RISE Act Alternative Application
The Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act allows eligible undocumented students and transgender students who are disqualified
from federal financial aid to apply for all forms of state financial aid. The Alternative
Application for Illinois Financial Aid provides a pathway for these qualified students
to apply for Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants.
To accommodate RISE Act-eligible students (both undocumented and transgender students),
ISAC has created an Illinois-specific online application for MAP grants. Instead of
completing the FAFSA to begin the MAP application process, these students may choose
to complete the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid. The data from
the application will be used to calculate an Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which
is used in determining a student’s MAP eligibility. The application, patterned after
the FAFSA, is now available for the 2022-23 academic year.
The RISE Act application via the ISAC website