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Educational Benefits for Veterans, Active Duty Military Personnel and Families

The Financial Aid and Veteran Services Office is located in the Luther Student Center – Room 203.  We provide assistance for enlisted personnel, veterans, and their families who wish to use their benefits at Lake Land College.  We will help you file the appropriate forms to process your educational benefit claims with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA), Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), and the Department of Education (DOE).  We are also available to answer questions about veterans’ benefits and financial aid, and direct you to other college support services. Service members are encouraged to speak with their Educational Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within their Military Service prior to enrolling at Lake Land College.

Programs Available

Programs include, but are not limited to, the following:

State

  • Illinois Veterans Grant (IVG)
  • Illinois National Guard Grant (ING)
  • Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans’ Dependents Scholarship

Federal

  • Montgomery G.I. Bill® (Chapter 30)
  • Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31)
  • Post 9/11 Montgomery G.I. Bill® (Chapter 33)
  • Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance (Chapter 35)
  • Selected Reserve Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 1606)
  • Military Tuition Assistance (TA)

Military Tuition Assistance (TA)
All four service branches and the U.S. Coast Guard offer financial assistance for voluntary, off-duty education programs in support of service members’ personal and professional goals.

Your service branch pays your tuition directly to the school.  Service members need to first check with an education counselor for the specifics involving TA by visiting their local installation education office or by going online to a virtual education center.

To be eligible for TA, an enlisted service member must have enough time remaining in service to complete the course for which he or she has applied.  After the completion of a course, an officer using TA must fulfill a service obligation that runs parallel with – not in addition to – any existing service obligation.

Keep in mind that TA will not fund your college courses and you will have to reimburse any funds already paid if any of the following situations occur:

  • Leaving the service before the course ends
  • Quitting the course for reasons other than personal illness, military transfer or mission requirements
  • Failing the course

TA Application Process
Each military branch has its own TA application from and procedures.  To find out how to get started visit your local installation education center, go online to a virtual education center or click on the following links for each service branch:

To Apply

  • Prior to enrollment, veterans and military personnel seeking to utilize these educational benefits should contact Danielle Downs, Financial Aid & Veteran Services Advisor, at 217-234-5255 or ddowns@lakelandcollege.edu. Walk-in and scheduled appointments are available.