Every figure is for a student starting in fall 2027. We work each one out again whenever we update the site.

Paying for college in Illinois

What the state and its colleges give families, who gets it, and how to apply. See every Illinois college priced for your income

From the state

Monetary Award ProgramAIM HIGHNational Guard and Veterans grants529 Tax Deduction

From the colleges

AuroraBradleyColumbia College ChicagoDePaulEastern IllinoisElmhurstIllinois StateLewisLoyola University ChicagoNortheastern IllinoisNorthern IllinoisNorthwesternRooseveltSaint XavierSouthern Illinois University CarbondaleSouthern Illinois University EdwardsvilleChicagoIllinois ChicagoIllinois Urbana-ChampaignWestern Illinois

All 39 colleges ↓

Pay less for college

A SmartTuition plan shows what to pay from where, each semester.

In our Illinois scenarios, with good parent credit, a SmartTuition plan saves a median of about $8,100 over four years. How we worked this out ↓

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From the state

Illinois's programs. Most come through the FAFSA or the state's own aid application; a few have their own.

Monetary Award Program (MAP)

A need-based grant for Illinois residents at Illinois colleges. It pays toward tuition and mandatory fees, up to $8,400 a year. It is based on financial need, not grades or test scores.

Source: University of Illinois Chicago, Office of Student Financial Aid
“The Monetary Award Program (MAP) is a grant program administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) and funded by the State of Illinois. MAP provides payment toward college tuition and mandatory fee costs at Illinois institutions participating in the program.”
“Eligibility for MAP is based on financial need—not high school grades or test scores.”
“Each academic year, the amount of your maximum annual award will be the least of: the eligible amount as determined by an analysis of financial circumstances, the maximum amount which ISAC allows for tuition and fees at the college, or $8,400 for the 2023-24 and subsequent academic years ($7,200 for the 2022-23 academic year)**.”
“be an Illinois resident (if you are a dependent, the parent whose information is used on the FAFSA must be an Illinois resident)”
— University of Illinois Chicago, Office of Student Financial Aid, checked 2026-10

AIM HIGH

State money that Illinois’s public universities give to new students. Each university sets its own award and rules, within a household income limit of eight times the federal poverty guideline.

Source: Illinois State University, Financial Aid Office
“The AIM HIGH Scholarship, funded by the State of Illinois, provides merit-based awards to undergraduate students. This grant program is designed to encourage Illinois students to attend an in-state university, improve college affordability, and reduce student loan debt.”
“File a 2026-27 FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid and demonstrate need with household income no greater than eight times the poverty guidelines as outlined in the chart below.”
— Illinois State University, Financial Aid Office, checked 2026-10

Illinois National Guard and Veterans grants

State tuition and fee help for eligible service members and veterans, through the Illinois National Guard Grant and the Illinois Veterans Grant.

Source: Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Financial Aid Office
“Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) - Veteran Grant Programs - Provides state-funded tuition and fee assistance through programs like the Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant and Illinois Veterans Grant (IVG) for eligible service members and veterans.”
— Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Financial Aid Office, checked 2026-10

Illinois's 529 tax deduction

Money you put into Bright Start, Bright Directions or College Illinois comes off your Illinois income, up to $10,000 a year, or $20,000 on a joint return. Take money out for anything other than school costs and Illinois adds the deduction back.

Source: Bright Start, Illinois taxpayer guide
“An individual who files an individual Illinois state income tax return will be able to deduct up to $10,000 per tax year (up to $20,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint Illinois state income tax return) for their total, combined contributions to the Bright Start Direct-Sold College Savings Program, the Bright Directions Advisor-Guided 529 College Savings Program and College Illinois! during that tax year.”
“The amount of any deduction previously taken for Illinois income tax purposes is added back to Illinois taxable income in the event an account owner makes an Illinois nonqualified withdrawal from an account.”
— Bright Start, Illinois taxpayer guide, checked 2026-10-26

Illinois also has programs for future teachers. See the Student Assistance Commission's site.

From the colleges

What each college gives for grades, what it promises on aid, and its full price.

CollegeMerit scholarshipsPromise on aidFull price a year
Augustana College
private
  • Augustana’s Presidential, Dean’s and Founders scholarships pay $33,000, $31,000 and $29,000 a year. Each renews with a minimum college GPA.
—$72,428
Aurora University
private
  • Aurora’s first-year scholarships for 2026-2027 run from $10,000 to $19,000 a year, set by a review of the whole record, not GPA alone.
—$48,141
Benedictine University
private		None published—$55,312
Bradley University
private
  • Bradley’s first-year academic scholarships total $56,000 to $128,000 over four years. They are set when a student is admitted and last eight semesters.
Bradley Commitment: tuition, after other aid, for Illinois Pell and MAP students with a family income under $65,000$62,826
Chicago State University
public		None published—$32,184
Columbia College Chicago
private
  • Columbia’s Creatives Award is worth up to $16,000, half in the fall and half in the spring. It goes to students who qualify by an arts high school network, with a 2.75 GPA and a portfolio.
—$63,243
Concordia University Chicago
private
  • $13,000 to $25,000 a year*
—$54,862
DePaul University
private		None published—$73,788
Dominican University
private
  • Dominican’s first-year merit scholarships for 2027-2028 run from $14,000 to $27,000 a year, for up to four years, whatever the family’s need.
—$56,416
Eastern Illinois University
public
  • $3,000 to $4,000 a year, from a 3.0 GPA*
EIU Promise: tuition and fees, after other aid, for Illinois students with a family income of $80,000 or less$29,601
Elmhurst University
private
  • Elmhurst’s scholarships for students starting in fall 2027 run from $18,000 to $28,000 a year, set by a weighted high school GPA and a review of the student’s record.
—$62,107
Governors State University
public		None published—$29,665
Illinois Institute of Technology
private
  • Every domestic first-year student is considered for Illinois Tech’s Heald scholarship, a tuition award of $80,000 to $120,000 over four years. It needs no separate application.
—$77,934
Illinois State University
public
  • In state: Illinois State’s AIM HIGH Scholarship pays up to $2,000 a year to first-time students from Illinois with financial need. It lasts up to four years with a 2.75 GPA.
—$31,464
Illinois Wesleyan University
private
  • Illinois Wesleyan’s Titan Scholarship is $30,000 to $42,000 a year, based on previous academic achievements. The talent scholarships in music, theatre, and art and design are in the same range.
—$79,570
Knox College
private
  • Knox’s academic merit scholarships for first-year students run from $46,000 to $52,000 a year. Admitted students are considered automatically.
Prairie Promise: 100% of tuition for Illinois students with a family income of $100,000 or less$78,995
Lake Forest College
private
  • Lake Forest gives merit scholarships of up to $40,000 a year, set by GPA or test scores. They last four years with a 2.0 GPA.
—$79,085
Lewis University
private		None published—$59,336
Loyola University Chicago
private
  • Loyola’s tuition-restricted academic scholarships for students entering in fall 2026 run from $14,000 to $34,000 a year. There is no separate application.
—$81,896
McKendree University
private
  • McKendree’s first-year scholarships are $17,000 a year with a 3.75 GPA, $14,000 with a 3.25 GPA and $10,000 with a 2.75 GPA, as the page lists them.
—$50,866
Millikin University
private
  • Millikin gives every admitted first-year student an Academic Excellence Scholarship of up to $10,000 a year. A few students get a full-tuition Presidential Scholarship.
—$43,067
North Central College
private
  • North Central’s merit scholarships run from $25,500 to $30,000 a year, by the college’s own recalculation of the high school GPA. The college decides each one on a holistic review of the application.
—$67,829
North Park University
private
  • $15,000 to $23,000 a year, from a 2.5 GPA*
—$55,037
Northeastern Illinois University
public		None published—$27,355
Northern Illinois University
public
  • $1,000 to $8,000 a year, from a 3.0 GPA*
AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge: first-year tuition and general fees, after other aid, for Illinois freshmen with a family income of $115,000 or less, for the fall 2027 class$29,845
Northwestern University
private		None publishedSays it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay$101,508
Olivet Nazarene University
private
  • Olivet’s Academic Scholarship pays $19,000 to $28,500 a year, and its Academic Grant $12,500 to $21,500. Both last up to eight semesters.
—$57,877
Roosevelt University
private		None published—$44,312
Saint Xavier University
private
  • Saint Xavier’s freshman merit scholarships run from $15,000 to $24,000 a year, and a student keeps the amount every year. There is no application.
—$56,875
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
private		None published—$82,994
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
public		None publishedAIM HIGH/Saluki Commitment: tuition and mandatory fees, after other aid, for Illinois residents with a family income under $125,200, from fall 2021$27,712
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
public
  • SIUE’s Cougar Pride Scholarship pays first-year U.S. students up to $16,000 over four years, set by high school GPA from 3.0 up. It is awarded as funding allows.
—$26,625
University of Chicago
private		None published
Says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Free Tuition guarantee (effective Autumn Quarter 2027)
Free College guarantee — tuition, fees, housing and meals (effective Autumn Quarter 2027)
UChicago Empower Initiative — free tuition band (current policy, pre-Autumn-2027)
UChicago Empower Initiative — tuition, fees, food and housing band (current policy, pre-Autumn-2027)
$105,216
University of Illinois Chicago
public		None publishedUIC Aspire: tuition and fees for new Illinois undergraduates with a family income and assets of $75,000 or less, for the fall 2027 class$36,998
University of Illinois Springfield
public
  • In state: Springfield’s AIM HIGH grant pays $1,000 to $3,000 a year to new Illinois freshmen and transfer students with financial need. It needs a 2.5 GPA.
—$28,116
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
public		None publishedIllinois Commitment: tuition and campus fees, after other aid, for Illinois residents with a family income of $75,000 or less, from fall 2025$36,656
University of St Francis
private
  • $15,000 to $24,000 a year*
—$53,874
Western Illinois University
public
  • In state: Western’s AIM HIGH Western Commitment pays up to $6,000 a year with a 3.5 GPA and up to $4,000 with a 3.0 GPA. It renews with a 3.0 GPA.
—$28,240
Wheaton College
private
  • Wheaton’s Academic Scholarships run from $8,000 to $25,000 in 2026-2027, chosen on academic credentials and the application. A student needs no separate scholarship application.
—$67,265

* The finder and our college comparison show this scholarship when you enter your student's GPA.

Each college's page has a promise's conditions, in the college's own words. “Worth asking about” marks a program the college describes in words that stop short of a promise.

Full price: tuition and fees, housing and food, and books; in state at a public university. What your family would pay after grants depends on your income: the finder shows it.

3 more Illinois colleges have no page here. For 0 of them, the federal data has no cost or no price by income. The rest mainly teach graduate students or run online programs. Show them
  • National Louis University
  • Moody Bible Institute
  • Quincy University

Paying the rest

Your SmartTuition plan uses your savings, your 529, your loans and your award letter.

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How we worked these out

What a SmartTuition plan saves

The $8,100 in the “Pay less for college” box near the top of this page is the median saving over our Illinois scenarios. Each scenario is a household in Illinois at one of its colleges. Its income is one of 8 from $45,000 to $200,000, and its savings are none, $40,000 or $100,000 in a 529. We price each college at the aid it reports for the income.

Every scenario has parents with good credit and $500 a month toward college. A saving is the difference, over four years, between a SmartTuition plan and the standard approach: savings first, then loans for the rest. It counts loan interest, the federal tax credit and Illinois' tax deduction for money you put through its 529 plan. Credit matters: parents with fair credit borrow at a higher rate, which changes the saving.

A scenario where the parents would borrow more than $65,000 is left out, as is one at a college that reports no aid for the income. The figure is for a household that lives in Illinois.

Costs: each college's own published price where it has one, otherwise the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, carried forward to fall 2027. Grants: each program’s own page. Scholarships: each college's own page, read by us and checked against it. SmartTuition.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any institution named here.