Carnegie Mellon is here to support you throughout the financial aid process

Need-Based Financial Aid

Carnegie Mellon offers need-based financial aid to admitted students and is committed to meeting their demonstrated need. This means our admitted students receive financial aid based not on their grades or test scores, but on their family's financial need.

Financial aid is offered to U.S. citizens, permanent residents and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students. If you don’t fit any of these criteria and plan to enroll at Carnegie Mellon, you and your family must assume the total cost of attendance.

Review our International Student Cost & Payment webpage for further information.

Need-Blind Admission Policy

Carnegie Mellon follows a need-blind admission policy, which means we don’t admit U.S. citizens or permanent residents based on their ability to pay for their education.

Applying for financial aid will have no effect on your chances for admission. However, it may affect those students we’re able to admit from the waiting list.

When you complete a financial aid application, the university will evaluate your eligibility for all forms of financial assistance, including federal, state and Carnegie Mellon aid.

CMU students sitting and talking outside on campus on Adirondack chairs

When Is My Financial Aid Application Due?

Nov 15

Early Decision 1

Jan 3

Early Decision 2

Feb 15

Regular Decision

Required Documents

FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required to be considered for federal financial aid. There is no cost for filing this form. Carnegie Mellon's institutional code is 003242. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students are not required to submit the FAFSA.

When completing the FAFSA, we strongly encourage you to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) if you're able to. Doing so will streamline the financial aid application process for you and your family.

CSS Profile

The CSS Profile is required to be considered for Carnegie Mellon institutional financial aid. If you need a fee waiver for the CSS Profile, please call the Office of Admission at 412.268.2082. Carnegie Mellon's institutional code is 2074.

Please note: International students are not eligible for financial aid at Carnegie Mellon, so they should not submit the CSS Profile to us.

Providing the student Social Security Number (SSN) is critical to correctly matching your file. Please note that if this field is left blank or an incorrect number is entered, your financial aid processing may be delayed.

More questions? Check out our CSS Profile Resource Guide webpage.

Information for Divorced or Separated Parents

Tax Documents

For financial aid applicants who don't use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) when completing the FAFSA, Carnegie Mellon requires signed parent and student tax returns, W-2s and all related tax schedules to be considered for institutional financial aid. Non-U.S. tax filers must also submit their foreign tax returns and wage statements, along with a translation. All tax documents must be submitted via the College Board IDOC service. If you made an error on the CSS Profile or have extenuating circumstances, please see our Special Circumstances Request form. We'll only review these documents for admitted students or those on the waiting list.

In order to guarantee the privacy of your personal information, the Office of Admission doesn't accept any documents pertaining to financial aid via fax or email and will shred these submissions for your security.

Missing Financial Aid Documents

Additional items may be requested based on a number of factors. Instructions on how to submit those items are below.

Document	Instructions for Submitting
CSS Profile	If applying for institutional financial aid programs, complete the CSS Profile online at cssprofile.org. If you do not have a College Board online account, you will need to create one in order to complete your CSS Profile application. Carnegie Mellon receives your Profile data electronically from CSS. Carnegie Mellon's CSS College Code is 2074.
Child Support Paid/Child Support Received Statement	You indicated child support paid or child support received on your FAFSA and/or CSS profile. Submit to your CollegeBoard IDOC portal a signed statement indicating the total amount of child support received or the total amount of child support paid for the applicable tax year (2021 for Fall 2023 applicants).
FAFSA	Complete your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. There are two ways to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form: redesigned studentaid.gov/h/apply-for- aid/fafsa website or a mobile app (available through Google Play or the Apple App Store). Carnegie Mellon Federal School Code: 0003242 A Department of Education Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID is required. View FSA ID instructions.
Federal Master Promissory Note (MPN) and/or Entrance Counseling	These only need to be completed after you enroll at Carnegie Mellon. The Office of Admission will provide instructions on how to complete these steps in the late spring/early summer.
Financial Aid Terms and Conditions	This only needs to be completed after you enroll at Carnegie Mellon. The Office of Admission will provide instructions on how to complete this step in the late spring/early summer.
Non-Tax Filer Statement	Complete the CollegeBoard Non-Tax Filer form that is available in your CollegeBoard IDOC portal, and upload it to IDOC once completed.
Non-U.S. Tax Documentation	Did you file taxes with a U.S. territory or commonwealth or a foreign central government? If yes, please submit to your CollegeBoard IDOC portal a signed copy of your tax statement. If not, please submit both of the following: Wage statement(s) that confirm income earned from work from your employer. Documentation from your taxing authority that confirms taxes were not filed. If this documentation is unavailable or unable to be obtained, you may complete the Non-Tax Filer Statement that is available in your IDOC portal. Please note: Submit copies of your original tax or wage document(s) AND include a translation of the document(s) to English & U.S. dollars using the current currency exchange rates.
Parent CSS Profile	All parents complete a CSS Profile application at http://cssprofile.org. in the case of divorced or separated parents, each parent will complete their own CSS Profile application with different College Board accounts/login credentials, and you will see a Noncustodial Parent CSS Profile being requested. Carnegie Mellon receives your Profile electronically from CSS.
Parent/Student Form 1040x	Submit a signed copy of your Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return (form 1040x) to your CollegeBoard IDOC portal for the applicable tax year (2021 for Fall 2023 applicants).
Parent/Student Verification of Non-Filing Letter	This may be required if selected for federal verification. If confirmation of non-filing status is required, we recommend requesting an IRS tax transcript online. (View detailed instructions). Once you’ve received it from the IRS, upload to your CollegeBoard IDOC portal.
Parent/Student Tax Returns and/or W-2s	Submit electronic copies to your CollegeBoard IDOC portal. Please note that handwritten signatures and dates are required on page 2 of each Form 1040. You may log into your College Board CSS Profile account and select “Check Status” at the top of the page to verify that CSS/IDOC received your documents. If your submitted documents are not reflected under your account, please contact CSS/IDOC.
Parent/Student Tax Return Transcript	This may be required for dependent students if selected for federal verification. If required, we recommend requesting a transcript online (view detailed instructions) and uploading to your CollegeBoard IDOC portal once you’ve received it.
Proof of Medical & Dental Expenses	This may be requested if an amount of unreimbursed medical/dental expenses are listed on your CSS Profile. Please submit copies of medical/dental expenses that are not covered by insurance/unreimbursed corresponding to the tax year reported on your FAFSA/CSS Profile. For the 2023-2024 award year, the expenses would be from 2021. These do not include insurance premiums. Any documentation supplied should show proof of payment, not just billed or owed. You may submit these documents via email to the Office of Admission: (@email) or to IDOC: (https://idoc.collegeboard.org/idoc/).
Schedule A	This may be requested if an amount of unreimbursed medical/dental expenses are listed on your CSS Profile. Please submit a copy of your Schedule A corresponding to the tax year reported on your FAFSA/CSS Profile. For the 2023-2024 award year, the Schedule A would be from 2021. Submit this document to IDOCS by uploading electronic copies to: https://idoc.collegeboard.org/idoc/.
Schedules A, B, C, D, E, K-1	These tax schedules, part of your tax return filing, capture certain types of income that we may need to verify. See www.irs.gov/forms-instructions for more details on each of these documents.
Copy of Social Security Card	If requested, please upload to your CollegeBoard IDOC portal.
U.S. Citizenship Documentation	We may request citizenship documentation to confirm the citizenship status provided on your FAFSA. Documentation must be notarized or presented in person. If you cannot present this in person, submit an electronic copy of the U.S. citizenship documentation (i.e., U.S. Passport, Certification of Naturalization) and your notarized form to your CollegeBoard IDOC portal. If either of these presents a hardship (financial or limited access to notary), please reach out to the Undergraduate Admission Office: @email.
Verification of High School Completion	*NOTE: This document is only required if you enroll at Carnegie Mellon Provide one of the following documents to indicate your high school completion: o A copy of a high school diploma o A copy of a final, official high school transcript that shows the date the diploma was awarded o A copy of a General Education Development (GED) certificate or GED transcript o An academic transcript that indicates you successfully completed at least a two-year program acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor's degree o A copy of a secondary school completion credential for homeschool (other than a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent) if state law requires homeschooled students to obtain that credential o A transcript or equivalent, signed by your parent or guardian, that lists the secondary school courses you completed and documents the successful completion of a secondary school education in a homeschool setting
Verification of Household Information	This form can be found and submitted directly via your Where Am I in the Process? applicant portal.
Verification of Identity/Government Photo ID	*NOTE: This document is only required if you enroll at Carnegie Mellon Submit a valid government issued photo ID and the Statement of Educational Purpose to your CollegeBoard IDOC portal. o Identity and Statement of Education Purpose (2023- 2024) (pdf)

Special Circumstances

If you or your family have special circumstances you'd like us to review, complete the Financial Aid Special Circumstances Request form and follow the instructions for submitting any supporting documents.

An outdoor shot of the CMU campus with a bike rider and the sun shining brightly.

Applying for Aid