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The Office of Student Financial Planning provides financial assistance through gift aid, work, and student loans. Because college scholarships are awarded based on financial need, parental information is required for all unmarried students under 30.

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Step 1: Apply for Aid

Current students must submit the following by April 1* for each academic year.

  • FAFSA (school code: 002711)

  • 25-26 Financial Aid Dashboard

    • Aid Selection (Gift Aid & Loans, Loans Only, Not Applying)

    • Student Survey and Student Statement of Personal Interests (if applying for gift aid)

  • Graduate Diversity Fellowship Program Application  (optional, upload using the Secure Document Upload Portal below)

  • Submit any additional requested documents to our office (required documents are listed on the Financial Aid Dashboard)

Secure Document Upload Portal

*You can still apply after the priority date of April 1 but may receive a delayed financial aid award offer.

Current Students

Health Professions Student Loan Recipients- a parent IRS Tax Transcript is required each year. 

The CSS Profile is not required for most returning students. If you have had a significant change in financial circumstances or are a first-time financial aid applicant, you may be requested to submit one later.

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Summer Loan Enrollment for Clinical Rotations 

Students enrolled in summer clinical rotations between the 3rd and 4th year are not charged tuition. However, they can request summer loans to cover living expenses. The maximum loan amount is $12,942. 

Applications open in April, and funds are disbursed in late May. To qualify, students must be enrolled in summer clinical rotations between their 3rd and 4th years. **Submit applications in April Only**. Funds will be disbursed no earlier than May 19th. Eligible students can complete the summer loan request form below:

Summer Loan Request Form

  • Unsubsidized Loan: Summer loans are processed as unsubsidized loans if students have not borrowed the annual maximum in the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan of $40,500 in the current academic year.

  • Grad PLUS loan: Summer loan requests are processed as Grad PLUS loans if students have exhausted their unsubsidized loan eligibility.

Check your award letter in Student Center for eligibility. Visit our website for current interest rates and origination fees. 

Step 2: Finalize Aid

  1. You must actively Accept Federal Loans or Work Study Awards.

  2. Review the financial aid summary you will receive.

  3. Calculate your actual expenses and compare them to the financial aid summary. We created this Budget Worksheet to help you limit borrowing when possible.

  4. If any needs are unmet, you may request a Grad PLUS Loan. 

  5. Sign up for direct deposit at the Bursar Services to receive refunds for living expenses.

Note for First-time Borrowers

  • Master promissory notes: The first time you are awarded loans as part of your financial aid package, you must sign a master promissory note (MPN) for your loans to disburse. All MPNs should be signed online before the beginning of the fall semester.

    • Health Professions Student Loan: Please go to the ECSI website

    • William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans: Please go to studentaid.gov and sign in to Manage My Direct Loan to access your MPN.

  • Entrance Counseling: This must be completed before the start of the fall semester to ensure loan disbursement for all first-time borrowers. All students must complete a one-time loan entrance counseling session online before any federal loan money can be disbursed. This should be done online at studentaid.gov in conjunction with signing the promissory notes for the loan.

Step 3: Read About Your Responsibilities

The Financial Aid Applicant's Responsibilities

As an applicant for financial aid, you have the responsibility to:

  • Stay informed about financial aid deadlines, and comply with requests for documentation by checking the Financial Aid Tracking Page, as well as reading email and postal mail messages.

  • Accurately complete your application(s) for student financial aid. Errors can result in long delays in your receipt of aid. Intentional misreporting of information on forms for federal financial aid is a violation of law and is considered a criminal offense subject to penalties under the U.S. Criminal Code.

  • Return all additional documentation, verification, corrections, and/or new information requested by the Financial Aid Office as promptly as possible. The college is required by federal law to have on file documentation of family resources and of any circumstances necessitating adjustment of a student's budget.

  • Read and understand all forms you are asked to sign and keep copies.

  • Attend required loan initiation and exit interviews. The college conducts loan initiation and exit interviews for all loan programs in which it participates, as required by federal law. These interviews ensure that all borrowers understand the obligation to repay student loans, avenues for seeking assistance if problems arise, and the consequences of failure to repay.

  • Accept responsibility for all agreements you sign. Signing a promissory note for a long-term loan initiates the disbursement of loan money. It signifies your acceptance of a moral and legal obligation to repay the loan after leaving college. Default on any federal loan or failure to repay a federally funded education grant disbursed for a period in which you were not enrolled makes you ineligible for all federal aid until due repayments are made.

  • Inform the College of Veterinary Medicine Financial Aid Office of any changes in your economic or financial circumstances. This includes any outside resources, (grants, assistantships, fellowships, earnings, loans, endowments, etc.) not counted when your application was initially reviewed and financial need determined.

  • Review the future costs of education loans annually and establish a personal education debt limit compatible with realistic income expectations.

  • Keep this college, your lender, and your loan guarantor informed of your enrollment status and your address at all times. Changes in enrollment status can affect financial aid eligibility and loan repayment schedules. Maintenance of contact with lenders is essential for any situation that deviates from the expected scholastic time schedule or loan repayment schedule. Keep your addresses (home, local, billing) updated with the university online at studentcenter.cornell.edu.

Financial aid applicants should be aware of our Financial Aid Policies.