Applying for Aid

Each family’s financial aid package is tailored to their particular financial profile, and their submitted documents are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. You can read more about how we determine need here and complete the net price calculator.

Although domestic first-year applicants may apply for financial aid at any time, we recommend that you apply for aid when you apply for admission, in order to receive an aid decision in a timely manner. The information below is for U.S. citizens or permanent residents applying for aid as a first-year applicant. Other first-year applicants, regardless of where they live or go to school, should submit an international financial aid application. Transfer students can read more about the transfer financial aid process here.

If you are a current student, please visit the Office of Financial Aid’s website for more information.

Timeline

	Early Action & Early Decision I	Early Decision II	Regular Decision
Priority deadline for document submission*	Nov 15	Jan 15	Feb 15

*If admitted as a domestic applicant (US citizen or permanent resident), you can still apply for aid after the deadline or after being admitted. However, if you indicate you are applying for need-based aid, admissions will expect you to submit aid materials as part of a complete application to the College.

Required Materials

FAFSA For Federal Aid

The U.S. Department of Education anticipates the 2025-2026 FAFSA will be available for all applicants by December 1st, 2024. You can request the required FSA ID at studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch (use school code 001774).

Note: If you are an Illinois resident who is not eligible to complete a FAFSA application for federal financial aid consideration, you may be eligible to complete an alternative application to be considered for State of Illinois financial aid. Visit the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) website to determine your eligibility and apply.

UChicago Financial Aid Worksheet For UChicago Aid

A short, free online worksheet available through your UChicago account once you have applied for admission. Please note that you cannot upload financial aid documentation through the CSS Profile IDOC system for UChicago Financial Aid decisions.

Parents’ Last-Year Tax Returns

A signed copy of your parents’ 2023 federal income tax return. Include all schedules, W-2 Forms, and business returns (if applicable).

In certain cases, you may be asked to provide further financial information.

Please note that The Office of Financial Aid does not accept these materials over email. All documents should be uploaded directly to your UChicago account.

Applying Only for Federal Aid

We strongly encourage families to submit all the above documents in order to be eligible for UChicago’s institutional financial aid and maximize their funding options. However, if you are only interested in applying for federal student aid (Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Stafford Loans, or Federal PLUS Loans for parents), you need only complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and email College Aid to confirm you have completed your application.

Non-Custodial Parents

We do not require additional information from students’ non-custodial parent. In cases where the applicant’s parents are divorced or separated, provide financial information from the parent who has primary custody of or contributes more than 50% of the student’s financial support.

Samuel is a native Chicagoan who has been able to take advantage of a variety of resources around UChicago’s campus. He contributes to the longest continuously-running student film society in the nation (Doc Films), and is a member of his cohort of Odyssey Students. In addition to his campus involvement, Samuel a Metcalf internships conducting research at the Lincoln Park Zoo for a summer.
-
Samuel Algas, Class of 2021

Son of Chicago Firefighter

Sending Your Materials

The most direct way to submit materials is by uploading documents to your UChicago Account. Not all financial aid documents can be submitted by this method—the FAFSA must be completed at fafsa.gov, and the CSS Profile, should you choose to submit it, must be completed through the College Board website.

If you choose to send materials by mail or by fax, download and include the required document cover sheet. Please include the student’s first and last name, email address, and date of birth on the top of the first page of any document you submit.

Mail to:
The Office of College Aid
1101 E. 58th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
Fax to: 773.702.0744

Having trouble sending your fax? Try the alternate fax number: 773.834.5297

If you are using Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), try adjusting the following configuration settings:

Slow down the transmission speed. Set the BAUD rate of the fax machine to 9600 bps or lower.
Disable the ECM (error correction mode) setting.