Prospective First Year Applicants (Domestic)
Prospective international and undocumented applicants should click here.
Dickinson's FAFSA code is 003253.
Applicants who wish to apply for federal financial aid only, including the PLUS Loan (i.e. no need-based Dickinson grant assistance), only need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is free and there is no fee for its submission or processing. Submitting the FAFSA is required to access federal aid and most state grant programs. The 2025-26 FAFSA will be released on a limited basis in October and fully available by December 1st.
We encourage all 2025-26 prospective students who would like Federal Financial Aid, to submit their FAFSA by March 1st.
Most income items for the 2025-26 year can be found on a U.S. income tax return and will be imported to the FAFSA application using the FA-Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX), eliminating the need for the applicant to self-report most income. Applicants for federal aid only may also be asked at a later date to send signed copies of student and parent Federal Tax Returns, including all schedules and W-2s directly to the Office of Financial Aid.
Applicants applying for Dickinson need-based grant assistance and federal/state aid should complete BOTH the CSS Profile and the FAFSA.
FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION STEPS
Follow the steps below if you are a domestic student applying for need-based grant aid from Dickinson for the 2025-26 academic year. Because financial aid from Dickinson is awarded on a funds-available basis, all materials must be received by the appropriate admission deadline for institutional need-based aid consideration:
| Admission Program | Admission and F.A. Postmark Deadline | Admission Decision and F.A. Notification |
|---|---|---|
| Early Decision I | November 15 | Mid-December |
| Early Decision II | January 15 | Late February |
| Regular Decision | January 15 | Late March |
Step 1: Submit the 2025-26 College Scholarship Service Financial Aid Profile (CSS Profile) to Dickinson using code # 2186 - available after September 18, 2024. Applicants applying for federal or state aid only (not Dickinson need-based assistance) do not need to complete the CSS Profile. We encourage all first time applicants to review the CSS Profile FAQs, before completing the CSS Profile.
Step 2: Complete the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The 25-26 FAFSA is now available to be completed. We encourage all 2025-26 prospective students who would like Federal Financial Aid, to submit their FAFSA by January 15th. Due to the drastic changes in the FAFSA last year, we do recommend reviewing our FAFSA Simplification webpage. Dickinson's FAFSA code is 003253.
Step 3: Submit copies of applicant and parent Federal Tax Returns for tax year 2023, along with all accompanying schedules and W-2 forms, to IDOC. Dickinson has contracted with the College Board to collect tax returns and other verification documents through their IDOC service. Applicants who have filed the Profile will receive an email from IDOC with instructions for completing this requirement. If you have not used IDOC before, we encourage applicants and their parents to review the FAQ's inside the IDOC Student Portal. Learn More.
Step 4: Check if any supplemental applications are required for state grants or scholarships.
Step 5: Inform the Office of Financial Aid of any outside scholarship(s), tuition benefits, or VA benefits that the applicant will be receiving.
Other Important Information
Please note, if the applicant's natural parents are divorced, separated or never married, both households will be instructed to fill out a separate CSS Profile. Detailed submission instructions are provided to the applicant during the Profile registration. Both forms must be submitted by the admission deadline.
Please note – when submitting a federal tax return, the return must be either ink signed, electronically signed with a stylus, or a tax preparer must provide his or her name and SSN, EIN, or PTIN on the document. According to the Federal Department of Education, "Form 8879, the IRS e-file Signature Authorization, is not an acceptable substitute for a signature on the tax return."
Students must reapply for need-based aid each year. In order to receive financial aid, a student must maintain satisfactory academic progress, apply on time, and continue to demonstrate financial need.
Students and parents can submit electronic files to the Office of Financial Aid by using our Secure Document Upload Form.
For information about potential scholarship opportunities awarded by our Admissions Office, please click here.