Institutional Grants

UIC Opportunity Grant – 2024-2025 Final Year of Program

The UIC Opportunity Grant, which launched in the 2019–2020 academic year, concluded for new awards at the end of the 2024–2025 school year. This institutional grant provides up to $3,700 annually for eligible Illinois residents.

Although no new awards will be made after the 2024–2025 academic year, students who received the Opportunity Grant prior to this final year will continue to receive funding until they reach the maximum number of eligible semesters—up to 8 paid semesters for first-time students and 4 paid semesters for transfer students, provided they continue to meet all eligibility criteria.

Grant Eligibility:

• Student Aid Index (SAI) of -1500 – 7395
• Illinois residency
• Completion of the FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid by the March 15 deadline
  • Note: Failure to complete the application or financial aid file by the deadline will result in ineligibility for the UIC Grant program.
• Enrollment in at least 6 credit hours per semester
• or continuing recipients: Must not have exceeded 8 paid semesters (first-time students) or 4 paid semesters (transfer students)
• Must be working toward a first bachelor’s degree
• Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Track Your Payments

Please note: UIC Access to Excellence funds are included in the calculated payment amounts for this award.

You can view and track your financial aid, including Opportunity Grant payments, via the UIC Portal: my.uic.edu

Your award details will also be included in your financial aid notification.

The UIC Access to Excellence Grant program was discontinued in the 2019/2020 academic year and succeeded by the UIC Opportunity Grant. These grants were limited to 8 paid semesters for students that entered as freshmen OR 4 paid semesters for transfer students. See your UIC award letter to track your usage.

However, for eligible students who entered UIC as freshmen but have exceeded 8 paid semesters OR transfer students who have exceeded 4 paid semesters of institutional grant, and have completed 96 credits or more, could qualify for a one-time UIC Completion Grant.

Funds are limited, and will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis.

The maximum UIC Completion Grant award is $1,850 for 2022/2023.

Grant eligibility:

• Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0-500
• Illinois residency
• Submitted FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid by 2/15 priority deadline for full consideration
• Must be working towards 1^st bachelor’s degree
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Please see Institutional Grants FAQs.

UPDATE!  All UIC Grant funding for 22/23 has been exhausted as of 9/23/2022.

UIC Housing Assistance Grant

The UIC Housing Assistance Grant provides financial support to eligible Illinois residents living in campus housing.

Award Amount

Eligible students may receive a $5,000 grant to help offset the cost of on-campus housing.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the grant, students must:

• Be an Illinois resident.
• Reside in UIC campus housing.
• Have a Student Aid Index (SAI) between $0 and $500.
• Submit a FAFSA or the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid by March 15.
• Have a completed UIC Housing application on file.

Note: There is no separate application for the housing grant. Students who meet the above criteria are automatically considered.

Additional Information

• Funding is limited to 300 students each academic year.
• Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Not all eligible students are guaranteed to receive the grant due to limited funding.

Need Help?

For questions about financial aid, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.

For housing-related questions, visit Campus Housing at https://housing.uic.edu/.

Each year the office allocates limited funding to assist undergraduates in need of additional assistance. To be eligible, a student must meet the following criteria:

• Completed the appropriate FAFSA.
• Have financial need as determined by the FAFSA.
• Qualify for Illinois resident tuition.
• Basic eligibility criteria for federal aid:
  • U.S. Citizen or an Eligible Non-citizen;
  • If male, registered with Selective Service;
  • Have a high School diploma or GED High School Equivalency diploma;
  • Be enrolled in a degree-seeking or approved certificate program;
  • Be in good-standing for any federal education loans or federal grants;
  • Meeting the requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress;
  • Be enrolled at least half-time;
  • Have not completed degree requirements for graduation.
• Must have completed a Change of Financial Situation Form for the appropriate year.
• Eligibility for the award is determined after the Change of Financial Situation form is completed and reviewed. The award ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 for the academic year. Not all eligible students are awarded.

The Student-to-Student Grant is funded by fees collected from UIC students. This grant is available to undergraduate Illinois residents seeking their first bachelor’s degree, enrolled full time, eligible for the MAP grant, and with an EFC of $0. Funding for this program is limited and not all eligible students are awarded. STS ranges from $500 to $3,000 for the academic year.

UIC Aspire is a financial aid program that covers 100% of tuition and mandatory fees for new, first-time undergraduate students beginning at UIC in the 2025–2026 school year.

Grant Eligibility:

• Be a U.S. citizen, an eligible noncitizen, or an eligible undocumented student
• Be an Illinois resident
• Have a family income or assets of $75,000 or less reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Illinois Rise Act’s alternative financial aid application
• Be admitted as a new first-year or new transfer student
• Be an undergraduate seeking your first baccalaureate degree
• Enroll in at least 12 credit hours per semester
• Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
• Completion of the FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid by March 15

Note: Failure to complete the application or financial aid file by the deadline will result in ineligibility for the UIC ASPIRE Grant program.

UIC Aspire is a financial aid program that covers 100% of tuition and mandatory fees for new, first-time undergraduate students beginning at UIC in the 2025–2026 school year.

Grant Eligibility:

• Be a U.S. citizen, an eligible noncitizen, or an eligible undocumented student
• Be an Illinois resident
• Have a family income and assets of $75,000 or less reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Illinois Rise Act’s alternative financial aid application
• Be admitted as a new first-year or new transfer student
• Be an undergraduate seeking your first baccalaureate degree
• Enroll in at least 12 credit hours per semester
• Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
• Completion of the FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid by March 15

Note: Failure to complete the application or financial aid file by the deadline will result in ineligibility for the UIC ASPIRE Grant program.