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Monetary Award Program
MAP - Policy and Procedure for Awarding
The Monetary Award Program (MAP) provides grants, which do not need to be repaid, to those Illinois residents who attend approved Illinois colleges and demonstrate financial need. The funds from this program are only applied toward tuition and mandatory fees, not to exceed the maximum award amount for the academic year. MAP grants are limited based on the number of applicants and funding levels appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly. Please be aware that considering state funding constraints, reductions to estimated or actual MAP grants are possible.
Eligibility
To determine if a student is eligible for MAP, the student must sign and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to the announced suspense date each academic year and agree to share the information with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). ISAC relies on specific data elements/questions on the FAFSA to determine eligibility. NOTE: Illinois residents who may not otherwise be eligible for federal student aid and do not file the FAFSA may be eligible for the MAP grant using the . For more information about this program, click or contact the Financial Aid Office on your campus. Financial Aid applies the MAP Grant award during its normal award packaging routine.
Other requirements for eligibility are that a student must:
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Be a U.S. citizen, eligible non-citizen; or meet the "undocumented student" criteria of the RISE Act;
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Be a legal resident of Illinois for 12 continuous months before the beginning of the academic year;
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Demonstrate financial need;
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Be enrolled in a minimum of three credit hours in a degree or certificate program at an approved Illinois college, for either a semester or quarter term throughout the institution鈥檚 tuition refund/withdrawal adjustment period;
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Maintain the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards of the institution, which is certified at the time MAP payment is requested;
Students cannot be considered for MAP if she/he:
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Has received a baccalaureate degree or is a graduate student;
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Is in default on any student loan or owes a refunds or repayment of any state or federal grant or scholarship;
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Is incarcerated;
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Is otherwise not eligible to receive federal financial assistance as an undergraduate student.
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MAP paid credit hours that can be received are capped at 135.
Award Determination
The institution receives award announcements via the GAP Access System on all FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) transactions. The maximum annual amount for a student is based on relative financial eligibility at an ISAC-approved institution and a full-time enrollment of fifteen (15) credit hours. Eligibility criteria, award determination, and quality control checks (inconsistent/ missing/ conflicting data) are built into Banner 鈥渜uality control" awarding rules. Inconsistencies in data resulting from the receipt of information from other sources is reviewed manually by the office director/designate. FAFSA data is updated/corrected as deemed necessary and resubmitted to CPS via EdConnect.
Illinois Residency Verification
Illinois Residency Verification is confirmed by the student鈥檚 permanent address in Banner and compared to data reported on the FAFSA. The Financial Aid Office will verify the student鈥檚 state of residency weekly compared to the MAP eligibility report. For dependents, Illinois Residency is confirmed by the self-reported parent state of legal residency and date of Illinois residence on the FAFSA. For independent students, Illinois Residency is confirmed by the self-reported student state of legal residency and date of Illinois residence on the FAFSA. If the validity of the student鈥檚 claim is questionable, additional documentation may be required. For independent students, the documentation must indicate the student resided in Illinois for 12 continuous months before the beginning of the academic year. A list of acceptable documentation (such as Illinois Driver鈥檚 License, wage statements, or rent receipts) is available from the Office of Financial Aid. Conflicting information may include parent and student address mismatch, reported Illinois residency of less than one year or student attended high school outside of Illinois.
Disbursements
MAP funds are paid directly to the institution which has certified the recipient鈥檚 eligibility. When funds are received by the institution from the State of Illinois, the Business Office will apply the appropriate MAP payments to the student鈥檚 account. Payments are identified as State of Illinois MAP Grant (Est).
Student Rights & Responsibilities
to learn more about your MAP rights and responsibilities.