A college’s published tuition price should not deter a student from applying to that school if it indeed is a good fit for that student. Colleges will attempt to meet the demonstrated need of the student by providing a financial aid package. The package may consist of scholarships, grants, loans and work-study. Merit and athletic scholarships may also be offered based on the student’s academic success or special talents and are usually not related to financial need. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or alternative application must be submitted to begin the application process for financial aid. Students will submit the FAFSA after October 1 of their senior year using the prior year’s tax information.
Junior Financial Aid Night
Senior Financial Aid Night
FAFSA Completion Events
It's important for you to know your Student Aid Index (SAI) since this is used by colleges to determine how much aid you will receive.
While the FAFSA will compute your SAI, it's possible to get an SAI estimate before completing your FAFSA.
Use this SAI Calculator to find out how much federal student aid you may be eligible for in the 2025–26 award year.
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.
As you finalize your college list, it is important to include at least one financial safety school. A financial safety school is a school that you know you can afford. Use these steps to determine if your schools of interest are financial safety schools.
Calculate your family’s Student Aid Index (SAI)
Determine if you are eligible for a Pell Grant (SAI Calculator will tell you)
Estimate your Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant
Only if you attend a college in Illinois
Use the MAP Estimator (scroll down to the MAP Estimator tile)
Use the information from above and each school’s Net Price Calculator to determine cost of attendance at all colleges you are considering
Check out the handout: How much does college cost? How am I going to pay for it?
Student loans may be necessary to help fund the cost of your education. Know what you are getting into before deciding to take on student loans:
Example: $20,000 student loan debt = $230/month for 10 years.
Merit (directly from the school)
Private & Local Scholarships
In-State Public Colleges
Usually the lowest “sticker price”
AIM High Initiative: grants (up to full tuition) available for students with financial need who plan to attend one of Illinois’ public 4 year institutions.
See this document for costs of Illinois public colleges
Community College
Harper (1-2 years) = approx. $5,000/year
Take summer courses at Harper
Become a Resident Advisor (RA) after freshman year
Free room & board
Consider an apprenticeship
Some companies will offer a job and pay for you to complete your degree.
Graduate in 4 years (or less!)
Meet regularly with your academic advisor and map out your degree completion plan.
Entering college with AP or dual credit may allow you to graduate early or add an additional major or degree.
College Scorecard is a resource to compare schools based on value (cost, graduation rate, average student loan amount, etc.)
Click here to access the tool.
Students should 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.
All local scholarships received by the PHS PSC are recorded in this spreadsheet.
Ask your parents to check whether their employer offers scholarships to children of their employees.
Use online scholarships searches such as College Board or Fast Web.
Remember, scholarships are meant to be free money given to the student. Beware of anything that guarantees money, costs money to search, or asks for personal financial information.
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.
Some colleges meet 100% of student’s financial need for undocumented students.