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Illinois Patriot Education Fund
4064 N. Lincoln Avenue, Suite 436
Chicago, IL 60618

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TEXT on your cell phone PATRIOT keyword and 48510 or visit  www.obopay.com/patriot

Why donate to the Illinois Patriot Education Fund?

Ours is an Illinois-specific philanthropic effort. Donations are welcome from everyone; however donations to the fund are distributed only to assist those families that have local ties to the State of Illinois. We are ensuring that Illinois citizens have a chance to help serve their neighbors by serving those who have served us. Donors will have the comfort of knowing that their money is being reinvested in their local community. Your donations are granted to the organizations who help identify Illinois families in need and who have each made a commitment to reinvest this money back into our Illinois families’ education. Our local scholarship recipients attend our local events, giving donors the opportunity to meet the individuals they are helping.

How does the Illinois Patriot Education Fund fill an educational void for our Illinois military families?

The IPEF supplements and complements state and federal programs already in place. Our program provides assistance for room, board, books, out of state tuition, advanced degrees and more. The Post-9/11 GI Bill does not help with advanced degrees. We do. The Post 911 GI Bill does not assist families wanting to pursue an education at smaller private institutions or with out of state tuition. We do. The Illinois Patriot Education Fund also assists with additional tuition costs, including room/board, incidental fees, all known grants, and any difference between school fees and state and federal government provisions. The Post-911 GI Bill doesn’t necessarily transfer educational benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to children and spouses. We do.

The Illinois Patriot Education Fund complements and supplements the current Post-9/11 GI Bill for those families that are associated with the State of Illinois. This is very specific to the State of Illinois and to the individuals who have lost their lives for our country. We will also be incorporating additional educational assistance to those family members who have been impacted by the disability of a loved one as a result of their service.

How does IPEF restrict donations to its scholarship partners?

100 percent of all donations granted to our scholarship partners are designated to support the educational needs of spouses and children of those who have served us by serving our country. Our criteria is simple. If you have an association with the state of Illinois, you qualify. If you were born in Illinois, attended school in Illinois, lived in Illinois for at least one year, worked in Illinois for at least one year, were stationed in Illinois, served in Illinois, paid taxes in Illinois, or your children reside in Illinois, you qualify for assistance through our program.

We have business and legal contracts in place with each Military Partner that restricts donations so that they are reinvested in the State of Illinois only. Any amount of money granted is to be invested specifically for the purpose of educational scholarships, not expenses associated with their organization. Our legal partner is Winston & Strawn LLP.

Click here to donate to the Illinois Patriot Education Fund.
The Illinois Patriot Education Fund 501C(3) tax ID number is 80-0681047