Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant
Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC)
Illinois's main need-based grant: up to $8,400 a year toward tuition and mandatory fees at approved Illinois colleges.
- How much
- up to $8,400 per year (tuition and mandatory fees only)
- Who qualifies
- Illinois resident (for dependents, the parent whose info is on the FAFSA must be an Illinois resident); at least 3 credit hours per term in a degree or certificate program at a MAP-approved Illinois college; satisfactory academic progress; no bachelor's degree; under 135 MAP Paid Credit Hours used; not in default; not incarcerated.
- For students starting college, undergrads, adults going back to school, trade school students
- U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
- Need-based: your FAFSA decides how much you get.
- When to apply
- Open now Annual; FAFSA opens ~Oct 1. No fixed deadline but first-come, first-served: ISAC suspends new awards when funds run out (2026-27: FAFSAs received after April 23, 2026 went to a waiting list). Returning recipients get priority if they file by March 1.
- How to apply
- File the FAFSA as early as possible (it opens around October 1) and list your MAP-approved Illinois college on it
- Your college determines eligibility and shows any estimated MAP grant on your financial aid offer
- What you'll need
- FAFSA only
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (isac.org) and page 2
The details
Need-based gift aid for Illinois residents at MAP-approved Illinois colleges, determined automatically from the FAFSA. Pays tuition and mandatory fees only (not books or housing), fall and spring only (no summer awards). The annual maximum is the least of: the amount from your financial analysis, ISAC's tuition/fee maximum for your college, or $8,400 (2023-24 and later). Prorated by credit hours: 15+ hours gets your full term amount, fewer hours get 1/15 per hour, minimum 3 hours. Lifetime cap of 135 MAP Paid Credit Hours; not available after a bachelor's degree. Works for adult and returning students and credit-bearing short certificates at public colleges. Other ISAC tuition benefits (ING, IVG, police/fire/correctional dependents, SETTW) must be used first. Funding runs out every year: awards are first-come, first-served by FAFSA date.
More money from Illinois
- AIM HIGH Grant Programvaries by university
- Higher Education License Plate (HELP) Programvaries; tuition and mandatory fees only
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.