Will County Heroes Nursing and Teaching Scholarship (ARPA Grant)

$10 million of Will County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding will be used to “prime the pipeline” for teacher candidates and nursing students who live in Will County and expect to work at a Will County education or healthcare institution, respectively, after graduation. This opportunity is called the Will County Heroes Nursing & Teaching Scholarship.

Will County has awarded four higher education partners – Governors State University, University of St. Francis, Lewis University, and Joliet Junior College – funds to generate a pathway for enrollment, education, and employment. Each institution received $2,500,000.  This Monetary Award Program – like (MAP) approach – will award participants $2,500 per semester, or $5,000 per academic year, in college tuition and fees as an education and employment incentive for professionals to stay and work in Will County.

Students must complete the Joliet Junior College Student Attestation/ Scholarship Application each semester for which they are requesting scholarship dollars.

EFFECTIVE FOR SPRING 2025 SEMESTER, this scholarship is now available to students pursuing nursing, teaching, early childcare, or healthcare.  

At Joliet Junior College, the summer 2025 semester will be the last semester for which this scholarship is available, as nearly all grant dollars have been expended. The summer 2025 ARPA application will open April 1, 2025. Students are encouraged to apply as close to that date as possible. Remaining dollars will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. 

  • As you think through your financial planning for your remaining semesters at JJC, please consider the following:

We’ve appreciated the opportunity to provide you financial assistance for your tuition and fees as you pursued nursing, allied health, teaching, or early childcare programs. We advise you to pursue Financial Aid or other scholarships if you are in need of additional financial assistance.

  • Student Eligibility

    This scholarship is available to students taking classes at JJC with the intention of pursuing one of the following professions:

    • Elementary education teacher (first through eighth grade)
    • Secondary education teacher (high school)
    • Special education teacher
    • Nurse
    • Effective spring 2025, this scholarship is now also available to students pursuing early childcare and healthcare professions.
       

    This scholarship is available to students who attest to one or more of the following:

    • Low or moderate income households (income at or below 300% of Federal Poverty Guidelines for the size of the household);
    • Households that experienced unemployment as a result of the pandemic; and/or
    • Households that qualify for Medicaid, PELL, SNAP, or WIC.
       

    Students must complete the Joliet Junior College Student Attestation/ Scholarship Application each semester for which they are requesting scholarship dollars.  No one can submit a scholarship application on another individual's behalf.

  • Joliet Junior College Student Attestation/ Scholarship Application

    Students must complete the Joliet Junior College Student Attestation/ Scholarship Application each semester for which they are requesting scholarship dollars.  

    • Spring 2025 Scholarship Application - closed

     

    • Summer 2025 Scholarship Application - https://forms.office.com/r/Vcp9cUSnYc
      • Start date: April 1, 2025
      • End date: May 27, 2025 at 2:00 pm
      • This application closed May 27, 2025 because the application received an overwhelming number of applicants and the grant only had a small amount of scholarship dollars remaining. All eligible applicants have been notified as to whether they were awarded or waitlisted. Completion of this application is not a guarantee of funding. Any available funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

     

    For the summer 2025 semester, applicants will receive an email to their JJC email account with directions on next steps. These next steps include finalizing their semester schedule. Applicants who do not complete the emailed tasks may have their Heroes Scholarship application withdrawn. 

    Additionally, as dollars are expended, it is possible applicants may be told the grant has concluded and no remaining dollars are available.

     

    Last updated May 27, 2025.

  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    • Do I have to complete the FAFSA or Rise Act application to be eligible?
      • No, however students are highly encouraged to complete the FAFSA, or the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid, so they may be eligible for additional financial assistance.
         
    • Who can I contact if I have questions about completing the FAFSA or the Rise Act application?
    • Do I need to be a full-time student?
      • No, both part-time and full-time students are eligible to apply.
         
    • Is there a minimum GPA requirement?
      • No, there is no minimum GPA requirement.  Students who are on Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Termination or Maximum Timeframe are still eligible to apply.
         
    • Who is eligible to apply?
      • JJC students taking classes with the intention of becoming (1) an elementary education teacher (first through eighth grade), (2) a secondary education teacher (high school), (3) a special education teacher, (4) a nurse, (5) an early childcare teacher, or (6) a healthcare worker AND who qualify by meeting one or more of the following financial criteria: (1) student household has a low or moderate income (income at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for the size of the household), (2) student household experienced unemployment as a result of the pandemic, and/or (3) student household qualified for Medicaid, PELL, SNAP, or WIC.
         
    • What will the Will County Heroes Nursing & Teaching Scholarship cover?
      • Scholarship applicants may receive up to $2,500 per semester, and up to $5,000 per academic year (fall, spring, summer) for tuition and fees.
      • This scholarship will be disbursed after MAP but before PELL and NESP.  In other words, this scholarship will only apply once MAP has been exhausted and if outstanding tuition and fee charges remain on your student account.
         
    • Does the Will County Heroes Nursing & Teaching Scholarship cover Study Abroad fees?
      • No, this scholarship cannot cover Study Abroad expenses.
         
    • Do I need to complete this scholarship application each semester?
      • Yes, scholarship application start dates and end dates are posted above under the Joliet Junior College Student Attestation/ Scholarship Application heading.
         
    • Will this scholarship cover prerequisites to become an elementary education teacher, a secondary education teacher, a special education teacher, a nurse, an early childcare teacher, or a healthcare worker?
      • Yes.
         
    • If I receive these scholarship dollars, will I have to pay them back?
      • No, however, if a student drops a course, these scholarship dollars will not be refunded directly to the student.  
         
    • If I receive this scholarship, when will the dollars disburse into my account?
      • Applications will be processed weekly, when the college is open.  
         
    • As an undocumented student, am I eligible to apply?
      • Yes.
         
    • As an F-1 Visa International Student, am I eligible to apply?
      • Yes, please indicate you are an F-1 Visa International Student when prompted as part of the scholarship application.
         
    • How can I view my Heroes award or see if I am failing eligibility rules?
      • You can view your estimated award amount on Self Service Student Finance Account Summary.
        • Log into: my.jjc.edu
        • Self Service Menu > Pay Bill & View Financial Aid > Financial Aid Self-Service
        • Choose Student Finance Account Summary. Select the semester.
        • View your Financial Aid breakdown and use the blue Calculator tool from the Restricted Award Comment.
      • You can also view any award eligibility rules that you are not meeting.
         
    • When will I receive my summer semester Heroes award?
      • Because students are eligible to receive $2,500 per semester but are limited to $5,000 per academic year (fall, spring, summer), summer Heroes awards are not disbursed until mid-April.  This allows time for all spring Heroes awards to be processed so that JJC has a clear picture of exactly how much of the original $5,000 awarded is still available to each student.
         
    • When will I receive my fall semester Heroes award?
      • Students can anticipate receiving fall semester Heroes dollars as early as mid-July depending on timing of their application submission.  Please note: JJC anticipates expending all funding during or before the fall 2025 semester.  
         
    • When will I receive my spring semester Heroes award?
      • Students can anticipate receiving spring semester Heroes dollars as early as mid-November depending on timing of their application submission.
         
    • Can I submit a Heroes Scholarship application for someone else?
      • No.  Students must submit their own Heroes Scholarship applications.  Scholarship applications submitted on another's behalf will be denied.
         
    • What happens if I drop my courses after the drop date?
      • Should a student drop their course beyond the scheduled drop date, that student will be responsible for covering the cost of tuition and fees formerly covered by the ARPA scholarship.
         
    • Who can I contact with questions about this application?
      • Dr. Stephanie L. McIntyre-Braun
        Dean, Academic Intervention, Support, and Student Development Grants
        Will County Heroes Nursing & Teaching Scholarship Manager
        RMB-1008 at Romeoville Campus
        Joliet Junior College
        1125 West Romeo Road (135th Street)
        Romeoville, IL  60446
        Phone: 1-815-280-2824
        Email: sbraun@jjc.edu
      • Mike Sarafin
        Administrative Assistant II
        RMA-1001 at Romeoville Campus
        Joliet Junior College
        1125 West Romeo Road (135th Street)
        Romeoville, IL  60446
        Phone: 1-815-280-7702
        Email: michael.sarafin@jjc.edu 
         

    Last updated April 25, 2025.