The Office of Financial Aid invites students with questions or concerns to stop by their office during counseling hours (Monday-Friday, noon-3 p.m., in Perlstein Hall, Room 206). They have a team of counselors who want to ensure that all of your financial aid questions are addressed. For your reference, they’ve answered a number of frequently asked questions below:

Q: I just turned in my requested documents. Why aren’t my documents showing up as “Needs Review” or “Satisfied” on my account?

A: Great question. After a document is submitted, it has to be manually indexed to your individual student account by a staff member. This can be a time-consuming process when we’re receiving over 100 pages of documents a day. During this time of the year, it typically takes two-four business days for this process to finalize.

Q: When will my verification documents be reviewed?
A: Verification documents are reviewed in the order in which they are received. Before a student’s documents can be reviewed, all verification documents must be submitted. Our office has about 750 verifications to complete, and they can be tedious. For this reason, the lead time on verification is about 10-15 business days. Be certain to check your email as a staff member may need to reach out to you with individual questions. As a reminder, the Target Verification Deadline was August 3. Students whose documents were submitted after this date may not receive federal aid until after the add/drop period.

Q: I’m a graduate student and the amount of loans for which I was packaged does not cover my tuition and personal expenses. What can I do?

A: Submit a Graduate Student Budget Adjustment Worksheet to our office. If you’re requesting additional loan funding to cover personal expenses, be certain to submit documentation.

Q: I don’t need health insurance. Why am I being charged?

A: A health insurance charge is applied to every student who has yet to waive their health insurance costs. If you have qualifying private insurance, waive your health insurance charge with the Student Health and Wellness Center by Tuesday, September 1.

If you didn’t find your answer above, swing by Perlstein Hall or call the office at 312.567.7219. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook to find answers to other frequently asked questions. The Office of Financial Aid looks forward to helping make your transition into the school year easier.