Financial Aid and Scholarship Office

Illinois MAP grant recipients: Submit your 2026-27 FAFSA by Thursday, April 23

If you are an undergraduate student who may be eligible for the Illinois MAP Grant, Thursday, April 23 is the last day to submit your FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid and be considered for a 2026-27 MAP award. Applications received after that date will be placed in suspense status, essentially a waiting list, and you should not count on receiving a MAP grant. MAP awards are made on a first-come, first-served basis and available funding may run out quickly.

Submit your 2026-27 FAFSA by Saturday, April 25

A U.S. Department of Education system update on Sunday, April 26, 2026 will prevent colleges and universities from loading new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) records until a software fix is in place. NIU’s Financial Aid and Scholarship Office estimates it will resume loading FAFSA records in June. 

To receive a financial aid offer from NIU for the 2026-27 academic year, you must have a completed FAFSA on file. Students who submit their FAFSA by Saturday, April 25 will have their applications loaded on a rolling basis and will receive their financial aid offer as their application is completed. Students who submit on or after Sunday, April 26 may not receive a financial aid offer until July.

Federal Student Aid Changes

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduces major changes to federal loans and aid eligibility starting July 1, 2026. Whether you’re a student or a parent, now is the time to understand how these changes may affect you.

• New annual and lifetime limits on Parent PLUS and GradPLUS loans for new borrowers
• Current income-driven repayment plans (IBR, PAYE, SAVE) are being eliminated
• Updates to Pell Grant and FAFSA asset exemption rules take effect for 2026-2027

Learn what’s changing and how to prepare