Financial Assistance

Actively-serving members of the Illinois National Guard (Army or Air) may receive the ING to cover tuition and certain fees.

Eligibility

Illinois National Guard members (Army & Air) are eligible for the ING grant if:

• You have completed one full year of service
• You are currently an active member in the Illinois National Guard, or
• You have been previously active in the Illinois National Guard for at least five consecutive years and have had your studies interrupted by being called to federal active duty service for at least six months and must be within 12 months of your discharge date from the Illinois National Guard
• You are an enlisted member or an officer
• You are enrolled at an Illinois pubic 2- or 4- year college.
• Not be in default on any student loan, nor owe a refund on any state or federal grant (if you are in default, you may re-establish your eligibility)
• Maintain an acceptable grade point average (GPA) according to the policy determined by your college.

How to Apply

Complete the online ING application (direct link listed on our Financial Aid website) on or before October 1st of the academic year for which you're requesting assistance (must be completed annually). You will receive an eligibility certificate in the mail when approved. Once received, bring this form to the Financial Aid Office for processing.

Please note that the online application usually opens around May each year, so it is highly recommended that you apply early.

Submit your complete application on or before the deadline date, based on the first term for which you would like to receive funds each year.

Deadlines for application:

• October 1- Full Year Consideration
• March 1- Only 2nd Semester (2nd/3rd Quarter)
• June 15- Summer Term Consideration Only

For more information or assistance if you cannot apply electronically, please contact the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC).

Armed Forces Veterans who lived in Illinois for at least six months before entering military service and return to Illinois within six months after discharge (specific requirements listed below) may receive the Illinois Veterans Grant to cover eligible tuition and mandatory fees.

Eligibility

Note: legislation that took effect in July 2019 amends the Illinois residency requirements for this program. The amended requirements are reflected in the following.

To be considered eligible to receive IVG benefits, you must:

• Satisfy Illinois residency requirements by meeting the below qualifications as outlined either in number 1, 2 and 3, or in 4:
1. currently reside in Illinois unless you are serving federal active duty service at the time of enrollment in college or residing with a spouse in continued military service who is currently stationed outside of Illinois.
2. were a resident of Illinois at the time of entering federal active duty service or within six months prior to entering the service or were a student at a Illinois public 2- or 4- year college at the time of entering federal active duty service.
3. established, or if on federal active duty service, plan to establish Illinois residency within six months after leaving federal active duty service, or if married to a person in continued military service
• apply for this grant within six months after and include the date the spouse was stationed within Illinois, or
• if the spouse was stationed outside Illinois, established, or plan to establish, Illinois residency within six months after and including the date the spouse was separated
• Note: You may be considered eligible for the IVG program by fulfilling #2 and #3 above; however, if you do not currently reside in Illinois (#1), you will not receive IVG benefits.
4. reside in Illinois at the time of application and at the time of receiving benefits for enrollment and, at some point after leaving federal active duty service, have been a resident of Illinois for at least 15 consecutive years.
• Meet one of these two criteria:
• have served at least one year of federal active duty service in the Armed Forces of the United States, which may include the Illinois National Guard and the Reserve component of the Armed Forces, (Drill time (weekend and summer drills) by Guard members and Reservists is not equivalent to federal active duty service), or
• regardless of length of service, have served in a foreign country in a time of hostilities in that country; have been medically discharged for service related reasons; or have been discharged prior to August 11, 1967.
• Have received honorable discharge (general discharge under honorable conditions is not eligible) for each period of federal active duty service, and/or be honorably serving. **Contact information is available for Illinois military personnel who need to request a copy of the Department of Defense (DOD) Certification of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214 Member-4 or equivalent copy).
• Not be a current member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Applicants are not eligible if their only service has been attendance at the service academy. Time served attending military schools or for Initial Active Duty for Training, in the Delayed Entry Program, National Guard, Reserve or any other time that was not federally active duty is not considered equal to federal active duty service. Drill time (weekend and summer drills) by Guard members and Reservists is not equivalent to federal active duty.
• Not be in default on any student loan, nor owe a refund on any state or federal grant. If you are in default, you may re-establish your eligibility.

In order to receive benefits, qualified applicants must be enrolled at an Illinois public 2- or 4- year college and maintain the minimum grade point average (GPA) required by that college.

**If you receive benefits from the IVG Program while serving federal active duty service, upon discharge you will be required to verify that your service has been characterized as honorable.

How to Apply

Complete and submit the IVG application (direct link listed on our Financial Aid webpage) . Fully completed applications (including all required documentation) must be received at The Illinois Student Assistant Commission Office (ISAC) allowing sufficient time to complete processing prior to the last scheduled day of classes in the term for which a grant is requested.

You will receive an eligibility certificate in the mail from ISAC when approved.
Once received, bring this form to the Financial Aid Office for processing and you must request the benefit prior to the last day of class in the semester for which a grant is requested.

For more information or assistance if you cannot apply electronically, please contact the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC).