The Aspirational Institutional Match Helping Illinois Grow Higher Education (AIM HIGH) Grant Program provides financial assistance toward cost of attendance for eligible full-time undergraduate students at the state’s public universities. The AIM HIGH grant is renewable, and students will be eligible to receive a renewal grant in subsequent years if they continue to meet the eligibility requirements. The renewal award will be an amount no less than the award in your first year of attendance, unless your cost of attendance is reduced (if, for instance, you reduce your number of credit hours, or switch to a major with a lower tuition rate).
Additionally, all AIM HIGH-participating universities will provide matching funding for institutional awards for students who meet eligibility requirements established by the university. This funding may or may not be available to the same students who receive the AIM HIGH grant, depending on how the matching program is designed by the university.
Each university’s AIM HIGH grant program is described in detail on the university’s website. For complete program information, click on the name of the university you are planning to attend in the list of participating universities.
To be eligible, you must:
have attended an Illinois high school*
apply to be enrolled for the first time at the public university campus where the award will be used*
be a resident of Illinois
be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen or meet the “undocumented student” criteria of the RISE Act
file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and demonstrate financial need, with a household income no greater than 8 times the poverty guideline established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
meet the minimum cumulative grade point average or ACT or SAT college admissions test score, as determined by the university
be enrolled in a participating public university as an undergraduate student on a full-time basis (part-time undergraduate students in their final semester may be allowed to apply at the discretion of the university)
have not yet received a bachelor’s degree (the equivalent of 135 semester credit hours)
not be incarcerated
not be in default on any student loan, nor owe a refund on any state or federal grant
Details regarding each university’s AIM HIGH grant program are available by clicking on the university’s name below.
University of Illinois – Chicago
Western Illinois Universitystrong>
Students applying for the AIM HIGH Grant Program and/or for the matching funding must file the FAFSA®. You may refer to the program information for each university above, or contact the financial aid office of the university you plan to attend to learn if there are additional application procedures/documents which must be completed.
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) determines the amount of AIM HIGH grant funding that will be made available to each public university each academic year. Funding is allocated to the university and will be disbursed to students according to the university’s procedures.