How is financial aid calculated?
Eligibility for financial aid is determined through the review of your student aid application (FAFSA ®) and the cost of education for your program of study.
Financial aid works with you and your family to help meet your college costs through a combination of grants, scholarships, loans and employment opportunities. Eligibility for need-based financial aid is determined by taking the cost of attendance and subtracting the student aid index:
cost of attendance – student aid index = eligibility for aid
Cost of attendance
Student expense budgets, which include an allowance for tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies, transportation and miscellaneous personal expenses, are used to calculate financial aid eligibility and provide a reasonable cost estimate to attend Sandburg.
Student Aid Index (SAI)
The Student Aid Index helps colleges determine the amount of financial aid you can receive. Calculated by the federal government based on income and asset information provided on the FAFSA, it's used to determine eligibility for federal, state and some institutional financial aid.
Estimate your student aid index at Federal Student Aid Estimator.
What is an offer letter?
This shows the types and amounts of financial assistance you’re expected to receive at Sandburg.
Learn more about the letter.How is my financial aid paid/disbursed?
With the exception of federal work-study (FWS), financial aid processed by Financial Aid is automatically disbursed to student accounts. Learn more about how aid is disbursed.
What does it cost to attend?
The 2024-25 average annual cost of attendance based on full-time enrollment for fall and spring semesters and is an estimate of your annual cost.
In-district costs
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DIRECT COSTS The anticipated amounts you’ll pay for educational expenses. |
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Tuition & fees (based on 30 credit hours/year): In-district tuition = $178/credit hour; certain courses may charge additional fees (avg. $25/per semester). |
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Books, course materials, supplies and equipment (avg. cost) |
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TOTAL DIRECT EDUCATIONAL COSTS |
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INDIRECT COSTS These include other costs you may incur to attend college. |
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Housing & food allowance (based on avg. costs from the bureau of labor) |
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Transportation allowance (estimated cost from students’ residences to campus) |
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Miscellaneous personal (e.g., clothing, personal expenses) |
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TOTAL INDIRECT COSTS |
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TOTAL DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS |
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Out-of-district costs
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COST
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DIRECT COSTS The anticipated amount you’ll pay for educational expenses. |
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Tuition & fees (based on 30 credit hours/year): Out of district tuition = $265/credit hour; certain courses may charge additional fees (avg. $25/per semester). |
$7,975 |
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Books, course materials, supplies and equipment (avg. cost) |
$1,500 |
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TOTAL DIRECT EDUCATIONAL COSTS |
$9,475 |
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INDIRECT COSTS These include other costs you may incur to attend college. |
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Housing & food allowance (based on avg. costs from the bureau of labor) |
$7,875 |
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Transportation allowance (estimated cost from students’ residences to campus) |
$2,412 |
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Miscellaneous personal (e.g., clothing, personal expenses) |
$1,017 |
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TOTAL INDIRECT COSTS |
$11,304 |
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TOTAL DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS |
$20,779 |
Out-of-state costs
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DIRECT COSTS The anticipated amount you’ll pay for educational expenses. |
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Tuition & fees (based on 30 credit hours/year): Out of State tuition = $295/credit hour; certain courses may charge additional fees (avg. $25/per semester). |
$8,875 |
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Books, course materials, supplies and equipment (avg. cost) |
$1,500 |
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TOTAL DIRECT EDUCATIONAL COSTS |
$10,375 |
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INDIRECT COSTS These include other costs you may incur to attend college. |
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Housing & food allowance (based on avg. costs from the bureau of labor) |
$7,875 |
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Transportation allowance (estimated cost from students’ residences to campus) |
$2,412 |
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Miscellaneous personal (e.g., clothing, personal expenses) |
$1,017 |
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TOTAL INDIRECT COSTS |
$11,304 |
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TOTAL DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS |
$21,679 |
Other program costs
Career or technical programs may have additional costs such as course fees, lab fees, uniforms, tools, supplies or equipment expenses. This information is linked on the program pages.
How is eligibility for financial aid determined?
Will financial aid pay for all courses?
Not all programs/courses qualify for financial assistance. Pell, FSEOG, IMAP, federal direct loans and federal work-study (FWS) cannot be used for enrollment in:
- CISCO networking security certificate
- Computer support certificate
- Non-degree seeking
- Non-credit courses
- Audited courses
Determining your financial aid enrollment status
The amount of your federal aid eligibility is based on how many hours in which you’re enrolled on the ninth calendar day of the semester.
- If you add classes after the ninth day, your bill may increase, but your federal aid remains the same.
- If you drop classes after the ninth day, your federal aid won’t be adjusted unless you totally withdraw and are subject to the federal Return of Title IV policy.
There are some exceptions for students enrolled in courses that meet only for part of the semester (e.g., eight-week courses) that start after the ninth day of classes.
Federal Pell grant
To receive the full-time award, you must be enrolled in 12 or more credit hours. The award is prorated per credit hour for 1-11 credits.
Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) state of Illinois monetary award program (MAP) grant
You must be enrolled for at least 15 credit hours to receive the full amount of the state of IL MAP grant awarded. This award is applied only to tuition and the registration fee. If you're enrolled in less than 15 credits, the award is prorated to: award ÷ 15 x credits enrolled.
Federal direct loans
You must be enrolled for six or more credit hours to receive loans. The loan amount is calculated when the loan is requested prior to disbursement. The recalculation is based on your actual enrollment and awards.
Developmental hours
You’re limited to 30 developmental credit hours while receiving federal financial aid. Federal aid doesn’t cover any developmental courses (e.g., Math 090, Math 093, Math 096, Math 098, Math 099, English 094, English 098, Reading 090, Reading 092, Reading 096) taken after you’ve reached the maximum of 30 hours.
Repeated courses financial aid
You may receive financial aid for repeating courses; however, if you’re retaking a previously passed course, federal aid can be used only for one repeat of the course. Any courses repeated are included in calculating your satisfactory academic progress (SAP) status. Each repetition counts toward the enrolled hours; however, only the course(s) being counted in the GPA calculation are counted in completed hours for SAP.
Eligible for awarding
Financial aid is awarded once all documents are received and reviewed, and the student is deemed eligible. Documents submitted become the property of Financial Aid and aren’t returned.
Release of financial assistance information to another agency
You must complete and sign a financial aid information release form for the current school year before any information is released to another agency, parent or spouse and allow 10 days for processing. Information regarding fees and bookstore charges must be obtained from the Business Office. Your signature on a loan application authorizes Sandburg to release any requested information pertinent to your student loan(s) to the lending institution, subsequent holder, the guarantor, U.S. Department of Education or the agents.
Why was my aid adjusted?
There may be some instances when your original awarded aid is adjusted, including:
No-show attendance policy
If you don’t attend class at least once during the first four days of the semester, you’ll be dropped from the course, and courses less than 16 weeks require attendance during the 100% refund period. View the full policy.
Ramifications of completly withdrawing
Before withdrawing from all of your classes, consider any ramifications to your academic record, financial aid and student account, including:
Withdrawal (W) noted on your transcript
A "W" grade notation to appear on your transcript. This grade does not affect your GPA but does impact your completion rate for satisfactory academic progress (SAP).
Financial aid Return of Title IV funds requirement
Your financial aid — including any federal grants and loans — may be returned to the federal government, which means you may have a balance on your account and owe money under the Return of Title IV Fund policy. Visit, email or call Financial Aid at 309.341.5283 to discuss your plans and options.
Loan deferment
If you drop below six credit hours of enrollment, your loans enter into the repayment phase. If it's your fist time to drop below six credits, you'll begin your six-month grace period for all loans borrowed.
SAP
You may fail the completion rate for satisfactory academic progress (SAP), which means you’ll either:
- Receive a warning letter at the end of the semester and be placed on financial aid warning for SAP.
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- Be put on dismissal and file an SAP appeal for reinstated financial aid.
Cancel future financial aid
If you withdraw from all classes and plan to attend another college or university for a subsequent term, notify Financial Aid to cancel your future financial aid; otherwise you may not be able to receive aid at another institution.
Correction to FAFSA®
If you withdraw from all classes and plan to attend another college or university for a subsequent term, you must make a correction to your FAFSA, and list the new school on your FAFSA form to allow your future school to receive your FAFSA information. Financial aid doesn't automatically transfer from one institution to another.
Visit or email Student Development for guidance and information.
How is my financial aid paid/disbursed?
With the exception of federal work-study (FWS), financial aid processed by Financial Aid is automatically disbursed to student accounts. The Business Office automatically deducts incurred costs (e.g., tuition, fees, lab costs, and other authorized charges such as books and supplies, etc.) out of the financial aid credited to your account. Any remaining financial aid is refunded to you once the funds are available.
The aid is applied to your tuition and fee charges approximately two weeks prior to the tuition deadline. If financial aid isn’t complete by the tuition due date, you must pay with your own resources. Check the balance due and financial aid using mySandburg.
Payment schedule
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Grant applied to your account: |
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Tuition deadline: |
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Balance checks mailed proxy: |
Calculating disbursement based on enrollment
Sandburg uses a 'freeze date' — the ninth calendar day of the semester — to determine your enrollment status for awarding financial aid based on your registered courses on the freeze date. This means if you add or drop classes before the freeze date, your amount of financial aid may be affected.
If your completed FAFSA® results are received after the freeze date, financial aid is based on your enrollment when financial aid is awarded.
Book charges and other start-up costs
If financial aid (not including loans or MAP) exceeds the cost of tuition and fees, the excess can be used in the bookstore. Books may be charged to financial aid approximately three weeks before the start of the semester. Final dates are posted in the financial aid office, admissions and the bookstore.
To lower your costs, you can choose book rental or e-books. Refer to the course selection or bookstore website for the required books’ ISBN. A portion of your grant aid is available prior to the semester to help with purchasing books, transportation and other start-up costs. To receive early disbursement, complete and submit the Jump Start financial aid advance form.
Private scholarships
Private scholarship checks received by the college are applied directly to your account unless otherwise specified by the scholarship donor. Private scholarships are listed as part of the aid package as an "outside scholarship."
Developmental classes (classes with course numbers <100)
Federal financial aid programs won’t cover any developmental courses you take after reaching a maximum of 30 hours.
Audits and tested-out courses
Audit hours and tested-out hours aren’t counted in the total number of credits for financial aid purposes.
Part-time enrollment
Financial aid is adjusted for part-time enrollment based on program guidelines as outlined below.
Financial aid calculations by aid type & enrollment
Pell grant
Federal work-study (FWS)
Federal work-study (FWS) allows you to work on campus to pay educational expenses; it doesn't get credited to your account. If you’re awarded FWS, you can apply for on-campus jobs. Payroll checks are distributed twice a month for hours worked based on your submitted timesheet.
Federal direct student loan
Student loans are optional, and require additional application and review steps to determine eligibility. Visit Financial aid, grants & scholarships; choose the Loans option and complete the steps below the heading "Apply for Federal Student Loan."
Loans, applied to your account 10 days prior to the start of the semester, pay any remaining tuition and fees after grants. Excess loan funds are disbursed after the 30th day of each semester. Loans require a minimum of two disbursements with the second disbursement at the midpoint of the loan period. You must be enrolled in at least six credits for the loan to be disbursed.
Balance checks
If grant aid remains after tuition and books are paid, the remaining funds are mailed to you approximately three weeks after the semester begins or sent to you via direct deposit if you choose by:
- Logging into mySandburg.
- Click on "My Account" under Self-Service Menu for Students.
- Go to "Sign up for Direct Deposit for my Refund" to enter banking information and agree to receive funds electronically.
What is an offer letter?
The offer letter shows the types and amounts of financial assistance you’re expected to receive at Sandburg.
- Basis: Awards are based on full-time enrollment and are adjusted at the time of enrollment*.
- Declining: To decline an award, email Financial Aid.
- External awards: Email Financial Aid of any external awards/monies.
Check mySandburg for the most updated award amounts to use when questions arise about your financial aid offer or to send a copy of the your offer letter to outside agencies.
*Sandburg reserves the right to modify your offer(s) at any time due to changes in your financial aid eligibility, processing errors or the availability of funding. You’re responsible for repaying funds received in excess of financial need, awarded in error or if you become ineligible for any reason.
Can I get financial aid for summer term?
As a student, you’re automatically reviewed for summer financial aid, which is determined in March. You’ll be notified via mySandburg.
The Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) doesn’t fund the summer term, and Sandburg scholarships generally are not available either.
To be eligible for summer direct loans and direct Parent Plus loans, you need to be enrolled in at least six credit hours. You can borrow up to the annual limit for each year in school. A loan can be processed for summer if you haven't already borrowed your annual limit.
Can I get financial aid for study abroad?
If you're enrolled in study-abroad courses and are approved for credit in your program of study, you're considered enrolled at Sandburg and are eligible to receive financial aid.
Federal Pell grants, state of Illinois MAP grants, scholarships and student loans can provide funds to help pay for studying abroad. Eligibility for funds is determined on an individual basis.
Begin the application process by completing the FAFSA® (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as early as possible. If you’re studying abroad, designate a family member as power of attorney to assist with financial aid processing while abroad.
- In the study-abroad program, you pay program fees rather than tuition, which means Galesburg and Sampson Promise funding isn’t available.
- Make an appointment with the Financial Aid early in the planning process to discuss costs, available financial aid and payment deadlines.
Sandburg Foundation scholarships
You may also apply for the following scholarships for the study-abroad program. Study Abroad students are encouraged to complete the scholarship applications by March 15.
Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs (ICISP)
Summer scholarships are $500 and other semesters are $1,000. You’re eligible to apply if you’re participating in an ICISP program.
Deadlines
Spring: Oct. 15
Summer: Feb. 15
Fall: May 15
Gilman international scholarships
You’re eligible to apply if you’re receiving a Pell grant at time of application or can prove you'll receive a Pell grant during the study-abroad term. Recipients are awarded up to $5,000 depending on the length of the program. There’s a $3,000 supplement for students studying "critical languages." View additional information.
Deadlines
Spring: October
Summer & Fall: March
For more details on the scholarships listed below and how to apply for them, email our study abroad coordinator, or call 309.341.5317.
What if my awards aren’t enough?
Sometimes things happen that are out of our control. If you’ve experienced any of the circumstances listed below, email Financial Aid, or call 309.341.5283.
- Loss of job or benefits
- Death or divorce in the family
- Unemployment
- Excessive medical expenses
- Parental student loan payments
- Children in private secondary schools
If you meet the criteria for reconsideration, you can complete one of the forms below:
- 24-25 special circumstances dependent student form
- 24-25 special conditions independent student form
Changes are reported to the federal and state government to recalculate your eligibility.
What is the verification process?
The verification process confirms the data provided on the FAFSA to ensure eligible students receive financial aid. Your financial aid file can’t be reviewed or completed until requested items are received and verification is complete.
How will I know if I’m selected for verification?
Your financial aid file may be selected for verification randomly by the federal processor (and will have an asterisk (*) next to the student aid index (SAI), or because the file appears to have errors or conflicting information. It could also be selected by Financial Aid; we’ll notify you.
What documents do I need to submit?
If you’re selected for verification, Sandburg adds required documents in your mySandburg account. If we don’t receive the documents in a few weeks, we’ll mail the forms to your home address. Since most families use the Direct Data Exchange to provide tax information on the FAFSA, it's unlikely that families will have to verify income and tax information. The school may ask for additional documentation; however, including signed tax returns or tax transcripts to document information not included in the Direct Data Exhange or to resolve conflicting information.
If I’m selected for verification, am I required to send additional documentation?
Your file isn’t complete until all requested documents are received and processed by Financial Aid, and the verification process may delay the financial aid awards if corrections are needed.
What’s the deadline to complete verification?
The deadline is three weeks prior to the semester’s end or before withdrawing from classes, but the sooner you respond to documentation requests, the faster they can be processed and financial aid applied to your account.
Most financial aid funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and until all items are submitted, the aid can’t be processed. If documents aren’t returned quickly, Sandburg can’t guarantee financial aid will be given.
How do I submit the requested documents?
Turn them into Financial Aid via email, in person or fax to 309.344.2529, making sure to:
- Include your name and ID clearly at the top of each page.
- Not submit original documents unless asked.
- Make copies of what you submit.