Tuition Waivers and Trustee Scholarships

Administrative Procedure 4.201

1. Tuition Waivers for Senior Citizens - It is the intent of Elgin Community College to comply with 110 ILCS 990/1 et seq., Senior Citizens Courses Act. Persons who are 65 years of age or older by the first day of the term, and whose annual household income is less than the threshold amount provided in Section 4 of the “Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Act”, approved July 17, 1972, as amended, will be entitled to a full tuition waiver for all regularly scheduled credit courses, other than courses designed specifically for senior citizens and independent study courses, provided that available classroom space exists and tuition paying students enrolled constitute the minimum number required for the course. Eligible students are expected to pay applicable fees, books, and classroom supply costs. Senior citizens aged 62 or older may qualify for the 50% tuition waiver. The student does not need to complete a senior waiver application or meet a household income threshold. Also, there are no restrictions as to what type of class the student may use the waiver for.

2. Tuition Waiver for Illinois High School Equivalency Students - The College recognizes the significant achievement of people who have completed and passed their Illinois High School Equivalency examination. The College will offer eligible students an in-district tuition waiver for up to 3 hours of credit coursework, valid for 1 year from the issue date of the Illinois High School Equivalency transcript.  Eligible students include those who live in-district, successfully complete an ABE/ASE class at ECC, and successfully pass the High School Equivalency test.  Students who attend ABE/ASE classes offered by the Education and Work Center in Hanover Park, who reside in ECC’s district, and pass the High School Equivalency test are also eligible to receive the tuition waiver.   Students may receive both the ESL and GED tuition waivers. This waiver will not include applicable fees, books, and classroom supply costs.

3. Tuition Waiver for ESL Students - The College recognizes the significant achievement of persons who have successfully completed level 10 of the ESL program (ESL 019, ABE035, or ASE036) or the Intensive English Program (Pre-Collegiate level) at the College. The College will offer these students an in-district tuition waiver for up to 3 hours of credit coursework, valid for 1 year from the date of successful completion of the college transitions course or the Intensive English program. Students are only eligible for one ESL tuition waiver. Eligible students may receive both the ESL and GED tuition waivers. This waiver will not include applicable fees, books, and classroom supply costs.

4. Honors Course Tuition Waiver - The College recognizes students who have completed an Honors course with a grade of “B” or better and have maintained a cumulative 3.25 GPA. The College encourages these students to pursue more honors courses and will award an in-district tuition waiver for honors-level courses, based on the number of hours completed in the honors course, valid for one year from the date of completion. Honors course tuition waivers will be awarded for up to 15 credit hours per student. This waiver will not include applicable fees, books, and classroom supply costs.

6. The Board of Trustees of ECC offers a variety of scholarships on both a competitive and non-competitive basis. The scholarships are awarded based on the following guidelines:

Please refer to the individual applications for additional information.

This policy was last reviewed on 10/20/2025.