Monetary Award Program (MAP) 2+2

MAP 2+2 is a new program sponsored by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). It is designed to increase transfer rates, bachelor’s degree completion rates, and lower debt levels for MAP eligible students.

Since the dollar amounts of students’ MAP grants are smaller for attendance at a community college, participating students are allowed to carry forward the difference between the amount that their MAP grant would have been at their bachelor’s degree institution of choice and their community college MAP award. The difference in the award for each of the freshman and sophomore years is saved by ISAC and added to the student’s MAP grant to his/her junior and senior years at NIU.

You may qualify if you meet the following criteria:

1. You are a first semester freshman at one of NIU’s partner schools – College of DuPage, Harper College, or Illinois Valley Community College and plan to complete an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree. Students with less than 15 MAP paid college credits are eligible.


2. You intend to transfer to NIU to complete your Bachelor’s degree.


3. You are eligible to receive a MAP grant based on NIU’s cost of education. An admissions or financial aid representative can assist you in making this determination.

Students may enter the program in either the fall or spring semesters. As a MAP 2+2 participant, you must plan to receive your Associate degree in two years and your Bachelor’s degree in the following two years for a total of four years of MAP participation.

NIU and its community college partners are offering special support programs for MAP 2+2 students including specially designed four-year degree paths, access to tools and staff to assist students in staying on track to an Associate and Bachelor’s degree, and programming designed to facilitate transition to NIU.

The following academic programs are open to MAP 2+2 participants: