Net price calculators are available on a college’s or university’s website and allow prospective students to enter information about themselves to find out what students like them paid to attend the institution in the previous year, after taking grants and scholarship aid into account.
Click Here to use a tool that will take you directly to a college’s Net Price Calculator.
The FAFSA is the main form that students submit to be considered for federal financial aid (grants, loans, work study). Students fill out the FAFSA after October 1 during their senior year. They reapply after October 1 every year to be considered for financial aid for the following school year. Beginning with the 2020-21 school year, submission of the FAFSA is required in order to receive a diploma from a public high school in Illinois. Prospect will be given a list of seniors who have submitted a FAFSA/Alternative Application/Nonparticipation Form to monitor completion of this graduation requirement.
The FAFSA graduation requirement can be met by one of the following:
Submit a FAFSA (only students who are citizens or permanent residents are eligible to submit a FAFSA)
Submit the Alternate Application for Illinois Financial Aid (for students ineligible to submit a FAFSA - available beginning December 1, 2024). (Alternative Application Users Guide)
Complete a FAFSA Nonparticipation Form (available beginning October 1, 2025. Scroll down to the very last tile).
FSA ID - An FSA ID is a username and password that you will use to electronically sign the FAFSA. Students and at least one of their parents must create an FSAID once that will then be used to sign the FAFSA each year. CLICK HERE to create an FSAID in advance of the FAFSA application process.
Did you get selected for verification? Click here for more information.
Use this calculating comparison chart to see the differences in your aid awards and find which offer is best for you.
Look for scholarships in the following ways:
Check the Admissions and Financial Aid webpages of the colleges you are considering. Look for automatic merit scholarships or others that may require an application.
Review local scholarships received by the PHS PSC listed here.
Use SchooLinks: College > Scholarship Matching. (Log in with Google and your D214 email address.)
Check the Financial Aid section of your Common App account, and view your matches through Common App Scholarship Matching, clicking the link within for more information and to apply.
Ask your parents to check whether their employer offers scholarships to children of employees.
Use online scholarships searches such as College Board (Big Future) and Fast Web.
Remember, scholarships are meant to be free money given to the student. Avoid scams; beware of anything that guarantees money, costs money to search, or asks for personal financial information.
The CSS Profile is an online application required by some colleges to award nonfederal institutional aid. Only complete this if one of your colleges requires it. You can see schools' application requirements on their websites.
Learn more about the CSS Profile here.
Colleges Meeting 100% of the Student’s Financial Need: A college or university that promises to make sure every penny of an accepted student's demonstrated financial need is covered through grants, work-study, scholarship, and in some cases, federal student loans.
Colleges that meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for US citizens and permanent residents
Colleges that meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for undocumented and DACA students