Grants

Federal Pell Grant is for undergraduates, seeking their first bachelor's degree, who demonstrate significant need. Pell grant awards are up to $5,920 per year. More information on the Pell Grant can be found on the Federal Student Aid website.

 *Students with higher EFC’s may not be eligible for Pell at less than full time

Lifetime Pell Grants Limits

Beginning in Fall 2012, students are now limited to 12 semesters (or 600%) of Pell Grant eligibility during their lifetime. This change affects all students regardless of when or where they received their first Pell Grant. 

You may view your percentage of Pell Grant used by logging into NSLDS. Your 'Lifetime Eligibility Used' percentage will be displayed in the 'Grants' section. 

The Department of Education has announced that students that are eligible for Pell Grant may be able to receive a third disbursement of Pell Grant. Governors State University will implement "Year Round Pell Grant" beginning in the summer of 2018.

This is a grant for undergraduate Illinois residents who demonstrate financial need as determined by the information supplied on the FAFSA. Because MAP funding is historically insufficient to meet the demand, a suspension date is typically implemented a few months after the FAFSA application has been made available on October 1st. Students are encourage to complete the FAFSA application as close to the October 1st date as possible in order to be considered for eligibility.

The State of Illinois MAP Grant is based on enrollment in 15 semester credit hours.  This means that you will get 100% of your MAP Grant if you are enrolled in 15 hours.  If you enroll in less than 15 hours, your MAP Grant will be prorated based on the number of hours for which you are enrolled.  For example:

                Total semester MAP Grant: $2000

                Number of semester hours: 10

                Eligible MAP Grant award:  10/15 X $2000 = $1333.33

More information on the MAP grant program and updates can be found on the Illinois Student Assistance Commission’s website.

The Federal SEOG is awarded to high need students who also qualify for the Pell Grant. More information on the FSEOG can be found on the Federal Student Aid website.

This federal grant is available to undergraduate and graduate students who agree to serve for at least four years as full-time, highly qualified teachers in high-need fields in public or not-for-profit private elementary or secondary schools that serve students from low-income families. You should consider this grant only if you are committed to teaching a high-need subject in a designated low-income school. If the teaching requirement is not met, the grant will convert to an unsubsidized loan, which will have to be repaid with interest calculated back to the date the funds were disbursed. The TEACH grant maximum is $4,000 per year. More information on the TEACH grant can be found on the Federal Student Aid website.

List of eligible TEACH programs.

Like other federal grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants provide money to college or career school students to help pay their education expenses.

It’s important to know that Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants have special eligibility criteria. You may be eligible to receive the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant if:

• You are not eligible for a Federal Pell Grant on the basis of your Expected Family Contribution but
• meet the remaining Federal Pell Grant eligibility requirements, and
• your parent or guardian was a member of the U.S. armed forces and died as a result of military service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after the events of 9/11, and
• you were under 24 years old or enrolled in college at least part-time at the time of your parent’s or guardian’s death.