Terms & Conditions

The financial aid identified on your Financial Aid Notification is being offered to you with the following conditions:

  1. You must be enrolled as a degree-seeking student.
  2. You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (for Illinois MAP Awards, an eligible non-citizen includes a student meeting the “undocumented student” criteria of the RISE Act.)
  3. You must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours minimum per term) to be eligible for the Federal Direct Loan(s). The annual maximum loan amount you may borrow as an undergraduate must be prorated when your remaining period of study is shorter than an academic year and you are enrolled in less than 15 hours. If you are planning to graduate at the end of the fall semester, you are subject to this requirement.
  4. The Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Eligibility on your Financial Aid Notification are calculated based on a minimum enrollment of 12 hours (8 hours for online graduate programs) for the Fall and Spring semesters. If you enroll for fewer than 12 hours (8 hours for online graduate programs), your cost of attendance and financial aid awards (including, but not limited to, Federal Pell Grant, Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) grants/scholarships, University Loan, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) and Federal Direct Loans) may be reduced or cancelled. You must notify OSFA if you will be enrolled for less than 12 hours (8 hours for online graduate programs). If you do not notify OSFA, your aid may be adjusted after the 10th day of the semester and you will be required to repay any financial aid that you were not eligible to receive.
  5. You must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
  6. You must notify OSFA of assistance received from any sources outside the university.  You will need to include the source and the amount of aid received. This includes but is not limited to scholarships, loans, assistantships, fellowships and educational benefits that do not show on your financial aid notification. This information should be reported on the “Request Changes” section of your electronic Financial Aid Notification.
  7. OSFA reserves the right to adjust or cancel any award at any time because of the notification of awards not previously included on your Financial Aid Notification, changes in your financial or academic status, or due to an awarding error. Changes reflected in your awards will result in an email to you, serving as a notification of the change.
  8. If your Financial Aid Notification includes Federal Work Study (FWS), you must accept the FWS award and earn FWS funds in the current year in order to be considered for FWS in future years.
  9. If Federal Work-Study (FWS) is included on your Financial Aid Notification, you must work to earn the FWS amount shown. FWS funds are not disbursed directly into your University Student Account.  If employed, you will receive a paycheck every 2 weeks. Please visit our osfa/Illinois.edu/types-of-aid/employment/virtual-job-board to find student employment. You won’t be eligible for aid offered for any term during which you hold a cooperative education position or a paid internship.
  10. You will be responsible for repaying any funds you receive that exceed your financial need, or if for any reason you become ineligible for the financial aid.
  11. If you don’t attend each class you are enrolled in or stop attending classes without officially withdrawing, your financial aid awards may be adjusted and repayment may be required.
  12. All awards in your financial aid package are contingent upon continued funding from federal, state, and institutional sources. If funding for any of your awards is reduced, suspended, or eliminated, the affected awards will be reduced or rescinded accordingly. If the awards were disbursed to your account, the amount of the reduction or rescission will be charged back to your account no later than the end of the term for which the award was made, and you will be responsible for paying the account balance in accordance with University payment policies.
  13. By applying for financial aid and agreeing to share that information with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) you have been considered for the State of Illinois (IL) Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant. All MAP-approved institutions are required by the State of Illinois to announce MAP Grant awards to students who are enrolled or intending to enroll at their institution. An award amount is included in your financial aid package if you have met the eligibility criteria.
  14. The MAP Grant award amount is an estimate made by the financial aid office and is identified as a “State of IL MAP Grant (Est)”. Please be aware that the number of available MAP Grants is limited by funding levels approved by the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor, and reductions to estimated or actual MAP Grants are possible.
  15. There are also limitations to how long you can continue to receive a MAP Grant. Usage is tracked by the number of credit hours for which you’ve received MAP benefits and is referred to as MAP Paid Credit Hours (MPCHs). The maximum number of MPCHs that can be received is 135, which is equivalent to approximately four and a half years of full-time enrollment. For your reference, and to learn more about MPCH limitations, you may access a record of your MPCHs, as well as other student resources, through the ISAC Student Portal at studentportal.isac.org.
  16. Eligibility for the need-based MAP Grant award may indicate that you are eligible for assistance with expenses such as food, housing, or child care for dependent children. If you have dependent care expenses, ask the financial aid office about the federal dependent care allowance. For eligibility and application information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Child Care Assistance Program, contact the Illinois Department of Human Services at 800-843-6154 or www.dhs.state.il.us. Contact the Illinois Hunger Coalition Hunger Hotline at 800-359- 2163 or www.ilhunger.org.
  17. If a State of Illinois MAP Grant isn’t included in your Financial Aid Notification, you are not eligible for the grant at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
  18. The State of Illinois MAP Grant will be reduced if you are registered for fewer than 15 credit hours in a semester. The University will refund the State of Illinois however as long as you remain enrolled in at least 12 hours, institutional funds will be provided to replace the MAP reduction. Also, if you reduce your course load below 12 credit hours by withdrawing from a second 8-week course prior to the 5th day of class, your State of Illinois MAP Grant will be reduced, requiring repayment.
  19. If requested, you must provide documents to verify the accuracy of information reported on your FAFSA before financial aid funds can be awarded or disbursed.
  20. If after filing your FAFSA, you are convicted of possessing or selling drugs, you must notify our office immediately.
  21. If you receive two or more tuition and/or fee restricted awards they may be combined. The total can’t exceed your assessed tuition and/or fees.
  22. If you are participating in a study abroad program, you must provide our office with a Study Abroad Budget Sheet. Your cost of attendance will be adjusted with this information, and your financial aid awards may be adjusted.
  23. You are not eligible for aid restricted to undergraduate students, such as the Federal Pell Grant, Illinois MAP Grant, or Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, if you have a bachelor’s degree, or if you are a graduate or professional student.
  24. You will receive financial aid in 2 installments (one half is disbursed for the fall semester, and the second half for spring semester), unless otherwise noted. All disbursements are made directly to your student account.