Illinois MAP Grant
The Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant is available from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) to Illinois residents who are undergraduate students at an Illinois college and enrolled in at least three (3) credit hours (1000-level or above and/or approved remedial courses). The MAP Grant is applied to in-district tuition and mandatory fees only and does not include class or lab fees. Students must list Illinois and their state of legal residence on their FAFSA form to be processed for a MAP Grant.

To apply for an Illinois MAP Grant a student must first meet the following general eligibility requirements:
• U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Have received a high school diploma, GED or pass the Ability to Benefit Test
• Be enrolled in classes leading to a U.S. Department of Education approved certificate or degree. Check this list for ineligible degree/certificates (PDF) for financial aid purposes.
• Not be in default on a federal student loan
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (PDF)
• Have resided in Illinois for at least one year prior to the start of the academic school year. You will be required to submit proof of your Illinois residency before you are awarded an Illinois MAP Grant. For dependent students, your parents must be Illinois residents.

Students should start the application process (PDF) by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. Unlike the Federal Pell Grant, only a limited amount of funds are available for the Illinois MAP Grant. Students are strongly encouraged to file their FAFSA as soon after Jan.1 as possible.

Notification of your award:
You will receive an award letter from our office notifying you of your maximum MAP Grant eligibility, which is based on 15 semester hours. If you do not register for 15 semester hours, your MAP award will adjust accordingly based on the actual number of hours registered. Students must register for a minimum of three semester hours. MAP Grants are limited based on the number of applicants and funding levels appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly. Please be aware that in light of state funding constraints, reductions to estimated or actual MAP Grants are possible.

75 MAP Paid Credit Hours: A MAP Paid Credit Hour is an equivalent number of credit hours of MAP benefits paid on your behalf. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission will track the number of MAP Paid Credit Hours you receive. Once you have reached 75 MAP Paid Credit Hours, you must be classified as a junior to continue receiving your MAP award. Since College of DuPage is a two-year community college, once you have reached 75 MAP Paid Credit Hours, you will no longer be eligible to receive a MAP Grant at the College of DuPage.

Important Note:
If you are transferring from another college and have already reached the 75 MAP Paid Credit Hour limit, you will not be eligible for a MAP award since we cannot classify students higher than a freshman or sophomore.

As always, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid prior to dropping classes.