Admissions

• LFAFA Worksheet

Financial Aid > New Students
(U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents)

Most people will agree that paying for college requires a big commitment from students and parents.  Our Office of Financial Aid shares in that commitment, and will be available to identify the financial aid available to you and the payment method that works best for you.  We can help you locate the grants, loans, work-study and/or scholarships you qualify to receive.  In short, we will guide you and your family through the process from start to finish. 

Choosing a college is far too important to rely on assumptions about your financial aid eligibility.  If you believe that Lake Forest meets your academic needs and goals, we hope you will fully explore the financing options that are available to you before making your final decision about where to enroll! 

We will provide you with an official statement of aid after you have been admitted to the College, and have completed the financial aid process shown below.  Then can you truly make a well-informed decision about whether Lake Forest will be affordable for you and your family.

To give you some idea of the available funds, we can look at the current freshman class where the average financial aid award totaled $27,500, including $22,000 in the scholarships and grants, $3,500 in federal student loans $2,000 in federal work-study.

We will also make a significant effort to provide similar aid for the four years you are enrolled!  If you submit your applications on time and there are no significant changes on your application (income, expenses, family size, number in college, etc.) you can expect to receive comparable levels of financial aid each year.

Print the handout entitled, "Financing Your Education", a summary of the information on this page.

Applying for Need-Based Financial Aid, 2009-2010 academic year

1. Print our Financial Aid Checklist

2. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid  (FAFSA) -- see FAFSA Tips page too!

3. Complete the Lake Forest Application for Financial Aid (LFAFA) -- see Worksheet

FAFSA and LFAFA Priority Deadlines

Financial aid applications are due based on the way you submitted your application for admission:

Early Action:  January 31
Early Decision:   February 22
Regular Decision:   February 22
Transfer Students:   June 15
Spring Semester:  December 1

Be sure to complete the financial aid applications by these dates even if you have not received word of admission to the College.  Late applications will be accepted, but the financial aid you receive from some sources may be less.

Questions about Need-Based Financial Aid? 

Mark Anderson
Associate Director of Financial Aid
847-735-5010  or  800-828-4751
anderson@lakeforest.edu - please begin the subject line with the student's name

Applying for Scholarships

Lake Forest offers Academic Scholarship and talent-based scholarships, called "Forester Scholarships".  If you qualify, you may receive one of each.  Academic Scholarships do not require an application; Forester Scholarships require an application and one or more additional steps (audition, interview, portfolio, etc.).  Deadlines are shown below.  Want to know more?  Visit our Scholarships Page. 

If you receive a scholarship, grant, or other aid from a source other than the College, you must report the funds to the Office of Financial Aid.  These "outside scholarships" will normally reduce the amount your family pays and the amount of any need-based grant offered by the College. 

Scholarship Deadlines

Questions about Scholarships?

Scholarship applications are managed by the Office of Admissions.  Visit our Staff Directory to identify your admission officer.