ISAC Student PortalTeachers of Illinois Scholarship Program
NOTICE: 2026-27 Alternative Application
As of July 24, 2026, a federal district court ruled that undocumented students are no longer eligible to receive state financial assistance from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for the 2026-2027 school year. As a result, the 2026-27 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid, the application certain undocumented students would have used to apply for state financial aid programs this academic year, is no longer available. This means that students who have submitted or planned to submit the 2026-27 Alternative Application, such as Illinois undocumented students, cannot be considered for this program for the 2026-27 school year.
The eligibility criteria for the 2027–28 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid will be changing. This application is scheduled to be released on October 1, 2026. Please visit isac.org/AlternativeApp for more information.
Program News
(last updated August 5, 2026)
2026-27 Program Funding
2026-27 Application
2025-26 Reconciliation - Due to ISAC Notifications
2026-27
Program Funding
The 2027 fiscal year (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027) appropriation for the Teachers of Illinois Scholarship is $8,000,000.
Application
The Teachers of Illinois Scholarship application for the 2026-27 academic year is now available for students to complete and submit.
For priority consideration, the 2026-27 Teachers of Illinois Scholarship application and 2026-27 FAFSA must be received on or before September 18, 2026. Complete applications submitted after September 18 will be considered only if funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded. The date through which 2026-27 applications will be accepted is dependent upon application volume and available funding. The Application Procedures for Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program section includes details about the application process.
Refer to the Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program page of the Students & Parents area for assistance with questions you receive from applicants regarding the Teachers of Illinois application process.
2025-26
Reconciliation - Due to ISAC Notifications
Notifications detailing the outstanding amount that must be refunded to ISAC for 2025-26 Teachers of Illinois Scholarships were emailed to financial aid directors in early August. Review the information in the notification and return the appropriate amount – along with a completed Gift Assistance Programs Refund Check Form – no later than August 19, 2026.
If additional information needs to be provided to ISAC by the college, a Gift Assistance Programs Refund Check Explanation Form (Excel spreadsheet) may be completed and included with the Refund Check Form.
Details about returning funds to ISAC and the payment offset and reconciliation process are provided in the Refunds and Unpaid Claims section of the Processes area.
