JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program

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Program Description
Eligibility
How to Apply
Changes to Application Data
How Funds Are Disbursed
Processing Updates

The Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program provides scholarship assistance to children (including adopted and stepchildren) of eligible displaced energy workers. The program was designed to support students who are deterred from attending or completing an educational program at an Illinois institution because of a parent's layoff from a retiring power plant or a closing coal mine. The scholarship pays tuition and fee costs at public colleges or community colleges for a period equal to one calendar year, including a summer term, for undergraduate or graduate study.

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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;
  • the natural child, legally adopted child or stepchild of an energy worker who has lost employment due to the reduced operation or closure of a fossil fuel power plant or coal mine (the reduced operation or closure must have occurred on or after September 15, 2016);
  • enrolled or accepted for enrollment, on a full- or part-time basis (at least 3 credit hours) at an Illinois public university or community college;
  • in the absence of transition scholarship assistance, be deterred by financial considerations from completing an educational program at the Illinois public university or community college of choice, as shown by there being unmet need in your financial aid package;
  • maintain satisfactory academic progress, as determined by your college; and
  • establish satisfactory repayment arrangements if you are in default on any federal student loan.

An applicant does not need to be a resident of Illinois at the time of enrollment, however, the award is limited to the cost of in-district and in-state tuition and fees. The award amount will not exceed the cost of tuition and fees at the institution.

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How to Apply

The Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program application for the 2023-24 academic year may be completed and submitted online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the Student Portal. As part of the process of submitting the application to ISAC via the ISAC Student Portal, you must upload proof of the displaced energy worker's loss of employment due to the reduced operation or closure of a fossil fuel power plant or coal mine that occurred on or after September 15, 2016 (specific instructions are provided with the application). While an application must be submitted each academic year in order to apply for the scholarship, the "Displaced Energy Worker's Biographical Information" portion of the application needs to be completed only on the initial application. Once eligibility has been established for one member of a family, it is established for all qualified applicants in the family. Applicants are also required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), or, if applicable, the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid, for the same academic year that you are applying for the scholarship.

In order to receive full-year consideration the application must be received on or before October 1 of the academic year for which assistance is being requested. For spring- and summer-term consideration, the deadline date is March 1. For summer-term consideration only, applications must be received on or before June 15. Applications received by ISAC after these deadline dates will be processed only for subsequent terms, with June 15 as the final date of acceptance for the summer term.

You must use a Wi-Fi-enabled desktop or laptop computer to complete the application (it cannot be completed using a tablet or mobile device).

ISAC will send immediate confirmation to your e-mail address that your application has been received. 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.

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Changes to Application Data

Only one application for this program may be submitted per academic year. Consequently, if you need to change your response(s) to any item(s) and/or update any information after the application has been submitted, you will need to provide the information to ISAC. Examples of items that may need to be updated include demographic information (i.e., name, address, telephone number, etc.), your college of record and the impacted terms (e.g., full year, or fall or spring semester). These changes can be submitted to ISAC using one of the below methods, but cannot be done over the telephone.

The request must include the last four digits of your Social Security number (for identification purposes) and clearly state what change(s) need to be made. These changes will not affect the application "received date." In order to allow adequate processing time and prevent a loss of benefits, changes to your college of record should to be reported prior to the beginning of the applicable term(s).

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How Funds Are Disbursed

ISAC works with the college to disburse funds for this program. The college certifies student eligibility and then – after the application deadline has passed for each term – submits a payment request on behalf of the student. ISAC processes the payment request and submits the information to the State Comptroller’s Office. Dependent on the level of State of Illinois funding at the time of the request, the amount of time it takes for funds to arrive at the college can vary anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.

Depending on the college, students may be responsible for payment until program funds are received. Qualified applicants who are awaiting receipt of funds from this program should contact the Financial Aid Office or Business Office to determine the college's policy.

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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 2023-24 Academic Year

(last updated on October 2, 2023):

The 2023-24 Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program application may be completed and submitted online via the Program Applications & Status Checks area of the ISAC Student Portal. As part of the process of submitting the application to ISAC via the ISAC Student Portal, applicants must upload proof of the displaced energy worker's loss of employment due to the reduced operation or closure of a fossil fuel power plant or coal mine that occurred on or after September 15, 2016. While an application must be submitted each academic year in order to apply for the scholarship, the "Displaced Energy Worker's Biographical Information" portion of the application needs to be completed only on the initial application. Once eligibility has been established for one member of a family, it is established for all qualified applicants in the family.

The date by which your application must be submitted is based on the first term for which you wish to receive funds for the 2023-24 academic year:

  • October 1, 2023 – 1st Term Only or Full Year Consideration
  • March 1, 2024 – 2nd Semester (2nd/3rd Quarter) Only or 2nd Semester (2nd/3rd Quarter) and Summer Term Consideration
  • June 15, 2024 – Summer Term Only Consideration

While the deadline to apply for full-year or first-term only awards has passed, the 2023-24 application may still be used to apply for second- and summer-term awards.

Correspondence regarding the status of your application will be mailed to you after the date your application is received at ISAC.

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