Carnegie Mellon has been required to allocate our resources carefully and judiciously to the benefit of the high-quality students we seek to enroll and to the university. Financial aid, viewed by many as an entitlement when federal resources were more plentiful, is now awarded by institutions who must balance resources, goals and priorities while attracting the highest quality students
We, like many other colleges and universities, have been forced by federal cutbacks in student financial aid to use more of our limited resources to help families cover the cost of enrollment. Federal and state financial aid resources, awarded on the basis of financial need, are distributed under federal and state guidelines
Our financial aid strategy blends awards based on merit and need. The university continues to provide financial support to those families with high-quality students who do not have the means to pay for a Carnegie Mellon education. This strategy also continues our commitment to special efforts to enroll members of underrepresented minorities and women in technical fields
Our merit financial aid strategy is aimed at rewarding the highest quality students. It aids high-quality students from middle-income families who may not have qualified for financial aid if it were awarded solely on the basis of financial need.
We have been open about our willingness to negotiate financial awards to compete with other institutions for students admitted under the regular decision plan. Unlike most institutions, the university states these principles in materials sent to students offered freshman admission under the regular decision plan
We use statistical modeling as an aid in the distribution of limited financial aid dollars. It is a strategic tool that helps us pursue our goal of increasing the quality of the student body while using our resources as effectively as possible. This modeling takes into account a student's academic and artistic qualities as well as financial need, but does not consider a student's participation in recruitment activities, such as a personal interview or campus visit. This approach to awarding financial aid is unique to Carnegie Mellon and has not been developed with the aid of any outside consultants. While early decision students are not eligible to participate in the aid negotiation process, they do receive awards consistent with the regular admission student body, including merit scholarships.
Our financial aid strategy has led the university to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report magazine as one of the "best buys" in higher education
Meeting Educational Costs at Carnegie Mellon
Graduate student Financial Assistance Specific Information for Graduate Students
Student Account Information for All Students