ISAC Gift Assistance Programs Grant Programs for Dependents of Police/Fire/Correctional Officers Bonus Incentive Program Student to Student Grant Program Higher Education License Plate Program June 2011

Grant Programs for Dependents of Police/Fire/Correctional Officers Grant program for the spouse and children of Illinois police, fire and correctional officers killed or at least 90% disabled in the line of duty Recipients must be enrolled at least half-time in undergraduate or graduate study Provides payment toward tuition and mandatory fees for 8 semesters or 12 quarters Factored into the financial aid package prior to receiving MAP gift assistance

P/F/C Eligibility To be eligible, a student must either be: a natural or legally adopted child or a child in the legal custody of the police, fire or correctional officer who was disabled or killed in the line of duty the spouse of the individual who was disabled or killed in the line of duty Common law partners are not eligible

P/F/C Eligibility A student must also be: a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen enrolled at least half-time at a MAP-approved school making satisfactory progress toward a degree or certificate A student does not have to: be an Illinois resident at the time of enrollment demonstrate financial need

P/F/C Eligibility An applicant is ineligible if he or she is: A spouse who remarries after a police, fire or correctional officer is killed A spouse who divorces a permanently disabled police, fire or correctional officer A stepchild who, at the time of an officer’s death or permanent disability, was not in the legal custody of the officer

Eligibility Clarification Program Rules clarify that when a disability is involved, the child must be in the legal custody of the officer at the time the injury was sustained. A qualified applicant shall be: 1) either: A) the natural child, legally adopted child, or child in the legal custody of a correctional officer at the time the officer was permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty or at the time a permanently disabling injury occurred in the line of duty; or B) the husband or wife of a correctional officer at the time the officer permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty or at the time a permanently disabling injury occurred in the line of duty; and 6

Applying for P/F/C An ISAC application must be submitted each year by the deadline dates: October 1 for consideration for all terms March 1 for consideration for second semester/second and third quarter June 15 for consideration for summer term Eligibility in one academic year does not carry over into future years

Applying for P/F/C First-time applicants must also submit a certified death certificate or certified physician’s statement Documentation must also prove that the death or disability occurred in the line of duty Once eligibility has been established for one member of a family, it is established for all qualified applicants in the family. Thereafter, a simplified application will be required from each student on an annual basis.

P/F/C Benefits Pays tuition and mandatory fees At a public institution, student may receive a grant that does not exceed its cost of tuition and mandatory fees At a private institution, student may receive a grant that does not exceed the maximum amount payable to a student enrolled in the most expensive comparable program of study at a public institution.

P/F/C Benefits May receive eight semesters or 12 quarters of full-time enrollment for undergraduate or graduate study Funds are disbursed in multiple installments unless eligibility is not determined until final term

P/F/C Payment Certification of Enrollment for Payment Rosters are sent to schools each term after the application deadline has passed. Must return the roster even if a student isn’t eligible Provide the reason for ineligibility

P/F/C Payment If funds are insufficient to pay all eligible applicants, determinations will be made based on application date In a withdrawal situation, the recipient can receive the grant for costs incurred, up to the term award

P/F/C Resources ISAC Administrative Rules Part 2731 (Dependents of Correctional Officers) Part 2732 (Dependents of Police or Fire Officers) Grant Program for Dependents of Police, Fire or Correctional Officers Application Explains eligibility requirements, benefits and application procedures College Zone, FAA Zone, Gift Assistance Programs section

Bonus Incentive Grant (BIG) Provides an incentive to use proceeds from Illinois College Savings Bonds at Illinois colleges and universities Incentives range from $40 to $440 Application will be made available at collegeillinois.org Web site on August 1

BIG Eligibility To be eligible for the grant, bondholder must: Have continuously owned the bond(s) for at least 12 months preceding the date of maturity Use at least 70% of the bond proceeds for educational costs at an eligible Illinois institution Use the proceeds from the bond(s) in either the academic year in which the bond(s) matured, or the academic year immediately following maturity. Designate only one student beneficiary for each bond that matures the same student beneficiary may be named to five bonds with no more than $25,000 of aggregate compound accreted value at maturity for each academic year

BIG Eligibility In addition, the student: Must be enrolled on at least a half-time basis as an undergraduate or graduate student at an ISAC approved institution. Cannot be attending an educational institution organized solely for the purpose of religious instruction Cannot be enrolled in an academic program of divinity for any religious denomination or pursuing a course of study to become a minister, priest, rabbi, etc.

Applying for BIG Application becomes available August 1 Must be completed by the bondholder, the student beneficiary, and the institution School official must certify the student's enrollment status and forward the complete application to ISAC. Should submit on or as soon after August 1 as possible Applications will be accepted until all available funds are awarded An application must be submitted to ISAC each year for which assistance is requested.

Applying for BIG ISAC may require applicants to provide documentation verifying that the bondholder owned the bond(s) for required length of time. The bondholder can designate only one student beneficiary for each bond redeemed. State law (Public Act ) prohibits exempting money held in college savings bonds from calculation of financial aid eligibility. Counts as an asset in determining a student's eligibility for state and federal financial assistance.

Student-to-Student (STS) Grant Program Need-based program for undergraduate students at state-supported colleges and universities Funds are derived from voluntary contributions of students and matching grants from ISAC No state appropriation for

STS Eligibility To qualify for an award, students must: be enrolled on at least a half-time basis at a participating institution demonstrate financial need through completion of the FAFSA

STS Program Procedures Students must approve the plan for raising voluntary contributions by a majority of those voting in a campus-wide referendum Contributions must be voluntary and optional Only voluntary contributions made by enrolled students are eligible for matching

STS Program Procedures Funds can be collected from graduate students, however the STS program can only provide aid to undergraduate students A portion of student contributions can be set aside and used to aid graduate students, but those funds cannot be matched by ISAC No eligible contribution can exceed $12 per academic year

STS Benefits Annual award amount maximum is $1,000 it is applicable to all terms, including the summer term The institution awards the grant to students according to the plan developed and approved by its student body.

STS Resources ISAC Administrative Rules Part 2770 College Zone, FAA Zone, Gift Assistance Programs section

Higher Education License Plate (HELP) Program Provides grant money to students who attend Illinois institutions that participate in the special collegiate license plate program A portion of the proceeds of plates sold are used to fund the program Institutions determine the amount of each grant according to program guidelines

HELP Eligibility To qualify, a student must be: a resident of Illinois enrolled at a college or university that participates in the collegiate license plate program demonstrate financial need through completion of the FAFSA maintaining satisfactory academic progress an undergraduate student and have not received a baccalaureate degree

HELP Procedures Secretary of State deposits $25 for each set of license plates sold into the University Grant Fund. All moneys deposited into the Fund are appropriated to ISAC to make reimbursements to participating colleges for HELP grants Each January, ISAC is notified of the amounts deposited on behalf of each participating institution during the previous calendar year.

HELP Benefits The institution determines the amount of each grant, which is the lesser of: $2,000 for two semesters or three quarters of full-time undergraduate enrollment or $1,000 for two semesters or three quarters of half-time undergraduate enrollment the amount of tuition and mandatory fees applicable to two semesters or three quarters of full-time or half- time undergraduate enrollment the amount of the applicant’s financial need, or the remaining funds available.

HELP Payment At the beginning of each State fiscal year, ISAC notifies each participating institution of the amount of funds available for their institution A payment request form is sent to the institution that must be signed and returned to ISAC. Funds are then remitted to the institution. The institution must award the full amount of funds disbursed in the academic year that it was received.

HELP Resources ISAC Administrative Rules Part 2737 College Zone, FAA Zone, Gift Assistance Programs section

Comments/Questions? Thank you for participating today!