We start by setting a budget, or Cost of Attendance, for the academic year. Next, we calculate the family's share of college costs, or EFC. Subtracting the EFC from the Cost of Attendance, we are able to determine the student's Financial Need. Brown's financial aid award will be equal to the student’s Financial Need.

Each component of the formula is made up of several factors:

Once our office determines the level of financial need, we create a financial aid package, with multiple funding sources, in this order:

• State and/or federal grants
• Standard amount of work-study/campus employment 
• University Scholarship (for remaining need)

Brown offers and distributes aid based on demonstrated financial need only. To determine need, we first measure the financial strength of the family. We collect financial information from the CSS Profile for all applicants and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for U.S. citizens and eligible non citizen applicants. We then generally verify the accuracy of this information with income tax returns. We consider many factors including marital status of parents, number of dependents, number of children in the household pursuing an undergraduate education, unusual medical expenses, and federal, state and local taxes, to name a few. Each analysis is reviewed individually, and in many cases modified, according to institutional policy.  For International students and others living abroad, we will generally require foreign income and tax documentation.  Currency conversion rates for our analysis are set yearly for the upcoming academic year when the College Board releases the Institutional Need Analysis annual formula which Brown uses to help determine the Family Responsibility. 

All applicants admitted to Brown receive a financial aid offer letter. This letter provides the family with the with an:

• Estimate of direct and indirect costs for the academic year (except health insurance)
• Estimate of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
• Overview of all financial aid offered

The cumulative amount of the financial aid offered equals the student’s demonstrated financial need, or the education costs that exceed a family's expected contribution. This financial aid offer often includes more than one type of financial aid. The most common types are student employment, federal and state grants, and University Scholarship.

The following example demonstrates the components of a Brown financial aid package and is not a guarantee for a financial aid package.

Using the example financial need above, an example of an offer follows:

Please note, the examples above are based on the current standard Student Contribution from Summer Earnings for returning students, which is $2,900. For the 2024-25 academic year, the estimated Student Contribution from Summer Earnings for first year students is $2,700.