State Scholar Program

Program News

(Last updated October 21, 2026)

GAP Access Two-Factor Authentication
2027-28 High School Data Collection for SSP and OCCA
Processing Data for 2027-28 State Scholars
College Entrance Exams for 2028-29 State Scholars

GAP Access Two-Factor Authentication

A two-factor authentication process was implemented to improve security for accessing the Gift Assistance Programs on the GAP Access portal. The process requires the use of a one-time verification code, obtained through an application, in conjunction with a user ID and password, when logging in to the portal.

Two-factor authentication is required for both School User and Administrator accounts every time a user logs in. If the setup process has not yet been completed by the high school, refer to the GAP Access Two-Factor Authentication User Guide for instructions.

2027-28 State Scholars

High School Data Collection for SSP and OCCA

As a reminder, the collection of sixth semester data is now done in one Batch Upload and supports both the SSP and OCCA programs. For this reason, ISAC is referring to this process as "High School Data Collection".

The annual data collection period for fiscal year 2026 (FY26) opened on May 18, 2026 and closed on July 1, 2026. For the determination of 2027-28 State Scholars only, ISAC continues to accept sixth semester data (refer to the Processing Data for State Scholars section, below, for details). If you are unsure if you submitted data or have questions regarding your submission, please contact Partner Services.

Refer to the following for further details:

• Required Sixth Semester Data (includes access to user guide and other resources)
• High School Data Collection Guidance for SSP and OCCA
• May 18, 2026 "High School Data Collection and Processing Has Begun" e-Message

Processing Data for State Scholars

Processing of SSP data has started for Illinois students who will be college freshmen during the 2027-28 academic year. If not already done, submit your high school's sixth semester data as soon as possible to make sure your students are included when 2027-28 State Scholars are determined. Data must be submitted in batches (via Excel spreadsheets). All sixth semester data is to be submitted no later than Friday, November 20, 2026.

2027-28 State Scholars will be announced through late December 2026, with the first round of announcements anticipated to take place before Thanksgiving. Once ISAC staff reviews your school's sixth semester data, your students will be considered in the next round of State Scholar announcements – there are no additional steps that must be completed by the high school. ISAC will send an email to the high school to indicate when that school's State Scholars have been named.

Further details are provided in an October 21, 2026 "Processing Update for 2027-28 State Scholars" e-Message.

2028-29 State Scholars

College Entrance Exams

Eligibility for the State Scholar Program is based, in part, on a student's highest qualifying ACT or SAT score. High school juniors who are potential candidates must take one of the accepted exams during the specified timeframe to be considered for State Scholar designation, even though Illinois' public institutions are now prohibited from requiring the submission of student test scores as part of the admissions process.

For the high school graduating class of 2028, only exams taken between August 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027 qualify for consideration in the State Scholar announcements that will be made during their senior year (i.e., students who will be college freshmen during the 2028-29 academic year will be named Scholars during the fall of 2027).