Applying for Aid
Navigating financial aid can be complex, particularly for those who are the first in their family to go to college. Luckily, your admissions counselor and our Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships can help walk you through every step of the way!
Below is a basic timeline for applying for aid at EIU, but be sure to keep an eye on your MyEIU checklist for any specific requests.
1. File Your FAFSATo be considered for financial aid at EIU, you must file a FAFSA each year.
Nearly every student is eligible for some form of financial aid. Incoming first-year students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA, which can be completed online, is regulated by the U.S. Department of Education. Eastern’s school code is 001674; make sure you list us as your first choice!
FAFSAs are accepted for the upcoming academic year starting October 1, and aid is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. For that reason, make sure you apply as soon as possible! You don’t want to miss out on your chance to receive the aid for which you qualify.
By listing a college or university within the state of Illinois, any resident of Illinois will have state aid eligibility computed. The information from the processed FAFSA will be electronically transmitted to the school you’ve listed.
If you are an Illinois resident who isn’t otherwise eligible for federal financial aid, you can submit the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid.
2. Confirm Your Information / Complete VerificationMake sure your info is correct, and submit verification if selected.
You will get your FAFSA Submission Summary after your FAFSA form is processed. Look over your FAFSA Submission Summary carefully, make sure you didn’t make a mistake on your FAFSA form, and make corrections to your FAFSA data if necessary.
After completing your FAFSA, you may be asked to complete verification. If you're one of these people, don't worry! We will help you through every step of the way!
3. Apply for other EIU ScholarshipsOnce you are admitted, you can access EIU's scholarship search.
Some scholarships and grants are automatically offered when you are admitted to EIU, but many more are listed in our Academic Works scholarship search.
After you are admitted, you can visit Academic Works, sign in with your EIU email address and password and fill out the General Application. It will automatically match you to all scholarships for which you are eligible based on the information you provide. You can also search for other scholarships based on your major, high school, and more!
4. Review Your Financial Aid Award OfferWhen your financial aid offer is available, you will receive a notification in your MyEIU account.
EIU will use the information received from the FAFSA to determine your financial need and prepare your financial aid offer. You will see a notification in your MyEIU checklist, as well as via an email to your Panthermail account.
5. Accept Your AwardsUse PAWS to accept or reject your financial aid award offers.
You can review and accept or reject your offer in PAWS. Log in using your EIU email address and password. Awards should be accepted by June 1, as offers with limited funding are cancelled after that date. Offers available after June 1 should be accepted within two weeks.
- Select the "Financial Aid" tab, and click "Award"
- Click "Award for Aid Year"
- Select the applicable aid year.
- Select the "Resources/Additional Information" tab and follow the instructions to complete the Title IV Authorization requirement.
- Select the "Terms and Conditions" tab and follow the instructions provided before you are able to accept your awards.
- Select the "Accept Award Offer" tab and accept or decline each award. Be sure to select a decision on each award.
- Awards can be reviewed on the "Award Overview" tab. You can print a copy of your award letter from this tab by selecting the Print button located at the top of this page.