Applying for Aid | Current Students
Current Students
Applying for Aid
As a current RIT student, there are a few steps to take advantage of all aid opportunities for the upcoming year.
You are a current..
Undergraduate
Student Graduate
Students
Contact us if you have questions or need help.
Contact Us about aidFAFSA Preferred Filing Date for All Current Students
April 1
Financial aid offer notification begins in late spring.
State Aid and Outside Aid Sources may have their own deadlines that vary.
Current Undergraduate Students
How to Renew Aid
- U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens should first re-apply for Federal Student Aid and Federal Loans every year by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and using RIT’s school code 002806.
- All undergraduate students will be automatically reconsidered for their RIT and RIT/NTID Aid when re-enrolling for the upcoming year. U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens must file the FAFSA yearly for the renewal of RIT Grants and other need-based funding. International students would not re-apply for need-based aid from RIT.
- RIT does not charge tuition for enrollment while on co-op. FAFSA-eligible undergraduate students who file the FAFSA can qualify to receive federal student loans, and possibly federal Pell Grant funding, during periods of enrollment in co-ops. For federal funding to disburse to your account, you must register your co-op on the Registrar's system and report your co-op with the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education.
- Additional Aid may be available from a student’s state of residence or other outside (non-RIT) sources. If you have previously received additional aid such as an outside scholarship, an alternative educational loan, ROTC Benefits, Veteran/Military Benefits, or are an NTID-Supported student who received Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), you may need to re-apply. Processes will vary and students should always consult with the source.
RIT and RIT/NTID Aid for Undergraduates
RIT Scholarships
Your merit scholarships will be automatically renewed each year unless you were notified otherwise.
Scholarships for RIT Students
Scholarships for NTID-Supported Students
For U.S. Citizens and eligible non-citizens, any need-based aid you receive is determined by the results of your FAFSA for the upcoming year. If you have previously received an RIT Grant, you will still need to re-submit the FAFSA for the upcoming year.
If you worked as a Student Employee previously, you will need to be re-hired to keep your position in the upcoming year. Talk to your supervisor about steps to take to be re-hired. If you have not been re-hired or are interested in a different position, visit the Student Employment Office website for assistance.
Current Graduate Students
How to Renew Aid
- U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens should re-apply for Federal Student Loans every year by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and using RIT’s school code 002806.
- Our office will be notified by your academic department whether to renew your graduate scholarship and/or tuition remission funding for the upcoming year. Contact your graduate program coordinator if you have any questions pertaining to the renewal criteria for your scholarships and/or tuition remission funding. Students in Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's programs (BS/MS and BS/ME) will have their aid renewed upon confirmation of their enrollment for the upcoming term.
- RIT does not charge tuition for enrollment while on co-op. FAFSA-eligible graduate students who file the FAFSA can qualify to receive federal student funding during periods of enrollment in co-ops. For federal funding to disburse to your account, you must register your co-op on the Registrar's system and report your co-op with the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education.
- Additional Aid may be available from a student’s state of residence or other outside (non-RIT) sources. If you have previously received additional aid such as an outside scholarship, an alternative educational loan, Veteran/Military Benefits or are an NTID-Supported student who received Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), you may need to re-apply. Processes will vary and students should always consult with the source.
Types of Aid
Federal Student Loan Eligibility
The most crucial step in the financial aid process for current students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens is to re-apply for federal aid every year with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). RIT’s FAFSA school code is 002806.
We strongly recommend all FAFSA-eligible students file the FAFSA every year, as there is no maximum income cap that determines a student's eligibility for aid. If students do not file a new FAFSA, they will not be eligible to receive federal aid for the upcoming year.
Federal student loan funding will be offered to students who file the FAFSA and are anticipated to be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours of coursework per semester or enrolled in a co-op.
Undergraduate Grants
Undergraduate and Graduate Federal Loans
Meeting Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
SAP measures your semester GPA, cumulative GPA, and progress toward your degree. You must meet the minimum requirements in order to remain eligible for some Federal Aid programs.
Additional Aid
State Grants
You may be eligible for additional scholarships and grants from your state of residence. If you have previously received State Aid, you may need to re-apply. This will vary state-to-state.
New York State Higher Education Services Corporation website
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Assistance
VR (also known in some states as ACCES-VR, DVR, MRC, and OVR) is provided by state agencies to residents who meet specific requirements. If you appear to be a candidate for support we will estimate the amount of VR support in your financial aid offer. There is no national standard for determining VR support. Each state agency has its own method for determining awards. Contact the VR Office nearest your home, using this state-by-state directory, for more information. If the actual amount of support you receive is different from the estimated amount on your financial aid offer please provide us with confirmation from your VR counselor. You may provide the Confirmation of VR Support form to your VR counselor and return it to us via our secure file uploader.
Outside Aid Sources
There are even more scholarship opportunities from outside sources. If you’ve previously received outside scholarship(s), you may need to re-apply. Check with your provider(s) to take the necessary steps to receive aid for the upcoming year.
View a list of scholarship resources
Depending on your financial need, you may elect to take out loans from an outside source. If you have already taken out alternative education loans and need to adjust the amount for the upcoming year, talk to your provider.
View additional details about alternative educational loans and a list of common lenders
We always recommend filing the FAFSA first. Federal loans typically have lower interest rates than outside sources.
Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degrees
RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees are for our most highly focused, goal-oriented students. These pathways enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in less time through the double counting of credits, or specified graduate course waivers.
Your financial aid will change over the course of a Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degree program. When you are enrolled as an undergraduate student, you will be billed undergraduate tuition and fees rates, and receive undergraduate financial aid. Once you advance to graduate status, your tuition, fees, and financial aid switch to graduate tuition and aid and your undergraduate financial aid will no longer apply.
You can view more details about the change in financial aid for a specific program:
Other Aid Categories
Summer Term
Financial aid is available for students enrolled during Summer term, just like Fall and Spring terms. Summer term marks the beginning of a new financial aid year (unlike the academic year, which ends with summer).
To determine what Summer Term Aid you may be eligible for, fill out the FAFSA for the upcoming year and enroll in the courses you are planning to complete.
Graduation
When your time at RIT is coming to an end, it’s important to make a plan for your finances.
If you have any Federal Loans, you will need to:
- Complete Federal Loan Exit Counseling through your eServices portal
- Choose a Loan Repayment Plan by contacting your federal student loan servicer. If you are unaware of who your student loan servicer is visit your account dashboard on studentaid.gov and scroll down to “My Loan Servicers”.
- you can log on to StudentAid.gov using your FSA ID (the same one you use to file a FAFSA) to look up the name and contact information of your servicer.
NSLDS will not have any information pertaining to alternative (non-federal) student loans. If you borrowed from an alternative educational loan lender, you will need to contact them directly to confirm your repayment schedule. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships may be able to assist you if you cannot recall who your alternative educational loan lender is.
We also recommend utilizing our Money Matter$ Financial Literacy resources to learn financial skills to help you create a budget, manage your personal finances, and understand how loan interest accrues.
Forms and Resources
We’ve collected the forms you may need to submit when applying for financial aid. All forms require at least one signature. Digital and electronic signatures are not acceptable.
To view forms, we recommend you have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (you can download it for free).
The best way to submit forms is through our secure file upload, which protects your privacy and confidential information. We do not accept any forms or documentation via email.
Forms may also be mailed to our office. Find our address in the Contact section.
Additional resources are available if you need help determining your financial need, understanding financial aid terms, and more.