FAQ

► For information on Yale College financial aid matters related to the fall 2020 term, please see the Fall 2020 FAQ: Undergraduate Finanical Aid.

General FAQ

Do you offer financial aid for international students?

Financial aid is available to all students at Yale University regardless of their citizenship.

Undergraduate Students

Yale's financial aid resources meet the full demonstrated need of every undergraduate, including international students, for all four years. Please see the application instructions on the appropriate page below.

Graduate and Professional Students

The types of financial aid available and the application procedures for aid vary by school. Visit your school’s financial aid website for details.

Do you offer scholarships?

Undergraduate students

All financial aid for Yale undergraduates is need-based. Yale College does not award merit-based scholarships. Read more about the types of financial aid available to undergraduates.

Graduate and professional students

Scholarships and financial aid for graduate and professional students vary by school. Select the school's financial aid website below for details.

Does Yale offer a Federal Work Study Program?

Federal Work Study is available to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who have federal eligibility as determined by the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you are a current student, please check with your financial aid office to see if you qualify for funding under the Federal Work Study program.

Most campus jobs are available to all students regardless of their work-study or financial-aid status; see Student Employment's work-study FAQs for more information.

How can I calculate my financial aid?

The best way for most prospective students to get an estimate of what their Expected Family Contribution would be at Yale is to use the Net Price Calculator.

How do I apply for financial aid?

The process of applying for Yale financial aid, including forms and documents required, differs based on the type of student you are.

Undergraduate students

Graduate and professional students

How do I apply for student employment?

Yale University's Student Employment Office (SEO) administers hiring of undergraduate, graduate, and professional student hourly positions.

Yale students can search for an on-campus job, submit electronic timesheets, and view online tutorials by logging in to the SEO website.

How do I notify Yale about my outside awards?

New students receiving Yale financial aid

After matriculation you may be required to submit a Family Information Supplement (FIS) form, which includes a section about expected outside awards. If you receive an outside award after submitting your FIS, or if you are not required to submit a FIS form, you should complete an Outside Scholarship/Resource Information form.

Continuing students receiving Yale financial aid

Include information about expected outside awards on your Yale financial aid application. If you receive an outside award after submitting your financial aid application, you should complete an Outside Scholarship/Resource Information form.

Students who are not receiving Yale financial aid

Submit an Outside Scholarship/Resource Information form to report outside resources or merit scholarships so the credit(s) can be applied to your term bill.

How do I request a review of my financial aid award?

Typically, your award can be reviewed if your family's financial situation has changed significantly since you applied for aid, or if there is additional information that was not included on your original application. Common examples include recent unemployment, extraordinary uninsured medical expenses, and changes in family size.

For information on the review process, including required forms and documentation, see Requesting a Review.

How do I submit a scholarship check to Yale?

Checks made out to Yale only

The student or scholarship agency should mail checks to the address listed below. All payments must include the student's name, birth date, and Yale Student ID number.

Checks made out to the student and to Yale

The student must endorse the check before mailing it to the address listed below. All payments must include the student's name, birth date, and Yale Student ID number.

Checks made out to the student only

Do not send the check to Yale. The student should cash the check and use the funds accordingly.

Mailing address

Due to COVID-19, all Financial Aid and Student Accounts staff are currently working remotely. As a result, we cannot accept payments or other documents via overnight or express delivery. Please send checks by first-class (regular) mail to the following address and allow at least 2–3 weeks for processing:

Yale University
P.O. Box 208232
New Haven, CT 06520-8232

How much is tuition?

Undergraduate students

For information about Yale College tuition and other expenses, see Costs.

Graduate and professional students

Tuition and costs for graduate and professional students vary by school. Select the school's financial aid website below for details.

If I already have health insurance, how can I waive the Yale Health coverage?

Students may decline enrollment in Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Care coverage by submitting a waiver, available in June on the Yale Health website. A waiver must be submitted annually and received by September 15 for the full year or the fall term and by January 31 for the spring term only.

If I miss the deadline, can I still apply for financial aid?

Yes. If you miss the application deadline, you are still eligible for financial aid, and your award will not be reduced because of late submission. Please submit all documents as soon as possible; the more quickly you complete your file, the sooner you will receive your financial aid award.

For students who miss the application deadline, the following delays may occur:

If I take summer courses, how can I meet my Student Share?

Because of the time and financial commitment required to take summer courses, we understand that you may not be able to meet the Student Share with earnings from a summer job. Options for covering costs include requesting additional term-time earnings, a student loan, and funds from outside sources. Contact Student Financial Services for information on all financing options.

If you plan to take summer courses abroad, you may also be eligible for an International Summer Award.

If my parents are divorced or separated, how does Yale determine a Parent Share?

Yale believes that both parents have a responsibility to contribute toward their child's college education, even if they are divorced or separated. Therefore, we require financial information for both parents to generate a financial aid award. Your award letter lists one total Parent Share, which your parents may determine how best to meet. We understand that it may be difficult to provide accurate figures for both parents when applying for aid. Please contact our office if you feel your family's financial situation requires additional attention from our staff.

What happens to my financial aid if I move off campus?

Does living off campus change my eligibility for financial aid?

For the 2020–2021 academic year, the estimated Cost of Attendance will differ for students in residence and students enrolled remotely. Juniors and seniors in residence who are living independently off campus are expected to have expenses similar to those of students living on campus in the residential colleges. As a result, they will have the same financial aid budget as students living on campus. On the other hand, students enrolled remotely are expected to have significantly lower living expenses. Their financial aid budget will take this difference into account. For more detailed information, see the Fall 2020 FAQ: Undergraduate Financial Aid.

Will I get a refund on my financial aid to cover off campus expenses?

If the total aid paid to your Student Account for a term exceeds your term charges (tuition, Student Activities Fee, health plan option), you will have a credit balance on your account. You can request a refund of that credit balance to use toward your off-campus expenses. See the Student Accounts website for more information.

When will I be able to receive a refund on my financial aid?

Student Accounts will begin processing refund requests one week prior to the first day of classes each term. If your financial aid has been paid to your account and you have submitted a refund request, you can usually expect your refund to be processed within a few business days.

What if my financial aid is not paid to my account by the first day of classes?

It is important for you to complete your financial aid application by the deadline if you are depending on those funds to cover off-campus expenses. Loan funds may be advanced to you, but only after your award has been verified and all of the requirements for the loan have been satisfied. The maximum advance on a loan is $1,000 per month. A Pell Grant may be refunded to you before it pays to your account. Advances will be made only on funds not needed to cover term charges. Advances cannot be given on Yale scholarship, state grants, or outside resources.

What if I need money prior to one week before classes begin?

Financial aid refunds can only be processed one week before the first day of classes at the earliest. It usually takes 1–2 business days after processing for your bank to make the funds available to you. Expenses such as security deposits, rent for months before the academic year begins, and utility hook-up fees should be covered by other resources. Be sure to consider these expenses in making your decision to live off campus.

What if I run out of money for rent and food during the year?

You cannot increase your budget and request additional financial aid to cover the increase in expenses if your off-campus expenses are higher than the standard room and board budget.

What if I need money to cover rent for the next summer because I signed a twelve-month lease?

Your budget is based on the nine-month academic year. You cannot add summer rent to your academic year budget and financial aid.

Can my parents continue t​o pay my bill through the Yale Payment Plan (YPP)?

Yes, but the amount of the contract should not exceed the total of tuition, and the health plan, if applicable, minus anticipated financial aid credits. You will not be able to get a refund on a credit balance on your account if the credit is due to a Yale Payment Plan contract. This is because the Yale Payment Plan posts the credits to your account before your parents fulfill their financial obligation. Visit the Student Accounts website for more information about YPP.

What types of financial aid does Yale have available?

Undergraduate students

All financial aid for Yale undergraduates is need-based. This policy helps to ensure that Yale College will be accessible to talented students no matter what their resources. There are no athletic or other merit-based awards.

For more information on the different types of financial aid available, see Types of Aid and Other Financial Resources.

Graduate and professional students

Please visit a specific school's financial aid website to learn more about financial aid in the Graduate and professional schools.

Where do I find a Noncustodial Parent Waiver?

Yale believes that both parents have a responsibility to contribute toward their child’s college education, even if they are divorced or separated. Therefore, we require financial information for both parents to generate a financial aid award. We understand that some families may have extenuating circumstances that would require an exception. In such cases, students may petition to have their noncustodial parent's financial information waived.

The Noncustodial Parent Waiver Petition form is available on our Forms page. Petitioning students should complete the form and submit it to Student Financial Services with the documentation it describes. If you have questions about whether a Noncustodial Waiver Petition might be appropriate in your case, please contact us to discuss the specifics of your situation.

Student Effort FAQ

What is the Student Effort portion of the Yale Financial Aid Award?

The Student Effort is included in every Yale Financial Aid Award as part of a family’s options to meet their estimated Net Cost. It consists of two standardized amounts: the Student Share and the Student Campus Employment Option. Together, the two amounts represent Yale’s estimate of a student’s ability to contribute financially toward the overall cost of attending as a full-time student.

Yale recognizes that first-years should prioritize their course schedules and general orientation to Yale over finding a job, so the Student Effort for first-year students is lower than that for upper-level students. In addition, upper-level students from families with the greatest financial need have a reduced Student Effort expectation. Otherwise, the Student Effort is the same for all upper-level students receiving financial aid from Yale.

What does the Student Effort fund?

Most students will find that only a small amount of billed expenses (tuition, room, board) is paid with funds earned through the Student Effort. Students use most of their Student Effort to cover unbilled expenses associated with being a full-time student, including course books and personal expenses like laundry. Yale’s 2020–2021 Estimated Cost of Attendance includes an estimate of $3,700 for books and personal expenses. The total Student Effort is $4,450 for first-year students and $5,950 for upper-level students.

Does the Student Effort appear on a Yale bill?

No. The Student Effort is not a billed amount and does not appear on the Yale billing statement. The Student Effort is Yale's estimate of a student's ability to contribute toward her/his total Cost of Attendance, which includes both billed (direct) expenses and unbilled (indirect) expenses.

Because the standard Student Effort is higher than Yale's estimated unbilled (indirect) expenses, most students use a small amount of their Student Effort funds toward billed expenses. The remaining part of the Student Effort is then used toward indirect (unbilled) expenses such as travel, books, and personal expenses. If students find that their indirect costs are lower than Yale's estimates, they may earn or contribute less than the Student Effort amount. Funds from merit-based outside scholarships and/or education loans may also reduce the Student Effort.

How do students typically meet their Student Effort?

To meet the Student Effort, students may choose to work during the academic year and summer, to use merit scholarship funds from an outside source, or to take out a small student loan. Many students find that their books, personal expenses, and travel expenses are less than Yale’s estimates. This reduces students’ Net Cost and the amount they need to earn or contribute. To meet the full estimated Student Effort through only term-time and summer employment, a student would expect to work 8–10 hours per week while on campus and earn $1,600 before their first year and $2,600 before subsequent academic years through summer employment.

Does Yale require students receiving financial aid to work?

No. Working on campus and during the summer is an option available to students to meet their estimated cost, but Yale does not require that any student work. Students who prefer not to earn income through term-time and/or summer employment may opt to meet some or all of their Student Effort with funds from outside merit scholarships or to take out a small student loan. Unlike many other universities, Yale allows funds from outside merit scholarships to reduce or eliminate the Student Effort. Pursuing term-time and summer work is one option for students and families to meet their estimated Net Cost.

Why does Yale have a Student Effort?

Yale’s undergraduate financial aid program, like that of virtually every other school in the country with a need-based aid program, is based on the principle that paying for a college education should be a partnership between the student and his or her family and the college or university of the student’s choice. The decision to come to Yale is a decision to invest in one’s education and future. The opportunity for a student to contribute to the funding of his or her education is considered part of this investment—a resource a family has available to help meet its contribution to a student’s education.

Is Student Employment or Student Effort the same as Federal Work Study?

No. A student’s eligibility for the Federal Work Study (FWS) program does not affect the size of the Student Effort or a student’s ability to work on campus. Participation in the FWS program simply means that the federal government subsidizes part of a student’s wage; however, FWS eligibility does not affect how much a student is paid or a student’s ability to be hired for most campus jobs.

For more information on the Federal Work Study program, see Yale Student Employment's work-study FAQs.