The EIU Promise program is a new financial aid program that can significantly reduce – and in some cases completely eliminate – tuition and fees for qualified Illinois students. It is a last-dollar scholarship, meaning that it covers any tuition or fees remaining after other scholarships and awards have been applied.
To qualify, you must:
No separate application is required. Just complete your FAFSA requirements and be admitted to EIU by June 1!
No, this program is only available to first-time undergraduate students who started in the Fall semester 2019 or later. Current students who already received EIU Promise will continue to receive it as long as they meet the renewal criteria.
Yes! Transfer students qualify for up to two years of EIU Promise. The qualifications and requirements are the same. Eligibility is based on your college transfer GPA with a minimum 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
The full cost of tuition and required fees up to 15 credit hours per semester, including textbook rental fees.
This cost is estimated as the 3-year average of tuition & fees for a student taking 15 credit hours, as indicated on the student's financial aid award letter. The student's actual costs may be slightly more or less than this estimate.
Room and board, course-specific fees such as laboratory fees, study abroad fees, the new student program fee, and indirect expenses like supplies and travel.
In general, the amount you receive from EIU Promise will not exceed the cost of your tuition and required fees. So if you later receive other awards that partially cover these costs, your EIU Promise award will be reduced accordingly for the first year of your award through the 10th day of class (Census Policy). Your renewal award amount will never be less than your initial award unless it exceeds the annual cost of attendance in combination with other awards.
If you receive scholarships or other awards that fully cover your tuition and required fees budget for the first year of your award, your EIU Promise award will be canceled. Examples of such awards include the Pemberton Presidential Scholars Award, the Children of Deceased Employees Waiver, DCFS, DORS, or the ISAC Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program. In some circumstances, your full tuition and fees could also be covered in combination with the State of Illinois MAP grant, but exceptions may apply because of the differences in these waiver programs.
If the EIU Promise cannot be applied in your first year, you will not receive the award in subsequent years.
If you receive an award specific to food and housing, this award will not reduce the EIU Promise award.
For most students, yes. You can be eligible for the program for up to eight continuous semesters (Fall and Spring) at EIU, as long as you meet the renewal criteria. The program is dependent upon continued state appropriation of associated funds.
To remain qualified after your first year, you must:
Yes, to initially qualify for this program, you must submit a FAFSA at fafsa.gov. We recommend you file your FAFSA as soon as possible, and make sure to include EIU’s school code (001674) on your FAFSA so we receive your information. A FAFSA is not required for renewal of EIU Promise, however most state, federal and ned-based scholarships do require a FAFSA annuallly. If no FAFSA is submitted, your renewed EIU Promise award amount will remain the same as your initial award..
Yes. You can also receive additional aid such as loans and student employment to help you pay for other expenses like room and board, supplies, and other personal or miscellaneous expenses.
Adjusted gross income (AGI) is the combined income for you and your family as reported to the IRS on your federal income tax return. It’s on Line 4 if you filed a Form 1040EZ, Line 21 if you filed a Form 1040A, or Line 37 if you filed a Form 1040.
You’ll still qualify for the EIU Promise. However, if you did not receive the EIU Promise your first year you will not qualify for it in later years even if your family’s income goes below $66,000. The same applies to loss of other gift aid - if you did not receive EIU Promise in your first year, you will not qualify in subsequent years.
In addition to the qualifications listed above, to receive financial aid from the EIU Promise program, you must also meet the state’s AIM HIGH Grant eligible student requirements. You must:
| People in Household | Max Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $108,720 |
| 2 | $146,480 |
| 3 | $184,240 |
| 4 | $222,000 |
| 5 | $259,760 |
| 6 | $297,520 |
| 7 | $335,280 |
| 8 | $373,040 |
| 9+ | $37,760 added for each additional person |
You must be registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours by the published census date policy each semester. Full-time enrollment is assumed until census date.
In Spring 2018, the Higher Education Working Group — a bipartisan group of Illinois legislators interested in finding common-ground and viable solutions — proposed and passed a new merit-based grant program. That program, the AIM HIGH Grant, was signed into law in August 2018. The EIU Promise Program is dependent on that grant and on state appropriation annually.
