Illinois MIA/POW Scholarship

• Illinois Veterans Grant         
• Illinois National Guard Grant          
• Montgomery GI Bill Educational Benefits (Chapter 30, 33, 1606, and 1607)         
• Federal Vocational Educational Benefits for Disabled Veterans (Chapter 31)         
• Federal Education Benefits for Dependents of Veterans (Chapter 35)
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How to apply          

         

The student must obtain an application for the Illinois  MIA/POW Scholarship from the Financial Aid Office at Prairie State College or  download the application from www.veterans.illinois.gov/pdfs/miapowscholarshipapp.pdf.  The applicant is required to provide the following documentation as  appropriate: marriage certificate, birth certificate, adoption decree,  guardianship papers, and/or proof of the applicant’s physical, mental, or  developmental disability. Verification of the federal 100 percent service connected  disability rating or, if the veteran is deceased, verification from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs that the veteran’s death is service connected,  or verification that the veteran has been determined by Congress to be an  MIA/POW must also accompany the application. Send completed application and supporting documents to: Department of  Veterans Affairs, PO Box 19432, Springfield, IL 62794-9432. For more information regarding application status, call (217) 782-3564.

         

What determine  eligibility?          

         

The applicant must be the spouse, natural child, adopted  child, or stepchild of a veteran or service person who has been declared by the  US Department of Veterans Affairs to be a MIA or POW, or to have died as the  result of a service connected disability, or to the 100 percent (total) service  connected disabled, and who, at the time of entering service, was an Illinois  resident and was an Illinois resident within six months of leaving service.  Male applicants must also have registered with Selective Service.

         

How are recipients  selected?           

         

The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs reviews all  applications and approves those that meet their guidelines. An award letter is  provided to the student, which must be submitted to the veterans affairs advisor  at Prairie State College before the award will be posted to the student’s  account.

         

How is the amount of  the award determined?          

         

The amount of the award is equal to the student’s charges  for tuition and registration fees. Lab fees and book fees are not covered by  MIA/POW Scholarship and are the responsibility of the student. However,  students are encouraged to apply for other Federal Grants to meet these costs  by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with PSC  School Code (001640) as the school choice at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

         

How and when are the  funds paid out?          

         

MIA/POW Scholarship recipients do not receive a cash award.  Appropriate charges based on the credit hours the student is enrolled in are  billed to the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, and the amount credited  to the student’s PSC account. The recipient is entitled to full payment of  tuition and certain fees to any state supported Illinois institution of higher  learning for the equivalent of four calendar years of full-time enrollment  including summer terms.

         

Additional  information          

         

This award can be used for both undergraduate and graduate  work. If the student is also eligible for the Illinois Student Assistance  Commission MAP Grant, the MIA/POW award must be used first.