What we consider

Our helpful, dedicated financial aid counseling team works individually with our students and their families to help them afford MIT.

We are one of only seven American universities that practice need-blind admissions and offer full-need aid to all of our students. This means that your family’s ability to pay for MIT⁠01 Families whose total income is less than $75,000, with typical assets, are not expected to contribute toward their student’s MIT education. However, students are still expected to contribute toward their own expenses from their summer savings contribution and student employment during the school year. As a student you may be able to offset your expected student contribution with an outside scholarship or a Pell Grant if eligible.   is not factored into your consideration for admission, and if you are admitted we will provide you with a financial aid package that meets 100% of your demonstrated financial need.⁠02 Demonstrated financial need is a term used in the financial aid world that means something like 'the amount of financial aid we estimate your family needs in order to afford MIT, based on the information you provided. Determining one's financial need is a mix of an art and a science: as this page explains, some of our need analysis is based on standard calculations, and some of it is the consideration of other, individual circumstances. If you are concerned you are unable to afford MIT after seeing your financial aid award, please reach out to your financial aid counselor. You may be asked to submit a financial aid appeal.  

Upon admission, every MIT student is assigned to a financial aid counselor. Your counselor works carefully to understand your financial situation in order to assess need and award aid equitably. They may reach out with questions when reviewing your financial aid application. You are also encouraged to contact your counselor if you have any concerns or questions as well.

The financial information of both your custodial household and noncustodial parent,⁠03 A term used in connection with separated and divorced parents to refer to the parent who does not have custody of the child, or the parent with whom the child does not live with the majority of the time.   if applicable, will be considered in MIT’s needs analysis. If, however, there are extenuating circumstances that prevent noncustodial parent information from being provided, you may request a waiver of the noncustodial parent’s information.

Because of the complex nature of our need analysis, it is impossible to list all of the considerations that determine your aid package. However, at a high level, our counselors evaluate demonstrated need by utilizing the College Board’s Institutional Methodology and other factors that may impact your specific family’s ability to pay.

Some standard factors calculated in the Institutional Methodology

  • Number of people in the family
  • Number of children currently attending college as an undergraduate
  • Country/state of primary residence
  • Total parent income⁠04 Families whose total income is less than $75,000, with typical assets, are not expected to contribute toward their student’s MIT education. However, students are still expected to contribute toward their own expenses from their summer savings contribution and student employment during the school year. As a student you may be able to offset your expected student contribution with an outside scholarship or a Pell Grant if eligible.   from all sources, whether taxed or untaxed
  • Taxes paid
  • Unreimbursed medical expenses
  • Private school tuition for younger siblings
  • Total assets⁠05 Cash, non-retirement investments, real estate (other than your primary home), the value of businesses, etc.  

Some factors not in the Institutional Methodology, but that we consider

  • How your parents have prepared so far for retirement⁠06 This is for informational purposes. Your total retirement savings are not included in the asset calculation.  
  • Financial support given to grandparents or other relatives
  • Other compulsory financial obligations, whether one-time or ongoing (excluding credit card debt)

If you have any questions about your financial aid, or if you need our help navigating a complicated situation, please contact us! We want to understand the complexities of your financial situation and do our best to make your MIT education affordable.

  1. Families whose total income is less than $75,000, with typical assets, are not expected to contribute toward their student’s MIT education. However, students are still expected to contribute toward their own expenses from their summer savings contribution and student employment during the school year. As a student you may be able to offset your expected student contribution with an outside scholarship or a Pell Grant if eligible.⁠ ↑
  2. Demonstrated financial need is a term used in the financial aid world that means something like 'the amount of financial aid we estimate your family needs in order to afford MIT, based on the information you provided. Determining one's financial need is a mix of an art and a science: as this page explains, some of our need analysis is based on standard calculations, and some of it is the consideration of other, individual circumstances. If you are concerned you are unable to afford MIT after seeing your financial aid award, please reach out to your financial aid counselor. You may be asked to submit a financial aid appeal.⁠ ↑
  3. A term used in connection with separated and divorced parents to refer to the parent who does not have custody of the child, or the parent with whom the child does not live with the majority of the time.⁠ ↑
  4. Families whose total income is less than $75,000, with typical assets, are not expected to contribute toward their student’s MIT education. However, students are still expected to contribute toward their own expenses from their summer savings contribution and student employment during the school year. As a student you may be able to offset your expected student contribution with an outside scholarship or a Pell Grant if eligible.⁠ ↑
  5. Cash, non-retirement investments, real estate (other than your primary home), the value of businesses, etc.⁠ ↑
  6. This is for informational purposes. Your total retirement savings are not included in the asset calculation.⁠ ↑