Which Illinois public universities offer free tuition?

Among those we checked, eight publish a free-tuition program for Illinois students under an income limit: UIUC (Illinois Commitment, $75,000), UIC (UIC Aspire, $75,000), UIS (Prairie Promise, under $75,000), Eastern Illinois (EIU Promise, $80,000), Western Illinois (Western Way, under $81,000), SIU Edwardsville (SIUE Commitment, under $113,575), Northern Illinois (AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge, $115,000) and SIU Carbondale (AIM HIGH/Saluki Commitment, under $125,200). Each covers tuition and mandatory fees left after other grants, not housing.

What is the income limit for Illinois Commitment at UIUC?

Family income of $75,000 or less and family assets of $75,000 or less, for Illinois residents who graduated from an Illinois high school, are under 24 and enter as new freshmen or transfers. To renew, income can rise to $82,500. You must file the FAFSA by March 15 before each academic year; there's no separate application.

Do Illinois free tuition programs cover room and board?

No. All eight cover tuition and mandatory fees (SIUE also covers course-specific fees, and EIU includes textbook rental) left after other grants such as the MAP Grant. Housing, food, books and other costs aren't covered, though Pell Grant money left over can go toward them.

Illinois Free Tuition Programs: Income Limits From $75,000 (UIUC, UIC) to $125,200 (SIU) at 8 Public Universities

Illinois free tuition programs at eight public universities promise $0 tuition and mandatory fees to Illinois students whose families earn under a set income. The limits range from $75,000 at UIUC, UIC and UIS to under $125,200 at SIU Carbondale. Each program fills whatever gap remains after other grants such as the state's MAP Grant, so the FAFSA is the only application. None covers housing.

The rules below are from each university's own program page, checked October 25, 2026.

The eight programs side by side

University	Program	Family income limit	Asset limit	Other requirements	Length (first-year students)
UIUC	Illinois Commitment	$75,000 or less	$75,000 or less	Illinois high school graduate, under 24; FAFSA by March 15	8 semesters
UIC	UIC Aspire	Income and assets $75,000 or less	(combined)	FAFSA by March 15	8 semesters
UIS	Prairie Promise	Income and assets under $75,000	(combined)	Must receive MAP; priority by May 1	Up to 4 years
Eastern Illinois	EIU Promise	$80,000 or less (AGI)	--	3.0 high school GPA; aid completed by June 1	Up to 8 semesters
Western Illinois	Western Way	Under $81,000	Zero assets	3.0 GPA; must receive MAP; until funds run out	8 semesters
SIU Edwardsville	SIUE Commitment	Under $113,575	Under $50,000	Illinois high school, GED or homeschool	8 semesters
Northern Illinois	AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge	$115,000 or less (AGI)	$115,000 or less	Priority FAFSA by Feb. 1; renew with 2.5 GPA	Until 135 credit hours or a degree
SIU Carbondale	AIM HIGH/Saluki Commitment	Under $125,200	Under $50,000	2.75 high school GPA; Illinois high school; under 24	8 semesters

Sources: each university's program page (listed below). All require Illinois residency, full-time enrollment and the FAFSA (or, where eligible, the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid).

The fine print that changes who qualifies

Asset limits differ more than income limits. NIU allows up to $115,000 in assets; SIU Carbondale and SIUE cap assets under $50,000; WIU's Western Way requires zero assets on the FAFSA.
Three set a GPA floor. EIU and WIU need a 3.0, SIU Carbondale a 2.75 high school GPA. You also have to be admitted.
Two require the MAP Grant. UIS and WIU make receiving MAP a condition. MAP runs out each spring, so filing the FAFSA late could cost you both. See the MAP Grant deadline.
Deadlines vary. UIUC and UIC want the FAFSA by March 15; NIU's priority date is February 1; EIU needs aid completed by June 1. WIU awards Western Way "until funding runs out."
Renewal income can rise a little at UIUC. First-year families must be at $75,000 or less, but Illinois Commitment renews up to $82,500 in income.

What's covered

All eight cover tuition and mandatory fees left after other gift aid. SIUE also covers course-specific fees, and EIU includes textbook rental. Illinois Commitment doesn't cover course fees, summer or winter classes, or study abroad.

Housing, food and books aren't covered. At UIS, MAP, AIM HIGH and UIS scholarships fill the tuition gap, so a student's Pell Grant can go toward housing and meals. UIUC, by contrast, counts Pell before Illinois Commitment.

Transfer students

Most programs also take new transfer students for a shorter period: two years at UIC and EIU, three at UIUC (six semesters), and four semesters at SIU Carbondale and WIU. UIS requires a 2.5 college GPA for transfers.

What this means for you

File the 2027-28 FAFSA now and list each of these universities. It's the only application for all eight.
Compare assets, not just income. A family under every income limit can still miss WIU's zero-asset rule or SIU's $50,000 cap.
Check the GPA floors at EIU (3.0), WIU (3.0) and SIU Carbondale (2.75).
Don't miss the FAFSA dates: Feb. 1 (NIU priority), March 15 (UIUC, UIC), May 1 (UIS priority), June 1 (EIU).
Getting in: most of these schools also admit by GPA through One Click College Admit.