Terms and Conditions
General Terms and Conditions
- You must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program.
- You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
- You must be enrolled at least half-time (six credit hours minimum per term) to be eligible for Federal Direct Loan(s).
- Financial aid will not disburse to your student account until you are attending at least one class. Federal Direct Student Loans will not disburse to your account until you are attending at least six semester hours.
- You must be enrolled full-time (12 credit hours per semester) to receive most types of financial aid. If you enroll less than full-time and/or your weeks of enrollment are less than 16 weeks each semester, your financial aid awards may be reduced or canceled. Students that have previously received a baccalaureate degree are considered full-time with 9 hours of enrollment.
- Full-time enrollment (12 credit hours or more) is required during the fall and spring semesters to receive the following awards: EIU Promise, EIU Cost Match, EIU Merit Bonus, EIU Local Scholars, Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Student Scholarship (SEDS), EIU Tuition Grant (TUI), Access to Education (A2E1, A2E2, A2E3, and A2E4), Panther Promise Award, all Merit Scholarships, Commitment to Excellence Scholarships, Transfer Achievement Scholarships, Presidential Scholarships, Pemberton Presidential Scholarship, Achieving, Celebrating & Excelling (ACE), Honors Awards & Grants (HNRS), Grant-in-Aid Integrative Learning (GIAIL), Integrative Learning Scholarship (ILS), Minority Affairs Scholars Award (MASA), and Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship (PHITK). If you have been awarded any of these funds and you are not a full-time student, the award(s) will be canceled. If you have received any of these awards for Summer classes, 6 credit hours of enrollment is required to receive the award for summer.
- Your financial aid is awarded based on merit and/or calculated need as determined from the information provided on your financial aid application forms and the institution’s cost of attendance. Financial aid awards are subject to adjustments or cancellations due to changes in laws, regulations, appropriations, changes in your financial situation, verification, discovery of data errors, changes in enrollment status, or changes in your residency status, additional awards received after packaging, amongst others.
- Your total financial aid awards cannot exceed your cost of attendance or in some instances, the calculated need. If you receive more aid than the cost of attendance or calculated need after your awards are packaged, other awards may be adjusted to stay within the cost of attendance or financial need limits.
- If requested, you must provide documents to verify the accuracy of information reported on the FAFSA before financial aid funds can be awarded or disbursed.
- You will be responsible for repaying any funds you receive that exceed your financial need, or if for any reason, you become ineligible for the financial aid.
- If you have been previously incarcerated or are currently incarcerated or might be incarcerated during their current term of attendance you must identify yourself to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to determine your financial aid eligibility.
- If you drop classes, withdraw, or make other academic changes, your financial aid awards may be adjusted and repayment may be required.
- If you stop attending classes without officially withdrawing, your financial aid awards may be adjusted and repayment may be required.
- If you receive any financial aid from an outside source (for example, a private scholarship) that is not included on your award letter, you must inform the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
- You must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
- Two or more tuition and/or fee restricted awards may be combined, but the total cannot exceed your assessed tuition and/or fees.
- Students who enroll in sponsored credit classes through the School of Continuing Education need to understand that most scholarships and waivers (including the MAP award) will not pay for sponsored credit classes. Waivers cannot be used for cost-recovery Continuing Education classes.
- If you are awarded Federal Work Study (FWS) or Access to Education Work-Study (A2EWS), you have read the award description and agree to the rules set forth in the program.
- You must work in a Federal Work-Study (FWS) or Access to Education Work-Study (A2EWS) position to earn the amount shown on your award letter. FWS and A2EWS funds are not disbursed into your student account. You receive a paycheck every two weeks, just as in any other form of employment.
- If you have been offered a Federal TEACH Grant (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education) and accept the grant, there are annual requirements, renewal criteria, and a teaching service obligation which must be met. You must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing your program of study for which you received a TEACH Grant. If you fail to complete this service obligation, all TEACH Grant funds that you received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. You must then repay this loan to the U.S. Department of Education. You will be charged interest from the date the grant(s) was disbursed. Please review all information and make careful consideration prior to accepting the grant. More information can be found on the Federal Student Aid site.
- If you are working toward a second bachelor’s degree, you are only eligible for Federal Direct Loan(s) at undergraduate loan levels.
- If you have a bachelor’s degree or if you are a graduate/professional student, you are not eligible for aid restricted to undergraduate students, such as the Federal Pell Grant (PELL), ISAC MAP Grant (MAP), Federal Work-Study (FWS), Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Scholarship (SEDS), Access to Education Award (A2E1, A2E2), and Access to Education Work-Study (A2EWS).
- You will receive financial aid in two installments (one half is disbursed for fall semester; the second half for spring semester), unless otherwise noted. Disbursements are made directly to your student account.
- You are responsible for repaying your loans. Acceptance of any loan carries a serious legal and financial obligation. Failure to meet this obligation may adversely affect your credit.
- If you do not wish to use a student loan, you may decline it. If you borrow the maximum annual federal loan amount available to you during the regular academic year, you will not be eligible for a federal student loan during the following summer. Summer financial aid is very limited. If you receive a refund of financial aid during the academic year and plan to enroll during the summer session(s), you should plan to save some of the funds from your student refund to help you pay for your future summer tuition/fee costs.
- If you will be living off-campus, come to Eastern prepared to cover the costs of one month of living expenses, because your refund check may not be available by the time your rent, etc. is due.
- All financial aid funds are subject to funds availability from federal, state, and institutional annual appropriations.
Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) Information 2024-2025 and 2025-2026
By applying for financial aid and agreeing to share that information with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) you have been considered for the State of Illinois (IL) Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant. All MAP-approved institutions are required by the State of Illinois to announce MAP Grant awards to students who are enrolled or intending to enroll at their institution. An award amount is included in your financial aid package if you have met the eligibility criteria.
The MAP Grant award amount is an estimate made by the financial aid office and is identified as a "State of IL MAP Grant (Est)". Please be aware that the number of available MAP Grants is limited by funding levels approved by the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor, and reductions to estimated or actual MAP Grants are possible.
There are also limitations to how long you can continue to receive a MAP Grant. Usage is tracked by the number of credit hours for which you’ve received MAP benefits and is referred to as MAP Paid Credit Hours (MPCHs). The maximum number of MPCHs that can be received is 135, which is equivalent to approximately four and a half years of fulltime enrollment. For your reference, and to learn more about MPCH limitations, you may access a record of your MPCHs, as well as other student resources, through the ISAC Student Portal at studentportal.isac.org.
Eligibility for the need-based MAP Grant award may indicate that you are eligible for assistance with expenses such as food, housing, or child care for dependent children. If you have dependent care expenses, ask the financial aid office about the federal dependent care allowance. For eligibility and application information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Child Care Assistance Program, contact the Illinois Department of Human Services at 800-843-6154 or www.dhs.state.il.us. Contact the Illinois Hunger Coalition Hunger Hotline at 800-3592163 or https://www.ilhunger.org/.
Resources for Students with Housing Insecurity
Housing insecurity and homelessness pose enormous barriers to success in college. Many college students face the challenge of housing insecurity, struggling to balance the demands of their program while worrying about where to sleep at night. This leads to lower academic performance and lower graduation rates. No student should have to face these difficulties.
The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is here to assist you. We have experience working with students in unique situations and can provide you with guidance and support to ensure your success. Please contact our office for assistance or visit our webpage for more resources. https://www.eiu.edu/finaid/housing_insecurity.php.