JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

Eligibility Units For Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program

Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant benefits for an academic year are determined based on the number of credit hours for which the qualified applicant is enrolled.

Effective for the 2013-14 academic year (which begins with the fall 2013 term):

  • Qualified applicants who have completed less than ten years of active duty ING service may receive ING Grant benefits for a maximum of the equivalent of four academic years of full-time enrollment (i.e., these recipients may continue to reapply and accumulate up to 120 eligibility units*).
  • Qualified applicants who have completed ten years or more of active duty ING service may receive ING Grant benefits for a maximum of the equivalent of six academic years of full-time enrollment (i.e., these recipients may continue to reapply and accumulate up to 180 eligibility units*). Note that the six-year equivalent maximum (180 eligibility units) is cumulative, and includes benefits received when the qualified applicant had less than ten years of active duty ING service.

The amount of eligibility a recipient has used is determined by converting credit hours (and noncredit hours for which benefits are used) to eligibility units, as indicated below:

 Number of Hours Semester Term  Quarter Term 
 12 or more hours 12 units   8 units
 9 - 11.99 hours  9 units  6 units
 6 - 8.99 hours  6 units  4 units
 3 - 5.99 hours  3 units  2 units
 0 - 2.99 hours  1 unit  1 unit

ING Grant eligibility units are based on the enrolled hours for a particular term, not the dollar amount of the benefits paid.

* Full program benefits may be extended for one additional term if the recipient has accumulated fewer than the maximum number of eligibility units but does not have enough units remaining for the number of hours in which he or she is enrolled for that term.