Applying for Aid | First-Years
Applying for financial aid is an important step in making an innovative, creative education possible.
How to Apply for Financial Aid
- Learn how to apply for admission. Deaf and hard-of-hearing students and NTID-supported students can learn more about how to apply to RIT/NTID as well. All applicants will be automatically considered for most RIT and RIT/NTID Scholarships.
- U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens may apply for Federal Aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and using RIT’s school code 002806.
- State Aid may be available from the state you reside in. The process varies state-to-state and requires a separate application.
- Get additional aid information if you are an NTID-Supported student receiving Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), an ROTC Student, or a Veteran/Military Family.
- Outside Aid Sources (non-RIT) are available to U.S. citizens, eligible non-citizens, and international students alike depending on your financial need. You may be eligible for additional scholarships or you may choose to take out alternative educational loans.
Contact us if you have questions or need help.
Contact Us about aidRecommended Filing Dates
2025-26 FAFSA
State Aid and Outside Aid Sources may have their own deadlines that vary.
I appreciate the RIT Financial Aid Office because of the consistency in service they provide. As a high school student before I committed to RIT, I received help from Judy Dumitru. Now, I still work with her on my plans to stay at RIT for my Master's degree. Having this consistent contact removed the intimidation of reaching out if I ever have a question.
- Hannah H.
Criminal Justice Major
RIT and RIT/NTID Aid
Money offered to you by RIT or RIT/NTID. May come in the form of scholarships, grants, and/or student employment.
Scholarships
Offer based on your academic and/or extracurricular merit. You are automatically considered for most RIT and RIT/NTID Scholarships just by applying for admission. Scholarships that require additional applications are the RIT Performing Arts Scholarship and the RIT/FIRST Scholarship.
Scholarships for RIT Students
Scholarships for NTID-Supported Students
Grants
Grants are need-based aid that you do not have to repay.
- For U.S. Citizens and eligible non-citizens, any need-based aid you receive is determined by your FAFSA results. This is one reason we recommend all students apply for Federal Aid. RIT does not use the CSS Profile.
- For international students, RIT offers limited need-based funding.
Student Employment
All RIT students are eligible to work as student employees. RIT employment offers indicate the total amount of money you may earn per semester. Students can use the RIT Job Search to find on-campus jobs and apply.
Federal Aid
Money offered to U.S. Citizens and eligible non-citizens by the Federal government. International students are not eligible for federal student aid. Federal aid may include Federal Grants, Federal Loans, and/or Federal Work Study.
Qualified students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to receive Federal Aid. RIT’s FAFSA school code is 002806. Here are some helpful videos as you complete the FAFSA:
Video: Why Do My Contributors and I Need Our Own StudentAid.gov Accounts for the FAFSA Form?
Video: What Does It Mean To Provide Consent and Approval on the FAFSA Form?
Video: What Happens After Submitting Your FAFSA Form?
We recommend all FAFSA-eligible students file the FAFSA, as there is no maximum income cap that determines a student's eligibility for aid.
Offered to you based on your financial need. You will not have to pay this money back.
Loans allow you and/or your parents to postpone paying a portion of your educational costs until after you graduate (or drop below half-time enrollment).
You can choose which loans to accept, and you are not required to take out all of the loans offered.
Work Study is a form of Student Employment. Work Study is offered based on your financial need, as determined by the FAFSA. Work Study offers indicate the total amount of money you may earn for personal expenses each semester. Students can use the RIT Job Search to find on-campus jobs and apply.
State Aid
State Aid opportunities, their application processes, and deadlines will vary from state-to-state. There may be Scholarships and/or Grants available from the state you reside in.
New York State Residents
Visit the NYS Higher Education Services Corporation website. There are a variety of aid opportunities available for New York state residents, including the Express Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).
Out-of-State Residents
Contact the state education department where you reside for information about eligibility.
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
Depending on your financial need, you may want to explore Outside Aid Sources. You may be eligible for additional scholarships or loans from outside institutions and banks to assist you in affording your education.
Outside Scholarships
Outside Scholarships are offered by private (non-RIT) organizations. We encourage all students to apply for outside scholarships since these are an excellent source of funding and may reduce the need to borrow loans. If you are receiving a scholarship from an outside source, regulations require that you notify the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. In many cases, no adjustments to a student’s financial aid offer are necessary.
Alternative Educational Loans
Alternative Educational Loans are private loans offered through banks to supplement financial aid offers. You may borrow through any lender of your choice as RIT does not maintain a preferred lender list. Many lending institutions require students to have a cosigner in order to apply for an alternative student loan. Carefully review all financing options prior to considering this type of loan.
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:
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.