IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT FINANCIAL AID
As a Brown student, all official financial aid communications will be sent directly to your Brown email account. The details below outline key components of your financial aid, including health insurance requirements, book/course material support, and steps for renewing your aid each year.
Most University Scholarship eligible students are included in the Book/Course Material Support (BCMS) Program. This program was developed to provide funding for Brown University Scholarship-eligible students to cover expenses for books and course materials that are required by instructors. The cost of these required materials will be covered by Brown. As part of your participation in the BCMS Program, you must complete certain acknowledgments before purchasing your books and course materials. You will receive instructions and next steps during the summer months before you arrive at Brown. Because the cost for your books and required course materials are being paid directly through the program, you will not see a "Books and Supplies" component in your estimated cost of attendance. To remain eligible to participate in the BCMS Program, a student must retain eligibility for University Scholarship. If at any time in the future you are no longer funded with University Scholarship, you will no longer be eligible to participate in the BCMS Program and you will need to pursue outside resources to cover the cost of books and materials.
All students are required to have health insurance while attending Brown University. The health insurance estimated annual fee for 2026-2027 is $5,283. Finalized cost for the upcoming year is provided in late spring on the Student Financial Services website. Your Cost of Attendance may not include the Health Insurance fee.
In July, you are billed for the University's Health Insurance Plan; however, this fee can be waived if proof of adequate alternative coverage is provided. If you do not currently have health insurance or cannot waive it with a comparable plan, a scholarship to cover the cost may be available to you.
You will receive information from the University during the summer regarding the specifics of the Health Insurance Plan, and steps to take if requesting to waive the University's coverage. Please visit Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for specific information or answers to additional questions.
Eligible students are required to reapply for financial aid each academic year. You may re-apply for Financial Aid for all four undergraduate years, provided you remain in satisfactory academic standing. Your financial aid offer may vary from year to year, depending upon your family's financial situation, your grade level, and other household information.
The number of siblings concurrently enrolled in an undergraduate program and your parents' contribution towards their college costs play a significant factor in determining University Scholarship eligibility. Therefore, a change in sibling enrollment or your parents' contribution may result in a significant adjustment to your financial aid offer. Brown will require verification of sibling enrollment and costs in the fall. If you know of changes in sibling enrollment status before August, please email our office at Financial_ Aid@brown.edu.
Work-study or campus employment provides you with the opportunity to work on campus during the academic year and earn wages to be used towards educational expenses. Work-study or campus employment is never applied as a credit on your bill to reduce the amount owed to Brown; instead, if you utilize this work opportunity, you will be paid directly for hours worked. For more information about working at Brown such as pay rates, how wages are paid, and finding a job, visit the Student Employment website.
Loan eligibility may be available to assist you with your educational costs. For more information and details on student and parent loan options, please contact our office or visit the Student Financial Services website.
Receiving outside scholarships and/or tuition benefits is an excellent way to help reduce academic year work expectation and the summer earning expectation. Federal regulations stipulate that an outside scholarship cannot be used to reduce the Parent Contribution or Student Contribution from assets. For more information about how outside scholarships and parent tuition benefits factor into your financial aid offer, please visit our website. You are responsible for notifying the Office of Financial Aid of any educational assistance by outside sources.
To assist you in exploring options of how to best finance your education at Brown, we encourage you to visit our Financial Aid website for Educational Financing Options.
The Office of Financial Aid administers financial aid for undergraduate students in the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME). All financial aid packages for the first four years are based on undergraduate financial aid policies. For the last four years of PLME, you will be considered a graduate student and must follow the Alpert Medical School's instructions when applying for aid. For questions about financial aid during medical school years, please contact the Alpert Medical School Financial Aid Office, or call (401) 863-2149.
Changes in your family's financial circumstances may have impacted your eligibility for need-based financial aid, resulting in a financial aid offer that is different from the prior year. The most common reasons for changes in eligibility include: an increase/decrease in parent total income (including parent wages, business income, and/or other taxable or nontaxable income), changes in the enrollment status of a sibling attending an undergraduate college, variations in your family's reported expenses, household size, and/or parent and student assets.