ISAC Student PortalSchool and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program – Application Now Available
The number of awards made through this program, as well as the individual dollar amount awarded, are subject to sufficient annual appropriations by the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor.
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Program Description
Eligibility
How to Apply
How Funds Are Awarded and Disbursed
Processing Updates
To encourage Illinois students to work, and to continue to work, as social workers in public school districts and Illinois municipalities, the School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program provides assistance toward the repayment of student loans. The program is intended to assist in paying eligible loans as an incentive to participate in the social work field, particularly by minority applicants, who are underrepresented as school and municipal social workers. A one-time award of up to $6,500 is available.
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen or meet the "undocumented student" criteria of the RISE Act
- Be an Illinois resident
- Have an outstanding balance due on an eligible educational loan (includes Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, consolidation loans, Supplemental Loans for Students, alternative loans, and other types of government and institutional loans used for education expenses)
- Be an individual who, on the date of application submission, is currently employed and was employed as a social worker for at least 12 consecutive months by:
- an Illinois public elementary school,
- an Illinois public secondary school, or
- an Illinois municipality where the social worker did not report directly to a police department.
- Not be in default on any federal guaranteed educational loan, nor owe a refund on any scholarship or grant program administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC).
How to Apply
You may download and print an application here. You must submit your application to ISAC's Deerfield office as indicated on the application. Allow at least four weeks for processing. Qualified applicants will be sent a Notice of Eligibility from ISAC.
An authorized official of your employer is required to complete a section of your application, certifying that you have met the employment requirements of the program.
If your application, including required documentation, is incomplete, you will receive a letter from ISAC explaining the reason(s) and advising how to resolve the issue.
How Funds Are Awarded and Disbursed
Recipients are selected from among qualified new applicants, with priority given to minority applicants. The total number of awards each year is contingent upon available funding. If funding in any given year is insufficient to pay all eligible applicants, awarding will be based on the date the complete application (with all required documentation) is received at ISAC's Deerfield office.
Award amounts are based on the applicant's remaining balance on eligible education loans, not to exceed $6,500. Proceeds will be remitted directly from the State of Illinois Comptroller's Office to the holder/servicer/lender of the loan(s) to be repaid.
Processing Updates
Note that ISAC routinely updates this section as new information becomes available. Be sure to check back periodically for the current processing status.
For the 2023 Fiscal Year
(last updated on March 28, 2023):
ISAC is accepting School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program applications for the 2023 fiscal year (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023).
Allow at least 4 weeks for the processing of the application, at which time you will be notified by ISAC regarding your eligibility status.
