JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

2025-26 FAFSA, Alternative Application, and Important Dates

12/06/2024

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) would like to make you aware of the following information, which may be of interest to students and their families.

Unless otherwise noted, links in this message are to corresponding pages at ISAC's website (isac.org).

You may either scroll through the remainder of this message, or click on the appropriate link(s) to go directly to a specific section:

2025-26 (July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026)
2025-26 FAFSA® and Alternative Application Now Available

2024-25 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025)

General Information (Not Specific to One Academic Year)

2025-26 ACADEMIC YEAR

2025-26 FAFSA and Alternative Application

The 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is now available online for all students who will be attending college between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. Students (and any contributors, if applicable) who successfully submitted the 2025-26 FAFSA form during the fall 2024 beta testing period do not need to resubmit it.

Specific details, including links to several online resources, may be accessed via the Financial Aid Planning section (which is located within the Students & Parents – Before College area). FAFSA results are used to determine eligibility for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, as well as several other forms of federal, state and institutional financial assistance.

When completing the FAFSA online, which is the method that provides the quickest results for the federal application, remember that you (and any contributors, if applicable) must first obtain an FSA ID from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). If you obtained an FSA ID from ED to apply for financial aid in a prior academic year, that same FSA ID will be used now to complete the 2025-26 FAFSA.

In addition, the 2025-26 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) is also available (in English and Spanish). Further details are provided at ISAC's Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act page.

If you have not already done so, be sure to sign up for ISAC's e-Messaging service to receive important updates and reminders throughout the year.

Financial Aid Support & Resources

ISAC is dedicated to helping educate students and parents about all aspects of financial aid. We devote resources to public outreach activities to help families plan for college. Public awareness and education regarding our programs is our priority as we provide students and their families with the most current information available.

The ISACorps™  are recent college graduates trained to serve as near peer mentors to high school students and provide free services to help complete financial aid applications.

Connect with an ISACorps member in your area or schedule an appointment for a free one-on-one virtual meeting.

To find an in-person event closest to you and to view a list of virtual events, please visit the Events page at the ISAC Student Portal. Advance registration may be required for online events.

English- and Spanish-Speaking Counselors Available to Assist You

If you have questions regarding the financial aid application process and ISAC's programs, you may speak with an ISAC Student Engagement representative by calling 800.899.ISAC (4722). Students with general questions may also have a real-time conversation with a Call Center Representative by simply clicking on the "Live Support – Online" button, which appears in the right margin of all pages within the During College and After College sections of the Students & Parents area. English- and Spanish-speaking counselors are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CT).

Resources Available at the ISAC Student Portal

Be sure to visit the ISAC Student Portal to access the following helpful resources.

  • For information related to MAP grants:
  • For assistance beyond financial aid:
    • Student Resources Beyond Financial Aid (located in the Resources area) – find resources for food, housing, medical care, child and dependent care assistance and consideration because of special circumstances (includes listings of Illinois food pantries on or near college campuses, as well as across the state).

December 10: Federal Student Aid 2025-26 FAFSA Webinar

Join Federal Student Aid staff on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, for a webinar that will guide students (independent and dependent) and parents through submitting the 2025–26 FAFSA form. Online registration is now available for this free event.

By June 30: High School Juniors Take College Assessment Exams for State Scholar Consideration

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 will need to 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 students who are currently high school juniors, only exams taken between August 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025 qualify for consideration in the State Scholar announcements that will be made during their senior year (i.e., high school juniors, who will be college freshmen during the 2026-27 academic year, will be named Scholars during the fall of 2025). Further details are provided at the State Scholar Program page of our website.

2024-25 ACADEMIC YEAR

March 1: Spring-Term Application Deadline for Grant Programs for Dependents of Police, Fire, or Correctional Officers

March 1, 2025 is the spring- and summer-term application deadline for the 2024-25 Grant Program for Dependents of Police or Fire Officers and the 2024-25 Grant Program for Dependents of Correctional Officers. Applications received after March 1 will be considered for summer term only awards.

March 1: Spring-Term Application Deadline for the Dispaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program

March 1, 2025 is the spring- and summer-term application deadline for the 2024-25 Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program. Applications received after March 1 will be considered for summer term only awards.

State Scholars Announced

Congratulations to those Illinois high school students who have been designated as State Scholars.

Available again this year is a digital Illinois State Scholar badge issued by ISAC, which State Scholars can display on their online profiles and social media accounts, as well as share with high school counselors, prospective colleges, employers, family members and others. Further details are provided in the congratulatory letters sent to State Scholars throughout the fall of 2024.

Applications for Several 2024-25 Programs Remain Available

If you plan to request funds from any of the following programs for the 2024-25 academic year and have not yet done so, you may still complete and submit an application. Further details – including program descriptions and eligibility requirements – are provided in the Students & Parents area of the ISAC website.

Grant Programs

Scholarship Programs

Loan Repayment Programs

* The deadline to apply for funds for the Fall 2024 term has passed, but there is still time to apply for the Winter/Spring 2025 and/or Summer 2025 terms.

** Although the priority application consideration date for this program has passed, applications will continue to be accepted as long as funds remain after all timely qualified applicants have been awarded.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Join the First Generation Scholars Network

If you are the first in your family to earn a college degree, join the First Generation Scholars Network to get support and resources from ISAC, your peers, and colleges across the state. You'll find events and programs that provide tools, resources, mentoring, and connections that can help make the transition to college life easier.

Season two of ISAC's first gen podcast series, First Up is available now. Episodes are filled with informative conversation, advice, and stories about the challenges and triumphs that many first generation college students and their families experience.

Holiday Schedules

ISAC staff will be unavailable for these holidays:

  • Wednesday, December 25, 2024 – Christmas Day
  • Wednesday, January 1, 2025 – New Year's Day
  • Monday, January 20, 2025 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Wednesday, February 12, 2025 – Lincoln's Birthday
  • Monday, February 17, 2025 – Presidents' Day

Staff will again be available the first business day immediately following each holiday.

For Assistance

Access ISAC's website anytime, or send us an e-mail at [email protected]. With the exception of days when ISAC staff members are unavailable, we will review and respond to messages during regular business hours of Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CT).

You are receiving this message because you registered for ISAC's e-Messaging service through the Students subscription group.

If you have any questions about this e-message, please contact an ISAC Student Engagement Representative by calling toll-free at 800.899.ISAC (4722) or chat with a representative live through the "Live Support-Online" button in the Students & Parents area of our website. You may also reach out to ISAC Student Services by e-mail at [email protected]. We are happy to assist you.

Get information anytime about the college-going process and ISAC programs on ISAC's website and Student Portal, both accessible at isac.org.