ISAC Student PortalOESP Application Procedures
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 if you are an undocumented student who completed or plan to complete the Alternative Application for the 2026-2027 school year, ISAC is not allowed to pay ISAC grants or scholarships to you or your institution for the 2026-27 school year.
There are updated eligibility criteria or the 2027–28 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid This application is scheduled to be released on October 1, 2026. Please visit isac.org/AlternativeApp for more information.
{ISAC Rules, Section 2741.30}
All applicants must complete and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the purpose of determining the applicant’s Student Aid Index (SAI).
In addition, applicants must complete ISAC’s Optometric Education Scholarship Program Application, which is available from the Financial Aid Office at the Illinois College of Optometry. In order to receive priority consideration for the award, the completed application must be postmarked on or before March 1 immediately preceding the academic year for which the scholarship is being requested.
By signing the Practice Agreement/Promissory Note section of the application, the applicant promises to practice in Illinois as a licensed optometrist for a period of not less than one year for each year of scholarship assistance received. The applicant also promises to begin practicing optometry in Illinois within one year following completion of the academic program for which the student was awarded the scholarship and promises to practice on a continuous basis until they have fully completed their obligation.
Renewal Applicants
Renewal applicants must submit a new application each year postmarked on or before the application consideration date of March 1. Applications used in a previous academic year will not be accepted and processed for the new academic year award consideration.
