Undergraduate Financial Aid
This is the page for undergraduate Arts & Sciences, Engineering, Combined Degree and BFA students. We provide information and resources for prospective students who are applying to Tufts as well as current and returning Tufts students.
We meet 100% of need, as determined by our analysis of family financial resources, for all admitted undergraduates who complete an aid application by their respective deadline, listed below. Financial aid for Arts & Sciences and Engineering students is awarded entirely based on need.
Critical Deadlines
| Applicant | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Early Decision I | November 15 |
| Early Decision II | January 15 |
| Regular Decision | February 1 |
| Transfer Students | April 1 |
| Entering R.E.A.L. (Fall Term) | April 15 |
| Entering R.E.A.L. (Spring Term) | November 1 |
| Currently Enrolled R.E.A.L. | April 15 |
| Currently Enrolled Undergraduates | April 15 |
Find Your Financial Aid Specialist
Your first contact should be the specialists in Student Services who are trained to answer any questions you may have about financial aid and billing issues. If they cannot answer your question, you will be referred to your aid counselor. Undergraduate counselor assignments are based on last name:
| BA, BS, BFA, and Combined-Degree Students | Counselor |
|---|---|
| A, B, D, F | Kyle Ashworth |
| C | Christi Lipman |
| E, G-J | Shaun Thomas |
| K, T-Z | Alicia Bermudez |
| L, and all REAL program | Ilene Coddon |
| M-N | Wenimo Poweigha |
| O-S | AJ Pape |
| Loan Repayment & LRAP | Counselor |
|---|---|
| All Students and Alumni | Matthew Reardon |
Email Consent
Please be aware that the University’s primary method of communicating with students is through email. We will do our best to limit the number of emails that you receive from us, but in many cases, including information about registration, campus emergencies, special events, and Commencement, email may be the only communication used. It is your responsibility to check your Tufts email account regularly. Please do not forward your Tufts email to any other account (Gmail, etc.) because forwarding may prevent your emails from being delivered.
If you do not give your consent to receive financial aid information via email, please email studentservices@tufts.edu.
Financial Aid Glossary
The following is a list of common financial aid terms and their meanings.
| Financial Aid Glossary | |
|---|---|
| Term | Meaning |
| Cost of Attendance | This is a list of items used to determine the cost of attendance that was used as a framework for your award. It includes both direct costs (things that will be charged on the bill) and indirect costs (estimated out of pocket expenses that will not be charged to your bill). |
| Costs Paid to Others | Costs paid to others (also referred to as indirect, non-billable, or additional costs), are other expenses not paid directly to the school, but associated with receiving an education. These expenses are estimated by the school and may differ from student to student based on their individual circumstances. These expenses may include books and supplies, supplies, transportation, personal expenses, and off-campus rent and food. |
| Costs Paid to the School | Costs Payable to the school (also referred to as direct or billable costs) generally include tuition, fees, housing, and meals/food (for students residing on campus), health insurance (if minimum insurance coverage is not documented), or any other expenses paid to the school for enrollment. |
| Educational Loan | Money borrowed from the federal government, a college or university, or a private source like a bank or financial institution to pay for educational expenses and must be paid back with interest. |
| Enrollment Status | The number of credits, clock hours, or classes the student is enrolled in, or whether they have withdrawn, graduated, etc. Enrollment status affects eligibility for and the amount of financial aid a student may receive. It also affects when student loans enter repayment status. |
| Expected Family Contribution (EFC) | The EFC is the eligibility index used to determine your eligibility for need-based student financial aid, as determined by an analysis of family financial resources. Generally, students with a higher EFC are eligible for less need-based financial aid. The EFC includes a Parent and Student contribution. The Parent Contribution is calculated using financial information reported in the aid application. The Student Contribution is typically a standard amount ranging from $1,800 to $3,000. Student Contribution may be higher than the standard amount if student earned significantly high wages or owns substantial assets. The EFC is subtracted from the Cost of Attendance, and the difference between these figures is listed as the Need. |
| Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan | Direct Parent PLUS Loans are federal loans that parents of dependent undergraduate students can use to help pay for education expenses. Parents must pass a credit check for adverse credit history to qualify for PLUS loans. |
| Federal Direct Subsidized Student Loan | A Direct Subsidized Loan is an undergraduate federal student loan based on financial need and offers students a reduced, fixed interest rate and flexible repayment terms. Interest is subsidized, meaning it does not accrue to the borrower, while in an in-school, grace, or deferment period. Annual and aggregate limits apply. |
| Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan | A Direct Unsubsidized Loan is an undergraduate federal student loan and offers students a fixed interest rate and flexible repayment terms. It is not based on financial need. Interest begins to accrue when the loan is disbursed and can be paid |
| Federal Loan | Also known as the Direct Loan Program, which allows eligible students and parents to borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education at participating colleges or universities. Federal student loans include Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized and the Direct PLUS programs for parents of dependent students and graduate or professional students. |
| Federal Pell Grant | The Pell Grant is a federal grant program designed to assist undergraduate students in low- and moderate-income households to pay for college. The award amount is based on the cost of the institution, SAI, and enrollment status, and is subject to an aggregate limit. |
| Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) | A federal grant provided by the institution to qualified undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need and does not need to be repaid. The amount of funding from this program varies by institution. |
| Financial Aid Offer | financial aid offer is a document sent by a postsecondary institution to a student that outlines the amounts and details of the financial aid being offered to the student, which may include scholarships, grants, scholarships, loans, employment, or other forms of financial assistance to pay for college expenses. Sometimes schools refer to these as financial aid “awards”, although this term is outdated. Schools should refer to these as financial aid offers. |
| Grants & Scholarships | Any money provided to students that does not have to be repaid. They can be called grants, scholarships, tuition remissions, gift aid, or tuition waivers. Grants and scholarships are provided based on many different factors. |
| Need | The student's Cost of Attendance minus their EFC. |
| Need-Based Aid | Financial assistance provided to students based on their financial situation, determined by completing an aid application. Need-based financial aid can take different forms, including grants, work-study programs, and low-interest loans, like the federal direct subsidized loan. |
| Net Price | The difference between the cost of attendance and all grants and scholarships. Net price reflects what the student is expected to pay for their education on their own and can be covered through a variety of sources, including savings, student employment, institutional payment plans, or education loans. |
| Other Funding Options | Funding options outside of grants and scholarships that a student and their family may use to pay any remaining costs or expenses. This may include loans, student employment, institutional payment plans, or personal savings. |
| Student Aid Index (SAI) | The SAI is the eligibility index used to determine your eligibility for federal, and in some instances, state need-based student financial aid. Generally, students with a higher SAI are eligible for less need-based financial aid. It is based upon the information provided by the student and their family on the FAFSA. |
| Verification | A federally mandated process to confirm the accuracy of data provided by selected applicants on the FAFSA. To complete the verification process, the student, their parent(s), or spouse, if applicable, are required to provide certain documents to the school for review. If the documentation the student provides the institution doesn't match what was reported on the FAFSA, verification can result in changes to the student's financial aid eligibility, and/or financial aid offers. |
| Work Study | Work-Study provides funding for part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need. Unlike grants and loans, Work-Study is paid to students as they earn the funds by working. |