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MAP Award Announcements
Students who apply for financial aid on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and agree to share the information with ISAC are considered for a Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant. The announcement process begins with the college sending an award letter to eligible students indicating a calculated annual award amount. Eligible students are those with an EFC under 9000 who indicated a MAP-approved school as one of their school choices on the FAFSA.

ISAC will send only Ineligible Award Acknowledgements that includes the reason for ineligibility. Since ISAC will send a MAP Acknowledgement letter to ineligible applicants only, schools may want to provide students with the link to the MAP Rights & Responsibilities form, which includes pertinent student consumer information, or direct them to the MAP section on the CollegeIllinois website.

Access samples of the various letters that ISAC sends to applicants by clicking the appropriate academic year link in the right-hand menu.

School Requirements

Schools are required to announce MAP awards to the students enrolled at their institutions, including students who are only eligible for a 2nd semester/2nd and 3rd quarter MAP award. Schools are required to clearly identify the awards on the award notification as:  State of IL MAP Grant (Est).

Reference to the IIA Program was removed from the Required School Issued Award Letter Language example, as the program was not funded in 2011-12 and no funds were appropriated for the 2012-13 academic year. 

Schools are also required to notify applicants of changes in their eligibility status.  Reasons for ineligibility include student who:

  • are not eligible due to a zero award;
  • have an incomplete record;
  • have a loan in default;
  • are considered late applicants; or
  • have exceeded the intermediate maximum of 75 MAP Paid Credit Hours.

The specific language required to be included on the school issued award letters may differ depending on the academic year.

2012-13 Required School Issued Award Letter Language
2011-12 Required School Issued Award Letter Language

© 2003-2012 Illinois Student Assistance Commission