Chicago State University makes every effort to extend financial assistance to qualified students who need funds to complete their education. The university is a participant in federal student assistance programs that provide financial assistance in the form of grants, loans, and employment for admitted and enrolled students. No student should be reluctant to apply for admission to the university because of a lack of funds. A variety of financial assistance programs are administered by the Office of Student Financial Aid.
A student who wishes to apply for financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You are encouraged to file online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa You may link to this web site through the Office of Student Financial Aid page of the Chicago State University website. Chicago State University’s Federal school code is 001694. You will need to enter this code on your FAFSA so that Chicago State University will receive a copy of your application once the US Department of Education (USDE) has processed it. Financial assistance awards are based upon demonstrated financial need and processed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Eligibility
Students must be admitted to a masters or doctorate degree program. Unclassified, graduate-at-large, and/or special students are ineligible for assistance. Students must be in compliance with the Chicago State University Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
Federal Direct Student Loan Program; Subsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan Unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan; Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan
Under these programs, low-interest loans are provided to students who are enrolled at least halftime as graduate students and enrolled in a degree or certification program. Loan eligibility will be made available to all enrolled students once they have completed a FAFSA and the results are received by Chicago State University. Students will be notified to access CSU X-Press to review their loan eligibility and to complete any requirements to finalize loan funding.
Entrance Counseling
Students who receive Federal Direct Loans are required to participate in a federally mandated Entrance Counseling (loan counseling) session. Students are also required to complete an exit interview when they completely withdraw or graduate from Chicago State University. Additional information is available on the Office of Student Financial Aid website.
Federal Awards and Loans
Federal Perkins Loan: Perkins Loan funds are awarded to eligible students and are based upon the availability of funds. Annual awards generally range from $500 to $4,000. The interest rate on this loan is fixed at 5%. No interest payments or principal payments are due until the student is no longer enrolled at least half-time and the nine- month grace period has expired. The Perkins loan carries some specific deferment and cancellation provisions. All students are required to complete an entrance and exit interview. Exit Interviews are required for loan recipients who separate from Chicago State University or drop below half-time status (6 credit hours). Exit Interviews are conducted online through our third-party servicer. Please contact the Bursar’s Office for the website. A Perkins Exit Hold will be placed on accounts until the Exit Interview is completed.
Illinois Veterans Scholarship
Tuition and certain fees for the equivalent of four calendar years at state colleges or universities are covered. Students who wish to be considered for military scholarships must submit a copy of their separation papers (Form DD214) to the Office of Veterans Affairs, located within the Office of Student Financial Aid, ADM-207, extension 3549, and complete an application for the scholarship.
MIA/POW Scholarship
Tuition and activity fees for an equivalent of four calendar years are covered for any spouse, natural child, legally adopted child, or stepchild of an Illinois veteran or service person who has been declared by the US Department of Defense or the US Veterans Administration to be a prisoner of war or missing in action, who has died as the result of a service-connected disability or is 100 percent disabled. More detailed information may be obtained from the Office of Veterans Affairs, located within the Office of Student Financial Aid, ADM-207, extension 3549.
Graduate Assistantships
A limited number of graduate assistantships are available for graduate students. Students interested in applying for an assistantship should contact the chairperson of the department of their specialization after enrolling in classes.
Fellowships
The Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Program (DFI) was established by the Illinois General Assembly and signed as Public Act 093-0862 on August 4, 2004. The purpose of the DFI Program is to increase the number of underrepresented faculty and staff in Illinois institutions of higher education and higher education governing boards.
Chicago State University is a participant in the DFI Program. The program carries an annual stipend and a full tuition waiver for eligible students. Applicants must be unconditionally accepted to a degree program, demonstrate financial need, and meet other program criteria. For additional information consult the Dean of the Graduate School. The applications usually are due in the first week of February.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
The Chicago State University (CSU) Undergraduate and Graduate Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy measures whether eligible undergraduate and graduate students are progressing at a responsible rate towards the completion of their educational objectives. Students must be in compliance with this policy in order to maintain their continued financial aid eligibility and to participate in the following financial aid programs:
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal SEOG
- Federal TEACH
- Federal Work-Study
- Federal Direct Loans
- Federal Perkins Loan
- Federal Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
- Federal & State Veterans Programs
- All State of Illinois Gift Assistance Grants/Scholarships
Chicago State University’s SAP policy includes both qualitative and quantitative measures. Failure to meet any one of the criteria will result in the cancellation of the student’s financial aid award for current and/or future semesters, depending upon the time of the review. However, if students are not meeting SAP at the end of the spring term, they will be ineligible for financial aid for the summer term, even if they already have a financial aid award and are enrolled/attending classes. Please be aware, once enrolled for a term, students accept responsibility for any bill assessed, regardless of their financial aid status. Students not meeting the SAP requirements will be notified accordingly via email at the end of each semester.
All periods of a student’s enrollment, whether or not the student received aid, are also included in the SAP review. In addition, all credit hours transferred to CSU for the current enrollment level are included and counted towards a student’s maximum time frame and are reflected in the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA). Please note, this is only the case if a GPA was able to be determined based upon the transcript(s) provided to the Office of Records and Registration.
Qualitative Measure (Cumulative Grade Point Average)
Graduate Students
Graduate students must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA) for post-baccalaureate certificate, Master’s and EdD programs. For example, for students whose first semester of attendance at CSU was fall, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is reviewed at the conclusion of the spring term. If the cumulative GPA is below 3.0 (when SAP is reviewed) after the student’s second semester, the student’s aid will be canceled. Some grades such as P, W/P, W/F, W/A, W/N, I, ID, X, I/F, P, PW, PS, and PN will not be included in the cumulative GPA. Please note that most colleges and departments have additional standards to remain in good academic standing. Students should consult with their particular college or department for the requirements to remain in good academic standing for their program.
College of Pharmacy Students: Refer to the College of Health Sciences and Pharmacy section of the catalog for qualitative measures.
Teacher Licensure and Second Bachelor’s Degree-seeking Students
Students seeking Teacher Licensure, or a second bachelor’s student must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA at the end of each semester. If the cumulative GPA is below 2.5 (when SAP is reviewed) after the student’s second semester, the student’s aid will be canceled. Some grades such as P, W/P, W/F, W/A, W/N, I, X, I/F, P, PW, PS, and PN will not be included in the cumulative GPA. Please note, most colleges and departments have stricter standards to remain in good academic standing. Students should consult with their particular college or department for the requirements to remain in good academic standing for their program.
Quantitative Measures (Maximum Time Frame and Course Completion Ratio)
Graduate/Professional
Graduate and professional students’ financial aid eligibility is contingent upon completing their degree requirements within 150 percent of their program’s published length in accordance with the standards established by their respective college or department. Students should consult with their particular college or department regarding the published length of their specific program. Please be aware that students seeking a second graduate or professional degree who have exhausted their eligibility will need to file a SAP appeal to regain financial aid eligibility.
In addition to the maximum time frame, students must also successfully complete 67 percent of their cumulative attempted credits at CSU. Credits attempted are those hours a student is registered for at the conclusion of the add/drop period each semester as defined by the Office of Records and Registrations. All classes for which a student is registered after that date will be included. Successfully completed course work is defined as the total number of hours for which a student receives a grade of A, B, C, D, P. When SAP is reviewed at the conclusion of the spring term (or any other term), if a student falls below the 67 percent cumulative standard, the student will enter a warning period. When a student enters a warning period, the student’s aid will be canceled unless he or she is on financial aid probation and is meeting the requirements of his or her probation.
Treatment of course withdrawals, incomplete(s) or not reported, and repeated courses Withdrawals (W)
Courses dropped before the conclusion of the add/drop period each semester as defined by the Office of Records and Registration will not count as a class attempted. Classes dropped after this point will count as a class attempted. Students who totally withdraw after the conclusion of the add/drop period in any semester will have all their classes counted as attempted. Before students drop a class, they need to take into consideration their SAP status.
Incompletes (I) or Not Reported (NR)
Courses in which a student has an incomplete or the faculty member has not reported a grade at the time when SAP is reviewed will be included in the attempted hours. However, as there will be no current grade in the system, these courses will not be included in the cumulative GPA determination at such time.
Repeated Courses
For courses repeated, only the most recent grade is included in the student’s cumulative GPA. When determining if a student is meeting the quantitative SAP standards, all courses will be included in the attempted hours.
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