The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is currently accepting applications for their School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program through June 30, 2024. For those eligible, the program provides an award of up to $6,500 to assist in paying eligible loans, particularly for those of minority applicants who are underrepresented in the field as as school and municipal social workers. This program was an NASW-Illinois Chapter initiative and was funded thanks to major advocacy from Illinois State Senator Ann Gillespie.
To be eligible for the program, you must:
Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen or meet the "undocumented student" criteria of the RISE Act
Be an Illinois resident
Have an outstanding balance due on an eligible educational loan (includes Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, consolidation loans, Supplemental Loans for Students, alternative loans, and other types of government and institutional loans used for education expenses)
Be an individual holding a degree in social work who is currently employed, and was so employed, for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the date of application (for example: "August 2, 2022 – August 1, 2023”) by:
an Illinois public elementary school,
an Illinois public secondary school, or
a city, village, or incorporated town in the state of Illinois, excluding social workers employed by police departments.
Not be in default on any federal guaranteed educational loan, nor owe a refund on any scholarship or grant program administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC)
For more details on eligibility and how to apply, click the links below.
Program Information: https://www.isac.org/students/after-college/forgiveness-programs/SMSWSLRP.html
Program Application: https://www.isac.org/students/during-college/applying-for-financial-aid/applications/index.html
Application Period: July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024