Top Bar Menu
IECC Secondary Menu
Breadcrumbs

State Aid

Monetary Award Program

******** MAP Reduction Notification ********

Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant guidance provided by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC)

Reduction Factor Implementation affecting the Spring 2025 semester of the 2024-25 academic year.

Based on analysis of claim rates for the fall term, a reduction factor has been applied to the 2024-25 maximum annual MAP award amount. In order to minimize administrative challenges that would occur by reducing already paid fall-term claims, the 4% reduction for all MAP-eligible students – needed to remain within appropriation as we continue to provide MAP awards for the remainder of the 2024-25 award year – is reflected only in second semester and second/third quarter eligible amounts and payment claims. As a result, semester institutions will see an 8% reduction in the maximum eligible award amount for the spring term, while quarter institutions will see a 6% reduction in the maximum eligible award amount for both second and third quarters.

FAQs: Reduction in 2024-25 MAP Awards

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is the state agency that manages the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, a need-based scholarship that helps Illinois students pay for school. The state’s General Assembly and Governor determine how much funding the program can use in a year, and ISAC operates the program.

I got a message from my school that my MAP grant is being reduced. What does that mean?

  • It means that in the spring semester (or winter and spring terms at quarter schools), your MAP award will be less than originally estimated, because the total amount of financial aid awarded through the MAP for the 2024-2025 academic year is being reduced.

Why are you reducing awards mid-year?

  • MAP grants come through ISAC, and the amount the agency can award each year is based on the level of funding provided by the state. When you see the MAP award in your financial aid offer, it is an estimated

  • This fall, many more students who are eligible for MAP grants enrolled than was expected.

  • Since the number of students using a MAP grant is much higher than expected, ISAC needs to reduce the size of MAP grants to ensure that the available funding can support all of the eligible students continuing to receive MAP grants for the rest of the academic year.

How much money will I get from my MAP award?

  • Depending on the size of your MAP grant, the reduction could range from as little as $12 to as much as $336.

Am I going to have to pay back money I received for the fall term?

  • No! You won’t need to pay back any of the MAP grant funds you’ve already received for the fall term due to the reduction in your annual award amount.

  • However, your financial aid for the 2025 spring semester (or winter and spring quarters) will be somewhat less than the estimate that may have been included in your original financial aid package. This means your tuition bill for those terms may be slightly higher than expected.

Who should I ask or where can I go if I have questions?

  • Your school’s financial aid office: They can provide specific details about how this change affects you.

  • ISAC: Student Engagement and Support Services team members can provide general information about MAP grants and this year’s changes. Call 800-899-4722 or e-mail studentservices@illinois.gov or contact your local ISACorps member. Learn more about MAP at isac.org/map-grant.

Additional information about the IL Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant can be found on the Illinois Student Assistance Commission website(opens in a new tab). 

 

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 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid. For more information about this program, click here 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:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen;

  • Be a legal resident of Illinois;

  • Demonstrate financial need;

  • 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’s tuition refund/withdrawal adjustment period;

  • 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:

  • Has received a baccalaureate degree or is a graduate student;

  • Is in default on any student loan or owes a refunds or repayment of any state or federal grant or scholarship;

  • Is incarcerated;

  • Is otherwise not eligible to receive federal financial assistance as an undergraduate student.  

  • 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 Student Aid Report (SAR) 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 “quality 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’s permanent address in Banner and compared to data reported on the FAFSA. The Financial Aid Office will verify the student’s 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’s 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’s 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’s 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’s account. Payments are identified as State of Illinois MAP Grant (Est).