Office of Student Financial Services

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First-Year Applicants

Brandeis meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all domestic undergraduates and all international undergraduates who apply for aid during the admission process.

Brandeis requests that entering first year undergraduate applicants who are U.S. Citizens or permanent residents file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)* and the CSS Profile applications to be considered for need-based financial aid.

International applicants should submit a CSS Profile to be considered for need-based financial aid.
Undocumented applicants — with or without Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status, or Asylum status — should submit a CSS Profile, and 2023 Federal Income Tax Returns/income verification, to be considered for need-based financial aid.

*Due to the delay in the 2025-26 FAFSA data to schools, only the CSS Profile, and any other supplemental documents submitted, will be used to estimate federal and institutional aid eligibility for incoming student financial aid packages. While the FAFSA will eventually be needed to finalize these packages, it is unlikely that it will change the estimates greatly unless different information is reported on this application. Students should be able to file the FAFSA in December 2024; the CSS Profile, and any other requested supporting documents, should be submitted by the stated deadlines.

Financial Aid Deadlines

Please note that ONLY the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is required for federal financial aid consideration.

To be considered for Brandeis financial aid, you must indicate your intent to apply for financial aid on the admissions application and submit required aid applications by the stated deadlines. After admission decisions are released, you will not be able to apply for institutional financial aid. Students can apply for federal financial aid, in the form of student loans or work-study assistance, at any time during the school year.

Along with hundreds of other higher education institutions across the country, Brandeis University has made a commitment to employ the principles and standards of the College Cost Transparency (CCT) Initiative to help ensure that we communicate prospective and current student financial aid offers in a manner that is clear, accurate and helpful. Brandeis aims to provide transparent and reliable information to students and their families, enabling them to make informed decisions regarding their financial obligations and educational choices.

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1. Complete the CSS Profile

Brandeis CSS Code: 3092

For need based financial aid consideration. The CSS Profile is customized based on the schools you are applying to. It is important to include Brandeis University (CSS Code 3092) as one of the recipients of your application when you register to ensure you provide all the information we need.

If you wish to make any changes to your CSS Profile application after you have submitted it online, you will need to contact Brandeis directly with your corrections.

Need help setting up a CSS Parent Account? Review the CSS Parents Registration Guide or the Profile FAQs.

2. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Brandeis Federal School Code: 002133

Students applying for admission for Spring 2025: The 2024-2025 FAFSA is available now and will need to be filed by November 1st 2024.

Students applying for admission for Fall 2025: The 2025-2026 will be available starting December 2024 and will need to be filed by January 15th 2025

Students and contributors will be required to give permission for the IRS to transfer federal tax data directly to this application. Remember to include Brandeis as the school to which your FAFSA should be sent. After submitting your FAFSA, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) . Review the information carefully, and follow the instructions on the FSS if any corrections need to be made.

After filing the FAFSA, a series of edits and matches are performed on your application. These include a check with the Social Security Administration to verify that your name corresponds to your Social Security number, a check with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to verify your citizenship status, verification that you have registered with Selective Service (if applicable), and a check to confirm that you are not in default on any previously borrowed Federal student loans. We are required to resolve any discrepancies that arise from these matches, so requests for additional information may follow upon receipt of your FAFSA.

3. Submit any supplemental forms

Additional information may be required on a case-by-case basis based on your and/or your family’s financial situation. We will notify you when we need any additional documentation. Please help us by responding as quickly as possible to our requests.

If you indicated that your parents own a business or a farm, you will be asked to submit complete copies of your parent(s)' 2023* business tax returns (i.e., Schedule C, Partnership, S-Corporation and U.S. Corporation). These forms may be photocopied, and should be uploaded via DEISConnect.
If you stated that your natural parents are divorced or separated, you will need to have your noncustodial parent (the parent that provides less to the student) complete the Noncustodial Profile. Upon completion of the CSS Profile registration process, you will receive a link to the website where the noncustodial parent can access and complete this application online.
ED I and ED II applicants are required to submit 2023* Federal Income Tax Return(s), with all pages, schedules, signatures and W-2(S) for an initial review. Tax returns must be submitted for both you and your parents (both custodial and noncustodial) and should be submitted to us via the College Board IDOC service (after enrolling at Brandeis, you will receive an email with instructions on how to submit the tax returns via IDOC).

*If applying for 2025 Spring admission, please submit 2022 documents.

After Enrolling

To provide all of our enrolled students with accurate financial aid awards, we will verify your initial tentative award. Items required to finalize your award include:

1. Your 2023 Federal Income Tax Return, with all pages, schedules, W-2s and signatures.

2. Your parent(s)', both custodial and noncustodial, 2023 Federal Income Tax Return, with all pages, schedules, W-2s and signatures.

Tax returns should be submitted to us via the College Board IDOC service (all deposited students will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to send the tax returns via IDOC).

3. Federal Verification Documents

If your FAFSA application is selected for standard verification, you will be required to submit a Verification Worksheet along with other documentation depending on the situation. The documents that may need to be submitted are copies of IRS Tax Transcripts, the non-filer statement along with documentation of income, statement of educational purpose, final high school transcript, and/or identification.

All verification documents must be submitted prior to the application filing deadlines indicated on the SFS website and/or the awarding and disbursement of institutional, federal and state financial aid. Failure to do so by 10 days prior to the start of the academic year term may result in cancellation of financial aid. If you are selected for verification after their financial aid has been disbursed, you will have 30 days to complete the verification process and failure to do so may result in cancellation of both state and federal financial aid.

Any required changes to your FAFSA data resulting from the verification process will be made to your application directly by Brandeis unless otherwise instructed. Any changes to your financial aid due to the verification process will be communicated via a financial aid offer letter.