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The number of grants made through this program, as well as the individual dollar amount awarded, are subject to sufficient annual appropriations by the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor.
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Program Description
Eligibility
How to Apply (and Obtaining the Application)
Application Priority Consideration Date: October 1
(for full-year award)
How Funds Are Disbursed
Processing Updates
Participating Schools
If you are the spouse or child of an Illinois police or fire officer who was killed or became at least 90 percent disabled in the line of duty, you may be eligible for the Grant Program for Dependents of Police or Fire Officers. This grant provides assistance toward college tuition and mandatory fees* for undergraduate or graduate study at an ISAC-approved Illinois college. You do not need to be an Illinois resident at the time of enrollment to receive this grant. You may receive the equivalent of eight semesters or 12 quarters of assistance.
* Recipients attending approved public colleges in Illinois shall receive full payment of tuition and mandatory fees on their behalf. The grant will cover the difference in costs for courses taken at an out-of-district college that are not offered at a recipient's in-district college. Recipients attending approved private colleges in Illinois shall receive payment of tuition and mandatory fees in an amount not to exceed the maximum grant payable to a student enrolled in the most expensive comparable program of study at a public college in Illinois.
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen
- Be enrolled on at least a half-time basis at an ISAC-approved Illinois 2- or 4-year college
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress as established by your college
- Not be in default on any student loan, nor owe a refund on any state or federal grant
- Be the spouse, natural child, legally adopted child, or any child in the legal custody of the police or fire officer at the time of death or disability
- Allow sufficient mailing time to make sure ISAC receives your complete application on or before the deadline date, based on the first term for which you wish to receive funds each academic year. For 2009-10:
- October 1, 2009 - Full Year Consideration
- March 1, 2010 - Only 2nd Semester (2nd/3rd Quarter) and Summer Consideration
- June 15, 2010 - Only Summer Term Consideration
How to Apply
An application for this grant is available at College Zone, and at your college's financial aid office.
It is the applicant's responsibility to fax the application or allow sufficient mailing time in order for complete applications to be received at ISAC on or before the applicable deadline date. In order to receive full-year consideration your application must be received on or before October 1 of the academic year for which you're requesting assistance. For spring- and summer-term consideration, the deadline date is March 1. For summer-term consideration only, applications must be received on or before June 15. Applications received by ISAC after these deadline dates will be processed only for subsequent terms, with June 15 as the final date of acceptance for the summer term.
How Funds Are Disbursed
ISAC works with the college to disburse funds for this program. The college certifies student eligibility and then submits a payment request on behalf of the student. It may take up to eight weeks after the date that ISAC processes the payment request before funds are received at the college.
Depending on the college, students may be responsible for payment until program funds are received. Qualified applicants who are awaiting receipt of funds from this program should contact the Financial Aid Office or Business Office to determine the college's policy. Processing Updates
Note that ISAC routinely updates this section as new information becomes available. Be sure to check back periodically for the current processing status.
For the 2009-10 Academic Year
(last updated on May 21, 2009):
The application for the 2009-10 Grant Program for Dependents of Police, Fire, or Correctional Officers is available to download and print from College Zone. Use the 2009-10 application to apply for the fall 2009, spring 2010, and summer 2010 terms. Complete applications received by ISAC after the deadline dates (see How to Apply, above) will be processed only for subsequent terms, with June 15, 2010 as the final date of acceptance for the summer term.
Applicants must reapply each academic year. Complete and timely applications are processed in the order they are received.
After June 30, 2009, allow at least four weeks for the processing of the application. Beginning in July of 2009, qualified applicants will be sent a Notice of Eligibility letter from ISAC. In the event funds are insufficient to make awards to all timely qualified applicants, ISAC will make award determinations on the basis of the dates that the completed applications were received, and award amounts may be prorated. Qualified applicants will be notified by their college of the award amount.
Individuals who do not meet the criteria to be a qualified applicant will receive a Notice of Ineligibility.
If an application is incomplete, a Notice of Incomplete Application will be sent to the applicant to request the missing information. Processing cannot take place prior to the date a complete application is received in ISAC's Deerfield office.
For the 2008-09 Academic Year
(last updated on April 22 2009):
Due to projected funding shortfalls, ISAC must prorate winter and spring term payments for the 2008-09 Grant Program for Dependents of Police or Fire Officers. The proration rate is 78.74%, which means that ISAC will pay $78.74 for every $100.00 of a qualified recipient's eligibility. ISAC has mailed letters to impacted recipients to notify them of the revised amount of program funds that will be paid to the college on their behalf.
No summer payments will be made for this program. Timely fall term claims have been paid at 100% (i.e., not prorated).
Because this is not an entitlement program, colleges are not obligated to pay the difference between a prorated award amount and a full award (it is at each college's discretion whether they are financially able to do so). Impacted students should contact their college to discuss arrangements regarding any balance due that may have resulted from a prorated award.
2008-09 applications for this program are no longer being accepted.
Click here to print the Grant Program for Dependents of Police or Fire Officers application.
To view a listing of Illinois colleges approved to participate in this program, click on the link for the appropriate academic year:
2009-10
2008-09
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