Financial Aid

The State of Illinois requires that all high school students complete the FAFSA prior to graduation.

NOTE: Completing the FAFSA is free (hence the name FREE Application for Federal Student Aid)! While some sites (such as fafsa.com) require you to pay in order to complete the FAFSA, the official FAFSA site (fafsa.ed.gov) provides the application for free as it is intended.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is financial aid?

Financial aid is money that the state and national government may provide students to help them in paying for their post secondary education.  Financial aid is different from scholarships.  Scholarship money is money that is given by private organizations.  Financial aid is money that is given by the government.

How do I get financial aid?

Students must apply for financial aid in order to receive any.  Students will not receive financial aid from the government automatically.  Students must fill out the FAFSA form in order to apply for financial aid.

Where do I go to complete the FAFSA?

Students complete the FAFSA form online by visiting the following site:  www.fafsa.ed.gov

How do I apply for financial aid?

Students can not apply for financial aid until October 1st of their senior year.  Part of the FAFSA form requires that students put their tax information on the form. Students should try to complete the FAFSA form and turn it in as soon as possible. Most colleges will give additional "in-house" money to students who turn their forms in earliest. Students can however turn their FAFSA form in as late as the last day of their freshman year of college.  However, it is not recommend waiting to the last minute.

Students must apply each year for financial aid since the FAFSA form requires the current year's tax information and each year most people's taxes change a little.  While students are in college they can get a FAFSA form from their college's financial aid department.

We recommend that students copy these forms before they turn them in to make the process easier the following year.

Where can I get help?