Finding the Right Financial Aid

College is an important career investment, but it is not cheap. Fortunately, there is financial help. In addition to assistance from the federal government, Illinois offers additional help to many of its residents. If you have the motivation to attend school, finances shouldn't stand in the way. Look into these programs that offer help to students in the state.

Military Help

If you are, or plan to be, a member of the armed forces, there might be some college money in it for you. National Guard members may qualify for the Illinois National Guard Grant. Veterans who were Illinois residents when they joined the service may qualify for an Illinois Veteran Grant. You may have also signed up for the G.I. Bill when you joined the military.

Aid for Future Teachers

If you plan on teaching when you get out of college, Illinois makes it easier to go to college. The Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship gives up to $5,000 per year to minority students who intend on becoming teachers. If your interest lies in special education, you may qualify for the Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver. The Illinois Future Teaching Corps is available to future teachers in their junior year or later. The Nurse Educator Scholarship Program is available to students who plan to teach in the area of nursing. When you receive these scholarships, you need to sign a commitment to teach. If you do not teach as you agreed to, you will have to pay back a prorated amount, including interest.

Financial Aid for People with Lower Incomes

If you can demonstrate financial need, Illinois has programs that can help you pay for school. The Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access Grant is available to incoming freshman that have limited financial resources. You may also qualify for the federal Pell Grant.

Help for Good Students

If you excelled in school, you may qualify for scholarships based on educational performance. You might qualify for a Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship which offers up to $1,500 to students that graduate from high school with exceptional scores on college entrance examinations and good grades. The Merit Recognition Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship that is offered to students who graduate from high school in the top 5% of their class, or who score in the top 5% of students in the state that take the college entrance examinations.

Additional Financial Help

These are not the only places where you can find financial aid in the state of Illinois. If you are the child of, or were married to, a firefighter, police officer, or correctional officer in the state of Illinois and was 90% disabled or died while performing job duties, there are grant programs that you may be eligible for. The federal government gives grants and loans to students that have financial need. Many private organizations offer scholarships to individuals based on academic performance, financial need, hobbies, and many other different criteria. The College Board has a scholarship search for the larger scholarship programs, and the financial aid office at your local college or university may be able to help you find smaller, local scholarships.