Apply for Financial Aid (FAFSA)
Apply for a FSA ID - The fastest way to complete the FAFSA application process is to electronically sign your application on-line. You can do this if you have a FSA ID assigned by the USDE. All students (and parents of dependent students) should apply for a FSA ID. If you do not have a FSA ID you may, of course, print out a signature page from the FAFSA web site and mail it to the address indicated on that signature page.
Request a copy of a Federal Income Tax Form - You will, in most cases, need a copy of your Federal Income Tax Form (and your parents' forms too, if you are a dependent student)
in order to complete your FAFSA. If you can’t locate this important document(s) you
can easily obtain the needed copy(s), free of charge, from the IRS.
For comprehensive information concerning your FAFSA filing options you may consult the USDE Filling Out the FAFSA web page.
Once your FAFSA has been processed you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). If
you filed via the internet (and were able to sign your FAFSA with your FSA ID) and
you provided your e-mail address on the FAFSA you will be able to access your SAR
via the Internet within two business days. If you filed a paper FAFSA, or via the
internet without providing an e-mail address, you can expect to receive a printed
copy of your SAR in approximately three weeks. Our office will receive an electronic
copy of your SAR (provided you included our Federal school code) once processing is
completed.
You should review your SAR thoroughly. If additional information is required, or you see that you made an error in any of the information you provided in your original filing, it is your obligation to provide the additional/correct information in order to complete the FAFSA process. Our office will receive electronic copies of any additions/corrections you make.
Illinois Map Grant
By filing a FAFSA, undergraduate Illinois residents are also completing the application
process for the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant. Be sure to file your
FAFSA as soon as possible beginning October 1st of every year for the upcoming academic
year in order to qualify for all possible Illinois grants.
2018-2019 Academic Year - ISAC has suspended the announcement of 2018-2018 MAP grants for all undergraduate Illinois residents whose initial FAFSA was received by the U.S. Department of Education’s Central Processing System (CPS) on or after February 28, 2018. For additional information please visit the "ISAC Suspension of Map Award Announcements" web page. In other words, if your FAFSA was not filed prior to the February 28, 2018 deadline date, you will not receive MAP for the upcoming Fall and/or Spring semesters, even if you are eligible for it based on the information provided on your FAFSA.
You may need to download some of the forms on this web site.