Undergraduate Financial Aid

First Year U.S. Citizen & Permanent Resident Applicants

A Brown education is within financial reach for the family of every prospective first-year student.

Financial aid application materials allow us to determine a student’s eligibility for Brown’s institutional financial aid, and for federal 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.

 

Important Deadlines

Early Decision:

  • CSS Profile - November 1, 2024
  • FAFSA - February 1, 2025 

Regular Decision

  • CSS Profile - February 1, 2025
  • FAFSAFebruary 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

Brown does not provide fee waivers for the CSS Profile application. Instead, we rely on the College Board to determine who automatically qualifies for a waiver during the electronic application submission process. When completing the payment process for the CSS Profile, students may find that fees are automatically waived.

After filing the CSS Profile, a student may receive an email communication from the College Board providing instructions on how to submit documents through IDOC, if they are deemed necessary.  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 
  • 2023 federal income tax return for partnerships and/or corporations, if applicable

FAFSA

School Code 003401

Start your FAFSA

College Board's Institutional Documents Service (IDOC)

  • In cases where documents, such as tax returns, are required to establish your aid eligibility, a student will receive an email communication from the College Board to submit them using the IDOC service.
  • Given the extensive information that is provided on the FAFSA and CSS Profile, 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 establish an estimated financial aid eligibility determination at the time of admission.  
  • Additional information about IDOC