Frequently Asked Questions

You must file the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile and the FAFSA by the appropriate deadline. You may file the CSS Profile as early as Oct. 1. For detailed information, see Apply For Financial Aid. Remember, you must meet our filing deadlines in order to be considered for College-funded aid.

Yes. Students who are applying for need-based financial aid from Lafayette College will be prompted to provide additional documentation upon submission of the CSS Profile. You must send all required documents through the College Board’s IDOC service. Since each application is unique, instructions and requirements will be provided once you submit the CSS Profile.

The FAFSA must be completed with information from your custodial parent only. The custodial parent is defined by the federal government as the parent who provided the greater portion of the student’s financial support during the 12 months immediately prior to filing the form.

The CSS Profile must be completed by the student and custodial parent (as defined above) using the student’s College Board login credentials.* The non-custodial parent will submit the CSS Profile for Noncustodial Parent by creating their own login credentials and application.

If your family unit includes a stepparent(s), the demographic and financial information of the stepparent(s) will be required where indicated on both the CSS Profile and the FAFSA. Rest assured that a contribution is not expected from more than two parents.

*If both of your parents have access to your College Board account, you should change your password so your parents’ financial information will remain private.

Lafayette College guarantees to meet the demonstrated financial need of all accepted students who submit the CSS Profile and FASFA by the appropriate deadlines regardless of whether the applications are submitted for Early Decision or Regular Decision.

Beginning with students entering the College in the 2024-2025 academic year, we will replace offered federal loans with grant funding for domestic students with a total family income of $200,000 or less and with typical family assets for their income levels.

Total family income is calculated using taxable income, including wages, interest, and business income, plus untaxed income, like child support, social security, and pension distributions. Business income includes income generated from sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, and rental income. Losses are added back into income, including business losses, capital losses, and depreciation on real estate and/or rental property.

Assets include: cash, savings, and checking accounts, investments, equity in your home and the net worth of your business. Retirement accounts are not considered.

Students who entered the College in the 2022-2023 or 2023-24 academic years fall under the previous No Loan Initiative, which replaces offered federal loans with grant funding for domestic students with a total family income $150,000 or less and with typical family assets for their income levels.

There is no automatic cutoff for financial aid eligibility since the analysis goes beyond income and asset information. Other factors that are considered include number of family members, number of siblings in college, medical/dental expenses, home mortgages, and any other special circumstances that are individual to your family. Typically, the higher your parents’ income, the lower the need level. Our Net Price Calculator is a helpful tool to help you estimate the funding for which you may qualify.

Students applying for admission to Lafayette College: You can check the status of your financial aid application online using the application portal.

Returning students: Use the My Lafayette College portal.

If you have questions about the outstanding items on your checklist, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 610-330-5055.

Students applying for admission to Lafayette College:  Your financial aid package is posted on the application portal and is available for you to view once application decisions have been released.

Returning students: Check your Lafayette email for a notification from the Office of Financial Aid. You can also access your financial aid award for the upcoming year via your My Lafayette College portal after June 1.

Federal and state grants are applied to your demonstrated financial need before institutional need-based grant funding. If you receive federal and/or state grant funding after receiving your financial aid award from Lafayette College, the institutional grant portion of your award will be replaced with the federal and/or state grant.  Read more about the grant policies.

Students are encouraged to visit our International Applicant FAQ to learn more about the nuances of the application and financial aid for international students.

Once your award has been made available to you via the College portal My Lafayette, you can accept or decline the federal loans and/or work study components that may have been offered to you. All grant funding, whether it is need-based or merit-based, automatically will be accepted on the student’s behalf.

If your family has experienced a significant reduction in income due to extenuating circumstances, you have the option to appeal. Please contact the Office of Financial aid at financialaid@lafayette.edu or 610-330-5055 to discuss the appeal process.  Appeals cannot be considered without the requested supporting documentation. Appeals are considered based on the significance of your circumstances and the availability of funds.

Please reference the policies and procedures webpage to learn more.

To schedule an appointment with a financial aid director, please contact our office at 610-330-5055 or email financialaid@lafayette.edu.

Please be prepared to provide the student’s full name, Reference ID or Student ID, and a brief description of your circumstances so that we can best accommodate your request.