FAQs for Financial Aid Notifications

How do I view my financial aid notification?

To view your aid notification, you’ll have to apply for financial aid, be admitted, establish your netID and set up Duo’s 2 Factor Authentication service. You can follow the steps on the admitted student checklist.

  • Once those are completed, you can view your notification in the my.uic.edu portal.
  • Go to the “Student” tab.
  • Select the “Financial Aid” drop-down menu.
  • Finally, select “Electronic Financial Aid Notification” for the “2025-2026” aid year.

Why haven’t I received my financial aid notification yet?

  • Double check that you sent your FAFSA to UIC (our school code is 001776). Some students accidentally list a different school, like University of Chicago or another University of Illinois campus.
  • If you’ve recently been admitted or recently submitted your FAFSA, it can take around 2 weeks before your aid notification is processed.
  • If you applied through the RISE program (instead of FAFSA), there may be an additional delay.
  • You may have been selected for verification, which can delay your aid notification until completed.
  • Double check that the name on your FAFSA matches the name in your UIC student record.
    • If your name is incorrect on your FAFSA: Log in to your FAFSA application and update your name to match your legal name. If your name is long or hyphenated, enter as much as the system allows.
    • If your name is incorrect on your UIC application, contact Admissions to make a correction.

If none of those apply to you, you may want to contact the Financial Aid Office directly.

I want to change my housing plans. How do I do that?

  • The housing indicator listed on your award doesn’t affect your financial aid calculation. Whether you live on campus or off, your cost of attendance estimate remains the same.
  • You can update your housing intent in your application status portal under "housing intent."
  • If you want to apply for campus housing, you can do so through the UIC Campus Housing website. The application is also pinned to the “Find your roommate” channel on ZeeMee.
  • More housing information is available at housing.uic.edu/rates.

What’s the difference between Direct Costs and Estimated Costs in my Cost of Attendance?

  • Cost of Attendance is the total amount used to calculate your financial aid package. It includes:
    • Direct costs: Charges you’ll actually pay UIC, like tuition and mandatory fees.
    • Estimated costs: Budget estimates for expenses like books, transportation, and living expenses if you live off-campus. You won’t pay these directly to UIC.
  • Housing costs will only appear as direct costs if you live on campus.
  • More details are available at financialaid.uic.edu/cost/cost-attendance-coa.

Why is my Aspire grant different from someone else’s?

  • The Aspire program is for eligible Illinois students whose household income is under $75,000.
  • The Aspire program covers full tuition and mandatory fees, but the actual Aspire “grant” amount varies based on how much federal and state grant aid you receive.
  • This means your Aspire award might look different from another student's based on their individual financial aid package.
  • View more Aspire FAQs at free.uic.edu/#faq, including details about eligibility and deadlines. (Priority filing date is March 15!)

Monetary Assistance Program (MAP grant) changes for 2025

On March 12, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) notified Illinois institutions, that due to a budget shortfall from the State of Illinois, they are reducing your MAP Grant Award for the 2025-26 Aid Year by 4%.

  • If you have already received a Financial Aid Notification and were gifted a MAP Grant, your MAP grant will be reduced by up to $336. This amount will vary based on the total MAP grant amount. A revised Financial Aid Notification will be sent before the end of March 2025.
  • If you have already received a Financial Aid Notification and were awarded a MAP grant AND the Aspire Grant, your MAP grant reduction will be covered by the Aspire Grant. A revised Financial Aid Notification will be sent before the end of March 2025.
  • Some Financial Aid Notifications are still pending.