How do I apply for aid if I am an international student living in the U.S.?

We will reach out to you directly if you;

• received a Pell Grant and the amount changed based upon your FAFSA, or
• need to submit verification documents to MIT.

But don’t worry—both situations are rare! We do not anticipate changes to financial aid offers and will email you directly if we make any adjustments to your offer.

Students who believe that it is impossible to provide parental information may submit the Noncustodial Profile Waiver Request form through the College Board’s secure IDOC platform. Waivers are reviewed once a student has been admitted to the Institute, along with the rest of your financial aid application. Please note that the Noncustodial Profile will remain in the financial aid requirements checklist as a required document until your waiver request is reviewed.

You should check out the Apply for aid section of our website! It will walk you through the general process step by step for domestic or international applicants. Remember, financial aid application deadlines vary depending on if you are an Early or Regular Action applicant, or a continuing student.

Yes. MIT provides financial aid to all qualifying families regardless of an applicant’s citizenship status. Undocumented and DACA students are able to apply for financial aid as non-U.S. citizens, and we will meet 100% of your demonstrated need to meet the full cost of attending MIT, including tuition, housing, dining, books, and personal expenses.

For undocumented and DACA students, your financial aid will only include an MIT Scholarship, which is considered a grant that does not need to be repaid. It will not include any expectation that you work⁠ or take out any loans.

Visit this page to learn more and see how to apply. And please know that we keep all information you share with us confidential.

If your parents are separated or divorced, you still need to submit financial information from both of your parents for your application to be considered complete. Both parents, including  those in a noncustodial role, need to fill out the CSS Profile, submit their federal tax returns, and W-2 forms. This information should also be submitted through the College Board’s secure IDOC platform.

Students who believe that it is impossible to provide parental information may submit the Noncustodial Profile Waiver Request form through IDOC. Waivers are reviewed once a student has been admitted to the Institute, along with the rest of your financial aid application. Please note that the Noncustodial Profile will remain in the financial aid requirements checklist as a required document until your waiver request is reviewed.

If you have trouble submitting financial information because of a previous or ongoing separation or divorce please contact us, we can help. We may be able to waive the need for financial information from your noncustodial parent.

Your FAFSA will appear as “In review” (meaning it has not been processed) in your studentaid.gov account and no corrections can be made until it is processed. You will receive an email once it is fully processed, letting you know that your FAFSA information has been sent to MIT.

When you complete your FAFSA, you may receive a message that says: “Your FAFSA has been selected for a review process called verification.” All this means is that you may have to take a few extra steps to confirm the information you reported on your FAFSA before you can receive financial aid funds. This is nothing to be concerned about, and if the verification information matches the information we have already received, it will not have any impact on your financial aid. We will reach out to you if anything more is needed.

For U.S. citizens of low-income backgrounds, CSS Profile fee waivers are granted automatically for up to eight schools directly from the College Board. MIT is not able to offer a fee waiver directly.

You may be eligible for a waiver if any of the following applies to you:

• you received an SAT fee waiver
• your family adjusted gross income is under $100,000
• you are an orphan or ward of the court under the age of 24

Visit the College Board for detailed information on eligibility and how to apply.

There are no fee waivers for international students.

We understand that life happens and sometimes deadlines are missed. There is no need to ask for an extension—just submit your application as quickly as possible. Late applicants will receive their financial aid decision later than those who submit by the deadline, but we try to review all applications as quickly as possible.

There are no penalties for late applications. However, financial aid applications must be received before the end of the academic year, in order to be considered for aid in that academic year. For most students, that is mid-May. For those only attending in the fall, you must submit your aid application by mid-December. If your application isn’t completed by that time, you will not be eligible to receive either MIT or federal financial aid for that academic year.