The CSS Profile typically opens Oct. 1 each year for the next academic year, and the FAFSA is typcially available by Dec. 1 for the following academic year.
For an overview of financial aid application deadlines, please select your affiliaiton below to view a timeline of tasks.
Please note: Applying by the deadlines listed on your instructions helps with the timely gathering and processing of your documentation and ensures you'll receive your offer in a timely manner. While it is preferred you meet these deadlines, you can still apply after those date and it will not decrease your eligibility to receive financial aid.
Carnegie Mellon’s FAFSA code is 003242.
Carnegie Mellon’s CSS Profile code is 2074.
A student may need to ask one or both parent(s) to provide information on their FAFSA based on the student’s dependency status. Use this tool to determine which parent(s) information is needed on your financial aid application.
You can consult this missing documents reference guide for the documents we are requesting on our website with more information regarding the document and submission.
Eligibility for federal and state aid is determined using the Federal Methodology, a formula established by Congress. Only the FAFSA is required to be considered for federal and state aid.
Eligibility for institutional aid is determined using an Institutional Methodology, and both the FAFSA and CSS Profile are required to be considered for institutional aid. This means that the expected family contribution used for federal and state financial aid will likely differ from the expected family contribution determined by Carnegie Mellon University.
To determine your expected family contribution, we use the information that you and your parent(s) provide on the FAFSA, the CSS Profile and 1040 and W-2 tax forms to determine the amount you and your parent(s) should contribute to your education at Carnegie Mellon. This number is called your Student Aid Index (SAI) on the FAFSA, and includes a direct contribution from income, drawing down on assets, and responsible borrowing.
Your financial need is then determined by calculating the difference between your expected family contribution and the total cost of attendance.
Once we determine your eligibility and financial need, we combine different types of financial support into an offer. Typical financial aid offers include federal, state and institutional grants, loans and work-study. Carnegie Mellon is committed to meeting the demonstrated need of eligible undergraduate students.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) students are not eligible for federal student aid but may be eligible for institutional financial aid. DACA students must complete the CSS Profile but are not required to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). At the time of admission, Carnegie Mellon may request DACA documentation to confirm your status in order to process financial aid accordingly, but no DACA documentation is required when you submit an application. At this time, undocumented students without DACA status are not eligible to apply for financial aid.
Carnegie Mellon offers need-based financial aid to applicants who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents or have DACA status. You are not eligible for Federal Loan programs. You may be eligible for some private loan programs, open to international students who have U.S. co-signers.
This is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please see our Applying for Aid page to learn how to request a noncustodial parent CSS Profile waiver.
Yes, you need to apply for need-based financial aid each year. To do so, you’ll submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile each spring semester.
No, Carnegie Mellon offers need-based financial aid to admitted students. The School of Drama and Music has some limited institutional funding/endowed funding offered at the discretion of the department to help fulfill programmatic needs. There is nothing additional that families need to do to apply for consideration for this funding beyond completing the common application and audition process, as well as submitting the required financial aid documents.
Your financial aid package won’t be reduced due to the receipt of outside scholarships unless one of the following occurs:
- Your federal grants, loans and/or work-study plus your outside scholarship exceeds your financial need. In this case, your federal aid will be reduced, beginning with loans.
- Your entire aid offer plus your outside scholarship is greater than the Cost of Attendance. In which case institutional aid will be reduced only after adjusting federal aid.
A Reserve Officer Training Corp - ROTC Scholarship may be available to Carnegie Mellon undergraduates. Students interested in discussing ROTC opportunities are encouraged to contact the Carnegie Mellon Steel City Naval ROTC at 412.268.5109.
Air Force ROTC Scholarships
The Air Force ROTC program offers two, three and three-and-a-half-year scholarships to qualified undergraduate Carnegie Mellon students. Scholarship amounts vary. Carnegie Mellon is a crosstown member of Detachment 730 at the University of Pittsburgh. Completion of the AFROTC program leads to a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
Army ROTC Scholarships
The Army ROTC program offers two, three and four year scholarships based on student merit. Scholarships cover full tuition and fees plus $1,200 per year for books. All contracted students also receive a monthly stipend of $300 to $500 per month. Carnegie Mellon has a company at the Three Rivers Battalion headquartered at the University of Pittsburgh.
Naval-Marine Corps ROTC Scholarships
The Naval ROTC program offers two, three and four year scholarships based on competitive national and regional selection. Scholarships cover full tuition and fees, $750 per year for books and a monthly stipend of $250 to $400. The Carnegie Mellon Steel City Naval ROTC is considered one of the finest ROTC units in the country.
Starting with the 2024-25 FAFSA Form, the Financial Aid Direct Data Exchange will transfer contributors' federal tax information from the IRS directly to your FAFSA form. This will replace the existing IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
Students and contributors (typically parents, for dependent students; and spouses for independent students) will need to create an FSA ID and provide approval for their Federal Tax Information (FTI) to be utilized for their FAFSA to be processed. Those who don't already have an FSA ID may create one.
Your eligibility for need-based financial aid is determined by using a Congressional formula called Federal Methodology. It uses your parent(s)' and your total taxable and untaxed income, federal taxes paid, current equity in assets that you were required to report on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and size of household and number enrolled in college at least half-time, to determine the amount you are expected to pay toward your education. This amount is called your Student Aid Index (SAI).
Yes. The number of dependent family members enrolled on at least a half-time basis in a degree-seeking or certificate program affects your financial aid eligibility. Please notify us directly in writing if the number in college changes after you have filed your FAFSA and CSS PROFILE. In addition, please update your FAFSA online. We will re-evaluate your eligibility and notify you if your financial aid package changes. Student Financial Aid will verify this information during the fall semester.
Yes. Undergraduate and graduate financial aid packages are based on full-time (36 units or more per semester) enrollment. If you are enrolled part-time and assessed part-time tuition, your financial aid package will be revised to reflect this. You have to be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for financial aid.
In the determination of a student's financial aid eligibility, circumstances such as loss of employment or changes in employment status, parents' divorce or separation, or the death or disability of a parent are considered.
If your custodial parent(s) or you (independent students only, and your spouse if applicable) anticipate a reduction in income of at least 20 percent of your total taxable and untaxed income, we may re-evaluate your financial need. Please contact The HUB for instructions.
You will want to estimate carefully. After the calendar year, we will verify your projection by requesting that you submit your federal tax documents. If your actual information is higher than your projection, we will recalculate your financial aid eligibility and notify you of any adjustments.
Yes. The most common reasons why your financial aid package could change include:
- Increase or decrease in family income
- Change in the number of family members in college
- Change in household size
- Increase in cost of attendance
- Receipt of an outside scholarship
- Unsatisfactory academic progress
You need to apply for financial aid each year because the information used to determine your eligibility may change annually.
The U.S. Department of Education requires colleges to "verify" students applying for aid and selected for federal verification. Carnegie Mellon will ask for confirmation of the data provided on your financial aid applications. We will verify all undergraduate students selected for verification by the Department of Education and any student with inconsistent or conflicting information. The applicant data that must be verified includes: household size, number of family members in college, adjusted gross income, wages, taxes paid and untaxed income.
Yes. To be eligible for federal, state, and institutional financial aid, all students are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress toward the completion of a degree. Each university determines its own policy in accordance with federal regulations set forth by the U. S. Department of Education regarding satisfactory progress standards to ensure student success.
Financial aid at Carnegie Mellon University includes federal aid, such as Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Work-Study, Federal Direct Loans, and Federal Direct PLUS Loan programs; state grant aid; and Carnegie Mellon institutional aid including grants, loans and scholarships.
Carnegie Mellon evaluates all students for Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress annually, at the end of the spring semester. Students that are included in the review are undergraduates, graduates, both full-time and part-time.
For more information, please see the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy and Procedural Statement on the Financial Aid Policies webpage.
This is a common question that we usually receive in the spring prior to students completing the housing room selection for campus housing. The cost of attendance difference between a resident and an off-campus student is $4,614. Most students choose to live off-campus because it is less expensive. Please be aware that you will more than likely be required to sign a lease or rental agreement for 12 months that may require a security deposit or up-front rent prior to move in. You would not be able to obtain any financial aid or refund checks prior to the beginning of the semester to use to help pay for your off-campus expenses. You may also discuss your options with Housing Services.
Carnegie Mellon recognizes that there are times when students may face financial hardships during their academic career - whether it's due to unexpected course-based or academic costs or an emergency situation. In such cases, students are encouraged to reach out to their HUB liaison for support. The HUB liaisons are available to provide individualized counsel to students and families facing difficult financial situations.
Yes, as a graduate student you can borrow loans to pay for living expenses. We use a standard cost of attendance that includes a standard housing and room allowance.