Financial Aid FAQs

Source: https://admit.stanford.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid-faqs Parent: https://admit.stanford.edu/next-steps/sunetid

I have been admitted to Stanford, but I have not yet applied for financial aid. Can I still apply?

If you are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or undocumented student, then yes! Please complete the appropriate application requirements as soon as possible. We will make every effort to respond to you before May 1.

If you are an international citizen, then your eligibility for financial aid depends on your response to the need-based financial aid question in the admission application. If you answered no, that you do not intend to pursue need-based financial aid, then you may not apply for need-based financial aid from Stanford during your undergraduate years.

How can I look at my financial aid information online?

Your first financial aid notification will be available to you through your Stanford portal. For any updates and more detailed information, you’ll first need to set up your Stanford University Network Identifier (SUNet ID). Approximately 24 hours after you’ve created your SUNet ID and password, you may use it to log into Axess, where you can view all copies of your financial aid notification and more detailed information about the quarterly breakdown of your aid.

Can Stanford reconsider my award if my parents' financial situation changes?

We recognize that the financial information submitted with your original application for aid may no longer reflect your current family situation. You can submit a Request for Revision to report any new information to our office. We will make every effort to respond to your request promptly. If there are changes later in the year, or in future years, you can submit a revision request at that time.

Will Stanford match another university's award if I receive a significantly better award from another school?

Stanford does not match merit-based awards from other universities. However, if you receive a need-based award significantly better than Stanford’s, the other university may have new information about your circumstances. In this case, you may consider submitting a Request for Revision to our office.

How can I view and print my financial aid notification?

If you applied for financial aid by the priority filing date your original financial aid notification will be made available to you through your Stanford portal. That same letter and any subsequent updates will be available to you following these steps from Axess:

Create your SUNet ID and Password.
Log in to Axess.
At the top of the Axess page, click on My Finances.
From the dropdown menu, select Financial Aid, then View Financial Aid Notifications.

You may need to disable pop-up blockers in your browser in order to view your financial aid notification. It can take up to 24 hours after creating your SUNet ID before the My Finances menu becomes available in Axess. If you have any issues, feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office.

What do you mean by "typical assets"?

Families with annual income below $150,000, that have significant assets above what is typical for their income level, may not be eligible for the benchmarks that we have established for scholarship eligibility. Total net worth usually reflects the sum of the following amounts:

Cash, savings, checking
Investments
Equity in real estate other than the home
Business net worth

We do not include formal retirement assets (401k, 403b, IRA, Keogh) or equity in your primary residence in our analysis. The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to make the final determination of the expected family contribution, in consideration of all factors affecting a family’s overall financial situation and ability to pay.

What if my parents cannot meet the parent contribution?

Consider submitting a Request for Revision if you think there are additional factors that we should be taking into account. Many families choose to use the Federal Parent PLUS Loan to help with educational costs. Parents can borrow PLUS loans to help with meeting the expected parent contribution. As a student you may also borrow federal student loans through our office to help meet your expenses. Note that for new borrowers as of July 1, 2026 the federal parent PLUS loan is limited to $20,000 annually and $65,000 cumulative per student.

Can my award change if it is contingent on additional documents or information?

Your financial aid notification may list documents or information you must submit to our office before we can finalize your award. It is possible that your award will change if the information you submit is different than originally reported to us. Estimated scholarship/grant amounts will be updated to reflect actual costs in early March.

I've been offered Stanford Fund scholarship. Are there other scholarship funds available to me?

The University has over 1,600 named scholarships. By completing the CSS Profile, you have already been considered for all sources of scholarship funding. Students who qualify for need-based aid from Stanford are initially awarded scholarship from the Stanford Fund. During the course of the academic year, the Financial Aid Office will reallocate funds to award these named scholarships. This does not affect the calculated family contribution or total amount of scholarship funding. When you accept scholarship funds from Stanford, your name, major and hometown will be released to the donor of that scholarship. In most cases, you will be asked to write a letter to the people or group who made your scholarship possible.

What if my academic commitments prevent me from working during the academic year?

In most cases you can meet your academic year job earnings expectation without jeopardizing your academic priorities. Stanford’s minimum wage is high enough to meet your student expectations. If you choose not to work, you can reduce or eliminate your job earnings expectation with outside awards or student loans.

How does my payment to the university work?

You will receive an electronic billing statement well in advance of each academic quarter. Your bill will include tuition, room and board, and other charges for the quarter. Payments are typically due in September (Autumn quarter), December (Winter quarter) and March (Spring quarter).

Your financial aid notification shows the amount of aid that you will receive for each quarter. If your quarter’s aid is less than the balance due, you are responsible for paying the remaining balance and all other expenses with your own funds. However, if your quarter’s aid exceeds your balance due, you will receive a refund for the amount of the overage.

Will my financial aid package be the same for all four years?

Probably not. Stanford’s financial aid program is need based, meaning that as costs increase and as your family financial situation changes you can expect changes to your financial aid. If your family situation is stable, you can expect a similar amount of aid from year to year, adjusted to reflect current costs. In other words, your scholarship eligibility will increase if your family situation has not changed and costs go up. If there is a change in family circumstances, such as fewer family members in college or a significant change in income, you can expect your aid to be adjusted accordingly.

What if my family’s financial circumstances change in future years?

Stanford’s commitment to meeting financial need extends throughout your four undergraduate years. If your family faces a significant financial change after your first year, we can reevaluate your aid eligibility at that time. Even if you do not qualify for need-based scholarship funds at this time, we will reconsider your aid request for each new academic year based on your family’s financial circumstances at that time.

I have not submitted my FAFSA yet. Will that affect my eligibility?

We do expect all financial aid applicants who are US Citizens or Permanent Residents to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Our initial offer of institutional scholarship funds is based on our review of your CSS Profile application as well as family tax returns that were submitted through IDOC. Presumably, the tax information that you provided will match the information on your FAFSA. As long as that is the case, your total scholarship/grant amount will not change. If our review of your FAFSA shows that you are eligible for any federal grants, those grants will reduce the Stanford Fund Scholarship amount, but your total amount of gift aid (Stanford scholarship plus federal and/or state grants) will remain the same.