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Grants

A grant is a type of gift aid that does not require repayment. Each grant has different requirements for eligibility. Eligibility for need-based grants is determined using federal and/or state formulas and the information the student provided on the FAFSA.  Completion of the FAFSA is the only application required to be considered for the specific grant programs listed below.  The Illinois Student Admissions Commission administers several grants.  Please visit collegeillinois.org to find information regarding these programs. If you are not a resident of the State of Illinios you are encouraged to contact your home state grant agency to identify any additional grant funds that you might be eligible to receive.  Before accepting loan funds you should consider all sources of financial assistance that may be available to you. 

Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant is a federally-funded grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education.

  • Need-based
  • 2013-2014 Awarded to students with an EFC less than 5,082
  • 2013-2014 Awards vary from $605 to $5,645
  • 2012-2013 Awarded to students with an EFC less than 4,996
  • 2012-2013 Awards vary from $602 to $5,550
  • Available to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's degree or professional degree
  • In some cases, a student may receive a Federal Pell Grant for attending a post-baccalaureate teacher certificate program
  • Students who do not receive their full Federal Pell Grant award during the fall and spring terms are eligible for the remaining amount during the summer
  • Students are limited by Federal Law to receiving the equivalent of six years of Pell Grant funding.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

The FSEOG is a federally-funded grant awarded by the Office of Student Financial Aid

  • Need-based
  • Awarded only to Pell Grant-eligible students
  • Award amounts vary
  • Must be enrolled full-time
  • Availble to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's degree or professional degree

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant

The TEACH Grant Program provides up to $4,000 a year in grant assistance to undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate students who agree to serve for at least four years as full-time “highly qualified” teachers in high-need fields in public or not-for-profit private elementary or secondary schools that serve students from low-income families. 

The Office of Student Financial Aid recommends that only students who are committed to teaching a high-need subject in a designated low-income school upon graduation consider this possible source of funds.  This teaching obligation must be completed in a public or nonprofit elementary or secondary school that is eligible for Title I assistance. If the four-year teaching obligation is not met within eight years of graduation, the grant will convert to an unsubsidized loan, which will have to be repaid with interest calculated back to the date the funds were disbursed.

  • Non-need-based, but must file a FAFSA
  • U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Students
  • $4,000 each year, prorated for part-time students
  • Score above the 75th percentile on a national standardized college admissions test or have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 as a high school graduate and maintain that GPA throughout your academic program
  • Complete TEACH Grant counseling and sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve and Promise to Pay.  Grant recipients agree to teach for at least four years within eight years of finishing their teacher preparation program and to teach high-need subjects in designated schools that serve low-income students.
  • Enrolled in a teacher education certificate program in one of the following areas:
    • Bilingual Education and English Language Acquisition
    • Foreign Language
    • Mathematics
    • Reading Specialist
    • Science
    • Special Education
  • Complete TEACH Grant Initial Counseling and TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve

Eligible students will be notified.  Click here for more information regarding eligibility.

Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant

The MAP Grant is a state-funded grant awarded by the Illinois Student Aid Commission.

  • Need-based
  • Students and parents must be Illinois residents
  • Available to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s degree or professional degree
  • Awarded based on formula; students with an EFC greater than 9,000 are not eligible
  • Students with sophomore-standing who have accumulated 75 MAP Eligibility Units or students who have accumulated 135 MAP Eligibility Units are not eligible
  • 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 Awards vary from $300 to $4,720
  • Awards for students with less than 15 credit hours per semester will be pro-rated
  • Grants may be limited based on FAFSA application date, number of applicants and funding levels appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly.

On February 28, 2013, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) announced the suspension of 2013-14 MAP awards for students whose FAFSA is received by the Federal Processor on or after Saturday, March 2, 2013.  The March 2 suspension date, which is the earliest in MAP history, is the result of continuing state budget difficulties and an unprecedented number of early applications.

University of Illinois Tuition Grant

The University of Illinois Tuition Grant is an institutional-funded grant awarded by the Office of Student Financial Aid.

  • Need-based
  • Students and parents must be Illinois residents
  • Available to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s degree or professional degree
  • Awarded based on formula; students with an EFC greater than 12,000 are not eligible
  • Award amounts vary
  • Must be enrolled full-time
  • Grants may be limited based on FAFSA application date and completion of the financial aid application process