Latest Rules Updates
The following adopted rules were published in the Illinois Register (Volume 49, Issue 44) on October 31, 2025.
Read the full text of these rules at ilsos.gov.
Summaries of the changes:
- Part 2700: General Provisions – Changes primarily involve revised definitions and small wording adjustments to clarify existing provisions without altering their intent. Proof of residency no longer includes tax returns or tax documents.
- Part 2730: Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program – Clarifies the priority claim dates for submission of payment requests.
- Part 2735: Monetary Award Program (MAP) – Changes primarily involve revised definitions and small wording adjustments to clarify existing provisions without altering their intent.
- Part 2751: Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program – New part. Promulgates the rules for the 2024-25 ECACE program.
The Rulemaking Process
{ISAC Rules, Section 5375.100}
- ISAC staff propose rules and submit them for public comment via the Illinois Register.
- Written public comments submitted on proposed ISAC rules and amendments are presented to the Commission for consideration.
- After receiving the Executive Director's recommendation and the written public comments, the Commission votes to accept, modify or reject the proposals.
- After disposition by the Commission, the proposals are submitted to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) for review.
- When the JCAR review period ends, ISAC files the rules and amendments with the Office of the Secretary of State for publication in the Illinois Register.
- ISAC publishes a link to the adopted Administrative Rules for an academic year.
Proposed Rules and Amendments
PACKAGE A (Status: Preparation for Second Notice)
ISAC's seven proposed rules were published in the Illinois Register (Volume 49, Issue 42) on October 17, 2025. This began the 45-day public comment period, ending December 1, 2025. The 2025-26 Rules were presented as an agenda item and approved at the December 2025 Commission meeting. As the next step in the process, ISAC expects to submit these rules to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) for review in January or early February 2026.
The full text of these proposed rules can be found at: https://www.isac.org/e-library/documents/administrative-rules/2025-26-ISAC-Rules/2025-26-Proposed-October-2025.pdf
Summaries of the changes are as follows:
- Part 2743: Grant Program for Exonerees – Updated to add allowances for dependents of exonerees to receive benefits.
- Part 2749: Nursing Education Scholarship – Updating the sections in the Part, removing redundancies and consolidating 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 – Updated to add a definition of a human services agency and to clarify the employment eligibility at time of application.
- Part 2753: Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program – Updated to add a definition of behavioral health professional and to update applicant eligibility criteria.
- NEW PART Part 2755: Journalism Student Scholarship Program – New Part.
- NEW PART Part 2776: Workforce Development Through Charitable Loan Repayment Program – New program.
*Please note: At the time of printing the proposed rules in the Illinois Register on October 17, the 2024-25 rules had not yet been published for adoption. For this reason, ISAC delayed any changes to Part 2751: Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program for the 2025-26 academic year. Further, ISAC was asked by the Joint Commission on Administrative Rules (JCAR) to review language in Part 2700: General Provisions that defines the regular school year.
PACKAGE B (Status: Drafting Rules for First Notice)
ISAC is developing an additional set of rules this fiscal year and has begun drafting the proposed rule language. These rules were identified in the January 2026 Regulatory Agenda, approved for submission by the Illinois Secretary of State on December 8, 2025, and include the following Parts:
- Part 2700: General Provisions
- Part 2730: Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program
- Part 2735: Monetary Award Program (MAP)
- Part 2751: Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program
- Part 2760: State Scholar Program
- Part 2763: Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program (formerly Minority Teachers of Illinois)
- Part 2764: Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program
- Part 2765: Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program
- NEW PART Part 2777: Public University Direct Admission Program
- Part 5375: Public Information, Rulemaking, and Organization
ISAC is compiling its agenda for rules items for the 2026-27 academic year and will provide additional details when available. Preliminarily, ISAC anticipates proposing changes to the following rules:
- 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 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 2776: Workforce Development Through Charitable Loan Repayment Program