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State Scholar Program
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Program Description
Eligibility
Selection and Notification Process
Processing Updates

The State Scholar Program recognizes Illinois high school students for outstanding academic achievement. State scholar designation provides honorary recognition with no monetary award. Approximately the top ten percent of Illinois high school graduates are announced as State Scholars each year.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen
  • Be a resident of Illinois
  • Attend an ISAC-approved high school
  • Take the ACT, SAT or Prairie State Achievement Exam between September 1 and June 30 (by the end of the third semester before high school graduation*) 
  • Perform in the top one-half of your high school class at the end of the third semester prior to graduation*, and/or score in the 95th percentile on the ACT, SAT or Prairie State Achievement Exam
  • Graduate from high school during the academic year in which you were selected as a State Scholar
*(typically the end of your junior year in high school)

Selection and Notification Process
  • There is no application to complete for the State Scholar Program; standardized test scores and performance-based academic data reported by your high school are used to determine if you are eligible
  • ISAC receives your ACT, SAT and/or Prairie State Achievement Exam scores from each test's service
  • Your high school counselor submits information to ISAC for the selection process
  • Your high school then receives a Certificate of Achievement for each State Scholar at that school
  • If you are named a State Scholar, you will  receive a congratulatory letter from ISAC
Processing Updates

Note that ISAC routinely updates this section as new information becomes available. Be sure to check back periodically for the current processing status.

For the 2008-09 Academic Year (last updated 
November 27, 2007
):

During November 2007, qualified Illinois high school students were designated as 2008-09 State Scholars. Congratulatory letters from ISAC have been mailed to Scholars, and a Certificate of Achievement for each Scholar has been mailed to high schools. Typically, the Certificates are presented to Scholars during a high school honors ceremony, but they may be distributed based on the preferences of each high school.

© 2003-2007 Illinois Student Assistance Commission