Undergraduate Financial Aid

First Year International Applicants

Brown is need-blind for first year international undergraduate applicants who are applying to enter in the fall of 2025.

Students admitted prior to the fall of 2025 will remain under the need-aware aid policy that is currently in place, regardless of when they entered or when they will graduate. In other words, international students will fall under the admission policy that was in effect when they initially applied to Brown and will remain under that policy throughout their time at Brown. Those admitted under the need-aware policy will not be eligible to apply for aid in future years if they did not apply for and receive scholarship at their time of admission. For example, if an international student applied to Brown with the Class of 2028 but deferred to the Class of 2029, their aid eligibility would be determined based on the Class of 2028 (need-aware) because that is when they initially applied and were admitted.

Financial aid application materials allow us to determine an international student’s eligibility for Brown’s institutional financial aid. To receive a provisional financial aid decision with the admission decision, the student must submit all of the required financial aid application materials by the appropriate deadline.

The CSS Profile is available to complete online as of October 1, 2024. Brown does not provide fee waivers for the CSS Profile application.

Important Deadlines

  • Early Decision: November 1, 2024
  • Regular Decision: February 1, 2025

CSS Profile

  • Required for institutional need-based aid
  • Must be submitted by deadline noted above
  • Required from each parent if they are divorced or separated
  • Because we use the CSS Profile to consider international applicants for any financial aid resources at Brown University, it is important for international students to complete this form to be considered for any aid.
  • Brown does not provide fee waivers for the CSS Profile application. 
  • Our office does not accept the ISFAA form or a paper copy of the CSS Profile in lieu of the electronic CSS Profile.
  • Applicants from the countries of Iran and North Korea cannot use the CSS Profile. Email us at financial_aid@brown.edu for an alternative solution. Be sure to indicate in the email if the student’s parents are divorced, separated or never married.

After filing the CSS Profile, a student may receive email communication from the College Board providing instructions on how to submit any additional required documents through IDOC. Additional IDOC requirements may include:

  • 2023 federal income tax return (or non-tax filer statement) for custodial parent(s) 
  • 2023 federal income tax return (or non-tax filer statement) for student 
  • 2023 federal income tax return (or non-tax filer statement) for noncustodial parent, if applicable 
  • A statement from parents' employers documenting 2022 annual earnings (if a tax return is not filed in the student’s country)

College Board's Institutional Documents Service (IDOC)

  • The Office of Financial Aid uses the College Board’s IDOC service to electronically collect tax and other financial documents from families.
  • Brown does not require an IDOC packet from every family. 
  • If you do not receive a request from IDOC, that means the Office of Financial Aid has enough information to provide an estimated financial aid award at the time of admission.  
  • Additional information about IDOC