blog posts

• Submit an Application for the 2020-21 HOPE Scholarship

  by Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & InclusionApr 17, 2020 8:15 am

  The Helping Other’s Personal Excellence (HOPE) Scholarship application form is now available for admitted incoming and continuing University of Illinois undergraduate students who are ineligible for federal financial aid (FAFSA). Some circumstances that may disqualify students from receiving federal financial aid include legal status, gender-non-conforming identities, and previous misdemeanors. This scholarship fund—a commitment by students, for students— would help alleviate some of the burden that comes with attaining higher education. 

  The deadline for the HOPE Scholarship is May 1, 2020 at 5 pm. To receive full consideration, complete the HOPE application, the Alternative Form (RISE ACT), essay, and resume, by the deadline date. You can view and complete the application form at go.illinois.edu/ISGscholarship.

• The Alternative Application for MAP Grant Funding Now Available

  by Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & InclusionJan 12, 2020 10:15 am

  The Office of Student Financial Aid has now posted information for students interested in being considered for state aid as part of the RISE Act. Signed into law by Governor Pritzker in June 2019, the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity (RISE) Act, provides a pathway for qualifying undocumented students and for transgender students who are not eligible for federal financial aid because they did not register for selective service to apply for Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant funding. Find out more about the application process.

• The U of I System Joins Amicus Brief Urging the Supreme Court to Protect DACA

  by Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & InclusionOct 14, 2019 1:45 pm

  On October 4, 2019, the University of Illinois System joined over 160 universities and colleges in filing an amicus curiae or friend of the court brief with the Supreme Court underscoring the importance of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Arguing for the continued existence of DACA, the brief contends that the recession of DACA will severely harm the lives of talented students and alumni, adversely affect universities and colleges throughout the United States, and present a tremendous loss for our higher education communities, including those across the University of Illinois System. Read the full text of the amicus brief (PDF).

• Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker Signs the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity Bill Into Law

  by Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & InclusionJul 14, 2019 4:45 pm

  During a ceremony at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity Bill (HB 2691) into law on June 21, 2019. Previously known as the “RISE bill,” the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity Act makes undocumented students who are Illinois residents and not otherwise eligible for federal financial aid eligible for state financial aid and benefits at public institutions in Illinois, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This state aid includes Illinois MAP grants as well as other institutional aid including, but not limited to, scholarships, grants, awards, stipends, room and board assistance, tuition waivers, or other financial or in-kind assistance.

• US Supreme Court rules Executive Order 13780 is constitutional

  by Public AffairsJun 27, 2018 10:30 am

  On June 26, 2018, the Supreme Court today announced its 5-4 decision in Trump v. Hawaii to uphold the restrictions set in place by Executive Order 13780, but the court also sent the case back to the lower courts “for such further proceedings as may be appropriate.” The majority opinion stated that the Proclamation is “squarely within the scope of Presidential authority under the INA (Immigration and Nationality Act).” The court had previously allowed the travel ban to go into effect while the justices deliberated on Trump v. Hawaii, and this decision means it will remain indefinitely.

• DACA Update

  by Public AffairsMar 5, 2018 9:00 am

  March 5th, 2018, marks the "deadline" the current administration gave Congress to have a legislative bill for DACA recipients. It is important to know that today is NOT a deadline for DACA. DACA recipients may continue to renew their DACA. "On January 9, 2018, Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction requiring the federal government to maintain the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program on a nationwide basis by allowing individuals to submit applications to renew their enrollment in DACA, subject to a few exceptions."

   

• DACA Update

  by Public AffairsFeb 9, 2018 2:00 pm

  On February 9, 2018, Congress passed another short-term funding bill, which will keep the federal government operating through March 23. While the bill included an agreement to raise overall funding levels, we were disappointed that it did not address DACA. The Senate is scheduled to consider immigration legislation addressing DACA, and related issues, the week of February 12. We will continue urging Congress to ensure, at a minimum, that DACA protections are codified in law, and we hope the Senate and House will quickly reach a bipartisan agreement that provides certainty to these talented men and women who offer our country so much promise.

   

• DACA renewals are now being accepted again at USCIS

  by Public AffairsJan 16, 2018 10:30 am

  Due to a federal court order, USCIS has resumed accepting requests to renew a grant of deferred action under DACA. Until further notice, and unless otherwise provided in this guidance, the DACA policy will be operated on the terms in place before it was rescinded on September 5, 2017.

• Temporary Protected Status (TPS) updates from USCIS Official Website

  by Public AffairsJan 16, 2018 10:15 am

  Two recent updates to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Haiti and El Salvador.

   

• Illinois Joins Big Ten Peers in Urging Congressional Action in Support of DACA Students

  by Public AffairsDec 13, 2017 1:00 pm

  This week, Chancellor Robert J. Jones and fellow Big Ten leaders have urged members of Congress to enact policy in support of students in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Read their letter to congressional leadership.