MIT Scholarships and grants

If you receive need-based aid from MIT, you will have a section called “Institution Grants” on your offer letter. These institutional grants are given to you by MIT on the basis of your financial need, and do not need to be paid back.

MIT Scholarship

The most common type of aid is the MIT Scholarship. An MIT Scholarship is a grant we give you to help make up the difference between the COA and your family financial responsibility. It is the primary source of grant aid distributed by MIT, given solely on the basis of need, and does not need to be repaid.

Our scholarships are awarded based solely on financial need and come from our endowment, and MIT general funds. About 57% of our undergraduates receive MIT Scholarships. The median MIT Scholarship was $69,777 for 2024–2025.

All students who apply for financial aid and fill out the CSS Profile⁠01 The online financial aid application from the <a href="https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/">College Board’s College Scholarship Service (CSS)</a>. It is used by many private colleges and universities, like MIT, to offer financial aid.   are automatically considered for an MIT Scholarship.

If you are awarded an MIT Scholarship, you should fill out an annual Student Information Review Form between May 1 and July 1 so that we can match you with the right scholarship fund. Our scholarship donors often specify the kind of student they like to support and take an interest in learning about the recipients, so we may also ask you to write to your donor so you can connect with an MIT alum over shared interests and affinities.

First Year Grant

We provide our highest-need first-year students a $2,000 grant to help with extra expenses that come with the transition to college, such as sheets, towels, or a warm coat for the winter. The First Year Grant of $2,000 is divided equally between the fall and spring semesters and will credit to your student account along with other financial aid once you are registered for the semester. The grant is for first-year students only.

Health Insurance Grant

We cover the costs of the MIT Student Health Insurance Plan (MIT SHIP) for our highest-need undergraduates who do not otherwise have adequate health insurance to meet the MIT SHIP waiver requirements.

  1. The online financial aid application from the College Board’s College Scholarship Service (CSS). It is used by many private colleges and universities, like MIT, to offer financial aid.⁠ ↑