ISAC Student Portal2025-26 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 you and/or your college-bound students.
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)
2024-25 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025)
General Information (Not Specific to One Academic Year)
2025-26 FAFSA and Alternative Application
The 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) cycle – including availability of the online FAFSA for all students – has opened, and the FAFSA Processing System (FPS) is processing applications. 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.
Details regarding the 2025-26 application cycle may be accessed via the Applying for Financial Aid section of the e-Library for Partners.
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.
Encourage your college-bound students to check out the Financial Aid Planning area for information regarding resources that are available to help students complete the financial aid process.
Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative
All Illinois public high school students are required to complete either the FAFSA or the Alternative Application as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma. Please see ISAC's Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative and Financial Aid Application Completion Performance Metrics pages, as well as a December 3 e-Message, for more information.
Students and/or parents who choose to not complete either the FAFSA or the Alternative Application may complete the Financial Aid Application Nonparticipation Form online via ISAC's Student Portal. A student and/or parent will need a Student Portal account to complete and sign the Nonparticipation Form.
Federal Student Aid Webinar on December 10
Join Federal Student Aid staff on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, for a webinar designed to guide students (independent and dependent), parents and college/career professionals through submitting the 2025–26 FAFSA form. Help spread the word that online registration is now available for this free event.
ISAC Webinar on December 13
Join ISAC staff on Friday, December 13, 2024 (11-11:45 a.m. CT) for an overview of the Financial Aid Application Completion Initiative. This free resource helps high schools identify students who have and have not completed a financial aid application. Learn how to view your Class of 2025 financial aid application completion data and opt-out form submissions, as well as tips for troubleshooting common issues. Register today by visiting the Upcoming Professional Development Offerings page.
MAP Processing Cycle
As was previously announced, at its September 19, 2024 meeting, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission approved a start-up formula for 2025-26 academic year Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants, with a maximum award of $8,400. Additional details regarding the formula are provided in a September 23 e-Message.
By June 30, 2025: High School Juniors Take College Assessment Exams for 2026-27 State Scholar Consideration
Eligibility for the State Scholar Program is based, in part, on a student's highest qualifying ACT or SAT score. For students who are currently (or will soon be) 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).
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.
Further details are provided for students at the State Scholar Program page of our website.
February 28: Appeal Deadline for 2025-26 State Scholars
As announced in a November 21 e-Message, more than 16,500 qualified Illinois high school students were designated as 2025-26 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.
Appeals regarding the announcement of 2025-26 State Scholars must be received at ISAC by February 28, 2025.
Register for 2025 Success Network Conference
Registration is now open for the 12th annual College Success Network conference – Building the Future We Want: Increasing Equitable Postsecondary Attainment – being held on February 25, 2025, at I Hotel & Illinois Conference Center in Champaign. Further details, including access to online registration, are provided in a November 15 e-Message.
December 15: IACAC High School Counselor Challenge Application Deadline
A November 20 e-Message announces that the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC) is again sponsoring three high school counselors in Illinois to attend the IACAC annual conference (which is taking place in East Peoria from April 23-25, 2025). The High School Counselor Challenge application deadline is Sunday, December 15, 2024. For more information and to apply, visit IACAC's High School Counselor Challenge page. Direct questions to IACAC at iacac@iacac.org.
April 17: Next Commission Meeting
The next meeting of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 17, 2025. Further details, including a listing of tentative agenda items, will be available prior to the meeting via the ISAC's Governing Board: The Commission section of the About ISAC area.
Visit the Commission Meeting Schedule page for information regarding all meetings scheduled in 2025.
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 the Counselors area anytime, or send an e-mail message to School Services. 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 one or more subscription groups for Counselors.
If you have any questions, please contact School Services by sending an e-mail to isac.schoolservices@illinois.gov or calling 866.247.2172.
