This page provides access to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission’s administrative rules, including current rules in effect, proposed rules and amendments, and archived rules from previous years. Administrative rules explain how ISAC implements statutes and administers its programs.
ISAC enacts rules in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act [5 ILCS 100].
ISAC Agency Rules Coordinator
If you have any questions about ISAC administrative rules, including how to find information or submit public comments, please contact the ISAC Agency Rules Coordinator at [email protected].
Adopted Rules
To access adopted rules for current and recent academic years, click on the appropriate link(s) in the Administrative Rules section menu.
Latest Rules Updates
The following adopted rules were published in the Illinois Register (Volume 50, Issue 28) on July 10, 2026.
Read the full text of these rules at ilsos.gov
Summaries of the changes:
- Part 2743: Grant Program for Exonerees and their Dependents – Revises program name and adds allowances for dependents of exonerees to receive benefits.
- Part 2749: Nursing Education Scholarship – Updates the sections in the Part, removes redundancies and consolidates language for easier readability.
- Part 2750: Illinois Graduate and Retain our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Program – Updates applicant eligibility criteria pertaining to academic performance and clarifying definitions.
- Part 2752: Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program – Clarifies the employment eligibility at time of application.
- Part 2753: Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program – Adds a definition of behavioral health professional and updates applicant eligibility criteria.
- Part 2755: Journalism Student Scholarship Program – New Part. Promulgates the rules for the 2025-26 Journalism Student Scholarship Program.
- Part 2776: Workforce Development through Charitable Loan Repayment Program – New Part. Promulgates the rules for the 2025-26 Workforce Development through Charitable Loan Repayment Program.
Proposed Rules & Amendments
PACKAGE A (Status: Adopted)
ISAC's seven adopted rules were published in the Illinois Register (Volume 50, Issue 28) on July 10, 2026. Details, including summaries of changes and the full text of the adopted rules, are available at the 2025-26 ISAC Rules page.
PACKAGE B (Status: Public Comment Expired)
ISAC also proposed the additional set of 2025-26 rules and amendments listed below and has moved these items through first notice and public comment. Text of these proposed program rules and amendments was published in the May 1, 2026 (initiating a public comment period that expired on June 15, 2026), May 15, 2026 (initiating a public comment period that expired on June 29, 2026), and May 22, 2026 (initiating a public comment period that expired on July 6, 2026) issues of the Illinois Register. These items were presented as an agenda item and approved at the June 2026 Commission meeting. Additional status updates will be provided when available.
Part 2700: General Provisions – Adding definitions, such as Application Receipt Date and Eligible Program, and deleting definitions of terms not used, such as Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid Receipt Date, Chargeback, and FAFSA Receipt Date. Also revising other definitions, changing MAP reporting to biennial, correcting citations, and updating the General Institutional Eligibility Requirements and General Applicant Eligibility Requirements.
Part 2730: Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program – Revising to update the fees a recipient is responsible for paying and update the benefit usage.
Part 2733: Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program – Revising to align language with Part 2730, Illinois National Guard (ING) Program.
Part 2735: Monetary Award Program (MAP) – Revising to add the Alternative Application, update MAP paid credit hours and receiving of MAP funds before expiration of withdrawal/tuition refund period and adding a section on the MAP Refund Fund.
Part 2751: Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program – Adding a definition of Close to Completion and revising language related to renewal applicant awarding.
Part 2760: State Scholar Program – Adding definitions of approved high school and third semester prior to graduation, correcting the class rank percentile formula, and revising and updating language.
Part 2763: Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program (formerly Minority Teachers of Illinois) – Revising to reflect the changes for the program which were effective with the passage of P.A. 104-437, effective November 21, 2025. Also adding definitions for Approve K-12 public school district, qualified student, and qualified bilingual student.
Part 2764: Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program – Revising to update language, including any reference to the term minority.
NEW PART Part 2777: Public University Direct Admission Program – New program.
Part 5375: Public Information, Rulemaking, and Organization – Revising to add language for a student member of the Commission to receive a stipend and delete references to the Chicago office location. Also updated the organizational chart.
The full text of these proposed rules and amendments published for public comment can be found at:
- Part 2700: General Provisions
- Part 2731: Grant Program for Dependents of Correctional Officers
- Part 2732: Grant Program for Dependents of Police or Fire Officers
- Part 2733: Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program
- Part 2737: Higher Education License Plate (Help) Grant Program
- Part 2746: Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program
- Part 2747: Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License Scholarship Program
- Part 2748: School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program
- Part 2749: Nursing Education Scholarship
- Part 2750: Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Program
- Part 2752: Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program
- Part 2753: Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program
- Part 2758: Nurse Educator Loan Repayment Program
- Part 2765: Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program
- Part 2767: Illinois Teachers and Child Care Providers Loan Repayment Program
- Part 2778: Long-Term Care Nursing Scholarship
Rules Process & Definitions
The Rulemaking Process
- ISAC gathers feedback from staff and external stakeholders and reviews recent legislative changes to determine where rule updates are needed.
- ISAC publishes its Regulatory Agenda, identifying the Parts it intends to work on in the upcoming rulemaking cycle.
- ISAC prepares and submits drafts to the Secretary of State for First Notice. Once published in the Illinois Register, the proposed rule begins a minimum 45‑day public comment period. The Notice includes a summary of the proposal, the legal authority for the rule, and contact information for submitting comments. Public hearings may be held if requested.
- The proposed changes and all written public comments submitted on proposed ISAC rules and amendments are presented for ISAC Commission Approval. After receiving the Executive Director's recommendation and written comments from the public, the Commission votes to accept, modify or reject the proposed rules and amendments.
- After Commission approval, the agency submits the proposal to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) for Second Notice . JCAR has up to 45 days to review the rule, and the review period can be extended if needed. No further changes may be made unless both JCAR and the agency agree.
- JCAR will schedule a meeting to review the proposed rules and amendments and issue a JCAR Action. JCAR may make one of the following determinations on any proposed rule or amendment:
- No Objection : the agency may adopt the rule.
- Recommendation : the agency should address JCAR’s concerns but may still adopt the rule.
- Objection : the agency must respond before adopting the rule.
- Filing Prohibition : the agency cannot adopt the rule until concerns are resolved.
- Once JCAR’s review is complete and any required responses are made, the agency may begin the Rules Adoption process. Adopted rules are published in the Illinois Register. A rule must be adopted within one year of its First Notice publication unless the timeline is paused due to JCAR action.
Rules Definitions
Administrative Code: The Illinois Administrative Code is the official collection of all permanent rules created by Illinois state agencies. It’s the state’s rulebook for how agencies carry out laws passed by the General Assembly. The majority of ISAC’s rules will be found in Title 23: Education and Cultural Resources.
Administrative Rules: An administrative rule is created by a state agency, like ISAC, to explain how it will carry out a statute (law). Rules provide detailed procedures, definitions, and standards that the law does not spell out.
Adopted Rules: When the rulemaking process concludes for an academic year, ISAC publishes links to adopted rules on the administrative rules page. Adopted rules become effective upon publication in the Illinois Register by the Office of the Secretary of State.
Archived Rules: Archived rules from prior academic years are available for reference and upon request.
Legislation: Often called a “bill,” this is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. Members of the legislature debate and vote on it, and once both the House and Senate approve it and the Governor signs it, the bill becomes law. In Illinois, you can view these proposals and enacted laws on the Illinois General Assembly website
Part: A section of the Illinois Administrative Code that groups together all the rules related to a specific program, topic, or function of a state agency.
Proposed Rules and Amendments: Draft changes, either new rules or updates to existing ones, that ISAC publishes for public review in the Illinois Register before they become official.
Statute: Often called a “law,” this decision sets broad requirements, responsibilities, or authorities and carries legal force. Illinois laws are collected in the Illinois Compiled Statutes. The majority of ISAC’s statutes can be found in Chapter 110: Higher Education .