Illinois Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Scholarship

Illinois pays full tuition and mandatory fees at any state-supported Illinois college or university for the spouses and children of veterans who were missing in action, prisoners of war, died on active duty, died of a service-connected cause, or are rated 100 percent permanently and totally disabled by service-connected causes (including through unemployability). The benefit equals four years of full-time enrollment, including summer terms, tracked as 120 semester-hour points, and expires 12 years after the student starts. The veteran must have been an Illinois resident when entering service, within six months of entering, or for 15 straight years afterward. Natural and adopted children qualify, as do stepchildren under 18 at the time of the marriage. The student applies online through the ISAC student portal and uploads the veteran's DD214, the VA rating or death letter, a birth certificate and proof of college registration or acceptance. There is no deadline. The student must meet the college's normal academic standards.

Other deadlines near this one

• 802 Opportunity Grant
  Due June 30, 2027 · Full tuition and the $100 administrative fee at CCV (last-dollar)
• Alaska Education Grant
  Due June 30, 2027 · $500-$4,000/yr based on need and enrollment level
• Alaska Performance Scholarship
  Due June 30, 2027 · $3,500-$7,000/yr depending on tier

How hard is the Illinois Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Scholarship to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award.

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

• Fewer rivalsOpen only to Illinois residents
• Fewer rivalsRequires a military or national-service connection
• Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only
• More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Illinois Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Scholarship?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

• ✓Must be a resident of Illinois
• ✓Must attend a college in Illinois (the award does not travel out of state)
• ✓Open to high school seniors
• ✓For students who lost a parent in military service or active-duty military or veteran families

What the application takes

No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.

Deadline and application cycle

The next projected deadline is June 30, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual June 30 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site.

Applications close

June 30, 2027 (estimated)

Common questions about the Illinois Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Scholarship

More military & service families

• Indiana Tuition and Fee Exemption for Children of Disabled Veterans or Purple Heart Recipients
  Up to 100% of public tuition and fees; up to $5,000 a year at private colleges · due June 30, 2027
• Indiana Tuition and Fee Remission for Children and Spouses of Indiana National Guard Members
  100% of tuition and regularly assessed fees · due June 30, 2027
• Kansas Hero's Scholarship
  Tuition and required fees at Kansas public colleges · due September 1, 2027
• Kentucky Veterans' Dependent Tuition Waiver
  Full tuition at Kentucky public colleges (tuition only) · due June 30, 2027
• Maine Veterans Dependents Educational Benefits
  100% of tuition and mandatory fees at Maine public colleges · due June 30, 2027
• Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation
  $2,500-$10,000/yr (renewable up to 4 years) · due March 1, 2027

Lists this award appears on

• Illinois Scholarships and State Grants
• No-Essay Scholarships
• Renewable Scholarships (Multi-Year Awards)
• Scholarships for Military Families and Veterans
• Scholarships With June Deadlines