Financial Aid Policy

  1. Students receiving need-based scholarship aid will usually be expected to assume loan and work obligations as part of a self-help package determined annually by the Office of Student Financial Services. Students may decline or request changes to the amounts of their loan and work if funds are available and their demonstrated need level allows, however self-help cannot be replaced by scholarship or grant funds.
  2. Financial aid applicants are required to apply for the Federal Pell Grant and state scholarship programs, where available, by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by the stated deadlines. Brandeis is unable to replace with university funds non-university aid that students are eligible to receive, but for which they fail to apply in a timely manner.
  3. Outside awards received from federal and state programs may result in a dollar-for-dollar reduction in institutional need-based scholarship. Outside awards received from non-governmental sources, even if based on criteria exclusive of need, will first be used to reduce the need-based self-help (loan and/or work) used to meet institutional financial need, any unmet federal financial need, and then the grant components of the student's need-based award. Students receiving need-based or merit-based aid will not be permitted to keep outside awards in excess of the total cost of attendance.

    The above policy will be applied to outside awards received by any Brandeis student regardless of class year. All awards must be reported in writing to the Office of Student Financial Services.
  4. Students awarded a merit scholarship (e.g., Bernstein, Giumette Achievement, Dean's, Dorot, Fein, Humanities Fellowship, JFEW, Justice Brandeis, Malkin Israeli, Martin Luther King, Fannie Penikoff, Phi Theta Kappa, Presidential, Provost, QBreC, Slifka Israeli Coexistence, Theater Arts, Trustee, Waltham and Wien) must maintain a particular GPA to retain this award. A list of the GPA requirements for each award can be found in the initial scholarship notification letter as well as on the Student Financial Services website. Please note that students placed on probation by the University will forfeit their eligibility for this award. Merit scholarships are limited to no more than eight undergraduate semesters, excepting the Giumette Achievement Award, which is limited to four undergraduate semesters. Undergraduate merit scholarships cannot be utilized for graduate study at Brandeis. Please note that merit scholarships will be prorated for any semester in which a student is considered less than full time or is charged less than the full-time tuition rate.
  5. All students must reapply for financial aid each year. Students receiving any type of federal aid must file the online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate academic year. Students receiving need-based scholarship funds from Brandeis must also complete the online CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE and provide copies of student and parent tax returns. The university may also require verification of certain application items including, but not limited to, the student's academic year residence status (i.e., on campus, off campus or living with parents/family) and the enrollment of siblings at other postsecondary undergraduate institutions. Renewal applications must be filed by the deadline specified in the renewal instructions and on the SFS website. Late applicants will only be considered for scholarship if funds remain available.

    Since Brandeis meets full calculated financial need for undergraduate students, financial aid packages will be adjusted each year commensurate with the standard cost of attendance, which varies based on residency status (i.e., on campus, off campus or with parents/relatives), federal loan eligibility based on the student’s class year, and any changes in the expected family contribution (EFC). Each year, financial need may vary, reflecting changes in the family’s financial circumstances (changes in income and assets, number in college, etc.), the cost of attending Brandeis, federal loan eligibility, and residency status, all of which may affect the amount of your need-based grant. Continued eligibility for aid from federal sources requires that you maintain satisfactory academic progress towards your degree. Although all merit scholarships have a GPA requirement for renewal, there is no GPA requirement for need-based Brandeis funds.
  6. Continuing undergraduate students who wish to apply for financial aid for the first time must file the FAFSA and the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE as well as submit copies of student and parent tax returns. The university may also require verification of certain application items including, but not limited to, the student's academic year residence status (i.e., on campus, off campus or living with parents/family) and the enrollment of siblings at other postsecondary undergraduate institutions. Applications must be filed by the deadline specified on the SFS website. Late applicants will only be considered for scholarship if funds remain available.
  7. First-year students who receive any type of federal aid must file the FAFSA before any aid can be credited to their student account. First-year students who wish to apply for need-based scholarship funds must also file the CSS Profile and, if eligible for need-based scholarship funds, must also provide copies of student and parent tax returns. The university may also require verification of certain application items including, but not limited to, the student's academic year residence status (i.e., on campus, off campus or living with parents/family) and the enrollment of siblings at other postsecondary undergraduate institutions.
  8. If a student's FAFSA application is selected for standard verification, he or she will be required to submit a Verification Worksheet, and to use either the IRS Data Retrieval Tool on the FAFSA or submit copies of student and/or parent prior year Federal Income Tax Returns to verify the income reported on the FAFSA. Non-filers must submit a non-filer statement along with income documentation; parent and independent student non-filers must also provide proof of non-filing from the IRS. He or she may be also required to submit documentation of untaxed income, sign a statement of educational purpose, submit a final high school transcript, and/or provide proof of identification to satisfy the requirements of federal verification.
  9. All verification documents must be submitted prior to the application filing deadlines indicated on the SFS website and/or the awarding and disbursement of institutional, federal and state financial aid. Failure to do so by ten days prior to the start of the academic year term will result in cancellation of his or her financial aid, which may result in late fees and/or withdrawal from the University for non-payment of the balance due. If a student is selected for verification after his or her financial aid has been disbursed, he or she will have 30 days to complete the verification process and failure to do so will result in cancellation of both state and federal financial aid. Any required changes to a student’s FAFSA data resulting from the verification process will be made to his or her application directly by Brandeis, unless otherwise instructed. Any changes to his or her financial aid award due to the verification process will be communicated via a paper or electronic financial aid award letter.
  10. If a student receives financial aid, and will live off campus or live at home/with family, the amount of aid awarded may be affected by this choice. Students who will not live on campus should meet with a financial aid advisor to discuss the impact of this decision.
  11. If a student transfers to another institution, and the student previously attended that institution via the Brandeis Study Abroad Program, the student will be required to repay any scholarship funds awarded to the student by Brandeis to attend that institution.
  12. If a student changes his or her academic program (that is, taking fewer than 12 credit hours [which equals full-time status], studying abroad or elsewhere domestically, graduating in less than four years, graduating in more than four years or taking a leave of absence), there may be implications for the amount and type of financial aid that the student can receive. (For example, both merit- and need-based scholarships will be prorated for any semester in which a student is considered less than full time or for which a student is charged less than the full-time tuition rate.) If a student is considering any of the above options, they should consult a financial aid counselor first to discuss the impact on financial aid eligibility.
  13. Federal regulations require that a student receiving federal assistance make satisfactory academic progress in accordance with standards set by the university. Brandeis delegates the responsibility to monitor academic progress to the Committee on Academic Standing and charges it to make such determinations on the basis of individual merit, and not in relationship to some arbitrary numerical standard. Read more about Satisfactory Academic Progress.