Illinois RISE Act

Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act and Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid

The Retention of Illinois Student and Equality (RISE) Act was signed into law, June 21, 2019, allows access to state financial aid [i.e. State of IL MAP Grant (Est)] to students who were previously ineligible.

For additional information, including a link to the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid, please visit: Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act and Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid, or contact the Kishwaukee College Financial Aid Office.

These students include:

Undocumented students who are Illinois residents
Transgender students who do not complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) due to the requirement to report their gender “at birth.

Beginning Spring 2020 undergraduate students:

who are in good academic standing
and who were previously ineligible (after using 75 funded credit hours) to receive the State of IL MAP Grant (Est) at a two-year school,

may now be eligible to use State of Illinois MAP Grant (est) funds up to 135 credit hours at a two-year school.

Effective January 6, 2020, students who are unable to complete the FAFSA due to citizenship status or inability to register for the selective service based on birth gender, may be eligible to complete the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (formally known as the RISE Act Application) to determine eligibility State of IL Map Grant (est) for the 2020-2021 academic year.

The application consists of pre-screening questions to confirm if an individual should complete the FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid.

Individuals the application indicates should complete the FAFSA will be advised to consult their high school counselor, a financial aid professional, or an ISACorps member for assistance completing the FAFSA.
Individuals who should complete the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid will have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculated which will be used by their college.
State of IL Map Grant (est) awards will be calculated for eligible students and sent to the college.
Colleges will notify students of their State of IL Map Grant (est) eligibility.

Please note: Similar to the FAFSA, individuals must complete the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid each academic year to apply for MAP Grant.

Please be sure to review the User's Guide and Resources for the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid prior to completing your application.

Students are able to decline to use the State of IL MAP Grant (Est), if they wish to use these funds at a later time. For instance, someone may want to decline to use the remainder of their State of IL MAP Grant (Est) so that they may use it to obtain their Bachelor's degree. If you wish to decline your State of IL Map Grant (est), please complete the Request to Decline State of IL MAP Grant (Est) Award Form.

Contact Us

Financial Aid OfficeP815-825-9328Efinaid@kish.eduOC2100

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