Frequently Asked Questions

At Hopkins, most financial aid is offered based on financial need, which is the difference between the total cost of college for the academic year and your family’s expected contribution. If your family demonstrates you can only pay part of college costs, or none at all, Hopkins covers the rest through need-based scholarships and work opportunities—money that doesn’t need to be paid back.

To determine your eligibility for financial aid, our staff calculates what your family can contribute to your college costs annually (according to federal and institutional policies) using the following factors:

• Income, both taxed and untaxed, from parents, including both biological parents in situations of divorce/separation
• Income tax paid
• Family size and the number of family members in college
• Value of savings and investments
• Equity in home, business, and other real estate
• In some instances, special circumstances that you bring to our attention

The income information requested on the FAFSA and CSS Profile is from two years before the application year.

You will receive a financial aid offer consisting of need-based scholarships and work opportunities. If offered a merit scholarship when admitted, it will be renewed if you still meet eligibility requirements.

Yes, your family still has the option to borrow as part of your strategy to cover college costs. Click here to learn more about borrowing options and other methods of paying for educational expenses. Current undergraduates can request a loan online using the Loan Action Form.

Yes. Most Hopkins students work an average of eight to ten hours per week, with job opportunities including clerical, laboratory, library, and athletic positions. Hopkins has a $15 minimum wage for all university workers, including students. An online database of job openings is available to help students locate jobs. Visit the University Experiential Learning’s student employment website for more information.

Yes, domestic transfer students are eligible for need-based financial aid consideration. The financial circumstances of domestic transfers and their families do not factor into their admissions decision. Any financial aid offers will include need-based scholarships and work opportunities—money that doesn’t need to be paid back. We do not offer Hopkins Scholarship assistance for international transfer students. Click here for more information about the transfer admissions process.

You can use private scholarships to reduce your summer savings and work-study expectations. If private scholarships exceed your total summer savings and work-study expectations, your Hopkins Scholarship will be reduced dollar for dollar. Most undergraduate students can receive up to $5,300 in private scholarships before any reduction is made to your Hopkins Scholarship funding.

Employer tuition benefits, state scholarships, Federal Pell Grants, and ROTC are considered entitlement grants, and these offers will reduce Hopkins Scholarships. For example, a student who receives a state scholarship of $500 will have their Hopkins Scholarships reduced by $500. The total amount of financial aid will remain the same.

We do not want financial considerations to prevent you from pursuing summer experiences that contribute to career preparation and supplement your academic work. Continuing students who receive need-based financial aid and participate in an unpaid internship or research opportunity for 20 hours per week or more during the summer can apply for a Summer Savings Waiver Grant beginning June 1st. Availability of funding is not guaranteed. Decisions will be based on your financial need, date of application, and a review of your description of the opportunity and its relevance to your academic and career objectives.

If you are not eligible for need-based aid, a variety of options are available:

• Private scholarships
• Unsubsidized federal loans
• Federal Direct Parent PLUS loans
• Part-time campus employment
• Monthly payment plans

More information regarding payment options is available on our website.

We understand that things can change, and we want to provide you with the best possible financial aid offer based on your family’s current financial situation. Unexpected events like loss of income, death, major illness, and disabilities can affect a family’s financial circumstances. If financial circumstances affect your ability to afford Hopkins, we encourage you to request a reconsideration of your aid.

Summer is an optional period of enrollment, and our office is able to offer limited scholarship assistance to students who qualify for need-based aid. Since funds are limited for the summer semester, we cannot provide scholarship assistance to every student who applies. The summer aid application typically becomes available online in SIS in February each year and is due in mid-April. Since need-based scholarship funding is very limited, we encourage students to consider other options, including payment plans and work.

Students must be enrolled at least half-time (two courses or six credits) and have remaining eligibility from the academic year to receive federal loans during the summer. If you enroll less than half-time over the summer (typically just one course), you should consider other payment methods. If you’re registered for summer courses, but not eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, you will be waitlisted for assistance with summer funding. If additional funds become available, we will reach out to you with more information.

Although your bill will no longer include charges for on-campus room and meals, our financial aid offers are based on a cost of attendance that includes nine months of estimated living expenses. Our estimate for off-campus living is based on the assumption that you will share expenses with at least one roommate. On average, off-campus living costs about $4,500 less per year than on-campus housing and dining. If all other family circumstances remain the same, the lower cost of living off campus typically results in a smaller financial aid offer. What your family pays toward your overall education should not change, provided that your housing plans are at or below our estimate. If your total financial aid offer (excluding work study) is greater than tuition and fees, you will be eligible for a refund of the excess aid at the start of each semester. Financial aid is disbursed ten days before the start of each semester, provided all required documents have been submitted. We encourage you to have your first month’s rent paid in case your financial aid disbursement is delayed. Click here for more information about how moving off campus affects your financial aid.

Yes. If you’re currently eligible for need-based financial aid, you can request a Technology Grant to assist in the purchase of a computer. Technology Grants will only be offered once during a student’s undergraduate career and are subject to a funding cap of $2,000.

Students can submit a request using the Budget Adjustment Request form in the Student Information System. Price quotes or receipts should accompany all requests. Technology Grants will be considered for laptop or desktop computer costs and other peripherals (e.g., keyboard, mouse, headphones, external monitor). Tablets, phones, or other stand-alone technology will not be considered.

For help selecting a computer, we encourage you to check out the Student Laptop Purchase Program in the Technology Store for recommendations.

Hopkins requires all full-time students in the School of Arts & Sciences and Engineering to maintain adequate health coverage. You will be automatically enrolled in the university-sponsored health insurance plan, and the premium will be charged to your account unless proof of comparable health insurance is provided. Student Financial Support provides limited funding to cover the cost of the insurance premium for eligible students, subject to the availability of funds. Our office will automatically determine eligibility for the health insurance waiver based on your financial aid eligibility. There is no separate application. We typically offer health insurance waiver funds in October each academic year.

If you’re approved to study abroad, you can use your financial aid to help pay for the cost of the semester(s) abroad. Your funding will be adjusted to align with the cost of the study abroad program. Hopkins Scholarship eligibility is capped at the total cost of attending Hopkins. This means that if you select a study abroad program that is more expensive than Hopkins, you will not receive additional funding. However, eligibility for federal and private loans is based on total program costs. Click here for more information.

Cost of attendance for RAs includes tuition, the value of a single room, personal expenses, books and supplies, and travel. Meals will not be included in the cost of attendance, and the charge for the Anytime Dining meal plan will be waived for all RAs. Since waived costs result in a lower overall cost of attendance, financial aid offers will be proportionally lower for financial aid recipients. Actual offers will vary according to financial need.

RAs will have the cost of a single room covered by Hopkins. The charge will appear on your bill but will immediately be covered by a credit offsetting that charge. This benefit is considered non-taxable income and is not subject to withholding. Financial aid recipients who become RAs in their sophomore year will need to report earnings from the stipend and the value of the room and meal benefits as non-taxable income on the FAFSA and CSS Profile they submit in their senior year. This can impact eligibility for federal aid programs. Click here to learn more about becoming an RA.

If you require a ninth semester of institutional scholarship funding, request support from your assistant dean for academic advising. Ninth-semester Hopkins Scholarships are only offered to students who must complete a ninth semester because of circumstances in their academic career at Hopkins beyond their control—not for resolving bad grades, taking accelerated coursework, or completing a second major.

You’re considered a graduate student once you are accepted to a program and have completed either all of your undergraduate degree requirements or eight semesters of full-time undergraduate study, whichever comes first. Graduate students are not eligible for Hopkins Scholarship funding, although they can receive tuition support directly from their academic department.

You must meet the criteria outlined in the policy for Satisfactory Academic Progress to continue receiving need-based financial aid. An appeal process is available if special circumstances have impacted your academic performance. Merit scholarships, like the Hodson Trust Scholarship or Charles R. Westgate Scholarship in Engineering, require a 3.0 GPA for renewal. Clark Scholars are expected to maintain a 3.2 GPA.

If you withdraw, are dismissed, or begin a leave of absence before completing more than 60% of the semester, eligibility for federal aid must be recalculated in compliance with the Return of Title IV Funds Policy. If you receive institutional scholarship funding, your Hopkins Scholarship will be reduced by the same percentage as any tuition refund you receive. Any adjustments to your tuition, room, and meal charges will be calculated according to the Refund Policy in the undergraduate catalog.

You must be enrolled at least half-time (two courses or six credits for undergraduates) to receive federal loans. A change to your enrollment status can result in the adjustment and/or cancellation of your aid, depending upon the timing of the change and your plan for the rest of the semester.

If your financial aid file is complete (all documents and outstanding requirements were submitted on or before our published deadlines) and you are entitled to a refund of excess federal student aid funds, you should receive your refund in time to buy required books and supplies during the first week of a term. Students enrolled in modules and/or courses that do not begin within seven days of the start of the term may not receive their aid until they actually begin class. To ensure timely receipt of your refund, be sure to choose the method to receive your refund as soon as possible. If your refund is delayed, contact the Office of Student Financial Services about obtaining emergency funds to purchase required books and supplies for the term.

Student Financial Support provides a semester local travel grant to help students with the cost of traveling to and from a local, part-time job, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder students from making impactful contributions to the community.

Eligibility:

• Students must already be receiving need-based financial aid from Johns Hopkins University.
• The position must be off campus
• Funding is limited, and students with an off-campus community service Federal Work-Study position will be given priority.

Grant Amount: Eligible students can apply for a travel grant of $150 per month, totaling $675 for a typical 4.5-month semester. This amount is based on the cost of a monthly MTA pass in the Baltimore area, as well as the occasional use of ride-share services like Uber and Lyft.

Application Process:

1. Students who are already confirmed to be using their Federal Work-Study award in an off-campus community service role will be automatically awarded the Local Travel Grant (no separate application is required).  Awards will be made in the fall and spring upon confirmation of employment and will be visible in SIS.
2. All other eligible students must submit a request online at https://support.sis.jhu.edu/find-answers/financial-aid/work-study .
   • Provide a statement detailing your off-campus community service role, start date, employer, organization address and supervisor name.

Review & Disbursement:

• Applications will be reviewed throughout the academic year.  Disbursements will be made at the beginning of each term.
• Funds are limited, and students in community service roles, especially those involved in reading/math tutoring, mentoring, or post-secondary advising, will be given first priority.
• If approved, the grant amount will be disbursed directly to the student’s account.

Note: Students are encouraged to utilize public transportation when possible.

Deadline: While there is no hard and fast deadline, we encourage students to submit their applications by the end of the add/drop period each semester, and awards may be prorated based on actual employment start date.  For any questions or further information, please contact the Office of Student Financial Support.

Yes. The Hopkins Food Pantry was founded to help address food insecurity for all Hopkins affiliates. The Food Pantry works in partnership with the Maryland Food Bank to ensure JHU affiliates have the opportunity to succeed.

As an institution that meets 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted students, the FAFSA Simplification will not affect the amount of need-based scholarships we offer to a student, regardless of which decision plan you are applying (Early Decision I, Early Decision II, or Regular Decision).  

International applicants do not submit the FAFSA and will not be affected by the changes. You will still have to submit the CSS Profile and Certification of Finances (COF) by the required deadlines.

Yes. If you’re admitted through Early Decision I, you will still receive a financial aid offer with your admissions decision in December as long as you have completed the CSS Profile.

After we receive your FAFSA, your total amount of financial aid offered will remain the same and still come from need-based scholarships that don’t need to be paid back. However, the amount of money that comes from the federal government (as determined by the FAFSA) or directly from Hopkins (as determined by the CSS Profile) may change, but both amounts will still add up to the total financial aid offered.

For example, if the FAFSA determines you are eligible for a federal grant, we will reduce the Hopkins scholarship by the same amount to remain at the total financial aid offered.

Yes. We encourage you to use our financial aid estimators—MyinTuition and the Net Price Calculator—to get a ballpark estimate of your college costs and estimated financial aid offer before applying.  

These tools will still work to give you a general idea of college costs. Keep in mind that the official financial aid review is more comprehensive than the estimator tools, so your financial aid offer may look different from the estimates.

The FAFSA application will be available December 31 to complete.

Financial aid offers for returning students will be available to view mid-June on the Student Information System (SIS) Self-Service page.

Student and parents can sign up for an FSA ID prior to the FAFSA application’s release on December 31. We highly encourage you to complete this step ahead of time to avoid any processing delays.

Starting with 2024-25, a dependent student’s parent of record (if the parents are divorced or separated) is the parent who provided the most financial support during the 12-month period prior to filing the FAFSA. If both parents provide equal support, the parent of record is the parent with the higher income or assets. Which parent the student lived with the most does not determine the parent of record.

The Department of Education is currently developing a process for contributors without Social Security Numbers or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to create FSA IDs. The process will include identity confirmation with an outside agency such as one of the three major credit bureaus. The process should be available before the 2024-25 FAFSA is released.