Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act

  1. RISE BILL SIGNING PICTURES
    The University of Illinois system is among the many state universities that have supported this bill, and UIC has played a key role in a five-year advocacy process. We would like to recognize the efforts of UIC students, alumni, faculty and staff, who joined with students, educators and community organizations from many other institutions and communities in the state to advocate for this state-wide legislation that expands equity and helps more of our students reach their academic potential. Click here to see more pictures of the bill signing!
  2. RISE BILL SIGNING PICTURES
    The University of Illinois system is among the many state universities that have supported this bill, and UIC has played a key role in a five-year advocacy process. We would like to recognize the efforts of UIC students, alumni, faculty and staff, who joined with students, educators and community organizations from many other institutions and communities in the state to advocate for this state-wide legislation that expands equity and helps more of our students reach their academic potential. Click here to see more pictures of the bill signing!
  3. RISE BILL SIGNING PICTURES
    The University of Illinois system is among the many state universities that have supported this bill, and UIC has played a key role in a five-year advocacy process. We would like to recognize the efforts of UIC students, alumni, faculty and staff, who joined with students, educators and community organizations from many other institutions and communities in the state to advocate for this state-wide legislation that expands equity and helps more of our students reach their academic potential. Click here to see more pictures of the bill signing!
  4. RISE BILL SIGNING PICTURES
    The University of Illinois system is among the many state universities that have supported this bill, and UIC has played a key role in a five-year advocacy process. We would like to recognize the efforts of UIC students, alumni, faculty and staff, who joined with students, educators and community organizations from many other institutions and communities in the state to advocate for this state-wide legislation that expands equity and helps more of our students reach their academic potential. Click here to see more pictures of the bill signing!

The Illinois RISE (Retaining Illinois Students and Equity) Act was signed into law by Governor Pritzker’s signature on June 21, 2019, at the UIC campus.  This new law will enable some students who were previously ineligible to now be eligible for state financial aid (MAP grants) as well as UIC institutional grants, scholarships, and tuition waivers.  

This includes:

  1. Undocumented students who are residents of the state of Illinois,
  2. Transgender students who will not fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) due to the requirement that gender is listed as “at birth” (which could require selective service registration for individuals who are assigned male at birth) 
  3. Undergraduate students who may be in good academic standing but have lost their Monetary Award Program (MAP) funding because they have not reached junior standing after using 75 MAP funded credit hours. 

In the first two categories, the new law grants eligibility for financial aid to students who are not eligible for federal aid. In the latter case, students may be receiving federal aid, but those whose state aid was interrupted would be eligible to continue receiving state aid.

Newly eligible undergraduate students will only be able to apply for aid after January 1, 2020, in order to receive MAP grants or institutional aid for the 2020-2021 academic year.  

This additional time is needed because implementation will require the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) to create a new, alternative process that allows students who are not eligible to apply for federal aid (FAFSA) to apply for financial support.  

Additionally, UIC will also have to create new guidance in order to ensure this newly eligible student population is considered for financial support across academic units. In the fall semester, we will be sharing guidance with more details on how newly eligible students can apply for financial aid. 

UIC academic units who have internal scholarships and/or tuition waivers for their undergraduates, graduates or professional students, will be able to expand eligibility for these opportunities by January 1, 2020.

No, FAFSA is a federal form to request financial aid. Undocumented students, including DACA recipients, should NOT submit a FAFSA form. Filling out a FAFSA form can have legal consequences. Talk with your counselors and advisors for support.

State MAP grant requirements should remain the same as for any other student but state universities might now have the freedom to provide institutional scholarships that they could not before. For more information on the current eligibility requirements for IL MAP grants please CLICK HERE.

Undocumented students have to have graduated in Illinois and be residents of Illinois in order to qualify for state or institutional funding. Transgender students who have established residency in Illinois (regardless of whether they finished high school in Illinois or not) can qualify for the RISE Act. For information on scholarships and resources available to undocumented students please visit https://www.iacac.org/undocumented/laws/

Undocumented students have to have graduated from an Illinois high school and be residents of Illinois in order to qualify for state or institutional funding.   For information on scholarships and resources available to undocumented students please visit https://www.iacac.org/undocumented/laws/