Illinois Teachers Loan Repayment Program

To be eligible, you must: 

• be a U.S. citizen, or an eligible noncitizen
• be an Illinois resident 
• have taught in an Illinois elementary or secondary school for five consecutive years designated by the U.S. Department of Education as low-income 
• be a borrower who had your student loans forgiven by the federal teacher loan forgiveness programs
• have a balance remaining on your eligible student loan(s)

To be eligible for ISAC’s loan repayment program, you must also be eligible for the federal government’s Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program and receive an award under this program. Learn more about this program at the Teacher Loan Forgiveness website.

To receive this loan repayment, you must have taught at an Illinois elementary or secondary school designated as low-income for five consecutive years. The U.S. Department of Education must label the school as low-income.

1. Create a profile in the ISAC Application Portal or log into your existing account.
2. Complete and submit the Illinois Teacher Loan Repayment Application before April 30, 2027 and required documentation in the student portal before May 31, 2027  for priority consideration. An application is not considered complete until you submit all the following required documentation: 
   1. a copy of your Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application, 
   2. a copy of your official initial Notice of Eligibility Letter for the federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program, and 
   3. current account statements for loans with an outstanding balance. 
3. You will receive a confirmation email when ISAC receives your application. Applications may take up to 12 weeks to process.
4. After your application has been reviewed, ISAC will notify you of your eligibility status and provide information about the next steps. If your application remains incomplete, ISAC will contact you with instructions on how to provide the missing information.

Priority consideration will be given to applicants who apply by April 30, 2027 and have submitted all required documents by May 31, 2027. 

Please note: You must apply for the Illinois Teachers Loan Repayment Program within six months after receiving notification that you are eligible for the Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program.

ISAC will notify all applicants of the decision on their application, including whether they have been selected to receive an award. The award amount depends on available funds, and it varies based on your remaining balance on eligible loans. Eligible applicants may receive up to a one-time award of $5,000.

Your award funds are paid directly to your loan servicer. Allow a minimum of 12 weeks from the date you receive an award notification letter to when funds are disbursed to your loan servicer.

Common questions are addressed below in this FAQ.  If you have other questions, contact an ISAC Student Engagement Representative by calling 800.899.ISAC (4722) or send an email to [email protected].

Q. Do I have to be eligible for the federal teacher loan forgiveness program to be eligible for the ISAC program?

A. Yes. The only way you can be considered for an ISAC loan repayment award is by first receiving a federal award. You cannot apply for the ISAC program before you are awarded by the federal government. 

Q. What is the maximum amount of financial assistance I can receive through this program?

A. The maximum amount you may receive is the lesser of:

• the amount forgiven under Section 428J or 428K of the Higher Education Act;  or 
• $5,000.

Q: Do I have to work for a full five years in addition to the federal requirement to be considered for this loan repayment assistance? 

A. No. You do not have to work an additional five years to be eligible for ISAC’s loan repayment assistance. ISAC counts the teaching you have already completed for federal eligibility and does not require additional years of teaching.

Q. How do I know if the school I’ve worked in qualifies as a low-income school? 

A. You can use the Teacher Cancellation Low Income Directory to search for your school. 

Q. Do I need to show proof that I worked in a low-income school to apply? 

A. No, ISAC will verify that your school qualifies.