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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.