Financial Aid

A Stanford Education is Possible

Stanford offers comprehensive, need-based financial aid that makes it possible for all admitted undergraduate students to attend — and we do not expect students to borrow to meet their need. In 2020, 84% of the graduating class had no student debt.

We view the financing of your educational costs as a partnership between you (the student), your family, and the University. Learn how the program works, or use the net price calculator to get an award estimate based on your family’s financial situation.

Financial Aid Advising

If you have questions about financial aid, you can call us at 650-723-3058 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Pacific time) Monday through Friday, except Tuesdays when we open at 10 a.m. If you would prefer to schedule a virtual appointment to meet with a financial aid officer, you may schedule one below using the Stanford ID number from your admission letter. Please also review the FAQ’s below. You can find more resources and information on our website at financialaid.stanford.edu.

Financial Aid Priority Filing Date Moved

Stanford’s priority filing date for the 2024-2025 FAFSA has been moved to March 15, 2024. First-year applicants are still asked to complete the CSS Profile and submit federal tax information via IDOC by February 15. For transfer applicants, the priority filing date for all requirements remains March 15.

Stanford’s priority filing date for the 2024-2025 FAFSA has been moved to March 15, 2024. First-year applicants are still asked to complete the CSS Profile and submit federal tax information via IDOC by February 15. For transfer applicants, the priority filing date for all requirements remains March 15.

On January 30, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education announced that colleges and universities will not receive 2024-2025 FAFSA applicant information until “the first half of March.” Our adjusted priority filing date applies to US Citizens and Permanent Residents who may qualify for federal student aid.

The Financial Aid Office will use information from the CSS profile to evaluate eligibility for institutional scholarships and to determine financial need. Admitted students will be notified of their eligibility for institutional scholarships at the time of admission and will have a full understanding of the grant funds available to them before having to make enrollment decisions. The total amount awarded will not change after we receive the FAFSA, though the sources of the grant/scholarship funding may be changed if we determine that a student qualifies for a Pell Grant (and/or Cal Grant for California residents).

Frequently Asked Questions

I have been admitted to Stanford, but I have not yet applied for financial aid. Can I still apply?

If you are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or undocumented student, then yes! Please complete the appropriate application requirements as soon as possible. We will make every effort to respond to you before May 1.

If you are an international citizen, then your eligibility for financial aid depends on your response to the need-based financial aid question in the admission application. If you answered no, that you do not intend to pursue need-based financial aid, then you may not apply for need-based financial aid from Stanford during your undergraduate years.
How can I look at my financial aid information online?

Your first financial aid notification will be available to you through your admission Application Status page. For any updates and more detailed information, you’ll first need to set up your Stanford University Network Identifier (SUNet ID). Approximately 24 hours after you’ve created your SUNet ID and password, you may use it to log into Axess, where you can view all copies of your financial aid notification and more detailed information about the quarterly breakdown of your aid.
Can Stanford reconsider my award if my parents' financial situation changes?

Especially in light of the economic impacts of the pandemic, we recognize that the financial information submitted with your original application for aid may no longer reflect your current family situation. You can submit a Request for Revision to report any new information to our office. We will make every effort to respond to your request promptly. If there are changes later in the year, or in future years, you can submit a revision request at that time.
Will Stanford match another university's award if I receive a significantly better award from another school?

Stanford does not match merit-based awards from other universities. However, if you receive a need-based award significantly better than Stanford’s, the other university may have new information about your circumstances. In this case, you may consider submitting a Request for Revision to our office.
How can I view and print my financial aid notification?
If you applied for financial aid by the priority filing date your original financial aid notification will be made available to you on your admission Application Status page. That same letter and any subsequent updates will be available to you following these steps from Axess:

Create your SUNet ID and Password.

Log on to AXESS.

At the top of the AXESS page, hover over STUDENT.

Under Quick Links, select View financial aid notification.

You may need to disable pop-up blockers in your browser in order to view your financial aid notification. It can take up to 24 hours after creating your SUNet ID before the STUDENT tab becomes available in AXESS. If you have any issues, feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office.
What do you mean by "typical assets"?
Families with annual income below $150,000, that have significant assets above what is typical for their income level, may not be eligible for the benchmarks that we have established for scholarship eligibility. Total net worth usually reflects the sum of the following amounts:

Cash, savings, checking

Investments

Equity in real estate other than the home

Business net worth

We do not include formal retirement assets (401k, 403b, IRA, Keogh) or equity in your primary residence in our analysis. The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to make the final determination of the expected family contribution, in consideration of all factors affecting a family’s overall financial situation and ability to pay.
What if my parents cannot meet the parent contribution?

Consider submitting a Request for Revision if you think there are additional factors that we should be taking into account. Many families choose to use the Federal PLUS Loan to help with educational costs. A PLUS loan allows your parents to borrow the amount of the parent contribution, and extends repayment of the loan over 10 years. As a student you may also borrow student loans through our office to help meet your expenses.
Can my award change if it is contingent on additional documents or information?

Your financial aid notification may list documents or information you must submit to our office before we can finalize your award. It is possible that your award will change if the information you submit is different than originally reported to us. Estimated scholarship/grant amounts will be updated to reflect actual costs in early March.
I've been offered Stanford Fund scholarship. Are there other scholarship funds available to me?

The University has over 1,600 named scholarships. By completing the CSS Profile, you have already been considered for all sources of scholarship funding. Students who qualify for need-based aid from Stanford are initially awarded scholarship from the Stanford Fund. During the course of the academic year, the Financial Aid Office will reallocate funds to award these named scholarships. This does not affect the calculated family contribution or total amount of scholarship funding. When you accept scholarship funds from Stanford, your name, major and hometown will be released to the donor of that scholarship. In most cases, you will be asked to write a letter to the people or group who made your scholarship possible.
What if my academic commitments prevent me from working during the academic year?

In most cases you can meet your academic year job earnings expectation without jeopardizing your academic priorities. Stanford’s minimum wage is high enough to meet your student expectations. If you choose not to work, you can reduce or eliminate your job earnings expectation with outside awards or student loans.
How does my payment to the university work?

You will receive an electronic billing statement well in advance of each academic quarter. Your bill will include tuition, room and board, and other charges for the quarter. Payments are typically due in September (Autumn quarter), December (Winter quarter) and March (Spring quarter).

Your financial aid notification shows the amount of aid that you will receive for each quarter. If your quarter’s aid is less than the balance due, you are responsible for paying the remaining balance and all other expenses with your own funds. However, if your quarter’s aid exceeds your balance due, you will receive a refund for the amount of the overage.
Will my financial aid package be the same for all four years?

In a word, no. Stanford’s financial aid program is need based, meaning that as costs increase and as your family financial situation changes you can expect changes to your financial aid. If your family situation is stable you can expect a similar amount of aid from year to year, adjusted to reflect current costs. If there is a change in family circumstances, such as one fewer family member in college or a significant change in income, you can expect your aid to be adjusted accordingly.
What if my family’s financial circumstances change in future years?

Stanford’s commitment to meeting financial need extends throughout your four undergraduate years. If your family faces a significant financial change after your first year, we can reevaluate your aid eligibility at that time. Even if you do not qualify for need-based scholarship funds at this time, we will reconsider your aid request for each new academic year based on your family’s financial circumstances at that time.
I have not submitted my FAFSA yet. Will that affect my eligibility?

We do expect all financial aid applicants who are US Citizens or Permanent Residents to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We are aware that some applicants have faced significant challenges with the new technology for the 2024-25 FAFSA. In addition, delivery of FAFSA data to schools has been significantly delayed. Our offer of institutional scholarship funds is based on our review of your CSS Profile application as well as family tax returns that were submitted through IDOC. Presumably, the tax information that you provided will match the information on your FAFSA. As long as that is the case, your total scholarship/grant amount will not change. If our review of your FAFSA shows that you are eligible for any Federal Pell Grant or Cal Grant, those grants will reduce the Stanford Fund Scholarship amount, but your total amount of gift aid (Stanford scholarship plus federal and/or state grants) will remain the same.
I did submit my FAFSA, but I still see a “To Do” related to the FAFSA in Axess.

The U.S. Department of Education is just starting to deliver FAFSA data to schools. If your FAFSA Submission Summary indicates that Stanford is a recipient of your data (school code 001305), we are confident that we will receive your data fairly soon. Until that time, the To Do item will still appear in Axess. We appreciate your patience. If you haven’t received your FAFSA Submission Summary yet, this means that the FAFSA processor has not yet sent data to any of your schools; you may want to return to https://studentaid.gov/ to ensure that your FAFSA information was actually submitted. If there is a difference between the name you used in the admission process and your name as shown on your FAFSA, we recommend that you contact the Financial Aid Office with your Data Release Number from your FAFSA Submission Summary so we can ensure an appropriate match.

More Information

Who Qualifies

Almost half of all Stanford undergraduates receive scholarships based on financial need alone. Parents who earn less than $150,000 and have assets typical of that income level pay no tuition. Parents who earn less than $100,000 and have assets typical of that income level pay no tuition or housing and food. Home equity is no longer a factor in calculating aid eligibility for undergraduates.

How the program works

What Financial Aid Looks Like

Stanford provides financial aid in the form of scholarships, which do not need to be repaid. Federal and state grants, outside scholarships, and student employment are additional sources of funding. We do not expect you to take out student loans to cover your college costs.

Learn about the types of aid

Estimate Your Award

The average need-based scholarship in the current freshman class is more than $62,000. Use the net price calculator tool to see what level of financial aid you can expect to receive if you attend.

Net price calculator

Veterans' Benefits

If you are a qualifying veteran, you may be eligible for educational benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through one of several VA programs. Children of veterans may also be eligible. We accept GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program benefits, and award additional need-based aid as determined by financial circumstances. All GI Bill benefits, including those awarded by the Yellow Ribbon Program, will be coordinated with the need-based aid package that is determined for you by the Financial Aid Office.

Instructions for activating VA educational benefits for enrollment at Stanford can be found at Activating VA Educational Benefits. For any VA education benefit inquiries, please contact the VA Certification Officer at VABenefits@stanford.edu. The VA Certifying Officer acts as an intermediate between the VA, Stanford University and the student to ensure accurate reporting and compliance with VA regulations.

Students Share Their Stories

Jemima grew up as one of six kids, with a mom — her “rock and shining star” — who worked the night shift as a nurse. She thought of Stanford as her super-reach school, until she got in and realized it would cost her almost nothing to attend.

Tracie always knew she wanted to be able to provide two things for her kids: braces and a good education. But as her oldest daughter approached the end of high school, she began to worry that she wouldn’t be able to afford the cost of college.

Cameron comes from Neah Bay, Washington, where his mom is an intake clerk, his dad is a fisherman, and “everybody knows everybody.” He was motivated by family and community to get a good college education — but knew his parents wouldn’t be able to contribute to covering the cost.

A Stanford Education is Possible

Financial Aid Advising

Financial Aid Priority Filing Date Moved

Frequently Asked Questions

I have been admitted to Stanford, but I have not yet applied for financial aid. Can I still apply?

How can I look at my financial aid information online?

Can Stanford reconsider my award if my parents' financial situation changes?

Will Stanford match another university's award if I receive a significantly better award from another school?

How can I view and print my financial aid notification?

What do you mean by "typical assets"?

What if my parents cannot meet the parent contribution?

Can my award change if it is contingent on additional documents or information?

I've been offered Stanford Fund scholarship. Are there other scholarship funds available to me?

What if my academic commitments prevent me from working during the academic year?

How does my payment to the university work?

Will my financial aid package be the same for all four years?

What if my family’s financial circumstances change in future years?

I have not submitted my FAFSA yet. Will that affect my eligibility?