Home
Student Services
Veterans Services
Benefits
Illinois National Guard Grant

Illinois National Guard Grant

 

How to apply

The Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant application is available online as an interactive application. The online application has many benefits, including program information which is available at your fingertips, online edits which prevent errors, elimination of mailing time, and immediate confirmation that your application has been received at ISAC.

The complete application must be received by ISAC on or before the deadline date, and an application must be submitted for each academic year in which benefits are to be used. The online, interactive application collects all the information needed to determine eligibility. Additional documentation (including the Notice of Basic Eligibility [NOBE] which is used to apply for the GI Bill) is not required and, if submitted to ISAC, will not be returned to the applicant.

If you are a qualified applicant, ISAC will send you an eligibility letter, which you should provide to your college's financial aid office as soon as you receive it. (ISAC's processing time is approximately four-six weeks.)


What determine eligibility?

The applicant must have served for at least one year in the Illinois National Guard, must be currently active in the Illinois National Guard, and cannot be in default on any educational loan or owe a refund on a federal or state grant. The applicant must also be registered with the Selective Service or be exempt from their registration requirements. 


How are recipients selected?

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission reviews the application and notifies the student of the award. The award notice 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 Illinois National Guard Grant 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? 

Illinois National Guard Grant recipients do not receive a cash award. Appropriate charges based on the credit hours the student is enrolled in are billed to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and the amount credited to the student’s account. The recipient is entitled to full payment of tuition and certain fees to any state-supported Illinois institution of learning for the equivalent of three calendar years of full enrollment including summer terms. 


Additional information

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