IVG Tuition and Mandatory Fees

The benefits that are covered by the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) program include tuition and mandatory fees.  Non-mandatory fees are not paid unless the student has been continuously enrolled since spring term 2005. 

Definitions of Mandatory Fees and Tuition 

Mandatory fees are defined as:  The charges assessed by an institution to each and every full-time student for each term.  Application, graduation, laboratory, breakage, add/drop fees, and program administrative fees for out-of-state or foreign study are specifically excluded.  For the purpose of ISAC rules, tuition is not a mandatory fee. {ISAC Rules, Section 2700.20 (Definitions)}

Tuition is defined as: The charge for instruction assessed by an institution. {ISAC Rules, Section 2700.20 (Definitions)}

Note: Tuition may also include any fees that meet the above definition of tuition.

Claims should be submitted according to the provisions outlined under Public Act 94-583. Institutions billing IVG for coverage of aviation, truck driving/CDL, etc., programs must only bill for costs that meet the definition of tuition and mandatory fees. 

Continuous Program of Study - "Grandfathering Benefits"

Students who previously received IVG benefits for nonmandatory fees and/or charged eligibility units for attendance at any school prior to the fall 2005 term may continue to receive the benefit of certain allowable fees (in addition to mandatory fees) as long as they remain enrolled in a continuous program of study ("grandfathering benefits"). IVG benefits covering nonmandatory fees can no longer be paid if the student failed to enroll for a subsequent term of each regular school year (fall, winter, spring), unless he or she is serving on federal active duty. 

Refer to the IVG Program Benefits Guide for a description of IVG benefits for all recipients and benefits for recipients meeting “grandfathering” requirements. 

Example:  If a student was eligible to receive IVG benefits and was assessed eligibility units during the spring 2005 term, the student must have been enrolled in a program of study since the 2005 fall term to meet the continuous program of study provision. In this situation, the student’s tuition and mandatory and certain fees would be covered in each of the subsequent terms of continuous enrollment.

Schools will determine whether a student meets the requirement of being enrolled in a continuous program of study, and will submit payment requests accordingly. Current IVG eligibility data is available through IVG Eligibility Data at My Zone.

Audit, Noncredit, and Extension Courses

Certain fees for audit, noncredit, or extension courses will continue to be covered by IVG benefits as long as a previous IVG recipient who has been charged eligibility units maintains continuous enrollment.  If charges for these types of courses meet the definition of tuition (including fees that meet the definition of tuition) and mandatory fees, costs may still be covered by IVG benefits.

For truck driving/CDL, aviation, etc. courses/programs, the school must determine that costs billed to IVG meet the definitions of tuition (including fees that meet the definition of tuition) and mandatory fees in order for new IVG eligible students to receive benefits for these programs.