Loan Program, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans are not need-based, meaning that nearly all students are eligible to receive them. Unlike Federal Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans accrue interest the moment they are applied to a student's tuition account. Similar to Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans have fixed interest rates that are set yearly by the U.S. Congress. The Federal Work-Study Program – An employment program that encourages students with low expected family contributions to find part-time work while pursuing their studies. The program allows the federal government to subsidize a student's employer by paying around half of the student's wages up to a certain amount. Students do not need to have Federal Work Study to work but some university or non-profit positions may require a student to have Federal Work Study in order to be employed. Types of Illinois Grant Programs (Also obtained by filling out the FAFSA) These Illinois programs are offered by ISAC (Illinois Student Assistance Commission) but can also be obtained along with the federal aid programs when filling out the FAFSA. The MAP grant which is the Monetary Award Program (second biggest grant after Pell) is awarded to Illinois undergraduate students & can be used at only the approved Illinois public and private 2 and 4 year colleges along with other degree granting institutions. Funding is limited Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) is an entitlement program where Illinois veterans with at least 1 year of active duty service can earn funds to a maximum of 4 academic years for tuition and mandatory fees. Illinois National Guard (ING) grant (very similar to the IVG) is an entitlement program that offer aid to pay tuition and certain fees for those in the National Guard with one full year of active service or those who have been discharged recently. Certain Requirements may apply to these programs so further research may need to be done. History FAFSA originally came from the 1965 Higher Education Act (HEA) by President Lyndon Johnson, this established the United States Government as the primary provider of financial aid for students. For years the application was called Financial Aid Form (FAF), which was an optional form used by some—but not all—colleges and universities. When Congress reauthorized the HEA in 1992 they created a standardized federal form for all prospective students seeking aid. The stated goal of FAFSA and other government funded education programs was to