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Summer 2023 Financial Aid FAQs - Funding Your Future

Students have a lot on their plate, especially at the beginning of each semester. Understanding your financial aid can make life a lot less stressful and give you confidence that you’re starting out on the right foot. Here are some of our top FAQs to keep you informed and on top of your financial game.  

Q. How do I check my financial aid status or disbursement? 

A. To review your financial aid:  

  1. Log in to Student Self-Service 
  2. Click on the Financial Aid tab 
  3. Choose "Financial Aid Notification" 

To check your disbursement status:  

  1. Log in to Student Self-Service
  2. Click on the Account Billing Information tab
  3. Choose "UI-Pay" 

Q. How can I make sure I’m eligible to receive my financial aid? 

A. Several factors contribute to eligibility: 

  • Ensure that you have a 2022-2023 FAFSA submitted to UIS. Summer is a trailer semester at UIS.
  • Generally, financial aid is offered for summer based on half-time enrollment status. If you enroll less than half-time, you may not have any aid eligibility. Aid will be recalculated beginning June 10 for the summer semester.  
  • To be eligible for a financial aid disbursement, you must meet all eligibility and disbursement requirements. See Terms & Conditions for further details
  • You must establish the minimum enrollment requirement for each type of aid.

Minimum Enrollment Requirement for Summer Loan Eligibility

 Undergraduate Student Graduate Student* 
Full-Time 12+ credit hours 6+ credit hours 
Three-quarter Time 9-11 credit hours N/A 
Half-Time 6-8 credit hours 3-5 credit hours 
Less than Half-Time Less than 6 credit hours Less than 3 credit hours 

Q. Why hasn't my financial aid been offered for summer? 

A. If you have not received an aid offer, it could be because: 

  • You are not enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for Federal Student Loans (6 hours for undergraduate students and 3 hours for graduate students).
  • You do not have any remaining aid eligibility for the summer.
  • You may not have a FAFSA on file. The 2022-2023 FAFSA must be submitted by June 15, 2023, and is located at StudentAid.gov.

Q. Why hasn't my financial aid been disbursed? 

A. The first financial aid disbursement is May 27. There could be several reasons why you haven’t seen a disbursement: 

  • Missing financial aid "Student Requirements" items in Self-Service
  • Aid has not been Accepted by you in Self-Service. Loans and some scholarships must be accepted before disbursing. 
  • Failure to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
  • Enrollment conflicts; enrollment not meeting minimum requirements.

Q. Why hasn't my loan disbursed? 

A. Check the following: 

  • Have you completed Direct Loan Entrance Counseling (first time borrower)? 
  • Is a valid Master Promissory Note (MPN) on file? 
  • Do you meet the minimum enrollment requirement (half-time)? 
  • Parent PLUS loan: Did your parent complete the Parent PLUS Application for Parents and Master Promissory Note (MPN)? 
  • Graduate PLUS loan: Did the graduate student complete the PLUS Application for Graduate Students, entrance counseling, and Master Promissory Note (MPN)?
  • Loan applications, MPNs and counseling may be completed at StudentAid.gov.

Q. What is the financial aid recalculation date? How does it impact me? 

A. The financial aid recalculation date is on or after June 10. Aid is adjusted based on students' enrollment status at this time.

The financial recalculation date is after the last day you may submit a partial withdrawal of a course and receive a 100% refund. Complete withdrawals from summer term must be completed by June 4 in order to drop all classes without any financial obligation.  Please see the Summer/Fall Policies & Registration Information for more details.

  • At recalculation, your cost of attendance and Federal Pell Grant will be prorated based on your actual enrollment. 
  • Loans will be canceled if your enrollment falls below half-time. 
  • Financial Aid may be adjusted to keep your total financial aid offered within the cost of attendance and demonstrated financial need. 
  • Financial Aid adjustments may result in students owing money back to the university based on the early disbursement and refund schedule. 

Q. What happens if my account is overpaid? 

A. If your financial aid overpays the student account balance, the overpayment will be refunded beginning on or after May 31. Student account refunds are processed via direct deposit (ACH) or paper check. Direct deposit is recommended and provides a secure, efficient method to receive your refund. Once the refund is posted:

  • Direct Deposit: Receive your refund in 3 - 5 business days.
  • Paper Check: Mailed to the address on file in 12 - 15 business days.

Q. How do waitlisted courses affect my financial aid eligibility? 

A. Waitlisted courses are not considered enrolled. Your enrollment as of the financial aid recalculation date is what determines your final financial aid eligibility. If you have courses in waitlist status at the financial aid recalculation date, they cannot be considered towards financial aid eligibility. 

Contact Us 

We know financial aid can be complicated, and we’re available to help. Please include your UIN in all correspondence with our office. 

University Hall Building, 1015 

Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

finaid@uis.edu | 217-206-6724 

Schedule an Appointment 

Resources

Student Guide to Financial Aid 

Records & Registration - Summer Policies and Important Dates

University Bursar

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