EIU will reduce the cost of your remaining tuition and required fees to $0 if you're a qualified Illinois student with a family income of $61,000 or less.
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.
To qualify, you must:
No separate application is required. Just complete your FAFSA requirements and be admitted to EIU by April 1!
No, this program is only available to first-time freshman undergraduate students who start in the Fall semester 2019 or later.
Currently, the EIU Promise is only available to incoming freshman students. However, transfer students are eligible to receive other scholarship benefits at EIU.
The full cost of tuition and required fees up to 15 credit hours per semester, including textbook rental fees.
Room and board, course-specific fees such as laboratory fees, study abroad fees, 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.
If you receive awards that fully cover your tuition and required fees, 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.
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 qualify for this program, you must submit a FAFSA at fafsa.gov. You can submit your FAFSA starting October 1 of the year before you intend to take classes at EIU. 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. EIU’s priority deadline is December 15.
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. However, if you receive any merit or gift aid (such as scholarships or grants), the amount you receive for your EIU Promise will be reduced accordingly. Your total financial aid offer cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
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.
As long as your family’s adjusted gross income does not go above $71,000 after the first year, you’ll still qualify for the EIU Promise. However, if you did not receive the EIU Promise your first year as a freshman, you will not qualify for it in later years, even if your family’s income goes below $61,000.
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 | $72,360 |
| 2 | $97,440 |
| 3 | $122,520 |
| 4 | $147,600 |
| 5 | $172,680 |
| 6 | $197,760 |
| 7 | $222,840 |
| 8 | $247,920 |
| 9+ | $25,080 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.