End Student Housing Insecurity (ESHI) Grants

The End Student Housing Insecurity (ESHI) Grants program is a funding opportunity administered by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). This grant initiative is aimed at supporting public and private institutions of higher education in Illinois to address student housing insecurity. Housing instability has increasingly been recognized as a significant barrier to academic success, and the ESHI program represents a strategic effort by the state to provide targeted assistance to alleviate these challenges for students across Illinois. The ESHI Grants are made available through state funding, as indicated by the source classification, and are part of a broader state-level response to structural educational equity issues. The program has been allocated an estimated total of $1.8 million in funding. There are no restrictions listed regarding indirect costs, meaning applicants may include such costs in their budgets. While the precise number of grants to be awarded has not been predetermined, the availability of this level of funding suggests multiple institutions may benefit from this opportunity. Applications for the ESHI Grants are open from July 25, 2025, through September 8, 2025, with a closing time of 12:00 PM on the final date. The program does not require matching funds, removing a common barrier for institutions that may lack supplementary financial resources. Additionally, the opportunity does not impose any limitations or ranges on the amount that can be requested, nor does it set an award ceiling or floor. This flexibility allows institutions to tailor their requests based on specific student housing needs and proposed project scopes. To apply, institutions must access the application portal through the IBHE’s dedicated ESHI webpage, the URL of which is provided in the official Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant does not offer a technical assistance session, and there are no pre-application deadlines or required preliminary steps such as Letters of Intent or concept papers. The application must be submitted in full by the listed deadline. There is also no indication of recurring cycles or rolling submissions; this appears to be a standalone funding round at this time. Eligibility for the ESHI Grant is limited to public and private institutions of higher education within Illinois. This exclusive eligibility aligns with the program’s intent to address housing insecurity among students enrolled in postsecondary education within the state. As such, only institutions serving Illinois students are permitted to apply. There are no geographic subdivisions or restrictions beyond the requirement that institutions be located and operating in Illinois. For questions regarding the program or the application process, applicants may contact Ashley Lewis at the Illinois Board of Higher Education via email at lewis@ibhe.org. This single point of contact ensures a centralized source of communication. No phone contact is listed. Potential applicants are encouraged to begin preparing their submissions promptly to meet the mid-September deadline.