Award Determination for MTI

The total number of scholarships awarded each year is contingent upon the funds appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly.

All timely applicants, are included in the initial awarding process if their completed Initial Certification Documents are received at ISAC from the college or university by the requested ISAC receipt date. Renewal applicants who continue to meet the eligibility criteria receive priority consideration within this group.  If funding is insufficient to provide this group of qualified applicants with a scholarship, awarding is based on the date-received order of applications received for individuals as follows:

1. Qualified renewal applicants;
2. Qualified applicants enrolled at or above the junior level;
3. Other qualified applicants.

At least 30 percent of the funds appropriated for scholarships awarded for each academic year are reserved for qualified male applicants. These funds are awarded separately to male applicants following the criteria listed above.  If ISAC does not receive enough applications from qualified male minorities on or before January 1 of each fiscal year to award the full 30%, then a portion of the remaining reserved funds may be used to award scholarships to qualified female minority applicants. 

Students, who apply after the priority application deadline of March 1, will be ranked using the above criteria and given consideration for the scholarship if funds remain after all qualified timely applicants have been awarded.

Student Award Announcements

Based on the Initial Certification Document(s) that the postsecondary school completes and returns to ISAC, as well as the above factors, ISAC proceeds with the awarding process and sends the appropriate notification to each applicant.

One of two types of award announcements is sent to eligible MTI applicants. Award information is available at My Zone after each round of awarding to assist in identifying which students were eligible for TESP awards and which students would be funded.
The two award announcement categories for eligible students are:

• Eligible - Funded - students who are eligible for the award
• Eligible - Unavailable Funds - students who are eligible for the award, but for whom funds are not available

Applicants determined to be ineligible for the award receive Notification of Ineligibility. They have the option to appeal the denial.  Students who no longer qualify for the scholarship will receive a Notification of Disqualification letter from ISAC. 

Award Amount

The maximum MTI award amount per academic year is $5,000.  A recipient may receive up to 8 semesters or 12 quarters of assistance. Scholarship funds are applicable towards up to two semesters/three quarters of study within a regular school year.

• The MTI scholarship is applicable only toward tuition, fees and room and board charges or commuter allowances, if applicable. This scholarship may also be used to replace the student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC). 
• The annual scholarship amount shall be computed by the institution and be the lesser of:
  • Tuition and fees plus room and board expenses charged by the institution; 
  • Tuition and fees plus the institution's standard cost of living allowance for students living off-campus; or 
  • The maximum award. 
• The total amount of the MTI Program assistance awarded to a qualified applicant in a given academic year, when added to the other financial aid available to the qualified applicant for that year, cannot exceed the cost of attendance.