JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

2025-26 ECACE Scholarship Application Available – Priority Consideration Date: May 19

03/31/2025

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is sharing the following information to assist colleges in the administration of the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program.

ECACE Scholarship applications for the 2025-26 academic year are now being accepted. The priority consideration date for the application process to be completed – including submission of the 2025-26 ECACE Scholarship application and the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) or 2025-26 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) – is Monday, May 19, 2025. Applications received after that date will be considered only if funding remains after all timely, complete qualified applicants have been awarded.

What's New for the 2025-26 Application and Awarding Processes?

While most program details remain the same, one change – effective beginning with the 2025-26 ECACE Scholarship processing cycle – is that applicants are now asked to provide their anticipated graduation date on the ECACE application.

  • An applicant's response to the question regarding their anticipated graduation date will be available for colleges to view in the ECACE system, once the 2025-26 "Student List Eligibility: View" screen becomes available later this year.
  • As part of the certification process, colleges will have the ability to confirm if an applicant is within 30 credit hours of graduation.
  • An applicant's anticipated graduation date will come into play during the awarding process, which will prioritize applicants in the following order:
    1. Renewal status – eligible applicants who were awarded and received ECACE Scholarship funds during the 2024-25 academic year will receive first priority, followed by eligible applicants who were awarded and received ECACE Scholarship funds during the 2023-24 academic year (but not during the 2024-25 academic year).
    2. Proximity to graduation – if funding remains after all applicants who meet the "renewal status" criteria have been awarded, then eligible applicants who are within 30 credit hours of graduation (as certified by the college) will be awarded, as funds permit.
    3. Financial need – if funding remains after all applicants who meet the "renewal status" and "proximity to graduation" criteria have been awarded, then any remaining funds will be awarded to applicants with the highest financial need.

Reminders

  • Program details – including eligibility requirements – are available on our website, along with a link to the online application.
    • As always, we ask our partners to encourage those who may be interested in applying to learn about the program before completing the application.
    • Note that, in an effort to provide assistance to as many qualified students as possible, the eligibility requirements for the 2025-26 academic year reflect changes from prior academic years – financial aid administrators are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the current requirements so they may best assist students.
  • In addition to completing the ECACE application, the FAFSA or Alternative Application must be filed for the same academic year.
    • The ECACE-participating college the applicant plans to attend must be listed on the FAFSA or Alternative Application.
  • Although there is no teaching commitment connected to the award, recipients are expected to continue or return to teaching or direct services in the early childhood care and education field after they complete their program of study.

Looking Ahead

  • When 2025-26 applicant data is available for each college to access via the "Student List Eligibility: View" screen of the ECACE system later this year, data will be displayed for all applications listing the institution as the college the student plans to attend (i.e., complete, incomplete and ineligible applications will be included). Certification functionality is anticipated to become available during the same timeframe.
  • 2025-26 ECACE Scholarship payment processing will commence later this year.
  • As it becomes available, more information – including announcement of when the 2025-26 "Student List Eligibility: View" screen and certification functionality become available, and when 2025-26 payment requests are being accepted – will be provided via ISAC's usual means of communication (i.e., the ECACE Scholarship Program News area, the FAA Message Board, and this e-Messaging system).

You are receiving this message because you registered for ISAC's e-Messaging service through one or more subscription groups for FAAs.

If you have any questions, please contact School Services by sending an e-mail to isac.schoolservices@illinois.gov or calling 866.247.2172.