Financial Aid Notification

Need Calculation

Your Need Calculation tells you:

• The total estimated cost of attending Illinois for the year
• Your Student Aid Index from the FAFSA
• An estimate of how much need‑based aid you might qualify for

Depending on your estimated need, our Office of Student Financial Aid may offer you a combination of grants, scholarships, and loans.

Cost of Attendance

Your Cost of Attendance includes:

• Direct Costs: Tuition and fees paid directly to Illinois.
• Estimated Costs: Food and housing, transportation, books and supplies, and personal expenses.

If you choose to live in University Housing, your food and housing are counted as direct costs.

Total Cost of Attendance

Your Total Cost of Attendance calculates both direct and estimated costs. It’s the estimated amount you’d pay for the year without factoring in financial aid.

Financial Aid Summary

Your Financial Aid Summary lists any grants, scholarships, or loans you’ve been awarded.

Accepting/Declining Aid

Near the bottom of your notification, you will see a button labeled Accept/Decline Aid. Select it to open the page where you choose what to accept.

Grants, scholarships, and Federal Work-Study offers are automatically accepted by our system.

Choosing Loan Amounts

Loans are not automatically accepted. You must choose to either:

• Accept the full amount offered
• Accept a modified amount
• Decline the loan

After you make your choices, review our terms and conditions and select Submit Decision.

Reporting Changes

If you have updates to your aid, look for the Request Changes section near the bottom of the page.

Use the top box to report any outside scholarships not shown in your notification.

Use the bottom box to request other changes, such as:

• Reporting a Parent PLUS Loan denial
• Asking for additional unsubsidized loan funds
• Reporting part‑time enrollment
• Requesting a loan you previously declined

Understanding Final Numbers

Total Financial Aid

This section calculates all the aid you’ll receive. Note that a small processing fee will be deducted from any borrowed student loan funds.

Net Costs

This is the estimated amount you will pay after your aid is applied. Because it includes estimated living expenses, your exact amount may change based on your housing, meals, and personal expenses.