Grants
A grant is a type of gift aid that does not require repayment. Each grant has different requirements for eligibility. Eligibility for need-based grants is determined using federal and/or state formulas and the information the student provided on the FAFSA. Completion of the FAFSA is the only application required to be considered for the specific grant programs listed below. The Illinois Student Admissions Commission administers several grants. Please visit the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to find information regarding these programs.
Types of Grants
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
- Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant
Federal Pell Grant
The Federal Pell Grant is a federally-funded grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education.
- Need-based
- More information on eligibility and award amounts can be found on the Federal Student Aid site: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/pell
- Available to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's degree or professional degree
- Awarded to both full- and part-time undergraduate students based on enrollment intensity as shown below:
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
The FSEOG is a federally-funded grant awarded by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
- Need-based
- Awarded only to Pell Grant-eligible students
- Award amounts vary
- Available to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's degree or professional degree
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
At EIU, the TEACH Grant Program provides up to $4,000 a year in grant assistance to
undergraduate 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.
(For any 2024-2025 TEACH Grant first disbursed on or after Oct. 1, 2024, and before
Oct. 1, 2025, the maximum award is $3,772. More information on award amounts and eligibility
can be found here: https://studentaid.gov/teach-grant-program.)
The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships recommends that only students who are
committed to teaching a high-need subject in a designated low-income school upon graduation
consider this possible source of funds. This teaching obligation must be completed
in a public or nonprofit elementary or secondary school that is eligible for Title
IV assistance. If the four-year teaching obligation is not met within eight years
of graduation, 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.
Requirements:
- Non-need based, but must file a FAFSA
- U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Undergraduate Students
- $4,000 each year, prorated for part-time students, subject to sequestration reductions.
- Score above the 75th percentile on a national standardized college admissions test (in at least one subject/battery; English, Reading, Math or Science) or have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 as a high school graduate and maintain that GPA throughout your academic program. You can request a copy of your ACT report from www.actstudent.org. Please request a copy of the Student Report to be sent directly to you, and then provide our office with a copy. The school report will not provide us with enough information.
- Complete TEACH Grant counseling and sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve or Repay. Grant recipients agree to teach for at least four years within eight years of finishing their teacher preparation program and to teach high-need subjects in designated schools that serve low-income students.
- Enrolled in a teacher education certificate program in one of the following high-need
fields:
- Mathematics
- Science
- Foreign Language
- Special Education, or
- any other field that has been identified as high-need in the annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing.
- Please see the majors which have been identified as eligible for the current year on the online application below.
The TEACH Grant is offered to students who qualify and must be accepted or declined as part of the award package in PAWS. If the grant was declined and the student wishes to reinstate, please submit the online form for reconsideration.
Click here for more information from the Federal website.
Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant
The MAP Grant is a state-funded grant awarded by the Illinois Student Aid Commission.
- Need-based
- Students and parents must be Illinois residents
- Available to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s degree or professional degree
- Awarded based on formula; students with an EFC greater than 9,000 are not eligible
- Students who have accumulated 135 MAP Eligibility Units are not eligible
- Awards vary by year.
- Awards for students with less than 15 credit hours per semester will be prorated
- Grants may be limited based on FAFSA application date, number of applicants and funding levels appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly.
- More information can be found at the Illinois Student Assistance Commission