Board of Trustees

Download a printable PDF of Section IV

Approved: November 16, 2001
Section IV: Students
Subsection: B. Student Financial Aid (Approved June 3, 2011)

 

1. Definition

Student financial aid includes tuition waivers, scholarships, grants, loans, and employment opportunities which are provided for students to assist them in meeting the costs of university attendance whether from university, state, federal, or private resources.

2. Financial Aid Policies

The University shall develop policies and procedures for the administration of its financial aid program. The policies and procedures shall become effective when approved by the President.

Financial aid policies shall be consistent with the Board's commitment to provide an equal opportunity to qualified Illinois residents. The policies shall include the following provisions and such other provisions as are necessary and appropriate:

a. Policies and procedures concerning the award of tuition waivers. The tuition and fee wavier policies and procedures shall describe all tuition waivers issued by the University and the criteria for their award. The policies and procedures shall comply with Board of Higher Education tuition waiver policies and the other applicable laws, policies, rules, or requirements. 

    In compliance with 110 Illinois Compiled Statutes 605/8h, the University's policies and procedures for the award of tuition waivers shall provide that each eligible child of any      Western Illinois University employee who has been by any one or by more than one Illinois college or university for an aggregate period of at least seven years shall upon proper       application and verification of eligibility, be offered a fifty percent tuition waiver for any academic year for which he or she:

          1) must verify that their mother or father has been employed for an aggregate period of at least seven years at one or more “Illinois college or university”, which means any of the following: the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University, Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, and Western Illinois University

          2) must verify that s/he is under the age of twenty-five at the commencement of the academic year during which the partial tuition waiver is effective;

          3) qualifies for admission to Western Illinois University under the same admission requirements, standards, and policies which Western Illinois University applies to applicants for admission generally to its respective undergraduate colleges and program.

          4) Subject to the provisions and limitations of subsection (b), an eligible applicant who has continued to maintain satisfactory academic progress toward graduation          may  have his or her partial tuition waiver renewed until the time as he or she has expended 4 years of undergraduate partial tuition waiver benefits under this Section.

          5) No partial tuition waiver offered or allocated to any eligible applicant in accordance with the provisions of this Section shall be charged against any tuition waiver            limitation established by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

           6) The Board shall prescribe rules and regulations as are necessary to implement and administer the provisions of this Section.

b. Policies and procedures concerning the employment and compensation of student hourly workers. The policies and procedures shall comply with the rules of the State Universities Civil Service System and with applicable state and federal employment law.

c. Policies and procedures concerning the appointment, hours of work, and compensation of graduate assistants. Graduate assistants may not hold faculty rank and must hold at least the baccalaureate degree or its equivalent.

3. Financial Aid Report

    The President, or the President’s designee, shall submit an annual report to the Board on student financial aid programs at the University.