Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) MC 334
1800 Student Services Building (SSB)
1200 West Harrison Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607-7163
Phone: (312) 996-3126
Fax: (312) 996-3385
E-mail: money@uic.edu
Web Site: http://www.vcsa.uic.edu/MainSite/departments/financial_aid/home/
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Office of Student Financial Aid provides a wide range of financial services designed to help students and their families meet the cost of attending UIC. Financial aid is awarded in the form of grants, scholarships, loans, employment, and tuition waivers that help pay the costs of tuition, fees, books, supplies, room and board, transportation, and other personal expenses. OSFA coordinates and administers a variety of state, federal, private, and institutional programs (each with different regulations, requirements, procedures, and forms). However, the primary financial responsibility for meeting educational expenses rests with the student and the student’s family. Keep in mind the financial aid system is regulated by the federal and state governments; thus, the information presented here is subject to change at any time.
Financial Aid CounselorsEach student at UIC has a financial aid counselor. Students can find out the name of their assigned counselor via the OSFA Web site or by calling OSFA. Appointments are available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and walk-ins are accepted every day during normal operating hours. Out of courtesy for all, please arrive on time for appointments. Students can also contact their counselors by phone or e-mail. Our hope is to respond within 24 hours. However, due to the volume of calls and emails during certain times of the year, please allow 2–4 business days.
Keep in mind much information is available to students via the financial aid Web site. Students will find information on how to apply for financial aid, financial aid “Frequently Asked Questions,” information on UIC scholarships, links to financial aid Web sites, and information about how to contact OSFA.
For those students who are enrolled and have a University Identification Number (UIN), by logging onto Student Self-Service (part of UIC Web for Student), students have access to their financial aid account details. Students can find out if they have any outstanding document requirements, review their financial aid packages, and find out if their financial aid has been disbursed.
Student Self-Service https://apps.uillinois.edu/
Click “Student & Faculty Self-Service”
Click “University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)”
Sign in using the student’s Enterprise ID and password
Click “Financial Aid”
Students must meet the following minimum criteria to be considered for the federal, state, and University programs outlined later in detail:
Students who wish to receive financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is the only application necessary to be considered for the majority of the awards provided at UIC.
FAFSAs are available on January 1 of each year (for classes beginning the following September). The priority application deadline for financial aid is March 1 of each year. OSFA will begin mailing award letters to students in March of each year (for classes beginning the following September). The financial aid process may be lengthy; it is governed by federal, state, and institutional regulations. The process from application to disbursement will take up to 8 weeks from either the first day of classes or from the application date. The financial aid process can be further delayed if students do not return required documentation in a timely manner (2 to 4 business days). Additional document requirements will be discussed later.
OSFA recommends that students complete the FAFSA online. Completing the application online reduces processing time and errors. Students can complete the online FAFSA at the following address:
FAFSA Web site: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
Although OSFA recommends that students complete the FAFSA online, paper FAFSAs are available in the reception area of OSFA.
To complete the FAFSA online, students will need a Personal Identification Number (PIN) from the Department of Education. Students can also request a PIN online. The PIN will be sent to the student via e-mail and regular mail. It usually takes less than 48 hours to receive a PIN by e-mail. For dependent students completing the online FAFSA, at least one parent must also have a PIN. Students and parents can request a PIN online at the following address:
FAFSA PIN Web site: http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp
Matching Students’ FAFSA applicationsImportant Note: It is vital that students consistently report their Name, Social Security Number, and Date of Birth. A FAFSA application must exactly match both a permanent student record at UIC as well as a permanent Social Security record. If they do not exactly match, the application will not be processed.
UIC’s School CodeStudents must include this school code in order for their application information to be sent to UIC.
UIC’s School Code is 001776.
Tax Information Reported on the FAFSAStudents will need to provide tax information from the previous year on their FAFSA. Dependent students must also provide their parents’ tax information. If a student applies for financial aid before completing an annual tax form (or the parents’ tax form for a dependent student), the student is encouraged to use estimates when completing the FAFSA to avoid missing deadlines.
For the purposes of financial aid, the Department of Education will determine if students are dependent on their parents or independent of their parents. Dependency status for financial aid purposes is not necessarily equivalent to dependency status for tax purposes. Also, dependency status is not a status of choice. A student is considered independent automatically for several reasons: working on a master’s or doctorate program; being married; having legal dependents other than a spouse; being a military veteran; being an orphan or ward of the court; or born before a certain date as specified on the FAFSA. Students who do not meet one of these criteria, even if they live on their own and support themselves, are NOT considered independent for financial aid purposes. Occasionally a student not meeting one of the criteria will be considered independent. This is only done in extreme situations, which must be thoroughly documented. If a student thinks his or her situation warrants independent status, the student should make an appointment to discuss it with a financial aid counselor.
Under some circumstances, students are asked to provide additional documentation in order to qualify to receive financial aid. Tax documents and other information will be requested for evaluation.
Students should return the required documentation within 2 to 4 business days from initial correspondence. Awarding of financial aid is put on hold until all of the document requirements have been satisfied. Students may fax their documents in, mail them in, or drop them off in person either at the reception counter or during an appointment.
Students who wish to receive summer financial aid must complete a summer financial aid application in addition to the FAFSA. Students are not automatically offered summer financial aid after completing the FAFSA.
Summer financial aid applications are available in the reception area of OSFA on February 1 of each year with a priority deadline of March 1 (for classes beginning the following May). Summer financial aid programs are very limited. Primarily, summer financial aid consists of Direct Loans and Federal Work Study.
For additional details, please read the Summer Application packet available in OSFA.
A financial need analysis is the first step to determining a student’s eligibility for many of the federal, state, and institutional programs for which the student has applied. Financial need is the difference between the amount the student and the student’s family can reasonably be expected to pay towards college expenses and the student budget or estimated cost of attendance.
The sum total of financial assistance a student receives from all sources (grants, scholarships, waivers, loans, and work study, etc.) cannot exceed the student budget or estimated cost of attendance.
After completing the FAFSA, the Department of Education will calculate the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) based on the income, asset, and family information provided on the FAFSA. The EFC is a specific dollar value the student and the student’s family are expected to contribute towards educational costs during a regular academic year. This is not the amount of money that a student will owe UIC.
Student Budget or Cost of Attendance (COA)UIC will then determine an estimate of the expenses the student will face during a regular academic year at UIC. This estimate is called the student budget or cost of attendance. Here is a sample student budget of a student living on campus:
| Tuition: | $6,500 |
| Fees: | $2,250 |
| Books and Supplies: | $1,200 |
| Room and Board: | $9,100 |
| Miscellaneous: | $2,400 |
| Budget Total: | $21,450 |
OSFA has to make certain assumptions to create the student budget (the student’s living arrangements, for example). If the student plans to live in the residence halls, room and board expenses may be higher than they would be if the student lived at home with family.
Calculating Financial NeedThe student’s financial need is determined by subtracting the EFC from the student budget. For example (this example does not reflect an actual budget):
| Budget: | $12,450 |
| Minus (–) EFC: | $4,500 |
| Equals (=) Financial Need: | $16,950 |
If the student (or the parents) experiences a change in financial situation, the student should contact the OSFA. Such situations would include, but are not limited to: unusually high medical expenses (not covered by insurance), recent unemployment, divorce/separation, or death of an immediate family member. The student’s financial aid eligibility may be recalculated based on such changes.
Financial decisions, such as the purchase of a new car or home, are not considered “special circumstances.”
Award Information and Revisions
Once the application information has been fully processed, i.e., all documents returned and needs-analysis performed by OSFA, the student will receive a financial aid award letter. This letter is a detailed listing of the student’s financial aid eligibility at UIC.
Award RevisionsOSFA reserves the right to adjust the student aid package without prior notice. Packages are normally adjusted for one or more of the following reasons:
Major Financial Aid Programs at UIC
In this section, a review of the major financial aid programs at UIC is provided. This information is current as of the 2007–2008 Academic Year. This information changes annually.
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Award Maximums, Proration, and Duration of Eligibility
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Other scholarship and assistance opportunities exist. Each program will have its own application process and qualifications. For information on other financial assistance contact:
| • Federal Direct Subsidized Loans | • Federal SEOG |
| • Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans | • UIC Long Term Loan |
| • Federal Perkins Loans | • Illinois MAP Grant |
| • Federal Parent’s PLUS | • Student-to-Student Grant |
| • Grad PLUS | • Illinois Incentive for Access Grant |
| • Federal Nursing Student Loans | • UIC Grant |
| • Federal Work Study | • UIC Tuition Waivers |
| • Academic Competitiveness Grant | • UIC Scholarships |
| • Federal Pell Grant | • National Smart Grant |
A student must successfully complete at least 75% of the hours attempted each academic year. Hours attempted are defined as the hours a student is registered for on the tenth day of classes (classes added after that date will also be included). Successfully completed is defined as the total number of hours in which a student receives a grade of A, B, C, D, S, or CR (DFR will be considered an acceptable grade for graduate students only). If a student fully withdraws (drops all courses) from the term on or after the first day of classes, all courses are counted as attempted. If a student drops courses after the tenth day of classes, the dropped course(s) will be counted toward the total hours attempted. Incomplete courses and repeat courses are also included in hours attempted.
The standard of 75% will be monitored cumulatively at the end of each academic year (spring semester). If a student is below 75%, the student will be put on probation for one year. If, at the end of the probation period, a student is still below the cumulative 75% standard, the student’s aid will be canceled. Aid will be reinstated once the student has achieved the 75% cumulative completion rate.
Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement for Financial Aid
The student’s cumulative GPA will be evaluated at the end of each term. Once a student has attempted two years, the GPA must be at least 2.00/4.00. If the GPA falls below 2.00, the student’s aid will be canceled. Aid will be reinstated once the student has achieved a 2.00 cumulative grade point average.
Degree Completion Requirements for
Financial Aid
A UIC student must complete a bachelor’s degree within 180 semester hours. Students attempting to earn a second bachelor’s degree must complete the degree within the number of hours remaining of the 180 hours allowed for the first bachelor’s degree. Exceptions may be made for those programs that require more than 120 semester hours to complete the degree requirements.
Students who do not meet SAP standards at any point during the academic year will be notified by mail of their cancellation status. This notification is mailed at the end of the term during which the student fails to meet the SAP standards. OSFA will only send students notification of their cancellation status once—if a student does not resolve their SAP status, they will not continue to receive cancellation letters during future semesters in which they are canceled. Students who wish to appeal being placed on cancellation status must complete the following procedures within 10 calendar days from the date postmarked on the notification letter sent from OSFA. Students must submit a signed, typewritten, and dated letter of appeal along with supporting documentation to OSFA indicating reason(s) why they did not meet the Standards of Academic Progress. Students may appeal for an emergency condition, family catastrophe, etc.
Documentation verifying the situation must be submitted with the appeal letter. Appeals will be considered by the Satisfactory Progress Appeal Committee, which meets at least twice a term, and once during the summer term. The Committee reserves the right to request additional documentation as needed. Submitting falsified documents to the Committee with result in disciplinary action taken. Any appeals received after the eighth week of the term will not be considered until the following term. OSFA will promptly notify the student in writing of the Committee’s decision.
Appeal deadlines. Materials must be stamped as received in OSFA or postmarked on or before the following dates: fall term aid—June 1, spring term aid—January 15, summer term aid—June 1.
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Copyright © 2007 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois |
Information provided by: Office of Academic and Enrollment Services (MC 103), 601 South Morgan Street, Chicago, IL 60607
