The Federal Aid Process
The links below guide you through the federal aid process, from filing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to receiving federal loans and maintaining your eligibility. You must go through the federal aid application process every year. It is highly recommended that you complete your FAFSA for the upcoming academic year prior to January 1st. You will also find information regarding unusual circumstances during the federal aid process and your rights and responsibilities regarding federal student aid.
- File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year.
- Be a U.S. Citizen or an Eligible Non-citizen (see below).
- Have a high school diploma or GED High School Equivalency diploma.
- Be enrolled in a degree-seeking or approved certificate program.
- Not be in default on any federal educational loans or owe a refund on a federal grant.
- Make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)*.
* Scroll down for details on SAP
Note for UIC College of Medicine Students:
- A U.S. Citizen (or U.S. National)
- A permanent U.S. resident with an Permanent Resident Card (I-551, or I-551C)
- The holder of an I-94 from the Department of Homeland Security with one of the following designations:
- Refugee
- Asylum Granted
- Parolee – for a minimum of one year and status has not expired
- Victim of Human Trafficking
- T-Visa Holder: (T1, T2, T3, etc)
- Cuban-Haitian entrant
FAFSA
- Correct your FAFSA information online
- Electronically sign loan promissory notes
- Reapply for financial aid in future years
- View information about federal loans and grants you have received by logging into StudentAid.gov
SCHOOL CODE
UIC’S SCHOOL CODE: 001776
You must list UIC’s school code on the FAFSA. Otherwise, UIC will not receive your FAFSA information and will not be able to award you aid. All College of Medicine students must use UIC’s school code, even those in Urbana, Peoria, and Rockford.
Other Required Documentation
- Citizenship
- Selective Service
- Bankruptcy
- Loan Default
- Loan Discharge
- Veteran Status
- Social Security Number/Name/Date of Birth Discrepancies
- Federal Aid Over Payments
Award Adjustments
Refunds
M1, M2, and M3 Students
Summer aid is handled separately from the fall/spring terms. The initial Award Notification for M1’s, M2’s, and M3’s does not include summer financial aid. In the spring semester M1’s, M2’s, and M3’s will receive a Revised Award Notification, via email, offering summer aid. Summer is considered the last semester in an academic year, so it will be part of your current year award letter. M1’s, M2’s and M3’s should have fall, spring, and summer financial aid offered on their award letter by June. Please contact the COM OSFA if this is not the case for you.
M4 Students
M4 students are not expected to be enrolled for the summer. If you are an M4 and will be registered for the summer, please contact our office.
Enrollment Requirements
Similar to the fall and spring semesters, you must be enrolled for at least 6 credit hours to be eligible to receive federal student aid in the summer.
Direct Stafford Loan Borrowing Chart for Medical Students
The below chart displays annual borrowing maximums per year based on a 4 year medical student schedule including 3 summer terms in borrowing year 1, 2, and 3.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Qualitative Measure
Quantitative Measure
PROGRAM | TIMEFRAME |
---|---|
Traditional MD program | 7 Years |
Decompressed program or the MD/MS or MD/MPH joint degree program | 8 Years |
MD/MBA or MD/JD joint degree programs | 9 Years |
MD/PhD joint degree programs | 12 Years |
Reinstatement
Appeals
Student Rights – You have the right to:
- Know what financial aid is available, including information on all federal, state, local, and institutional financial aid programs.
- Know the procedures and deadlines for financial aid, including when and how your aid will be disbursed.
- Know how your financial need is determined.
- Expect fair and equitable treatment from the OSFA staff. It is our goal to assist you promptly and professionally throughout the financial aid process.
- Know the interest rate on any educational loan you have, the total amount you must repay, the length of the repayment period, when repayment begins, and what cancellation or deferment provisions apply.
- Know how Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is measured and how you can reestablish eligibility for federal financial aid if you fail to meet one of the standards.
- Have your financial aid information kept confidential, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The COM OSFA will not disclose personally identifiable information contained in you education records without your written consent, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. See the complete UIC Student Records Policy here.
Student Responsibilities
- Filing the appropriate applications and forms for each type of aid that you wish to receive by the established deadlines.
- Providing all requested information to the OSFA accurately and promptly.
- Regularly checking your university email account for important updates and notifications from the COM OSFA.
- Maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) according to established university policies and standards.
- Reporting all financial assistance, such as scholarships, received from any outside source to the COM OSFA.
- Reporting any changes in your name, address, or attendance status to the appropriate office within the university.
- Repaying all student loans you receive. You are required to complete an Exit Interview if you receive a federal student loan, a university loan, or a health professional loan.
- Understanding the withdrawal and refund policy of UIC.
- Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, the University cannot disclose personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records without the student’s written consent, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. A student’s parent or spouse does not have the automatic right to view the student’s records without the express written consent of the student. View the UIC Student Records Policy here.
- Complete the COM OSFA’s FERPA form here.
- Paying your UIC billing charges, finance charges, and late fees if you apply late for financial aid or if you do not submit required documents to the OSFA in a timely manner. Disbursement of late awards may occur two or more months after the term begins.
When you withdraw, two separate processes occur—the Office of Admissions and Records (OAR) prorates your tuition and some fees (according to their withdrawal policy and refund schedule), and the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) prorates your financial aid.
When you withdraw, stop attending classes, or are dismissed by the university, you will be billed for any amount of your federal/state aid that is considered an advanced payment. In addition, if you are due a refund of tuition and fees, a portion of that refund may be retained to repay the federal aid accounts on your behalf or to serve as a prepayment on your loan(s). If you have questions about how changes in your enrollment can affect your current or future financial aid eligibility, contact the COM OSFA.
If your withdrawal takes place before completing 60 percent of the term, the OSFA will calculate an earned aid percentage based upon the number of days attended, divided by the total number of days in the term. This percentage will be multiplied by the total amount of federal aid received. The result is the amount of aid you earned before withdrawing and are, therefore, allowed to keep. The difference between the federal aid disbursed to you and the amount of aid you are entitled to must be returned to the federal programs in the following order:
- Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loan
- Direct Grad PLUS Loan
- Other Title IV Funds
If you have received funds from the state or an outside agency, or if you received institutional funds, you will be billed for any amount of funds that is considered an advanced payment. The OSFA must follow the guidelines specified by those organizations regarding withdrawals. For most aid types a prorated return is required.
Financial Aid for Students on a Leave of Absence is Prohibited
No financial aid, in any form, is available to students during a leave of absence. This is regardless of the type of leave, or the purpose of the leave. Students on a leave of absence may not receive federal loans, private loans, institutional loans, institutional scholarships, or outside scholarship funds.