Public Accountability Report Public Accountability Report

2025 Scholarship and Grant Programs
Mission Statement To reduce financial barriers to postsecondary education for students who might otherwise be prohibited from attending college and to assist specific segments of the Illinois population with college costs.
Program Goals and Objectives
  1. Provide equal educational opportunity for postsecondary education to Illinois citizens.
    1. Grant dollars awarded per full-time enrollment will increase at least as much as the mean weighted increase in tuition and fees.
    2. The administrative-to-program dollar ratio will not fall below a level sufficient to support the successful and timely delivery of program dollars to qualified recipients.
  2. Improve college affordability for low-income and middle-income families.
    1. Need-based grant aid as a proportion of college costs will increase annually.
    2. The Monetary Award Program (MAP) will be able to serve students and families with higher average taxable incomes each year.
  3. Reward military service, provide for the families of those who have served the State of Illinois, and provide a recruitment incentive for the Illinois National Guard.
    1. The number of recipients of the Illinois Veteran Grant, Illinois National Guard Grant, Grant Program for the Dependents of Correctional Officers, and Grant Program for the Dependents of Police or Fire Officers (collectively referred to as service programs) will remain equal to 14,000 per year or increase.
  4. Increase the number of teachers and workers in designated shortage fields.
    1. The number of students receiving scholarships to pursue careers in worker shortage areas will increase annually.
Source of Funds General Revenue Fund, Education Assistance Fund, Nursing Dedicated and Professional Fund, Optometric Licensing and Disciplinary Board Fund, State Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency Fund, University Grant Fund, Energy Transition Assistance Fund, Student Loan Operating Fund, Illinois Student Assistance Commission Contracts and Grants Fund, Federal Student Incentive Trust Fund, Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Fund Statutory Authority 110 ILCS 947, 110 ILCS 967, 110 ILCS 972, 110 ILCS 975, 110 ILCS 996, 110 ILCS 997, 20 ILCS 1605/21.15, 20 ILCS 1605/21.16
Fiscal Year 2026 Target/Projected Fiscal Year 2025 Actual Fiscal Year 2025 Target/Projected Fiscal Year 2024 Actual Fiscal Year 2023 Actual
Input Indicators
Total expenditures - all sources (in thousands) $ 851,808.2 $ 831,188.6 $ 857,945.1 $ 868,171.7 $ 739,735.2
Total expenditures - state appropriated funds (in thousands) $ 851,808.2 $ 831,188.6 $ 857,945.1 $ 868,171.7 $ 739,735.2
Average monthly full-time equivalents 116.0 92.0 99.0 81.0 78.0
Output Indicators
Number of students receiving MAP awards 152,500 151,216 143,500 144,832 146,753
Number of students benefiting from service programs 3,600 3,648 3,750 3,871 4,048
Number of persons participating in teacher and worker shortage programs (a) 3,500 3,700 2,600 2,758 2,539
Number of applications filed 662,290 644,580 643,000 656,005 630,152
Number of students receiving AIM HIGH awards 12,800 12,853 12,853 9,908 10,348
Outcome Indicators
Grant aid as a percentage of tuition and fees 21.50% 21.90% 22.90% 22.80% 19.80%
Grant aid per undergraduate full-time-equivalent student (in dollars) $ 1,920.00 $ 1,898.00 $ 2,000.00 $ 1,879.84 $ 1,600.42
Percentage of undergraduates at Illinois colleges receiving state need-based aid 31.00% 30.70% 30.00% 28.80% 30.10%
Average taxable income of families eligible for MAP grants (in dollars) $ 35,251.00 $ 34,059.00 $ 30,500.00 $ 30,084.00 $ 28,199.00
Percentage of low-income applicants who claim a MAP grant when offered 72.70% 70.80% 66.00% 66.00% 62.00%
Percentage of low-income applicants who were not offered a MAP grant 27.00% 15.20% 15.00% 12.00% 0.00%
External Benchmarks
National ranking of maximum award 13.0 13.0 14.0 14.0 15.0
National ranking of need-based aid per undergraduate student 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0
National ranking of total grant dollars per population aged 18 - 24 12.0 12.0 13.0 13.0 17.0
National ranking of student aid as a percentage of the higher education budget 22.0 22.0 24.0 24.0 27.0
Efficiency/Cost-Effectiveness Indicators
Percentage of administrative spending per dollar awarded 1.82% 1.25% 1.80% 1.40% 1.10%
Footnotes
An overall increase in the number of recipients is due to two new worker shortage programs as well as increases in a few existing teacher and worker shortage programs.

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