With Monetary Award Program funds exhausted, Pell grants still
available
Illinois
college students already eligible for over $1.1 billion in Pell
grants for the 2013-2014 academic year
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[March 28, 2013]
DEERFIELD -- In just the first
three months of this year, Illinois students filing the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, have already
qualified for nearly $1.1 billion in federal Pell grants to help pay
for their postsecondary education during the 2013-2014 academic
year.
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"Students should be aware that even with projected funding for the
state's Monetary Award Program exhausted, those who are MAP-eligible
will likely also qualify for a Pell Grant, which can provide up to
$5,645 annually when attending an eligible institution full time,"
said Eric Zarnikow, executive director of the Illinois Student
Assistance Commission. "While not every student eligible for a
grant claims one, last year Illinois students received more than
$1.3 billion in Pell grants. When combined, MAP plus Pell accounted
for nearly $1.7 billion in non-loan financial assistance," Zarnikow
added. "Pell is vitally important, especially when MAP funding is
exhausted."
Zarnikow noted that nearly 94 percent of MAP-eligible students
are also eligible for Pell. For a community college student in
Illinois, the maximum Pell Grant covers 100 percent of tuition and
fees, with some money remaining to help pay for books and other
expenses.
"It's important that students not end their search for non-loan
assistance once MAP awards are suspended," he added. "But, as with
almost all financial assistance, the important first step is for a
student to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid."
The Federal Pell Grant program provides need-based grants to
low-income undergraduate students to promote access to postsecondary
education. Students may use their grants at any one of approximately
5,400 participating postsecondary institutions, including all
Illinois public institutions and most private and many proprietary
schools in the state.
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Grant amounts are dependent on the student's expected family
contribution to pay for college, the cost of attending the
institution, the student's full-time or part-time enrollment status,
and whether the student attends for a full academic year or less.
For more information about MAP, the FAFSA and Pell grants, visit
ISAC's website at www.isac.org.
Site visitors can also find a workshop or outreach event by checking
www.isac.org/calendar
or, from the ISAC home page, look up the closest member of the
Illinois Student Assistance Corps to get one-on-one assistance.
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The Illinois Student Assistance
Commission was established in 1957. ISAC's mission is to help
make college accessible and affordable for Illinois students through
administration of need-based grant and scholarship programs,
outreach efforts throughout the state, and by offering College
Illinois, the state's 529 prepaid tuition plan. The commission has
provided more than $9.1 billion in grants, scholarships and non-loan
aid, and has made more than 4.8 million awards to Illinois students
and families.
[Text from
Illinois Student Assistance
Commission
file received from the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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