ISAC and State Colleges Help Veterans Pursue Education

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Student Assistance Commission, in partnership with the state’s public universities and community colleges, will award more than $26 million to eligible Illinois veterans during the 2005-2006 academic year to help pay for their college educations. The Illinois Veteran Grant program, administered by the Commission, pays tuition and mandatory fees for eligible students enrolling in an Illinois community college or public university.

Governor Rod R. Blagojevich recently signed legislation proposed by ISAC that rewrites the long-standing Illinois Veteran Grant program. 

“The law governing the program hadn’t been significantly updated since its creation in the 1970s,” explained Larry Matejka, ISAC’s Executive Director.  “It was past time to reexamine the program’s requirements and policies, especially in light of our current military environment.  Illinois is fortunate to have one of the most generous veteran education benefit programs in the nation, and we wanted to ensure that the program met the needs of today’s veterans.” 

Individuals are eligible for the Illinois Veteran Grant if they enter federal active duty service as an Illinois resident, serve at least one year of federal active duty service or less than a year if the service is in a foreign country during a time of hostilities in that country, and have an honorable service record.  Those who have left service must return to Illinois within six months to maintain eligibility.  Beneficiaries of the Illinois Veteran Grant are not required to pay tuition or mandatory fees while attending a state university or community college for the equivalent of four years of full-time enrollment, including summer terms.

Over the past year, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the State’s centralized agency administering and promoting college financial aid programs, awarded approximately 12,000 grants to eligible veterans.  These grants were subsidized by a state appropriation of $19,250,000, but because the funding level did not fully cover the entitled grants for all eligible veterans, the state’s public universities and community colleges waived a portion of the grants.  Given the same amount of funding for the 2005-2006 academic year, universities and community colleges will likely continue to waive a portion of tuition and fees for eligible veterans, if the number of applicants remains level.

Members of the Illinois National Guard are eligible for the Illinois Veteran Grant, if they meet the eligibility criteria.  National Guard members can also receive the Illinois National Guard Grant which covers tuition and some fees.  The bill recently signed by

Governor Blagojevich expands the grant to be available for officers in the National Guard and allows recipients to accept the grant for the equivalent of four years of full-time enrollment, including summer terms.

About ISAC
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is the State’s centralized provider of financial assistance aimed at helping students and families access postsecondary education and/or training. Each year, the Commission awards an estimated $400 million in scholarship and grant aid to nearly 185,000 qualified students, and also provides an additional $740 million to borrowers through its student loan programs. The agency offers credit-based alternative loans, a 529 prepaid tuition program known as College Illinois!, and a broad array of outreach and informational services to ensure that families have access to the information they need to pay for a college education. More information is available by calling toll-free 800.899.ISAC (4722) or visiting the agency’s Web site at www.collegezone.com.