ISAC Student PortalSETTW Program Overview
NOTICE: 2026-27 Alternative Application
On 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 (ISAC) for the 2026-27 school year. This means that students who submitted the 2026-27 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid, including Illinois undocumented students, cannot be considered for any ISAC financial aid program for the 2026-27 school year. The 2026-27 Alternative Application is no longer available.
The eligibility criteria for the 2027-28 Alternative Application have changed from prior years.
For students who have questions specific to the 2026-27 Alternative Application and academic year, please see Student and Family FAQs: 2026-27 Alternative Application.
{ISAC Rules, Part 2765}
The Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program encourages current teachers (not certified in a special education discipline) and academically talented students to pursue careers as nonprofit Illinois public, private or parochial preschool, elementary or secondary school teachers in any area of Special Education.
The Illinois SETTW exempts recipients from the payment of tuition and mandatory fees for up to four calendar years at any one of the public four-year colleges in Illinois.
Certified teachers who receive an "approval" through their school district to teach in a special education discipline are considered to be seeking initial certification in a special education discipline and may, therefore, apply for this waiver. Teachers already certified in a special education discipline may not receive the tuition waiver.
