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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.
For details regarding program funding levels for the 2009-10 academic year, see the Processing Updates section of this page.
You may either scroll through this page, or click on any of the following links to go directly to a specific topic:
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 a State of Illinois Department of Corrections 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 Correctional Officers. This grant provides assistance toward tuition and mandatory fees* at ISAC-approved Illinois graduate or professional schools. 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 graduate or professional school
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress as established by your graduate or professional school
- 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 correctional 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 your graduate or professional school'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 March 2, 2010):
Program Funding: On July 15, 2009, the Governor and state legislators reached an agreement regarding the fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) state budget, which determines funding levels for 2009-10 programs that are administered by ISAC. Based on that budget, the Grant Program for Dependents of Correctional Officers received funding at a level that is anticipated to award eligible applicants for the full year.
This page will be updated if the program's funding status changes.
Operational Update: 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 summer 2010 term. 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.
Allow at least four weeks for the processing of the application. Qualified applicants are sent a Notice of Eligibility letter from ISAC. In the event funds are insufficient to make awards to all timely qualified applicants, ISAC makes award determinations on the basis of the dates that the completed applications are received, and award amounts may be prorated. Qualified applicants are notified by their college of the award amount.
Individuals who do not meet the criteria to be a qualified applicant receive a Notice of Ineligibility.
If an application is incomplete, a Notice of Incomplete Application is 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.
Click here to print the Grant Program for Dependents of Correctional 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
2010-11
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