JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program

Program News

(last updated January 19, 2024)

2023-24 Program Funding
2023-24 Benefit Usage
2023-24 File Specifications
Interactive Application
Comparison of Grant Programs for Veterans

2023-24

Program Funding

The fiscal year 2024 (FY24) state budget did not include funding for the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program to provide for compensating institutions for waiving the tuition and fees for qualified applicants. (IVG is an entitlement program and receipt of benefits does not depend on the annual budget process.) As in recent years, the budget does include a little more than $4.2 million for the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) to reimburse Illinois community colleges for the costs associated with waiving tuition and fee charges for IVG and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant recipients.

Although ISAC will not be able to reimburse institutions for 2023-24 IVG awards, reporting of enrollment hours must still take place so that benefit usage (i.e., eligibility units) can be accurately assessed to students’ accounts.

Benefit Usage

Although ISAC will not be able to reimburse institutions for 2023-24 IVG awards, reporting of enrollment hours must still take place so that benefit usage (i.e., eligibility units) can be accurately assessed to students' accounts.

Important dates and reminders for 2023-43 IVG benefit usage processing:

  • ISAC is accepting IVG benefit usage data for the spring term.
    • The date by which spring-term IVG benefit usage data must be submitted in order to be considered timely will be announced once it has been determined.
  • In order to be considered timely, IVG benefit usage data for the summer term must have been submitted by September 29, 2023.
    • Although the reporting deadline has passed, colleges that have not yet done so are encouraged to submit summer-term data as soon as possible.
  • In order to be considered timely, IVG benefit usage data for the fall term must have been submitted by December 29, 2023.
    • Although the reporting deadline has passed, colleges that have not yet done so are encouraged to submit fall-term data as soon as possible.
  • Colleges will be notified when ISAC begins accepting IVG benefit usage data for the spring term.
  • After submitting data, colleges are encouraged to always review the Benefits Results Exceptions report that is available the next business day.
  • Any 2023-24 benefit usage data that was submitted via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) prior to August 16, 2021 will not be processed, and must be resubmitted by the college.
    • In order to prevent having to resubmit data in the future, never submit benefit usage data via FTP until after ISAC announces it is accepting the data for that academic year.

Colleges report enrollment hours and dollar amounts for initial, in-district and out-of-district benefit usage by students, as well as adjustments to previously-submitted data, via the IVG system. Further details are provided in e-Messages dated August 16 and January 19.

IVG benefit usage data is submitted in the same manner as ING Grant benefit usage data and MAP claims. For additional details, refer to the IVG Benefit Usage page within this section. An IVG Program User Guide can help colleges navigate the online process. IVG file specifications can be accessed in the section below and from the IVG Electronic Processing page.

File Specifications

The 2023-24 IVG specifications, describing the file layout colleges use to transmit benefits used data to ISAC via FTP using ISAC's Secure File Transfer System, are available within the Electronic Tools section of the e-Library. Make sure all files conform to the 160-byte format described in the specifications.

Access to ISAC's Secure File Transfer System (transfer.isac.org) requires a valid GAP Access user ID and password. Additional information and instructions are provided in the FTP Process Using GAP Access Credentials Guide.

Interactive Application

The Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) interactive application is available via the ISAC Student Portal. In order to ensure that an application is processed in a timely manner, applicants should carefully read the instructions that display when the application is first launched, submit all required documentation (part of the interactive application process), and contact an ISAC Call Center Representative if they are uncertain about what documentation is needed. Students should allow at least 4 weeks for processing of a complete application. Applications for IVG can be submitted anytime during the academic year for which assistance is being requested, and need to be submitted only once to establish eligibility.

To assist you with questions you receive from students regarding the IVG Program, refer to the IVG Grant page in the Students & Parents area of this website. Refer to the Application Procedures for the IVG Grant page within this section for an overview of the application process, access to the application, and samples of the acknowledgement e-mail and notifications.The ISAC Student Portal has several tools to help IVG applicants and recipients keep track of the status of their grants.

An IVG Program application needs to be submitted only once to establish eligibility. Veterans who submitted an application in prior years and were deemed eligible to receive benefits do not need to apply again. Although the online option is the preferred method of applying, applicants who are unable or prefer not to submit their IVG Program application electronically may instead download and print a PDF version and submit the completed application (along with all required documentation) to ISAC via the United States Postal Service.

A recording of A Review of the IVG Application Process is available for applicants via the IVG page in the Students & Parents area of this website.

Comparison of Grant Programs for Veterans

Students who qualify for the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) program and the Montgomery or Post-9/11 GI Bills may receive benefits from both programs during the same academic year for eligible educational expenses. Several documents are available from the IVG Eligibility Requirements page within this section, to assist schools and students with the comparison of grant programs for veterans, the impact of GI Bill programs on IVG and a document to assist students with choosing the best program for them.