Section 2733.30  Program Procedures

a)         An applicant must apply to ISAC for assistance under this Part.  ISAC will issue a Notice of Eligibility to each qualified applicant.

b)         To receive an Illinois Veteran Grant, a qualified applicant must notify the institution of the qualified applicant's eligibility no later than the last scheduled day of classes for the term for which a grant is requested.

c)         Benefits are applicable to both undergraduate and graduate enrollment. There are no minimum credit hour enrollment requirements and benefits are applicable for noncredit courses.

d)         Benefits are limited to use only at Illinois public universities and Illinois public community colleges.

e)         Costs exempted by the IVG:

1)         The recipient is exempt from paying costs as follows:

A)        tuition and fees that meet the definition of tuition (see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 2700.20);

B)        mandatory fees (see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 2700.20).

2)         A qualified applicant who has previously received benefits under this Part for a non-mandatory fee shall continue to receive benefits covering those fees while enrolled in a continuous program of study.  The qualified applicant shall no longer receive a grant covering non-mandatory fees if the applicant fails to enroll during an academic term, unless federal active duty is being served.  The non-mandatory fees include the following:

A)        instructional fees not meeting the definition of tuition;

B)        application fees;

C)        graduation and transcript fees;

D)        proficiency exam, College Level Exam Program (CLEP), placement exam and similar fees;

E)        off-campus and other extension course fees;

F)         air flight instructor and athletic fees; and

G)        matriculation, service and other registration type fees.

f)         Recipients attending out-of-district community colleges receive tuition and fee benefits equivalent to those at the in-district rate.  Recipients shall not be responsible for paying the difference between in-district and out-of-district tuition.  Institutions are permitted to require documentation of residency in order to determine in-district or out-of-district payment.

g)         Benefits are limited to the equivalent of four academic years of full-time enrollment, which is measured in eligibility units.  Recipients may accumulate up to 120 eligibility units.

1)         To determine the amount of eligibility a recipient has used, credit hours (and noncredit hours for which benefits are used) will be converted to eligibility units according to the following table:

2)         When a qualified applicant becomes eligible to receive educational assistance under Section 2733.40(b), the number of units used will be calculated as follows:

A)        Multiply the percentage of the tuition and mandatory fee charges covered by the IVG by the number of credit hours attempted.

B)        Convert the result to eligibility units, as described in the table in subsection (g)(1).

3)         Full program benefits may be extended for one additional term if the recipient has accumulated fewer than 120 eligibility units but does not have enough units remaining for the number of hours in which the recipient is enrolled for the term.

4)         In the event that a recipient withdraws from a course prior to the end of a term, a refund will be made according to the institution's refund withdrawal policy and eligibility units will be adjusted accordingly.

5)         The eligibility units used for a noncredit course shall be the same as the number of eligibility units used for a credit course having the same number of faculty contact hours.

6)         If, for any reason, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) terminates or suspends a veteran educational benefits program, assistance under this Part shall cease six months following this action.  This does not include veterans who have begun receiving educational benefits under this Part.  In the event that the VA resumes terminated or suspended educational benefits, all current rules will be enforced.

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 11019, effective July 1, 2020)