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Applying for Financial Aid

Financial assistance is provided by the Office of Student Financial Planning 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 age 30.

$4M
in scholarships awarded annually to the DVM program

65-70%
of students receive a scholarship each year

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Step 1: Apply for Aid

Priority Deadline: February 28

To be considered for institutional gift aid, submit the following:

Important: Parental data is required for all unmarried students under age 30 to be considered for gift aid. 

Secure Document Upload Portal

* We want you to have all the information you need before making the choice to attend Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Meeting the application priority date will ensure that your financial aid is available prior to the decision deadline. You can still apply after the priority date but may receive a delayed financial aid award offer as a result

Step 2: Finalize Aid

A) You must actively Accept Federal Loans or Work Study Awards.

B) Review Your Financial Aid Summary: Carefully review the financial aid summary you receive from the Office of Financial Aid. This summary outlines the aid you’ve been offered and what you’ve accepted.

C) Calculate Your Actual Expenses: Use your financial aid summary to estimate your total cost of attendance and compare your aid to your actual expenses (tuition, housing, food, books, etc.). Use the Budget Worksheet to help you plan and limit borrowing when possible.

D) Request Additional Aid (If needed): If your aid does not fully cover your expenses, you may apply for a private loan to cover any unmet needs. 

E) Sign Up for Direct Deposit: To receive any refunds for living expenses, sign up for Direct Deposit through Bursar Services. This ensures faster and more secure delivery of your funds.

First-Time Borrowers

If this is your first time borrowing federal loans at the College of Veterinary Medicine, you must visit studentaid.gov to complete the following before any federal loan can be disbursed:

  • Master Promissory Notes (MPN)

  • Entrance Counseling: All students must complete a one-time loan entrance counseling session online in conjunction with signing the promissory notes for the loan.

**All MPNs must be signed online before the start of the fall semester. ** 

HPSL Recipients

If you are receiving a Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL), you must complete:

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

  • The annual Regulation Z Disclosure requirement:

    • You will receive an email from Heartland ECSI (webmaster@ecsi.net) with instructions.

    • This must be completed before the start of classes for your loan to be disbursed or refunded on time.

**There is a 3-day rescission period, so complete this step promptly. **

VA Benefit Recipients

If you are receiving Veteran Education Benefits, you must:

Step 3: Read About Your Responsibilities

Close-up of a person giving a high-five to a cat, with their hand and the cat’s paw touching

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.

**Expand below to learn more.**

The Financial Aid Applicant's Responsibilities

  • Read and understand all forms you are asked to sign and keep copies of them.
  • 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 are for the purpose of insuring that all borrowers understand the obligation to repay student loans, avenues for seeking assistance if problems arise and consequences of failure to repay.
  • Accept responsibility for all agreements you sign. The signing of a promissory note for a long-term loan initiates the disbursement of loan moneys and 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 at the time your application was originally reviewed and financial need determined.
  • Review annually the future costs of education loans and establish a personal education debt limit compatible with realistic income expectation.
  • 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) up to date with the university online at studentcenter.cornell.edu.

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