Guide to Financial Aid

Federal Pell Grant

Federal Pell grants usually are awarded to only undergraduate students who show exceptional financial need. Awards are based on enrollment status and expected family contributions as determined by a federally established formula.

Credit Hours Pell Amount
0.5 to 5.5 1/4 award*
6 to 8.5 1/2 award*
9 to 11.5 3/4 award*
12+ Full award

* Your Pell Grant depends on your expected family contribution (EFC) number. Contact the LLCC Financial Aid office for details on how your award may be affected.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

SEOG is a federally funded grant awarded to undergraduates who demonstrate exceptional financial need. Students must be enrolled in at least six credit hours per semester.

State of Illinois Monetary Award Program Grant (MAP)

The Monetary Award Program is a state of Illinois need-based grant that can assist students who are residents of Illinois in paying a portion of tuition and mandatory fees at Lincoln Land Community College.

2023-24 MAP information
2022-23 MAP information
2021-22 MAP information

Direct Student Loans

Direct loans are government guaranteed loans. Repayment begins six months from the date students are no longer enrolled in six credit hours. Borrowers must be enrolled in and attending a minimum of six eligible credit hours at time of disbursement to receive a student loan.

Subsidized Direct Loans

Subsidized Direct loans are awarded on the basis of financial need. Students are not charged any interest before beginning repayment or during authorized periods of deferment. The federal government "subsidizes" or pays the interest during these periods.

Unsubsidized Direct Loans

Unsubsidized Direct loans are not based on need. Students are charged interest until the loan is paid in full. LLCC’s Financial Aid Office always awards the maximum subsidized loans before awarding unsubsidized loans.

Direct PLUS Loans

Parents of dependent undergraduate students may borrow up to the students’ cost of attendance, minus financial aid. Parents can contact the Department of Education if they want to delay repayment.

Students who are selected for verification are notified regarding the documents that need to be submitted to the Financial Aid Office. Failure to submit the documents within the 14-day time frame may delay your ability to receive financial aid.

The LLCC Financial Aid Office calculates estimated awards based on full-time enrollment. Students may enroll less than full time; however, most awards require at least half time enrollment.

  • Less than half-time: 0.5 to 5.5 hours
  • Half-time: 6 to 8.5 hours
  • 3/4 time: 9 to 11.5 hours
  • Full-time: 12+ hours

Courses dropped on, or before, or added after the dates below do not count toward Pell, SEOG, or MAP enrollment status.

Summer 2023: June 8, 2023
Fall 2023: August 25, 2023
Spring 2024: January 19, 2024

The following courses are not counted toward enrollment status when determining financial aid eligibility:

  • Courses not required for active academic program(s)
  • MAT 081 or MAT 082
  • Vocational Studies (ABE, ASE, AHH, AIT, BPS, NUR, OIT, WIT)
  • Continuing Education (CEW)
  • Audit Courses
  • No more than 30 hours of developmental work

Students may receive financial aid for repeating courses that were not successfully completed. Grades of F, I, W, AW and SP are considered not successfully completed. Once a passing grade is received, the student may receive financial aid for only one repeat of the course. Passing grades include A, B, C, D, or P.  All course repeats are counted to determine Satisfactory Academic Progress.

In order to be eligible for financial aid, students must be enrolled in an eligible program of study. All associate degree programs are eligible for financial aid (AA, AS, AAS, AFA, AES or AGE).  Some certificate programs are eligible for financial aid. Please contact the LLCC Financial Aid Office for further information.

Students who officially drop a course(s) prior to the published refund deadline of any semester receive a refund of 100% of tuition and course fees paid. Contact LLCC Registration for refund information about courses with irregular start dates. In the event a course is canceled, all paid tuition and fees will be refunded. No refund will be made to students who are withdrawn from any course for disciplinary reasons or absenteeism.

Other provisions:

  • Courses canceled by the college shall result in a 100% refund.
  • Failure to attend classes does not constitute a schedule change or withdrawal and does not entitle the student to a refund.
  • Students must officially drop by contacting Registration Services on the main campus or one of LLCC’s other locations.

If you will have financial aid funds leftover after tuition and fees have been paid, you may use them to "charge" your books in the LLCC Bookstore. You may also charge up to $25 in school supplies such as pens, pencils and paper. Additional amounts can be charged if it is listed on your course syllabus as a requirement. You must take your class schedule and a picture ID to the Bookstore to purchase books. If you choose this option, your tuition, fees and book charges will be deducted from your financial aid. Any remaining funds will be refunded according to LLCC's refund policy.

You are not required to purchase your books at the LLCC Bookstore; however, if you choose to buy them elsewhere, you will need to pay for your books up front and reimburse yourself when you receive your refund. If you choose to reimburse yourself, your Financial Aid refund will be received about 60-90 days after the start of classes.

Students must attend classes to be eligible for aid. Students who stop attending all courses and/or officially withdraw from all courses and are receiving federal financial aid are only eligible for the portion of financial aid that correlated to the amount of time they attended as prescribed by federal regulations. Students are considered to “earn” their financial aid by attending class. Students withdrawing from all courses after the 60% point of the semester are considered to have earned 100% of their aid. Students who withdraw or stop attending courses before the 60% point has been reached are required to repay the U.S. Department of Education and LLCC any “unearned” funds.  Students who never attend courses are not entitled to any aid for those courses.

  • Students who owe LLCC tuition and/or fees are not allowed to enroll or have transcripts sent.
  • Students who owe money to the U.S. Department of Education are not allowed to receive federal financial aid anywhere in the country.

View the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

1. Authority

In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education and State of Illinois student aid regulations, LLCC is required to establish minimum standards of Academic Progress to qualify for federal and state financial aid. The purpose of the policy is to ensure that students are making progress toward the completion of their academic program. Minimal standards are subject to change in accordance with the U. S. Department of Education and State of Illinois regulations.

2. Financial aid programs covered

The Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy applies to students who are requesting or receiving funds from the following federal and state financial aid programs: Federal PELL Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work Study, Federal Direct Student and Parent Loans, and the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP).

3. Minimum academic standards requirements

To stay in good standing for financial aid, there are three standards that students must meet each term (fall, spring and summer): GPA, course completion and maximum time frame.

A. Grade Point Average (GPA)

You must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. Up until you have completed 34 credit hours, you are allowed to have a GPA lower than 2.0. You must maintain the following minimum GPA:

Cumulative Credit Hours Minimum GPA
1-11 1.50
12-22 1.70
23-33 1.85
34+ 2.00

Note: Developmental courses (courses lower than 100 level) are not calculated in the GPA.

B. Course completion

Students must successfully complete a cumulative minimum of 66.67% of all credit hours. Only grades of A, B, C, D and P are considered successful completion for 100 level or higher courses. A grade of A, B, C or P is considered successful completion for developmental courses. Grades of I, W, WP, WF, SP, RP and F are not considered successful completion.

C. Maximum time frame (150% limit)

There is a limit on how much financial aid a student can receive. Students may receive financial aid up to 150% of the length of their academic program. All credit hours are included except for up to 30 developmental credit hours.

Examples of 150% maximum time frame:

Credit Hours Required to Complete Academic Program Number of Attempted Credit Hours for Financial Aid
24 36
60 90

 

4. Minimum academic standards requirements

Students who have already completed an associate degree or higher are no longer eligible for financial aid. Students with degrees may appeal. See Section 7 regarding appeals.

5. Scope of evaluation


A. Courses included

We are required to include all credit hours on your LLCC transcript including:

  • Those that financial aid did not pay for
  • Credit hours forgiven by the LLCC academic renewal policy
  • Dual credit hours
  • Repeats (not counted for GPA)
  • Transfer credits from another institution that are accepted toward completion of a student's program at LLCC
  • All developmental hours except for MAT 081/082
  • All credit hours attempted in previous academic programs at LLCC

B. Courses NOT included

Vocational Studies (for example, prefixes ABE, ASE, AHH, AIT, BPS, NUR, OIT), Continuing Education Courses and Audit Courses

C. Repeats

Once a passing grade is received, students may receive aid for the course one more time. Grades of A, B, C, D and P are considered passing for 100 level or higher courses. Grades of A, B, C or P are considered passing for developmental courses.

6. OK, Warning, Suspension and/or Maximum Time Frame and Probation Status


A. Financial Aid Eligible Status (OK)

You are doing great. Keep it up!

B. Warning Status

Students who do not meet the standards. May continue to receive aid if otherwise eligible.

C. Suspension Status

Students previously in Warning Status who do not meet the standards or who are on Probation Status and do not meet the terms of their probation are not eligible to receive financial aid, including loans. See Section 7 regarding appeals.

D. Maximum Time Frame Status (150% Limit)

Students who at any time exceed the maximum time frame status (150%) or earn a degree will no longer be eligible for financial aid, including loans. Note that students exceeding the maximum time frame status may lose financial aid without benefit of a warning term. See Section 7 regarding appeals.

E. Probation Status

Students who have an appeal granted are placed in Probation status and eligible for financial aid for one semester. If after that semester the student does not meet the terms of the probation, they become ineligible for financial aid. 

7. Financial aid appeal

Students who are in suspension status, exceeded the maximum time frame or earned a degree may appeal their eligibility for aid based on circumstances beyond a student's control, such as death of a relative, serious injury or lengthy illness.

Students will be notified of the SAP Appeals Committee's decision within seven days of a complete appeal. Students may have to pay tuition, fees and books out of pocket while awaiting the outcome of the appeal.

The decision of the SAP Appeals Committee is final.

Students may also earn their way back to good standing by attaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA and 66.67% completion rate.

8. Notification

We evaluate progress at the end of summer, fall and spring semesters. LLCC Financial Aid will notify you when you are in warning, suspension and/or maximum time frame and probation status. However, it’s the student’s responsibility to know their status and if eligible for financial aid. Students can view their SAP status on LoggerCentral.

9. Notice

The College’s SAP policy is subject to change without notice to comply with federal or state regulations, or LLCC Board of Trustees policy or action.

Traditionally, more than $300,000 in Lincoln Land Community College Foundation scholarships and college waivers is available to LLCC students each year. The general scholarship fund,  sponsored by the LLCC Foundation and Friends of the LLCC Foundation, include talent-based scholarships for students pursuing any area of study who demonstrate excellence in academics.

Scholarships, established through the generosity of community businesses, organizations and individuals may be limited to students majoring in specific professions such as accounting, agriculture, allied health, anthropology, art, automotive technology, aviation, business, computer science, education, engineering, fire science, hospitality management, languages, law enforcement, music, office systems technology and nursing. Some scholarship donors base their scholarships on other criteria.

The LLCC Foundation Office administers the application and awarding of the LLCC Foundation Scholarships. All scholarship awards are based on the availability of funds.

Students have a right to:

  • Know what financial aid programs are available
  • Know the deadlines for submitting applications
  • Know how financial aid will be disbursed
  • Know how their financial aid was determined
  • Know how much of their financial need has been met
  • Know what resources were considered in the calculation of their need
  • Request an explanation of the various programs in their financial aid package
  • Know the school’s refund policy
  • Know what portion of the financial aid received must be repaid and what portion is grant aid
  • Know how the school determines whether they are making satisfactory progress

Students have the responsibility to:

  • Complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time
  • Provide correct information
  • Return all additional documentation requested
  • Read and understand all forms they are asked to sign
  • Accept all agreements they sign and comply with the provisions of any promissory notes signed
  • Perform the work agreed upon in accepting a college work-study award
  • Be aware of and comply with the deadlines for application or reapplication for aid
  • Be aware of the institution’s refund procedures
  • Be aware of the institution’s policy for satisfactory progress