Financial Aid Application Requirements
Students must apply for financial aid to be considered for Colgate's need-based aid. Application form(s) are submitted for the year of intended enrollment and requirements for need-based aid vary based on your citizenship. Prospective students will be considered for Colgate's need-based aid only when they apply for financial aid before an admission decision is made.
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
The application is available online, October 1.
Colgate’s CSS Profile school code is 2086.
Eligible applicants will have the fee waived automatically. Domestic undergraduate students may submit CSS Profile for free if:
- Family adjusted gross income is up to $100,000
- The student qualified for an SAT fee waiver
- The student is an orphan or ward of the court under the age of 24
If your biological or adoptive parents live apart and are divorced, separated, or were never married to each other, each parent should submit a CSS PROFILE reflecting his/her household and financial situation.
Students under age 27 are considered dependent by Colgate University and parent information is required. It is anticipated that a student who matriculated as a dependent student will remain dependent for financial aid purposes throughout their enrollment at Colgate.
The application is available online, October 1.
Colgate’s FAFSA school code is 002701.
Create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) before completing the FAFSA.
If your biological or adoptive parents live apart and are divorced, separated, or were never married to each other, only your custodial parent needs to complete the FAFSA, reflecting only his/her household and financial situation.
Residents of New York State are encouraged to apply for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grant to supplement the generous financial aid offered by Colgate. To apply for TAP, follow the prompts at the end of the FAFSA or log onto tap.hesc.ny.gov.
Colgate’s TAP code is 0125.
International, Undocumented, and DACA Students
International students who do not receive Colgate Grant upon admission are not eligible for Colgate Grant in subsequent years.
The application is available online, October 1.
Colgate offers CSS Profile fee waiver codes to international applicants for whom submitting the CSS Profile will be a significant financial burden. After students submit their application to Colgate and it has been processed by the office, they may email internationaladmission@colgate.edu to request a fee waiver code for the CSS Profile. The deadline to make this request is January 15. The financial aid office is unable to accept paper or PDF copies of the CSS Profile.
If your biological or adoptive parents live apart and are divorced, separated, or were never married to each other, each parent should submit a CSS PROFILE reflecting his/her household and financial situation.
Students under age 27 are considered dependent by Colgate University and parent information is required. It is anticipated that a student who matriculated as a dependent student will remain dependent for financial aid purposes throughout their enrollment at Colgate.
Current Colgate Students
Domestic students receiving financial aid must reapply annually to continue to be considered for assistance.
Please note that, for the 2023-24 academic year, financial aid eligibility will be based on income information from tax year 2021. Continuing students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile as soon as possible in order to meet the November 30th deadline.
Students should log onto the Colgate portal to confirm receipt of financial aid application requirements and submit all missing financial aid materials in a timely manner.
All continuing students should be able to view their financial aid awards on their Colgate portal by early June 2023, provided that all required financial aid applications and documents have been received.
If there are significant changes in your family’s financial situation, please contact our office so that your change in circumstances can be taken into consideration when reviewing your financial aid eligibility.
Colgate’s CSS Profile school code is 2086.
Eligible applicants will have the fee waived automatically. Domestic undergraduate students may submit CSS Profile for free if:
- Family adjusted gross income is up to $100,000
- The student qualified for an SAT fee waiver
- The student is an orphan or ward of the court under the age of 24
If your biological or adoptive parents live apart and are divorced, separated, or were never married to each other, each parent should submit a CSS PROFILE reflecting his/her household and financial situation.
Students under age 27 are considered dependent by Colgate University and parent information is required. It is anticipated that a student who matriculated as a dependent student will remain dependent for financial aid purposes throughout their enrollment at Colgate.
Colgate’s FAFSA school code is 002701.
Create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) before completing the FAFSA.
If your biological or adoptive parents live apart and are divorced, separated, or were never married to each other, only your custodial parent needs to complete the FAFSA, reflecting only his/her household and financial situation.
Current Colgate Students - International, Undocumented, and DACA
International students currently receiving financial aid do not need to reapply for aid annually. Financial aid eligibility will automatically be reviewed based upon the initial application filed prior to enrollment.
International students who become U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens during their enrollment will thereafter be treated as domestic students and must reapply for aid annually.
International students who did not receive Colgate Grant upon admission are not eligible for Colgate Grant in subsequent years.
Additional Information
Financial aid application requirements are the same for both early decision and regular decision candidates, only the deadlines are different.
Applying for early decision does not impact eligibility to receive financial aid. Any regular decision or early decision candidate who applies for financial aid on time and demonstrates financial need will have their need met in full.
Colgate financial aid is awarded based on financial need; the university does not offer merit scholarships. Please read the policies that apply to your financial aid eligibility and financial aid award.
Colgate grant assistance is limited to eight semesters for students who enter as first-year students, regardless of whether or not they were aid recipients in any given term. Courses transferred to complete Colgate degree requirements will reduce this eligibility.
Domestic students applying only for federal student aid do not need to meet the deadlines noted above, and do not need to submit the CSS PROFILE. They may instead submit just the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at any time during, or in the months immediately preceding, the academic year for which they are seeking federal assistance.
Visiting students are not eligible for financial aid from Colgate and should continue to receive their home institution's financial aid when appropriate.
Additional financial aid application requirements may be added if your application is selected for federal or institutional verification. Students should log onto the Applicant Portal to confirm receipt of financial aid application requirements and submit all missing financial aid materials in a timely manner.