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 2023, spring 2024, or summer 2024, complete the 2023-2024 FAFSA.
The FAFSA may be completed beginning October 1, 2022, and must be submitted prior to your last date of attendance or June 15, 2024, whichever is earlier. You will use 2021 income and tax information to complete your 2023-2024 FAFSA. Our preferential filing date is March 15, 2023; however, you are encouraged to submit your FAFSA no later than January 5, 2023 to be considered for all federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs.
Students who are planning to attend summer 2024 must also complete an OSFA summer financial aid application. The application will be available on our OSFA homepage in April 2024.
If you’re applying for financial aid for fall 2024, spring 2025, or summer 2025, complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA.
The FAFSA may be completed beginning December 2023 (please see information on upcoming FAFSA changes here), and must be submitted prior to your last date of attendance or June 15, 2025, whichever is earlier. You will use 2022 income and tax information to complete your 2024-2025 FAFSA. Our preferential filing date is March 15, 2024; however, you are encouraged to submit your FAFSA as soon as possible to be considered for all federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs.
Students who are planning to attend summer 2025 must also complete an OSFA summer financial aid application. The application will be available on our OSFA homepage in April 2025.
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 2023-2024 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 2023-2024 FAFSA, please review https://secure.osfa.illinois.edu/specialcirc/ to determine if you might qualify for a re-evaluation.
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 2023-2024 FAFSA, there must be a significant loss in either 2022 or projected 2023 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 here) 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 here.