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How to Apply

Prospective Transfer Applicants

If you are an international transfer applicant or an undocumented student, you can find additional information here.

Applicants who wish to apply for federal financial aid only, including the PLUS Loan (i.e. no need-based Dickinson grant assistance), need only 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 2024-25 FAFSA is now available to be completed. We recommend exploring the Federal Student Aid website, creating your FSA ID/studentaid.gov account, making any contributors create their FSA ID/studentaid.gov account, and reviewing our FAFSA Simplification webpage for any new updates. 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 Financial Aid Office.

Applicants applying for Dickinson need-based grant assistance and federal/state aid must complete 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 2024-25 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:

Semester Terms Admission and F.A. Postmark Deadline Admission Decision and F.A. Notification
Fall Term April 1 Mid-May
Spring Term November 1 Mid-December
Community College Partnership Fall Term March 1 Early April
Community College Partnership Spring Term October 1 Early November

Step 1: Submit the 2024-25 College Scholarship Service Financial Aid Profile (CSS Profile) to Dickinson using school code 2186 - available after October 1, 2023. 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 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA will collect 2022 tax information and be available to file on December 31, 2023. Dickinson's school code is 003253. Be sure to use (if able) the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to transfer the tax data directly from the IRS Website to the FAFSA.

Step 3: Submit copies of applicant and parent Federal Tax Returns for tax year 2022, 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. 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) or tuition 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 theFederal 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.