Need-blind admissions
Yale’s need-based financial aid awards meet the full demonstrated financial need of all students, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
Need-based financial aid
Yale awards all financial aid on the basis of financial need. Students who qualify for financial aid receive a need-based Yale Scholarship that can vary from a few thousand dollars to over $90,000 per year.
At Yale, we believe that cost should never be a barrier to achieving your academic dreams.
That’s why we award every dollar of undergraduate financial aid on the basis of a family’s demonstrated financial need, and our aid offers meet 100% of demonstrated need - regardless of a student’s citizenship or immigration status - without requiring loans.
We invite you to learn more and to get a personalized estimate of your Yale cost.
Affordability by the numbers
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$72,941
Average need-based scholarship in 2024-2025.
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$0
parent share for households with less than $100,000 in annual income and typical assets.
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80%
80% of US families with children qualify for grants covering at least the cost of tuition.
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88%
Yale College graduates in the Class of 2024 with no student loan debt.
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54%
Students receiving financial aid from Yale College.
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100%
Demonstrated financial need met by Yale College.
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23%
Of the class of 2029 qualifies for Federal Pell Grants
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$260 million
Estimated annual Yale College financial aid budget
Financial aid checklist
If you expressed interest in applying for financial aid when completing the application for admission, a personalized financial aid checklist will appear on your status portal. Check regularly, as new required documents may be added during the review process.
Yale’s approach to need-based aid
Every family’s financial situation is different. Yale’s personal financial aid counselors assess a family’s financial need through a holistic review process that considers many factors including income, assets, family size, and unique circumstances.
After assessing a family’s need, Yale awards financial aid in the form of scholarship grants, which never need to be repaid.
Yale does not require students to use loans to finance their education, and loans are not included in initial financial aid offers. However, some students and families choose to use loans to cover part or all of their costs; in these cases, their personal financial aid counselor can assist them through the loan process.
How to apply
Review the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid’s instructions for prospective students to find common requirements. Most applicants should expect to submit the materials below.
After submitting the FAFSA and CSS Profile online, send all other required documents via IDOC.
Common financial aid requirements
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used by colleges to determine how much financial aid a student is eligible to receive, which could include grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and loans. FAFSA is required for all financial aid applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Most of the required information can be gathered from your federal tax returns.
Complete the FAFSA online and submit to Yale using code: 001426.
The College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile, is an online application used to award non-federal institutional aid. This CSS Profile is required by for all financial aid applicants. Yale’s CSS Profile code is 3987. Applicants in the U.S. from low-income families with few assets automatically receive a fee waiver when completing the CSS Profile.
US Citizens and permanent residents submit signed copies of parent and student tax returns (Form 1040), using the College Board’s Imaging and Documentation (IDOC) Service. IDOC is available after an applicant submits the CSS Profile. If no federal tax return was filed, submit a Non-Tax Filer’s Statement.
Applicants should submit financial aid documents by the dates below to ensure that, if admitted, a student has an award letter in time to make a matriculation decision by the reply deadline:
- QuestBridge: November 1
- All other first-year: February 15
- Transfer: April 1
- Eli Whitney: April 1
Who qualifies?
Families with a wide range of incomes qualify for need-based scholarship aid from Yale. Families with annual incomes below $100,000 and typical assets qualify for a “zero parent share” — Yale’s most generous offer. These offers cover the full cost of tuition and fees, housing, food, and travel with a Yale Scholarship. Qualifying students also receive hospitalization insurance coverage and $2,000 start-up grant in their first year.
To get a personalized estimate of your Yale cost, use our available calculators.
The table below shows median financial aid awards for families of students enrolled in the 2023-24 academic year who applied for aid.
Financial Aid Snapshot 2023-2024
| Annual Income Range | Median Net Cost* | Average Scholarship | Percentage who Qualified for Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $75,000 | $0 | $81,738 | 100% |
| $75,001 - $100,000 | $894 | $76,300 | 99% |
| $100,001 - $150,000 | $11,550 | $63,113 | 95% |
| $150,001 - $200,000 | $27, 233 | $47,906 | 92% |
| $200, 001 - $250,000 | $44,615 | $34,611 | 85% |
| Greater than $250,000** | $84,005 | $12,534 | 43% |
* Net Cost for all tuition & fees, housing, and meals.
** Most who qualify have multiple children in college.