A new law that went into effect in Illinois this week has now cleared the way for previously ineligible undocumented and some transgender students to access state financial aid in order to achieve their higher-education goals. “I’m committed to expanding college affordability for every student in Illinois because it’s a common sense investment in our future,” Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement.
“Before the new state law, there was not a stand-alone application for state aid, so some transgender students or those in the U.S. without permission had no way to apply for state aid,” Education Week reported. Undocumented people can’t use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, and “Some transgender students could not use FAFSA because it requires male college students between the ages of 18 and 26 to register with the Selective Service System,” Education Week noted.
The changes implemented under the legislation now allow these previously shut-out students to access state aid they already pay into as state residents. “There wasn’t another mechanism for obtaining financial aid from the state,” Illinois Deputy Gov. Jesse Ruiz told the Chicago Sun Times. “Now we’ve created this new avenue that has solved this problem,” he said, adding that dozens of students have already stepped forward to apply.
The bill was one of a number of progressive pieces of legislation signed into law by Pritzker since he took office last year, including a bill that made the state the first in the nation to ban private immigration detention facilities, and a bill that prohibits local police from participating in the flawed 287(g) program, which effectively allows them to act as federal immigration agents, which shouldn’t be the job of local police.
State Rep. Lisa Hernandez, lead sponsor of the state financial aid bill, celebrated the victory for undocumented and transgender students. “In order to build a stronger and more equitable Illinois, we must invest in our young people and make college more affordable,” she said in a statement. “The Illinois RISE Act expands opportunity to all students, regardless of race, immigration status or gender identity.”