Illinois

Enacted Policies

Illinois provides eligible undocumented residents, including DACA recipients, with access to in-state tuition, state financial aid, professional and occupational licenses in many professions, and driver licenses and state identification.

Illinois Public Act (P.A.) 093-0007, signed into law on May 20, 2003, provides eligible undocumented students, including DACA recipients, with access to in-state tuition at the state’s public colleges and universities.

Students must meet certain requirements to access in-state tuition, including residing with their parents or guardians while attending a public or private high school in the state for at least (3) years, graduating from these programs or receiving an equivalent of a high school diploma, and signing an affidavit stating that the individual will file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States at the earliest opportunity the individual is eligible to do so.

Refugee In-State Tuition: Illinois does not appear to have state policies that expand access to in-state tuition to the state’s refugee students. Policies may vary by institution. 

Illinois House Bill (H.B.) 2691, signed into law on June 21, 2019, allows the state’s undocumented students, including DACA recipients, to access state financial aid if they are eligible for in-state tuition.

Illinois House Bill (H.B.) 3438, signed into law in September 2021, directs public universities in the state to designate an employee to serve as an Undocumented Student Resource Liaison. The designated employee would be responsible for helping students without documentation to access financial aid and other academic support.

Additional Financial Aid

TheDream.US is a national organization that offers scholarships to DACA and undocumented students attending eligible postsecondary institutions across the country. In Illinois, the following institutions are TheDream.US Partner Colleges:

• Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago;
• Dominican University;
• Illinois College;
• Lewis University;
• National Louis University;
• North Park University;
• Northeastern Illinois University;
• University of Illinois at Chicago; and,
• Illinois Institute of Technology.

Illinois allows individuals in most professions to obtain professional and occupational licensure regardless of their immigration status.

Illinois Senate Bill (S.B.) 3109, signed into law on August 24, 2018, amends the state’s Department of Professional Regulation Law to allow applicants to provide an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) as an alternative to providing a Social Security Number (SSN) when applying for a professional license issued by the department. The bill provides that no applicant shall be denied a license solely based on their immigration or citizenship status. It also amends the Pharmacy Practice Act by removing language requiring an applicant for a registered pharmacist license to provide evidence indicating that he or she is a United States citizen or legally admitted immigrant.

Illinois House Bill (H.B.) 4332, passed by the state legislature on April 7, 2022, amends the Health Care Worker Background Check Act by permitting individuals to substitute an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) on an Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) license application if the agency requires the individual to provide a Social Security Number (SSN). This, in turn, ensures that all qualified individuals can obtain a license to practice the profession for which they have trained for.

Illinois Senate Bill (S.B.) 0023, signed into law on August 20, 2015, authorizes the Illinois Supreme Court to grant eligible DACA recipients a license to practice law in the state. Applicants must fulfill all the requirements to practice law within the state, as well as meet the following conditions:

1. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must approve the applicant’s request for DACA;
2. The applicants’ DACA is not expired or has been properly renewed; and,
3. The applicant has a current and valid employment authorization document issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Illinois House Bill (H.B.) 3751 passed by the state legislature on May 19, 2023. This bill amends the Illinois Municipal Code by allowing individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States, under federal law, including DACA recipients, the opportunity to apply for city or county law enforcement jobs including police officer. The individual must meet all educational, training, and professional requirements other than citizenship. If the Governor of Illinois JB Pritzker signs the bill, it will become effective January 1, 2024.

Undocumented immigrants living in Illinois are eligible to obtain a driver license. Senate Bill (S.B.) 0957, signed into law on January 28, 2013, permits undocumented residents in the state to apply for a Temporary Visitors Driver’s License (TVDL).

DACA recipients in Illinois are also allowed to obtain a driver license or state identification card.

Illinois House Bill (H.B.) 5028, introduced on January 31, 2022, provides that a noncitizen graduate student who does not possess a valid visa or status as a lawful permanent resident is eligible for State financial aid and benefits. This includes eligibility to apply or receive consideration for any student aid or benefit funded or administered by the State, any State agency, or any public institution of higher learning including scholarships, grants, awards, stipends, room and board assistance, tuition waivers, or other financial or in-kind assistance. Furthermore, students may not be subject to any caps on grant assistance available under the Monetary Award Program other than those required by State law.