Domestic students

We are one of only seven colleges in the U.S. that is committed to meeting 100% of your demonstrated financial need while remaining need blind in our admissions process.

Our commitment to affordability

We want to make sure that MIT is an affordable option for all of our admitted students. Our financial aid team works closely with you and your family to develop a plan tailored to your financial circumstances, so that you can attend MIT and cover your expenses while you’re here.

How to apply

Applying for financial aid can be complicated, so we have broken it down to make it a bit easier. Before we can decide what your financial aid award looks like, we need to know what your financial situation is. To do this, we use three documents that paint us a detailed picture of what kind of aid you’ll need to be able to attend MIT affordably.

Three steps to apply for aid.
  1. FAFSA: the form you need to fill out to receive any federal or state student aid
  2. CSS Profile: a tool provided by the College Board that we use to determine if you qualify for a need-based MIT Scholarship
  3. Parental tax returns or income documentation: your parents’ tax returns or income documentation must be submitted through the College Board’s secure IDOC platform
Start your application →

More about each of the pieces we use to determine aid

FAFSA

  • The U.S. government determines the amount of federal student aid—grants, loans, and work-study—you qualify for using the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
  • For the 2023–2024 application, you will need:
    • Your parents’ 2021 federal income tax returns and W-2s
    • Other records of money earned
    • Current bank account balances
    • Records of investments
    • Records of untaxed income
  • Please designate MIT as one of your recipients using Federal Code 002178.
  • If you are asked to verify your FAFSA, this means that you may need to take a few extra steps to confirm your financial information. You can learn more about verification here.
Fill out the FAFSA →

CSS Profile

  • The CSS Profile is a tool provided by the College Board that we use to determine if you qualify for an MIT Scholarship.
  • For the 2023–2024 application, you will need the following:
    • Your parents’ 2021 income tax returns or wage statements
    • Any other records of money earned
    • Bank statements
    • Records of investments
    • Records of untaxed income
  • Designate MIT as one of your recipients by using our CSS code 3514 and answer all supplemental questions specific to MIT.
  • If the fee presents a challenge, it may be waived by the College Board. MIT is not able to offer a fee waiver directly.
  • If your parents are separated or divorced, each parent will need to complete their own CSS Profile application.
Fill out the CSS Profile →

Parental tax returns or income documentation

  • After submitting the CSS Profile, you will need to submit your parents’ tax returns or income documentation to the College Board’s secure Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC) for processing.
  • If your parents do not file a tax return, please complete the Non Tax Filer Statement through IDOC and submit it along with documentation of income (W-2, 1099, or a letter from their employer outside the U.S.).
  • For the 2023–2024 application, you will need:
    • Your parents’ 2021 federal (not state) tax returns along with all schedules, statements, and W-2s. Veterans of the U.S. armed forces are exempt from this step.
  • If your family owns a corporation or interest in a partnership, you must send the corporation or partnership tax return through IDOC. Please note that a Schedule K-1 is insufficient data, as the complete tax returns are needed.
  • If you, your parents, or other siblings are beneficiaries of an estate or trust, submit the appropriate Schedule K-1 of IRS Form 1041 or IRS Form 4970 through IDOC.
  • If your parents are separated or divorced, your non-custodial parent’s tax return is required as well.
  • If your parents live outside the U.S., please provide the tax return from that country, along with a translation to English if applicable.
  • You must submit all documents directly to IDOC. We will be unable to accept anything sent directly to MIT.

Please note: It can take up to two weeks for the tax returns to be received by MIT.

Submit parental documentation →

Need help?

We know applying for aid can sometimes be confusing, so we are here to answer any questions that you may have. Feel free to email us at sfs@mit.edu or call our office at 617.258.8600. We have a team of financial aid counselors that will guide you through the process.