COSTS
COSTS
FINANCIAL AID
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(This site allows you to download required forms, check the status of your financial aid application, and more.) |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
INDIRECT EXPENSES
The total cost of a Boston College education includes both fixed, direct expenses and indirect expenses. The direct expenses for resident students include tuition, fees, room and board. Students are billed by Boston College for direct expenses minus any scholarships, grants, and loans awarded. The indirect expenses include the cost of books and supplies, as well as travel and personal expenses.
Additional fees for science and laboratories, art studios, music lessons, and health insurance may increase billed costs. Financial aid packages may also be adjusted for transportation expenses, which vary based on the location of the student's permanent residence.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
All international students who do not hold US citizenship or US Permanent Residency status (in possession of a Greencard) should make arrangements for their financial obligations to Boston College and for their entire stay in the United States before leaving their homelands. There is no financial aid of any kind available for these undergraduate international students at Boston College. The visa forms will be mailed to students once they have been accepted and have verified they can meet the financial obligations set by Boston College. All international students who do hold US citizenship or a Greencard are fully eligible to receive financial aid.
PAYMENT OF TUITION
Candidates accepted for admission are required to forward an Enrollment Confirmation Fee of $500. This nonrefundable fee will be applied toward the student's tuition in the second semester of senior year.
The enrollment confirmation payment must be received by the Office of Undergraduate Admission by May 1, 2010. Any student whose payments are received after this date will not be guaranteed a place in the freshman class. For information about this payment, contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission.
Tuition and fees for 2009-10 are payable semiannually on August 10 and December 15. A monthly installment payment plan is available. Tuition and fees for 2010-11 will be set by the Board of Trustees at the February 2009 board meeting.
Boston College requires that all undergraduate resident students be enrolled with Health Services, and a mandatory Health/Infirmary fee is listed on the tuition bill. Massachusetts law now requires all full-time students to be covered by medical insurance in order to be protected in case of hospitalization or other costly outside medical services.
APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID
Boston College offers a variety of grants, loans and employment to assist students in financing a Boston College education. All financial assistance, with the exception of the Presidential Scholars Program is awarded on the basis of need. Boston College is committed to providing funds to meet the full demonstrated need of every admitted student who has filed the required paperwork to apply for financial aid.
Overall, 62 percent of the Class of 2010 received some form of financial aid from Boston College. This assistance included more than $15.6 million in institutional need-based grants.
An application for financial aid will in no way influence an admission decision.
Need Analysis Documents
- Financial Aid applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA code number for Boston College is 002128.
- Students who wish to be considered for institutional grant funds should also complete the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile Application form. The CSS number for Boston College is 3083.
- All applicants must also submit copies of parent and student tax returns and W-2 statements.
- Other forms, such as the CSS Business/Farm Supplement and/or CSS Noncustodial Parent's Statement, may also be required.
Each of these required forms is fully explained in the following sections.
THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA)
The FAFSA is required in order to determine your eligibility for federal, state, and institutional financial assistance. You should indicate Boston College, Title IV Institution code number 002128, Chestnut Hill, MA, in the College Release and Certification Section. The FAFSA may be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.The form cannot be filed before January 1, 2010.
NOTE: Although figures from a 2009 Federal Income Tax return are preferred, due to early priority filing deadlines, it may be necessary to provide estimates on the FAFSA form. Do not delay filing the FAFSA until tax forms are completed. The processed FAFSA takes approximately four to six weeks to reach Boston College.
CSS PROFILE FORM
Any student who would like to be considered for Boston College grants and scholarships is also required to file the CSS Profile Form published by the College Scholarship Service (CSS). The Profile Registration Form is available online at http://profileonline.collegeboard.com. You should indicate Boston College, CSS Profile code number 3083, as a recipient of your information on the Profile Registration Form. There is a fee required for processing this form. All parental information is required to be completed on the Profile Application Form regardless of dependency status.
Students who choose not to file the Profile Form will be considered for federal funds only, and will not be considered for any Boston College grants or scholarships awarded by the Office of Student Services.
NOTE: Although figures from a 2009 Federal Income Tax return are preferred, due to early priority filing deadlines, it may be necessary to provide estimates on the Profile form. Do not delay filing Profile until tax forms are completed. The processed Profile form takes approximately two to four weeks to reach Boston College.
TAX RETURNS AND OTHER REQUIRED FORMS
Federal Tax Returns
In order to be considered for financial aid, all students, regardless of dependency status, must submit signed copies of their own and their parents' Federal Income Tax Returns, including all schedules and W-2 forms. The 2008 tax returns are due by the priority deadline in the chart above. The 2009 tax returns should be submitted as soon as they are completed and are due no later than April 17.
In cases where parents are divorced, separated, or were never married, the noncustodial parent's taxes, including all schedules and W-2 forms, must also be submitted using the same schedule of deadlines in order to be considered for Boston College grants and scholarships.
If the 2009 income will be significantly different than the income reported on the 2008 tax return, a letter of explanation should be submitted with the 2008 tax returns.
Students must also submit copies of their own 2009 federal tax returns by April 17.
Business/Farm Supplement
This form should be completed by families who derive/lose income from a business (schedule C/E, sole partnership, partnership and/or corporation) and returned to the Boston College Financial Aid Processing Center with a signed copy of the most recent Federal Tax return filed for business, including all schedules and forms. The Business/Farm Supplement (PDF) can be downloaded at www.bc.edu/studentservices under FORMS or you can obtain the form by completing the PROFILE.
Noncustodial Parent's Statement
In cases where the parents are divorced, separated, or were never married, the Noncustodial Parent's Statement is required for any student who would like to be considered for Boston College grants and scholarships. In the fall of 2004, CSS introduced a web-based application process for the Noncustodial Parent's Statement. Instructions regarding this process will be provided when you complete the PROFILE.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Once the Office of Student Services has received the appropriate forms and has been notified by the Office of Undergraduate Admission that the student will be admitted, the application is reviewed, and a conditional award is prepared. The conditional financial aid award letter is mailed with the admission decision. If the appropriate forms have not been received by the time offers of admission have been made, a financial aid offer will not accompany the admission decision. The conditional award will be based on the financial aid application materials on file at the time the award is prepared, and is subject to change once the 2008 tax return and other documents are received. Changes in calculated financial need may result in adjustments in the aid award. Students applying after the priority deadlines listed in the chart above will be notified as soon as their file has been evaluated.
A final review of each student's application for financial aid is conducted commencing in May and continuing throughout the summer. All information initially provided will be validated against actual tax information and the information contained in other requested documents. Any discrepancies discovered during the validation process may result in adjustment of the amount of assistance offered.
OTHER SOURCES OF AID
In addition to the financial aid available at Boston College, students are encouraged to seek other sources of assistance. Corporations, foundations, service organizations, church groups, parent and school associations, etc., sponsor numerous educational assistance programs. Students can locate many of these through some of the Internet's free scholarship search engines, including www.fastweb.com and www.scholarshiphunter.com. If a student receives funds from an outside source, Boston College may be required to adjust its awards to ensure that all resources fit within demonstrated financial need.
Information on various financing options, including loans and monthly payment plans, is sent to all applicants after acceptance. Other national or local financing plans are also acceptable, provided payment is made to the University before billing due dates.
ROTC
Army, Navy and Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programs offer substantial financial aid opportunities for qualified and selected individuals.
Army ROTC has an Extension Center on the Boston College campus and offers full-tuition scholarships with additional BC incentives. More information can be found at http://www.bc.edu/rotc or (617)-552-2580.
Navy ROTC (617-353-0474), providing full-tuition scholarships, and Air Force ROTC (617-353-4705), providing partial scholarships are based/hosted at Boston University.