JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

State Scholar Program

Program News

(Last updated November 21, 2024)

GAP Access Two-Factor Authentication
Processing Data for 2025-26 State Scholars
Processing Announcements
Early Announcements
Reminder Regarding Certificates of Achievement
College Entrance Exams for 2026-27 State Scholars

GAP Access Two-Factor Authentication

A two-factor authentication process was implemented to improve security for accessing the Gift Assistance Programs on the GAP Access portal. The process requires the use of a one-time verification code, obtained through an application, in conjunction with a user ID and password, when logging in to the portal.

Two-factor authentication is required for both School User and Administrator accounts every time a user logs in. If the setup process has not yet been completed by the high school, refer to the GAP Access Two-Factor Authentication User Guide for instructions.

2025-26 State Scholars

State Scholar Processing

ISAC has announced 2025-26 State Scholars. Further details are provided in a November 21 e-Message.

Processing Announcements

  • Individual congratulatory letters have been sent to Scholars.
  • High schools may generate the "Finalists" report in the SSP system by following the instructions provided on pages 13-14 of the SSP Online Processing User Guide.
  • Refer to the State Scholar Finalists page for information about corrections, Illinois State Scholar Badges and submitting an appeal.
    • The deadline for 2025-26 State Scholar appeals is Friday, February 28, 2025.
  • A sample press release, which can assist schools in announcing State Scholars, is also available via the Finalists area.

Reminder Regarding Certificates of Achievement

High schools are reminded that ISAC no longer prints Certificates of Achievement. Rather, Certificates of Achievement are printed by the high school.

2026-27 State Scholars

College Entrance Exams

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 current 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).