Financial Aid Application Documents: Undergraduate Students
Below we have provided detailed descriptions of documents required for undergraduate student financial aid applications. You should refer to the specific application instructions and due dates for Prospective Undergraduate Students or Current and Returning Undergraduates to determine which documents you need to submit. Please keep a copy of all submitted documents for your own records. You will be notified by the College Board via email about submitting additional forms to IDOC after filing the CSS Profile. We do not accept documents via email.
Please note: If you apply to Tufts not needing financial aid, you will not be eligible for institutional aid in future years. An exception may be made if your family experiences an unanticipated change in financial circumstances. In these cases limited funds may be available.
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
This is the federal government’s form that must be completed by everyone seeking federal financial aid. Electronic filing is strongly recommended. If you prefer to fill out a paper FAFSA (which can take several weeks to receive), call the Federal Student Aid Information Center toll-free at 1-800-433-3243. For more help, view this online tutorial 7 Easy Steps to the FAFSA.
We strongly encourage students and parents to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA. This tool allows you to seamlessly transfer federal tax data into the FAFSA. Not only does this greatly decrease the time to complete the form but it also minimizes errors and reduces the likelihood that your FAFSA will be selected for verification by the Department of Education. You can find more information about the IRS Data Retrieval Tool on the Department of Education's website or visit www.studentaid.gov.
FAFSA Customer Support: 800-433-3243
Tufts Federal Code: 002219
CSS Profile
This online form is provided by the College Board and helps Tufts determine your eligibility for institutional funding, such as grants and loans. You will need to pay a fee to file the CSS Profile unless you qualify for a fee waiver. Fee waivers are determined by the College Board, not Tufts. For first-time applicants both the custodial and noncustodial parent are required to submit a CSS Profile.
- CSS Profile Student Guide
- Creating a CSS Profile Account for Parent Use
- CSS Profile Tutorial
- CSS Profile Customer Service: help@cssprofile.org or 844-202-0524
- Tufts CSS Profile code: 3901
- Complete the CSS Profile
Tax Returns and W-2s
Your aid application cannot be reviewed without a complete copy of your and your parents' federal income taxes including all schedules, W-2s, and 1099s. All undergraduates, except for REAL students, will submit taxes via IDOC (please see below). REAL students will not use IDOC and will submit taxes directly to Tufts. Emailed forms and taxes will not be accepted.
You and your parents will also need to submit business/corporate/partnership tax returns when applicable. Aid awards will be tentative until Tufts has received and reviewed all requested tax documents.
If your parents filed a foreign federal tax return, please submit a copy of their foreign tax return to IDOC. The documentation must be translated into English and converted to U.S. dollars.
If you or your parents did not file a tax return, please submit a Nontax Filer Statement located via IDOC or on our website under Student Forms.
If your parents did not earn income, or earned income in the U.S. but do not file a U.S. federal tax return, please submit a Nontax Filer form to IDOC. Please include any W-2 forms issued by their employers. First Year and Transfer Applicants can obtain the Nontax Filer Form via IDOC. Returning Students can use the Tufts form.
Do not submit state income taxes. If you lost your copy of your federal taxes you may contact the Internal Revenue Service to request a new one.
If you need to request a W-2 from Tufts, you may do so by logging into eServe with your Tufts UTLN and password. This is best done on a laptop or desktop computer with the pop-up blocker turned off. If you are having difficulty, please contact Tufts Support Services at 617-627-7000.
Institutional Documentation Services (IDOC)
After you submit your CSS Profile, you will upload all other required documents (such as personal and business taxes, W-2s, and verification worksheets) to IDOC. If you are unable to upload the documents you may mail them directly to IDOC (address below). Do not send documents directly to Tufts. You may check IDOC to verify that your documents have been processed and forwarded to Tufts University.
If you need help submitting the IDOC, you can email or chat online with an IDOC customer service agent, call 866-897-9881 (U.S. and Canada), or +1 212-299-0096 (International).
College Board Processing Center
P.O. Box 8570
Portsmouth, NH 03802
For express delivery:
College Board Processing Center
124 Heritage Avenue, Suite 14
Portsmouth, NH 03801
CSS Profile for Noncustodial Parent
If your parents are divorced, separated, or were never married and live apart, your noncustodial parent is required to complete a separate CSS Profile. Your noncustodial parent will need to create their own College Board account in order to complete the CSS Profile. The noncustodial parent should be complete their CSS Profile after you and your custodial parent submit a CSS Profile.
Returning Tufts students who applied for aid in the past do not need to have their noncustodial parent submit another CSS Profile or waiver request. In cases where a returning student's parents become newly separated or divorced, a CSS Profile for Noncustodial Parent may be required.
If you are a first year applicant and have no contact with your noncustodial parent, you may answer the questions in the CSS Profile to determine if a waiver can be approved.
More details about the Tufts policy regarding divorced/separated parents can be found under our financial aid policies.
Tufts Returning Student Aid Application
This is for returning undergraduates only, and is completed online here.