To be considered for most forms of financial aid awarded by our office, you need to complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The University of Illinois Federal School Code is 001775.
Students interested in being considered for state aid as part of the RISE Act can learn more about the Alternative Application.
If you’re applying for financial aid for fall 2026, spring 2027, or summer 2027, complete the 2026-2027 FAFSA.
The 2026-2027 FAFSA must be submitted to be considered for aid for fall 2026, spring 2027 or summer 2027. Our preferential filing date for 2026-2027 year is March 15, 2026; however, you are encouraged to submit your FAFSA as soon as possible to be considered for all federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs. It must be submitted prior to your last date of attendance or June 15, 2027, whichever is earlier. You will use 2024 income and tax information to complete your 2026-2027 FAFSA.
Students who are planning to attend summer 2027 must also complete an OSFA summer financial aid application. The application will be available on the OSFA homepage in April 2027.
If you’re applying for financial aid for fall 2025, spring 2026, or summer 2026, complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA.
The 2025-2026 FAFSA must be submitted to be considered for aid for fall 2025, spring 2026 or summer 2026. Our preferential filing date for 2025-2026 year is March 15, 2025; however, you are encouraged to submit your FAFSA as soon as possible to be considered for all federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs. It must be submitted prior to your last date of attendance or June 15, 2026, whichever is earlier. You will use 2023 income and tax information to complete your 2025-2026 FAFSA.
Students who are planning to attend summer 2026 must also complete an OSFA summer financial aid application. The application will be available on the OSFA homepage in April 2026.
Other FAFSA Application Information
Students and parents also need to create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID to electronically sign federal student aid documents, including the FAFSA. To create your FSA ID, please visit Federal Student Aid’s website.
Additional information on how to complete the FAFSA is available through the 7 Easy Steps to the FAFSA: A Student’s Guide to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid tutorial.
Scholarship Application Information
Academic awards and scholarships are primarily awarded by the college or department in which the student is enrolled. Search for a scholarship will help you identify scholarships. Students are also encouraged to complete the Undergraduate Scholarship Supplement Form. This form collects supplemental information that’s used in the selection of recipients for restricted scholarship funds.
Making a Change
If there was a significant change in your family situation from the information on the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), OSFA can re-evaluate financial aid eligibility to reflect catastrophic changes in the family financial situation. This process is called a Special Circumstance.
If there was a significant change from the information on the 2025-2026 FAFSA, please review https://secure.osfa.illinois.edu/specialcirc/ to determine if you might qualify for a re-evaluation. Information on reevaluating the 2026-2027 FAFSA will be available in early 2026.
For adjustments to be made, the total household income must be at least 20% less with a minimum of a $2,000 decrease. If you are seeking a review of the 2025-2026 FAFSA, there must be a significant loss in either 2024 or projected 2025 income.
Please note that OSFA will only re-evaluate your financial aid eligibility under serious circumstances.
Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and your submission of the form does not guarantee we will be able to award additional funding. The University of Illinois does not negotiate financial aid or try to match offers from other colleges.
Unusual Circumstances
Dependency status is determined by the response to a series of questions (more information from Federal Student Aid: https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out/dependency) on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and schools may update a student’s dependency status in limited situations. Also referred to as a Dependency Appeal, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has the authority to update a student’s dependency status in highly extraordinary circumstances where there is a serious family problem beyond the control of the student. Potential situations that might merit a dependency override include abusive and/or unsafe family environment, abandonment, inability to locate parents, etc. The process and requirements for requesting a reevaluation of your dependency status due to an unusual circumstance can be found on this form.