portal.
For Assistance
Access the Financial Aid Administrators area anytime, or send an email message to Partner Services at [email protected]. We will review and respond to messages during regular business hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CT).
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 School Services by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or calling 866.247.2172
