Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program

To be eligible, you must: 

• be a U.S. citizen, or an eligible noncitizen 
• be the natural child, legally adopted child, or stepchild of an energy worker who has lost employment due to the reduced operation or closure of a fossil fuel plant or coal mine that occurred on or after September 15, 2016* 
• be enrolled or accepted for enrollment, for a minimum of 3 credit hours, at an Illinois public university or community college
• demonstrate unmet financial need through your college’s financial aid award package 
• maintain good academic standing as required by your college 
• establish repayments if you are in default on any federal student loan. If you are in default, you may reestablish your eligibility using the Default Resolution Options to Regain Federal and State Student Aid

* The displaced worker must have been an Illinois resident when laid off and must have been displaced from a fossil fuel plant or mine in Illinois. The dependent does not currently have to be a current Illinois resident when they apply for or receive the scholarship, but the scholarship must be used at an Illinois public institution.

1. Create a profile in the ISAC Application Portal or log into your existing account. 
2. Complete and submit the DEWD Program Application. You must complete the annual program application every academic year you want to be considered for an award. You will be asked to submit required documentation. An application is not complete until you submit the following: 
   1. proof of a parent’s loss of employment due to the reduced operation or closure of a fossil fuel power plant or coal mine; 
   2. proof of your relationship to your parent. 
3. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 
4. After you submit your application, you will immediately receive a Submission Notice confirming that ISAC has received it. If you submitted an application prior to the application deadline and have not yet been notified of your status, you will receive an Application Update Notice within 30 days after the application deadline. Please read this notice carefully, as it will provide you with more information on any next steps in the process.

You must submit an application for each academic year you would like to be considered for the scholarship. However, the Displaced Energy Worker Biographical Information section only needs to be completed once by the first eligible family member who applies. After eligibility has been established for one family member, other eligible family members do not need to complete that section of the application. 

Has anything changed since your application? Review the “Changes to Your Application” section of the Managing Your Application page.

Required documentation includes:

• Proof of Parent’s Loss of Employment
  • A letter (or copy of an official letter) from your parent’s employer confirming the layoff or termination.
  • An list provided by your parent’s employer showing the names of the employees who were laid off or terminated.
  • A certification of separation from your parent’s employer.
  • A letter or statement from your parent’s employer or union representative confirming the separation or termination
  • Your parent’s unemployment insurance records from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) or another state’s unemployment insurance records.
• Proof of Dependency
  • Natural Child: Birth Certificate
  • Adopted Child: Adoption Decree, Legal Adoption Certificate or Signed Court Document
  • Stepchild: Child’s Birth Certificate and the Displaced Energy Worker’s Marriage Certificate.

Application deadlines depend on the first term that you would like to receive financial support. Deadlines are the following: 

• October 1: to receive funds for first term or the entire academic year
• March 1: to receive funds for either: 
  • Second semester/second and third quarter, or
  • Second semester/second and third quarter, along with summer term
• June 15: to receive funds for only summer term

Only one application for the program may be submitted each academic year. 

ISAC will notify all applicants of the decision on their application, including whether they have been selected to receive an award. The Displaced Energy Worker Dependent Transition Scholarship Program pays tuition and fees for up to a full calendar year of full-time enrollment in undergraduate or graduate study. The award covers up to the full cost of in-district or in-state tuition and fees. Students who are not in-district or in-state residents may have additional costs that are not covered by the scholarship. 

Depending on the college, students may be responsible for making payments until scholarship funds are received by the institution. Awardees who are waiting for scholarship funds should contact their college’s financial aid office, provide the scholarship award notice, and ask about the college’s payment policies. 

Has anything changed since you submitted your application? Review the “Changes to Your Application” section of the Managing Your Application page.

• Displaced Energy Worker: A worker who lost employment because of the reduced operation or closure of a fossil fuel power plant or coal mine in Illinois. The worker must have been an Illinois resident at the time of displacement and must have worked at an eligible facility in Illinois. 
• Dependent: A student of any age who is the natural child, legally adopted child, or stepchild of an eligible displaced energy worker. 
• Fossil Fuel Power Plant: A facility that produces electricity using fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas.
• Reduced Operations and Closures: A reduced operation is the decrease in the operation of a fossil fuel power plant or coal mine that results in the loss of employment for workers. A closure is the shutdown of a fossil fuel power plant or coal mine that results in the loss of employment for workers.