The Illinois Monetary Award Program awards grants to Illinoisans who need assistance to attend college.
The Illinois Monetary Award Program awards grants to Illinoisans who need assistance to attend college. The program, administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, supports study at schools approved by the U.S. Department of Education. MAP is the fourth-largest program of its kind in the country, annually awarding over $400 million in grants to 145,000 undergraduates, according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. MAP grants pay for tuition and fees only, and to receive funding, students must meet certain qualifications.
Instructions
1. Read the MAP guidelines to determine your eligibility. To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and an Illinois resident, and you must demonstrate financial need via the FAFSA federal student aid application.
In addition, you have to be enrolled in a MAP-approved college for a minimum of 3 credits in a degree or certificate program and maintain satisfactory academic performance, as defined by your college. You would not qualify for funding if you already have a bachelor's degree, have defaulted on a college loan, already have the equivalent of 135 MAP-paid credit hours or are incarcerated.
2. Prepare an estimated budget for the school year in question. Remember, grants awarded through MAP cover only tuition and mandatory fees.
3. Visit your college's financial aid office. Let them know you are applying for MAP funding, and go over your qualifications with them. They should be able to let you know if you are likely to receive a MAP grant and will help you apply. Ask if there are additional financial programs you can apply for that may offset your costs.
ISAC, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, works with the college, which submits MAP payment requests on behalf of students and disburses the funds. Should you receive funding, you may be held responsible for payment until the college receives the program monies.
4. Ask the financial aid representative how much MAP funding you qualify for. The actual amount awarded for each term depends on your financial need, the cost of your tuition and mandatory fees and the number of credit hours you take. The maximum annual award will be the least of three possibilities -- the eligible amount given your financial circumstances, the maximum allowed by ISAC for your college's tuition and fees or $4,968, as of 2011.
The total limit for MAP-paid credit hours is 135. If you classify as a freshman or sophomore, you have a limit of 75 MAP-paid credit hours.
5. Complete the Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after January 1 to qualify to receive MAP funding for the academic year that begins after July 1. Financial need is based on information provided in the FAFSA.
For each year, if your FAFSA has been processed and you meet other terms of eligibility, ISAC will send an acknowledgment letter. The college is in charge of verifying your eligibility and making the award announcement.
Tags: credit hours, Assistance Commission, Illinois Student, Illinois Student Assistance, MAP-paid credit, MAP-paid credit hours