ISAC Student PortalIllinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program
Program News
(last updated June 2, 2026)
2025-26 Program Funding
2025-26 Benefit Usage
2025-25 File Specifications
Interactive Application
Comparison of Grant Programs for Veterans
2025-26
Program Funding
The 2026 fiscal year (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026) appropriation for both the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant programs is $6,000,000.
The FY26 state budget includes funding through ISAC to reimburse public universities for some of the tuition and fees that they waive on behalf of eligible veterans and Illinois National Guard members. As in recent years, the budget also includes 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 ING Grant recipients.
Benefit Usage
Even though ISAC may not be able to fully reimburse institutions for 2025-26 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 2025-26 IVG benefit usage processing:
- A June 2 e-Message provides 2025-26 year-end updates:
- The IVG system will continue to accept 2025-26 benefit usage data for all terms through (including) Thursday, July 30, 2026.
- Although the dates by which summer-, fall- and spring-term benefit usage data must have been submitted in order to be considered timely have passed, colleges are still encouraged to report data for these terms no later than July 30.
- Even though ISAC may not be able to fully reimburse institutions for 2025-26 IVG awards, reporting of enrollment hours must still take place as soon as possible so that benefit usage (i.e., eligibility units) can be accurately assessed to students' accounts.
- Effective Friday, July 31, 2026, 2025-26 data in the IVG system will become available for historical view only.
- The IVG system will continue to accept 2025-26 benefit usage data for all terms through (including) Thursday, July 30, 2026.
- After submitting data, colleges are encouraged to always review the Benefits Results Exceptions report that is available the next business day.
- Any 2025-26 benefit usage data that was submitted via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) prior to August 4, 2025 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.
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.
What's Next
As announced in a June 23 e-Message, FY26 funds have been appropriated for ISAC to reimburse public universities for some of the tuition and fees that they waive on behalf of eligible veterans. Details regarding the disbursement of these funds will be provided once they have been determined.
File Specifications
The 2025-26 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 Student Engagement Representative if they are uncertain about what documentation is needed. Students should allow at least 12 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.
