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Illinois College Grants
Regardless of what kind of a student you are or what your career goals are, the state of Illinois can help you fund your education without going into serious debt. Grants are available from multiple sources, including the state government and several private benefactors. What can you do to qualify for a grant or two to help alleviate the cost of schooling?
The Illinois General Assembly Scholarship is available through a state representative or senator, with each region of the state carrying its own set of criteria that must be met. You may also be eligible for the Merit Recognition Scholarship, awarded typically in amounts around $1000 (depending on the available state funding), with your high school standardized exams acting as the means of qualification. It may be used at any Illinois state institute of higher learning or any one of the four military academies in the country.
The Illinois Dollars for Scholars Organization partners sponsoring corporations and wealthy philanthropists who donate funds with state chapters and high schools in need of funding. This offers alternative grant and scholarship options to students at a local level and fulfills the need for additional financial assistance for many who still cannot afford a higher education.
If you are planning to become a teacher, you can volunteer to work in an area of great need and receive additional funding for school. Minority students aspiring to teach who maintain a 2.5 or higher GPA and agree to work in the state upon graduation can receive up to $5000 per academic year through the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program.
List of Illinois College Grants
- Higher Education License Plate Program - Help — $1000 to $2000 awarded each year to 175-200 undergraduate students attending Illinois college.
- Illinois College Savings Bond bonus Incentive Grant — $40 to $440 awarded each year to 1200-1400 undergraduate and graduate students attending Illinois college.
- Illinois National Guard Grant Program — $1300 to $1700 awarded to 2000 - 3000 undergraduate and graduate students who are members of Illinois National Guard.
- Illinois Student-to-Student Program of Matching Grants — $300 to $1000 awarded each year to 2000-4000 undergraduate students attending Illinois college.
- Illinois Veteran Grant Program - IVG — $1400 to $1600 awarded each year to 11000-13000 veteran undergraduate and graduate students attending Illinois college.
- Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access Program — $500 awarded each year to 19000-22000 undergraduate students attending Illinois college.
Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.