JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

Tracking MAP Usage - MAP Paid Credit Hours (MPCH)

{ISAC Rules, Section 2735.30}

MPCH Processing
Adjustments to MPCH Due to Impact of COVID-19 for Spring 2020

MPCH Processing

Eligibility for a MAP grant is tracked by the equivalent number of semester credit hours of MAP benefits paid on a student’s behalf.  This is called MAP paid credit hours.  If a student is attending a quarter school, the quarter credit hours will be converted to semester MAP paid credit hours.

A recipient may receive the equivalent of 135 semester credit hours of MAP benefits paid which will allow most students to have sufficient MAP coverage to complete a baccalaureate degree. The 135 credit hour model converts to approximately 4½ years of full-time study and will help the student who needs to enroll beyond four years (i.e., five-year programs, remedial education, late withdrawal, loss of hours due to transfer, etc.). Eligibility may be extended for one additional term if the recipient has accumulated fewer than 135 MAP paid credit hours but does not have enough credit hours of payment remaining for the number of hours for which he/she is enrolled for the term.

A report exists in the MAP system to assist schools in identifying students that have reached, or are near, the program maximum of 135 MAP paid credit hours.

One of the following payment results codes and messages will appear on the MAP Payment Results report and the MAP Payment Exceptions Report for students who have reached, or are near, the program maximum of 135 MAP paid credit hours.

  • T – With this payment, student attains 135 MAP Paid Credit Hours. Student will no longer be eligible for MAP payment.
  • F – Full MAP paid credit hours already used.

For each credit hour of MAP benefits paid on behalf of the recipient, the recipient will be assessed one MAP Paid Credit Hour toward his or her maximum usage. Payment will be made according to the number of credit hours enrolled by applying a fraction, according to the student's credit hours claimed with a maximum of 15 and a minimum of 3, to each student's calculated term award amount.

Once payment processing ends for an academic year, adjustments to the number of MAP Paid Credit Hours that have been assessed will not be made for individuals who originally had their expenses (e.g., tuition and fees) covered using those benefits (i.e., you cannot choose to "pay back" the dollar amount of benefits used in order to reinstate MAP Paid Credit Hours).

Adjustments to MPCH Due to Impact of COVID-19 for Spring 2020

In order to provide relief for students who were impacted by COVID-19 during the Spring 2020 term, colleges were allowed to make adjustments to a student's enrollment hours so that they were not charged with using MPCHs for courses from which they withdrew, but for which they had incurred charges and received a MAP award. For further details, refer to the June 17, 2020 e-Message, the MAP Paid Credit Hours Adjustments Due to COVID-19 page and the MAP portion of the ISAC Guidance for Spring 2020 Term Adjustments for Students Impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) document.