Financial Assistance Information

Contact Information:

Web site: www.uis.edu/cost-aid
Email: finaid@uis.edu
Phone: (217) 206-6724
Office Location: UHB 1015

The University of Illinois Office of Financial Assistance coordinates federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid programs. Assistance is available in the form of grants, tuition waivers, assistantships, scholarships, loans, part-time employment, and military/veteran benefits.

Student Application and Eligibility Information

Undergraduate Students must meet the following conditions to be eligible for federal and State of Illinois aid:

  • US Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen with a social security number.
  • High School Diploma or the equivalent, except those who transfer in at least 60 credits.
  • Degree-seeking student or post-baccalaureate student seeking teacher licensure.
  • Enrolled in at least 3 credit hours each semester, although many programs such as loans require 6 credits
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress.
  • Owe no refund on a federal grant nor be in default on a federal student loan.

Graduate students must meet the following conditions to be eligible for most types of aid:

  • US Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen with a social security number. 
  • A Bachelor’s degree and proof of that degree must be on file with the Office of Admission.
  • Fully Admitted as a degree – or certificate – seeking student in a financial aid-eligible program. Students admitted to a program on conditional admissions are not eligible for financial aid until they are fully admitted. 
  • Enroll part-time (at least 5 credit hours) each semester*.
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress.
  • Owe no refund on a federal grant nor be in default on a federal student loan.

*Certain Graduate Accelerated Programs may have a different definition of part-time student.

Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible for all forms of assistance and it is recommended that they complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), as soon as possible after October 1 each year, and list UIS as their school choice (school code: 009333). Deadlines may apply for some programs. Financial aid will only pay for classes required to complete degree requirements in your specified program of study as indicated in the UIS Catalog. Financial assistance funds cannot pay for audited classes.

Please note that most international students do not qualify for financial aid programs administered by the Office of Financial Assistance, with the exception of UIS scholarship and graduate assistantship/internship programs.

Certain undocumented or ineligible students may apply for State of Illinois aid programs through the Alternative Application form located on the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) website.

Financial Aid Offer

The UIS Office of Financial Assistance will prepare a comprehensive financial aid offer notification to students who apply, based on eligibility as demonstrated by the FAFSA or the Alternative Application. Students will be notified by e-mail of the availability of the financial aid offer notification in Student Self Service. Be sure to satisfy all outstanding requirements as noted for financial assistance on the Student Self-Service portal. As a result of applying for federal assistance, the student may be selected by Federal Student Aid to provide additional documentation. Students who wish to accept Federal Direct Loans will need to complete the additional requirements.   

Dependent students whose parents wish to apply for the Federal Direct PLUS Loan will need to apply individually. Parents must request this loan from the Department of Education website, https://studentaid.gov/, and must undergo a credit check. Please visit the Office of Financial Assistance website and go to the Federal Loan Options section for more information and the link to apply.

If you have significant changes to your family’s financial situation after completing the FAFSA, you may request consideration for additional aid. Please visit the UIS Special Circumstances web site for more details and how to apply.

Federal and State Financial Assistance Programs

(Federal Pell grant, Federal SEOG, Federal Work-Study, Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans for Parents and Graduate students, TEACH Grant, and Illinois Monetary Award Program Grant)

To receive assistance from most federal and state programs, students must meet all eligibility requirements set forth in the Higher Education Act as amended. Most financial aid programs have maximum limits. In addition, all degree programs have a maximum number of attempted credit hours to receive financial assistance (refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for additional information on maximum time frames). UIS will automatically consider and offer eligible student federal and/or state aid through the electronic aid offer notification on Student Self Service. In addition, students must establish eligibility for financial aid by attending and/or participating academically in all courses for which they are registered each term. Students who do not establish eligibility each term in all courses may have their financial aid reduced or rescinded. For more information and details about aid programs, please visit the Office of Financial Assistance website. 

Institutional Programs

Institutional Tuition Waivers, Grants, and Student Employment

Each year the campus provides a limited number of tuition waivers and grants made on the basis of demonstrated financial need. Certain graduate student intern programs provide tuition waivers: see The Office of Graduate Intern Programs web site for more information.

Part-time employment opportunities exist for students continuously enrolled in six or more credit hours. 

  • Employment opportunities are posted on the UIS CareerConnect website
  • All current UIS students are automatically registered for UIS CareerConnect
  • The student must access their profiles on CareerConnect, and upload a valid resume to begin their job search

UIS Student Emergency Loan Fund

This fund provides short-term loans to students who meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy requirements and who are also enrolled at least half time (a minimum of six credit hours). Except in cases of extreme emergency, loans are limited to students working on campus and/or those with expected financial aid.

UIS Institutional Scholarships

There are more than 150 privately supported institutional scholarships and awards available to qualified UIS students. The annual application is available beginning December 1 each year and must be submitted by February 15 each year. Visit the Office of Financial Assistance website to complete the online application.

Military and Veterans’ Benefits

UIS is approved by the State Approving Agency (SAA) for Veteran’s Education. Please visit the UIS Military and Veterans website for detailed and updated information. The Office of Financial Assistance must certify military veterans for benefits each semester (GI Bill®, Illinois National Guard, Illinois Veterans Grant, and MIA/POW among other programs). A request for Veterans Programs Benefits Form must be filed with the UIS Office of Financial Assistance each semester the student is requesting benefits to be processed. Additional paperwork may be required depending on the type of benefit. There is typically a delay of several weeks in payment of benefits. It is in the students’ best interest to complete the application early. Contact the Office of Financial Assistance to find out more information about the documentation required for specific benefit.

Students receiving military and veteran benefits must notify the office of any changes affecting the amount of disposition of benefits, including changes in academic programs. Students cannot audit courses. Certain state of IL. Military or veterans aid programs may be used concurrently with federal Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits.

Veterans typically do not receive federal Veteran’s Affairs (VA) educational benefits for the grades of W, NR, No Credit (NC), Audit (AU) and Incomplete (I). Non-degree or certificate seeking students are not eligible for VA benefits. Veterans must meet satisfactory academic progress requirements to remain eligible for VA benefits. A student who withdraws or leaves UIS should refer to the withdrawal section of this catalog.

For information concerning the UIS policy on military course credit, please refer to the “Undergraduate Education” section of this catalog.

The University of Illinois Springfield will not take any of the four following actions toward any student using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while their payment from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs is pending to the educational institution.

  • Prevent their enrollment.

  • Assess a late penalty fee.

  • Require they secure alternative or additional funding.

  • Deny their access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

However, to qualify for these provisions, such students may be required to:

  • Produce the VA’s Certificate of Eligibility by the first day of class.

  • Provide written request to the be certified.

  • Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies (see our VA School Certifying Official for all requirements).

NOTE: GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. Department of VA website.

Military Tuition Assistance (TA)

If a student withdraws from the term, and their tuition and fees are pro-rated, UIS will return any unearned TA Funds on a prorated basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. The funds are returned to the military service branch when the student stops attending courses. Tuition credits are granted based on the date of the official withdrawal. Non-attendance does not constitute official withdrawal. Credit policies vary according to the duration of the course. The tables below represent the percentage of unearned TA funds that will be returned based upon the week in which the student drops, corresponding to our tuition and fee refund policy found on the UIS Withdrawing website.

Full Term Courses:

Weeks 1-2:    90% return

Week 3:         80% return

Weeks 4-5:    70% return

Weeks 6-7:    60% return

Week 8:         50% return

Weeks 9-10:  40% return (60% of the course is completed at 9.6 weeks)

Weeks 11-16:  0% return

Half Term Courses:

Week 1:     90% return

Week 2:     70% return

Week 3:     60% return

Week 4:     50% return

Week 5:     40% return (60% of the course is completed at 4.8 weeks)

Weeks 6-8:  0% return

Students who drop a course, or courses, but do not completely withdraw, will only have tuition pro-rated through the 10th day of the term for full term courses, and 5th day for half term classes. Tuition Assistance will be returned accordingly through these dates, identified each semester on a document found under Other Resources on the UIS Registrar Course Schedules & Catalogs website. 

Critical Dates Affecting Financial Assistance

Students applying for need-based assistance should be aware of the following dates:

October 1 – FAFSA application opens for the following year.

On or before December 1 – Institutional Scholarship application available at the Office of Financial Assistance website.

February 1 – FAFSA applications should be complete to ensure consideration for all forms of state assistance for the upcoming academic year

February 15 – Deadline to apply for institutional scholarships for the upcoming year.

November 15 – Last day to submit documentation to be considered for fall financial assistance.

April 15 – Last day to submit documentation to be considered for spring financial assistance.

June 15 – Last day to submit documentation to be considered for summer financial assistance.

Consequences of Complete Withdrawal for Aid Recipients

Recipients of the Title IV (federal) financial assistance are considered to earn their aid by attending and/or completing course work each semester. For students who withdraw (i.e. drop all courses or stop attending or participation) from UIS during the semester for which federal financial assistance is received, the Office of Financial Assistance must review and complete a Return of Title IV calculation (as determined by the Department of Education). This process will determine the amount of aid earned by the student, and if a return of any federal student aid is required. The following will be completed during this process.

  • The percentage and amount of federal aid earned will be calculated.

  • The amount of federal aid to be disbursed or retuned will be determined.

  • Unpaid institutional charges will be billed.

  • The student may owe a repayment if the federal aid disbursed exceeds the percentage of aid the student earned.

  • Federal guidelines mandate, in the case a of student’s withdrawal from a college or university, that a calculation be applied to determine the percentage of aid that a student actually earned. Financial aid disbursed in excess of this calculated percentage must be returned to the appropriate federal aid program (e.g., Federal Direct Loans, Federal Pell Grants, and Federal SEOG). If a financial aid refund has been issued to the student prior to their withdrawal, it is very likely that a balance will result on the students’ account. This balance is the responsibility of the student to repay

​Financial Aid Adjustments

Enrollment status for the semester is determined at the census date, or the end of the add/drop period, which is established each semester by the Office of Records and Registration. Students’ enrollment status at the end of the census day is what is used by the Office of Financial Assistance to determine eligibility for financial aid. Financial aid is offered, and early disbursements are made based on certain assumptions, including enrollment status. Financial aid’s definition of beginning attendance (includes participation in the case of an online course, for example) is based upon students’ enrollment in the course work past the established census date. In addition, students whose enrollment status is determined based on first half and last half enrollment may not be eligible for financial aid until attendance begins in the last half course (example, 3 credits in a first half course and 3 credits in a last half course establishes half-time eligibility for aid). Therefore, if a student’s enrollment status changes between the time aid was offered and/or disbursed and the end of the census day, financial aid will be adjusted accordingly. This will often result in a balance owed back to the University on the student account. Tuition and fee adjustments are made based on the published policies each semester.

Repeating Classes

Federal regulations specify rules for repeat course work. These regulations may impact students’ financial aid eligibility for programs such as Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Direct Loans, and Federal Work-Study. The regulations prevent the UIS Office of Financial Assistance from paying for a course that a student has passed and repeated more than one time. In order for a repeated course to be counted towards your enrollment status for financial aid purposes, you may only repeat a previously passed course once (a total of two attempts). If you enroll in a previously repeated and passed course for the third time, this course will not count toward your enrollment for financial aid purposes. Please refer to the Office of Financial Assistance website for complete details. Financial aid will not pay for repeat classes for which a grade of incomplete (I) was previously assigned.

All repeated course work will count towards the total number of attempted credit hours when a students’ completion rate and maximum time frames are calculated to determine satisfactory academic progress (refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for additional information).

Conditional Admission for Graduate Programs

A student must be fully admitted into an eligible degree program and enrolled as a regular student in order to receive financial aid. A “regular student” is defined as one who is enrolled or accepted for enrollment for the purpose of obtaining a degree or certificate offered by the University of Illinois Springfield.

Graduate students are occasionally admitted to UIS conditionally to allow them to complete specified prerequisite courses before they are fully admitted to their programs. Conditionally admitted students are not eligible to receive financial assistance. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Undergraduate and Graduate Students

In accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by Congress, the University of Illinois Springfield has established a minimum standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. ALL federal, state and institutional financial aid programs administered by UIS are covered by this policy. Please refer to the UIS Financial Aid Policies website to view the current SAP policy. If you have questions about the SAP policy, please contact Office of Financial Assistance.

Additional Financial Information

The earliest financial aid can be disbursed to the student account is 10 days prior to the start of the semester. All aid will be credited to the student’s account at the University and applied to any outstanding balance. If the amount of financial aid disbursed is greater than the student’s account balance, University Bursar will issue a refund to the student. Should the student’s enrollment status, eligibility or other factors change, aid may be adjusted, which may result in a balance due back to the University.

Students must pay their tuition, fees, housing and meal charges by the first due date of each semester as communicated by the University Bursar. Students may also choose to enroll in the optional installment payment plan for a fee each semester. Please visit the University Bursar website for more information and details on student accounts, refunds, due dates and payment plans.

The UIS Office of Financial Assistance primarily communicates with students via University e-mail. Please pay close attention to important notices sent to your UIS e-mail.