The Process

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Last Updated: Oct 27, 2025, 12:56 PM

How to Apply

The Financial Aid Office (FAO) assists students by offering financial aid to help pay for their post-secondary education. Financial aid is offered as grants, scholarships, loans and student employment from various federal, state, institutional and private sources. Financial aid is available to students with financial need and those without need. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should be submitted using our School Code of 001758 as soon after October 1 as possible, for the Financial Aid Office to determine eligibility for the various financial aid programs.

  • To Apply for Financial Aid at SIU

    • File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
    • Complete FAFSA as early as possible after October 1st with Southern Illinois University Carbondale (Federal School Code 001758) listed as a school choice.
    • SIU does not have an institutional financial aid application, so students only need to complete the FAFSA.
    • Students who have applied for aid during the previous year should complete a Renewal FAFSA.
    • Filing electronically provides the benefit of built-in edits to improve accurate completion of the application and the processing time is generally one to two weeks faster than filing the paper FAFSA.
    • Students and parents of dependent students should request a FSA-ID at the U.S. Department of Education’s web site: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch
    • The FSA-ID serves as an electronic signature, which significantly improves the processing time.
    • A federal customer service telephone helpline is available at 800-433-3243 or 319-337-5665.

  • Application Results or Changes

    • A FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) is provided to students, electronically or on paper, when the financial aid application is processed.
    • The FSS should be reviewed for accuracy and completeness.
    • If the FSS has errors, corrections should be completed, signed, and the FSS submitted to the address indicated for reprocessing or electronic corrections can be made at the U.S. Department of Education’s FAFSA web site by using the FSA-ID.
    • When a correct FSS is received, it should be retained by the student.
    • SIU receives FSS information electronically, so it is not necessary for a paper FSS to be submitted to SIU.
    • If a financial aid application has been filed, but SIU was not listed as a school choice, a school change should be initiated. This may be done by using the FAFSA Submission Summary or FSS (obtain a duplicate FSS by calling 800/433-3243) or through the U.S. Department of Education's FAFSA web site by using the FSA-ID. Students admitted to SIU Carbondale may also request that the Financial Aid Office initiate a school change. Southern Illinois University Carbondale (Federal School Code 001758) should be entered as a school choice.

Eligibility

  • Who Is Eligible?

    • Must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
    • Must be a U.S. Citizen or an Eligible Non-citizen (see below).
    • Must have a High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED) High School Equivalency Diploma.
    • Must be working towards a degree or certificate.
    • May not be in default on any federal educational loans or owe a refund on a federal grant.
    • Must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress.
    • Must not have been convicted of a drug offense while receiving financial aid.  

  • Citizen or Eligible Non-citizen

    You are considered a citizen or eligible non-citizen if you fit into one of the following categories:

    • You are a U.S. Citizen.
    • You are a U.S. National (includes natives of America, Samoa, or Swain's Island).
    • You are a U.S. Permanent resident with an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151,I-551, or I-551C).
    • You are not a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, but have an I-94 or I-94A with one of the following designations:
      • Refugee
      • Asylum Granted
      • Indefinite Parole
      • Humanitarian Parole
      • Cuban-Haitian entrant, status pending
      • Conditional entrant (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980)

  • Determining Financial Aid

    • Need-based financial aid eligibility is determined from submitted application information, using a standard need analysis formula.
    • A Student Aid Index (SAI) is calculated based on income, net worth, family size and other factors.
    • A student's financial need is determined by the student's educational expenses minus the Student Aid Index (SAI). Financial aid is "packaged" as a combination of grants, scholarships, loans, and student employment to meet the financial need.
    • Students should first file a financial aid application to be evaluated for the need-based programs; SIU also offers scholarships, loans and student employment that are not based on financial need.

  • Financial Need

    The difference between the Cost of Attendance and the Student Aid Index is considered financial need. The Financial Aid Office will assist students and their families in trying to meet their financial need by offering a combination of grants, scholarships, loans, and employment opportunities. Students who have no financial need are eligible to be considered for non-need based scholarships, loans, and student employment positions.

Verification

Verification is the process of confirming that information reported by you and your parents or spouse on the FAFSA is accurate. Random applicants are selected to verify information provided on the financial aid application by the FAFSA Processing System (FPS). You may also be selected by the University.

If you are selected for verification, the Financial Aid Office will send you an Institutional Verification Form (IVF) that you and your parents or spouse must complete and return to our office along with any other documentation that may be requested. Students selected for verification must provide all requested documentation to be eligible to receive and maintain financial aid awards and payments.

U.S. income tax return information is part of the verification process.  You may complete the FAFSA income section using the IRS Future Act Direct Data Exchange (FA DDX), which is the preferred method of the SIU Financial Aid Office.  If you do not use the FA DDX, you must send a copy of the IRS Federal Tax Return Transcript.  Please include the student’s full name and Student ID number (Dawg Tag) on the copy.

Federal Tax Return Transcript(s) may be requested online at www.irs.gov. Click "Get a tax record> Click "Get Transcript by Mail or Get Transcript Online", and provide the requested information or you may call 800/908-9946 and follow the prompts to request a transcript. Make sure to request the Tax Return Transcript and not the Tax Account Transcript.  There is no cost, but there is a 7-15 day processing time. 

Once the required documentation is received, the Financial Aid Office will compare the submitted documents to the information initially provided on your FASFA. If there are any discrepancies with the information initially provided on the FAFSA, the Financial Aid Office will make the corrections and you will receive an updated FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS). Occasionally, the documentation that was provided does not provide all of the necessary information to complete the verification process. In these situations, you will be sent another letter outlining the additional documentation that is needed.  Students that are selected for verification, must provide the school the verification documents and a valid output document no later than 120 days after the last day of enrollment.  Once the verification process is complete, you will receive a financial aid offer letter notification informing you of your financial aid.

Financial Aid Offer Notification

Once your financial aid application and all requested information has been received and processed, you will be notified via email that you have a Financial Aid Offer. The Offer Letter will reflect all federal, state and University offers of aid; including scholarships, need based grants, loans, and student employment. Generally, SIU begins generating Offer Letters to applicants in March preceding the beginning of the new aid year. Students are informed of financial aid offers via an SIU electronic Offer Letter posted on SalukiNet.

Students can accept all or part of the financial aid offer via SalukiNet.

The Offer Letter Overview page provides a summary of your financial aid. The top section provides your Cost of Attendance and financial need calculation based upon the information you submitted on your FAFSA; the second section provides information on the funds that you have been offered and/or are receiving. In the third section you will find information on additional steps that must be completed to receive the funds you have been offered. Please be aware that the instructions will be removed as you complete these requirements. The bottom section contains buttons for you to navigate the Offer Letter functionality.

  • View Your Financial Aid Offer

    To view your Financial Aid Offer Letter you need to follow these steps:
    1. Access SalukiNet at salukinet.siu.edu;
    2. Log on using your Network ID and Password
    3. Search for the Financial Aid (My Financial Aid) task;
    4. Click on the Financial Aid (My Financial Aid) task;
    5. Click on Offer tab;
    6. Accept offers using dropdown arrow and click Submit;
    7. Check box for acknowledgment of terms and conditions;
    8. Click Accept Offer;
    9. If you are accepting a Federal Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loan and are a first time borrower you must have a Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) on file and complete Entrance Loan Counseling. The Direct Loan MPN and the Entrance Loan Counseling web site is studentaid.gov. You will need to use your Department of Education Studentaid.gov account (FSA-ID) for both the MPN and Entrance Loan Counseling.

Disbursement

The Financial Aid Office (FAO) is responsible for administering the financial aid programs, determining eligibility, offering financial aid, and transferring/removing offers to/from the Billing/Receivables (B/R) system. The actual disbursement of financial aid to students is a function and responsibility of the Office of the Bursar. Financial aid is generally disbursed the week prior to the start of classes. You should arrive on campus with sufficient funds to purchase supplies, and any other items necessary to begin the semester, even if you are expecting financial aid or plan to work on campus.

The Office of the Bursar is responsible for the B/R system and notifying recipients of financial aid disbursements. Notification is provided within the prescribed 30 days before and after disbursement via the student's monthly Statement of Account. Notification includes the amount and date of the disbursement and the recipient's rights and procedures to cancel all or a portion of loans within 90 days of notification. Accounts Payable and the Office of the Bursar handle cash payments and check distribution to students.

  • Refunds and Student Accounts

    Federal Direct Loans, grants, scholarships and waivers are directly applied to the student's SIU Carbondale Statement of Account through B/R. These offers/loans are credited to B/R with a disbursement date (effective date) that is no earlier than 10 days prior to the beginning of the enrollment period. Refund checks are first produced beginning one week before the beginning of the enrollment period. Students who drop out/withdraw before the beginning of the enrollment period or who are determined to have never attended, have all their financial aid for the applicable semester removed and returned to the appropriate financial aid program(s).

    FAO is is required to monitor and adjust students’ financial aid offers to eliminate overawards and/or overpayments in compliance with federal and state regulations and institutional policy.

     

  • What is an Overaward/Overpayment?

    An overaward or overpayment exists when any of the situations occur:

    • The student’s financial aid exceeds the student’s Cost of Attendance (COA)
    • The student receives multiple tuition specific offers (scholarships, grants, or waivers) that exceed the student’s tuition assessment.
    • The student’s offer in an individual program (e.g., Federal Pell Grant, Federal Direct Loan) exceeds annual or aggregate/lifetime limits.
    • The student is receiving Federal SEOG, Federal Work-study, Federal Direct Subsidized Loan institutional, state, or external need-based scholarship or grant programs and the student’s total gift aid (scholarships and grants) in combination of the aforementioned financial aid programs exceed the student’s demonstrated financial need.  Financial Need is determined by subtracting the student’s Student Aid Index (SAI) from COA. 

     

  • Resolving Overawards

    Overawards are usually the result of the student receiving aid that the FAO was not aware of when the student’s Financial Aid Package was created.

    Overawards may also be created when the student’s SAI increases as a result of verification.  Overawards can result from application errors as well. Regardless of the reason for overaward, the FAO is bound by regulations and policy to correct the overaward.

    Resolving the overaward could result in the student owing the University money if the overawarded financial aid funds have already disbursed to the student’s account. 

    Following federal and state regulations and institutional policy, the FAO  will resolve the overaward in a way that is most favorable to the student.

  • Student Employment Earnings

    Earnings from student employment are not credited directly to a student's University account. The payroll process generates a bi-weekly paycheck from information supplied by the employing departments, the Financial Aid Office and Central Payroll and entered into the Human Resource Management System (HRMS). Student employees are encouraged to participate in Electronic Direct Deposit (EDD). However, student employees who are unable to participate in EDD will receive their paycheck by mail to the mailing address listed in the payroll system.

  • When is Aid Disbursed?

    Aid disbursements begin one week before the first day of classes in an effort to distribute refunds directly in your bank account by the first day of classes. Further crediting of aid and subsequent refunds are generally processed weekly throughout the semester.

    Loans cannot be disbursed until all required documents are received and processed by the Financial Aid Office. A valid Promissory Note (agreement to repay the loan) for the specific loan program must be on file. In addition, students borrowing a Federal Direct Loan  for the first time at this campus must complete an online Entrance Counseling session.

  • How is Aid Disbursed?

    Unless otherwise noted, all financial aid offered by SIU Financial Aid Office is disbursed in two installments. One half of the total offer is disbursed each semester and applied toward the charges on your SIU Carbondale Statement of Account (tuition and fees, University Housing charges, books, and/or other University charges. Any transaction in which a financial aid credit exceeds the University charges for the term will generate a refund. To expedite the receipt of this refund, you should establish and maintain direct deposit to your personal checking or savings account.