Eligibility
In addition to working or having worked in early childhood education, this scholarship also has residency, enrollment, and academic performance requirements, among others.
Learn more about eligibility requirementsApplication Process
Apply online. Remember to provide any additional documentation that is requested.
How to applyApplication Deadline
Scholarship funding is limited. Submit your application by May 19, 2026 for priority consideration.
Dates and timelinesProgram Details
The Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program provides funds for those who are currently working or have worked in the early childhood education field and are seeking additional credentials and degrees. Recipients must attend a public or non-profit private 2- or 4-year Gateways-entitled and Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity member institution as undergraduate students.
For Students and Parents
To be eligible for the scholarship during the 2025-26 academic year, you must:
- be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen or meet the undocumented student criteria of the RISE Act.
- currently work or have ever worked as a teacher, assistant teacher, director, family childcare provider or family childcare assistant in a licensed or license-exempt facility
- provide documentation confirming your employment history and current membership in the Gateways to Opportunity® Registry
- be enrolled part-time (at least 3 credit hours) or full-time in an approved two-year or four-year college that is part of the ECACE program and be working toward the following undergraduate degrees:
- an associate of applied science degree or a related certificate in early childhood education, OR
- a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, with or without a teaching license;
- Please note: If you have an AA/AAS degree in early childhood education but have not yet completed a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, you will meet the undergraduate education eligibility criteria for this program. Also, if you have an undergraduate degree in any field other than early childhood education and are now pursuing an AA/AAS or bachelor’s in early childhood education, you will meet the undergraduate education eligibility criteria for this program.
- maintain good academic standing as required by your college;
- submit both the ECACE Scholarship application and the FAFSA (or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid by the application deadline;
- not be in default on federal student loans or owe refunds on state or federal grants. If you are in default, you may re-establish your eligibility using the Default Resolution Options to Regain Federal and State Student Aid
While you do not need to demonstrate financial need to be eligible for this scholarship, priority consideration is given to:
- applicants who have received the scholarship before
- applicants who are close to graduating and have the lowest income based on their FAFSA or Alternative Application.
We encourage you to complete and submit all required application forms before the priority application consideration deadline. Applications received after the priority consideration deadline are considered only if funding is still available after awarding timely eligible applicants. Learn more about dates and timelines
Follow these steps to apply for the 2025-26 ECACE Scholarship:
- Complete the Gateways to Opportunity Registry’s Eligibility Verification Form. Follow these instructions to access the Eligibility Verification Form to access the Eligibility Verification Form. If you have prior employment that is not listed on your Eligibility Verification Form, you may request that it be added by completing the Reporting Prior Employment for ECACE Scholarship Form.
- Ensure that the college at which you are taking or plan to take courses is an ECACE-participating college. The ECACE Consortium provides personalized assistance and support to help you enroll at a college/university. Learn more about ECACE Higher Education Navigators.
- Complete and submit the ECACE Scholarship Application.
- Note: You must list your college of choice on your application. If you plan to attend more than one college during the same term, list only your college of record on the ECACE application.
- Complete and submit the FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid.
- Note: You must list your college of choice on your FAFSA or Alternative Application. If you plan to attend more than one college, list both colleges on your FAFSA or Alternative Application.
- Notify the college(s) you listed on your application materials that you have submitted an ECACE Scholarship application.
Has anything changed since you submitted your application?
You may need to let us know about something that’s changed since you originally submitted your ECACE Program application. You must notify us, in writing at the address below, within 15 days of any change affecting your enrollment status, name or address.
Keep the following in mind:
- You can only submit one application for this program per academic year. You can notify us of any changes, but please do not try to send a second application with your new information.
- Requests to change previously submitted information will not affect the “received date” of your application.
- You should notify us as soon as possible regarding any changes to your demographic information (name, address, phone number, etc.), or if you plan to use your ECACE Program benefits at a different college and/or for different terms. Report changes to your college of record before the beginning of the applicable term(s) to allow enough processing time and prevent a delay or loss of scholarship funds.
- Your request must include the last four digits of your Social Security number (for identification purposes) and clearly state what change(s) need to be made.
- Submit changes to ISAC using one of the following methods (note that changes cannot be reported over the phone):
- email to [email protected];
- fax to 847.831.8549; or
- letter to ISAC Program Operations, 1755 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield, IL 60015-5209
What Happens After You Apply?
- You will receive a confirmation email once your application is received.
- Application processing takes up to 12 weeks.
- If you need to change your response(s) or update any information after your application has been submitted, contact ISAC directly following the instructions to change your application data.
- Once ISAC determines that both the ECACE Scholarship application and the FAFSA or Alternative Application have been submitted, you will receive a letter stating that your application is considered complete. If your application is incomplete, ISAC will notify you about how to fix it. You will receive a letter explaining the reason and how to resolve the issue.
- Be sure the financial aid office at your college knows you will be enrolling and that you have submitted an ECACE Scholarship application.
- If your application is complete and your college determines you are eligible, you will receive notice of your eligibility, and your college will request payment on your behalf. Scholarship payments are made directly to the college.
- You will be notified if it is determined that you are not eligible for the scholarship or if there are not enough funds available to provide scholarships to all eligible applicants.
How Funds Are Distributed
- If your application is complete and your college determines you are eligible, your college will request payment on your behalf. Scholarship payments are made directly to the college, which will apply them to your costs.
- Recipients are expected to continue working or return to work in the early childhood care and education field in Illinois after completing their studies.
For the 2025-26 academic year:
- Apply no later than March 1, 2026 for priority consideration for all terms. Applications received after March 1, 2026 will be considered only if funds remain after awarding all timely eligible applicants.
The ECACE Scholarship pays the cost of attendance for an academic year up to $7,500 for students attending eligible colleges in Illinois. Recipients are expected to continue working or return to work in the early childhood care and education field in Illinois after completing their studies.
The maximum annual award a student may receive is the lesser of $7,500 or the cost of attendance after other aid is considered.
Licensed facility: A licensed facility is a childcare program in a center or home (family childcare) that is licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Most programs that serve more than three children aged 0-12 in a center or home are required to be licensed. Public and private schools and programs in other settings may not be required to be licensed and are typically categorized as “license-exempt”, if serving children aged three and older. These facilities include home-based childcare, community-based centers, school-based preschool, Preschool for All programs and HeadStart programs.
License-exempt facility: A license-exempt facility refers to childcare that is not required to be licensed by DCFS. This may include programs operated by public or private elementary school systems, high schools, or institutions or higher learning; programs conducted on federal government premises; and other programs recognized or registered with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), if children in the program are aged three and older
For Partners and Professionals
Program Funding
The 2026 fiscal year (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026) appropriation for the ECACE Scholarship Program is $5,000,000.
ISAC Administrative Rules
- Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity Scholarship Program: Part 2751
Access the administrative rules
Processing Flow
The ECACE Scholarship Program is processed through ISAC’s Gift Assistance Program (GAP) Access portal. Processing via the ECACE system has the same look, feel, and functionality as the other Gift Assistance Programs administered through GAP Access. Learn more about ECACE Electronic Processing.
School staff must have the appropriate level of access to the GAP Access Portal in order to view records, certify eligibility, and submit payment requests. The school's primary administrator or a designated administrator is responsible for authorizing access levels.
Eligibility
A record appears on the “Student List Eligibility: View” screen of the ECACE system in GAP Access for each complete application. Additional records will appear on the Student List on an ongoing basis as applications are reviewed. School staff may want to regularly check the ECACE system for new data.
Certification
- A certification record appears on the “Certification List: View” screen of the ECACE system for students whose applications are complete and eligible to be certified. Only records that need to be certified display on the “Certification List: View” screen.
- The Filter and/or Sort buttons can be applied to the Certification List: View screen to customize how information is displayed.
- Schools can indicate whether the applicant is eligible or ineligible, then save and submit their entry to ISAC. Once certified, the applicant status information will be updated on the “Certification List Eligibility: View” screen.
- A complete application and complete and eligible certification record are required for consideration for an award.
- For the 2025-26 certification process, colleges will be asked to indicate if a student meets program eligibility criteria by selecting either "Yes" or "No."
- If "No" is selected, the college must select a reason that best describes why the student is considered ineligible.
- If the student was not paid benefits in 2024-25, the college will be asked if the student is close to completion of their program.
- The options are either "Yes" or "No."
- "Close to completion" is defined as 30 credit hours or less.
- Colleges will only have to provide this information for applicants who received ECACE Scholarship funds in years prior to 2024-25.
All Certifications available in the ECACE system must be completed regardless of whether the school certifies a student as eligible or ineligible. The only way an applicant will receive notification of their eligibility status from ISAC is if the certification record is submitted.
Applicant Notification
Applicants who are certified as eligible by the college, and for whom funds are available to award an ECACE Scholarship, will receive a Notice of Eligibility.
Applicants who are determined ineligible for an award receive a Notice of Ineligibility. The letter received will vary depending on their ineligible status based on the data they provided during their application or data provided by the college.
When there are not enough funds available to award all qualified applicants, a Notice of Insufficient Funding is sent to impacted applicants. This notification indicates their applications will remain on file and they will be contacted again if funds become available to make additional awards.
Awarding
- Eligible applicants will be awarded based on whether their application was received before or after the priority consideration date. Renewal applicants receive priority consideration.
- Each term, schools must submit payment requests on behalf of award recipients via the “Student Detail: Payments” screen of the ECACE system. Schools may submit ECACE Scholarship claims beginning 10 days prior to the start of the term for which payment is being requested.
- For each valid payment request, ISAC authorizes a voucher in the amount of the payment invoice and submits it to the State Comptroller's Office
- State Comptroller’s Office issues payment to the college
- Data is reconciled as part of the payment offset process
- College reconciles data only (adjustments or cancellations for previously submitted payment requests) throughout the year, using the ECACE system
After final reconciliation has been completed at end of regular school year, ISAC distributes notifications to colleges detailing the outstanding amount that must be refunded to ISAC
Appeal Procedures
Ineligible applicants will be advised of the reason for the denial of an award. If there are extenuating circumstances that would cause ISAC to reconsider an applicant’s eligibility, an appeal may be appropriate. While a financial aid administrator may assist an applicant with an appeal, the applicant must appeal ISAC’s decision by filing a written request within 60 days of the date on the denial letter. The appeal process is explained in the denial letter.
ECACE Scholarship payment processing is done using the ECACE system within the GAP Access portal.
Refer to the ECACE Payment page for information about the payment request and payment authorization processes.
Colleges determine the term award amount(s) for eligible recipients based on cost of attendance and other aid received.
The ECACE Scholarship:
- is intended to be last payer, after all other aid has been provided.
- may be used to replace student loans that might otherwise have been part of the student’s aid package.
Colleges can request payment for individual students via the ECACE “Student Detail: Payment” screen or in batches for a group of students via the “Payment Request Entry” screen.
Colleges are encouraged to submit payment requests for awarded students as soon as possible. The timely submission of payment requests allows ISAC staff to monitor program funding levels and ensure that available dollars are best leveraged to award as many scholarships as possible without exceeding the appropriation.
Access the ECACE User Guide for step-by-step instructions on how to use the ECACE system in GAP Access.
Priority Claim Deadline Dates
2025-26 ECACE Scholarship Priority Payment Request Deadline Dates
As part of our ongoing efforts to best leverage appropriated funds to award as many eligible students as possible, priority payment request deadline dates are established for each term.
- Term 1 (fall for semester and quarter schools) Priority Payment Request Deadline Date: December 31, 2025
- Term 2 (spring for semester schools; winter for quarter schools) Priority Payment Request Deadline Date: Not yet determined
- Term 3 (spring for quarter schools) Priority Payment Request Deadline Date: Not yet determined
Submitting Claims
Submitting payment requests is a two-step process, which involves generating the request and then submitting the request. By submitting a payment request to ISAC via the ECACE system, a college is confirming that the student is enrolled and continues to meet all eligibility criteria. If a college determines that an applicant does not meet all eligibility requirements, they report the reason for ineligibility via the ECACE system.
Payment results are available in the ECACE system the morning following each payment run. Schools are encouraged to frequently check the system for payment results. A Payment Result Summary and Invoice Detail Report can be viewed or printed by selecting the report tab in the ECACE system once payment results are available. The report includes Payment Results and Payment Exceptions as well as Invoice Detail about the payment claim. The Payment Results/Exceptions report should be reviewed regularly to see which requests, if any, did not process as expected.
Refer to the payment section of the ECACE User Guide for a list of result codes, as well as details about how to submit a payment request, use the sort and filter functions, and obtain payment reports. Refer to the ECACE Electronic Processing page for details about accessing the ECACE system and hours of operation.
A report for tracking payment vouchers and warrants is available via the ECACE System. The report (which may be accessed via the Reports section and is identified by the same red PDF icon that appears with the “Payment Results/Exceptions” report) provides payment voucher and warrant information, dependent upon where the payment is in the process.
- Once ISAC processes a payment request and sends it to the State Comptroller, the report will appear with the following title format: (Program) Voucher INV mm-dd-yyyy SCH xxx.
- At this time, the “WARRANT NO.” and “WARRANT DATE” fields on the report will be blank.
- The last page of the report provides invoice information, including the amount due to the school and the invoice number.
- This same invoice number also will be referenced on the voucher from the State Comptroller, authorizing payment.
- The voucher number will be referenced on the check (payment).
- The “WARRANT NO.” and “WARRANT DATE” fields will populate on the report after the State Comptroller has authorized payment for the voucher.
- Once this happens, the title format will be: (Program) Warrant INV mm-dd-yyyy SCH xxx.
Because colleges may track payment vouchers and warrants via the ECACE system, ISAC does not send e-mails with ECACE Scholarship voucher data to financial aid directors.
Disbursement
Awards are disbursed per the discretion of the college. There are no term limits, but the total requested for all terms cannot exceed the Scholar’s annual award during any academic year.
ISAC authorizes a voucher in the amount of the payment invoice and submits it to the State Comptroller's Office, which issues payment to the institution. Colleges can match the invoice number on the Payment Results/Exceptions report with the payment voucher.
Upon receipt of the scholarship funds from the Comptroller, the college should verify the student's enrollment status for the term for which the award was intended.
- If the recipient is enrolled, the institution may credit the scholarship funds to the recipient’s account for expenses due and payable. If appropriate, any balance is to be returned to the recipient.
- If the recipient has withdrawn, or if the college has reduced the amount of the award so as not to exceed the cost of attendance, the college must indicate the reason on the ECACE “Student Detail: Payment” screen. The ECACE system will deobligate the award and the amount will offset a future payment to the college.
If a student fails to meet any of the eligibility requirements during the academic year, all undisbursed funds will be deobligated.
Payment Offset and Reconciliation
Payment offset and reconciliation procedures apply to ECACE Scholarship payment processing. Refund checks should not be sent for cancellations/adjustments made throughout the award year. Funds should only be returned to ISAC after a final reconciliation has been completed at the end of the regular school year.
Details regarding the Payment Offset and Reconciliation process is located in the Refunds and Unpaid Claims section of the Processes area.