The academic school year may have just started but it’s never too late to think about financing higher education. The following are some of the many state-funded grants:

The Monetary Award Program (MAP) is a program in which Illinois residents who demonstrate financial need and attend one of the approved Illinois colleges will receive grant money to pay for their tuition.

In late August, Governor Bruce Rauner signed AIM HIGH into law. The AIM HIGH grant is a pilot program in which the state of Illinois provides $25 million in financial aid and universities then match that amount for a total sum of $50 million.

The Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant was made for current and prospective teachers to pay for their education. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission states: “Recipients of this grant must sign an agreement to meet specific teaching requirements within eight years after completing the program for which the grant was received. If the teaching requirement is not fulfilled, the grant must be repaid as an unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loan.”

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is a need-based grant available to undergraduate students. Students who complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be considered for SEOG; however, students who receive the Federal Pell Grant will be first priority.

The Federal Pell Grant is a need-based grant and can go towards any educational expenses, including room and board. Students who complete and submit their FAFSA will be considered for this grant.

The financial aid office on NEIU’s main campus is located inside the Enrollment Services office in building D. Students can go and ask for help on filling out FAFSA applications. Eligible students are able to fill out their FAFSA applications starting Oct. 1 at fafsa.ed.gov.

In the financial aid office, Director of Scholarships Michelle Morrow is a resource whom students can connect with to become more informed on NEIU-based scholarship opportunities available to them. Most NEIU-based scholarships do not require students to be U.S. citizens.

Luvia Moreno, director of undocumented student resources, is another person whom students can connect with if they are looking for ways to pay for their tuition. Students that are not eligible to receive FAFSA due to their citizenship status should contact Moreno for assistance. Her office is located in the Angelina Pedroso Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs and students can make an appointment to see her via email: [email protected]

NEIU’s south side location Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies (CCICS) will host several FAFSA workshops during the month of October: freshman on Oct.3; sophomores on Oct. 10; juniors on Oct. 17; seniors on Oct. 24; and graduate students on Oct. 31.

The workshops to require prior online registration, the link can be found in the NEIU Target Announcement titled, “FAFSA workshops at the Carruthers Center in October.”  For more information email Lorene Foggs via email at [email protected].