Applying for Aid
To begin the financial aid process, you will want to review the following requirements for eligibility that are required for Federal financial aid:
- You must have been accepted to a degree-seeking program
- You are enrolled at least half-time per semester as defined by the Office of Student Services (half-time is 6 credits)
- You must not be in default on a Direct Federal Loan or Perkins Loan or need to pay a Federal grant overpayment
- You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
International Students
International students are not eligible for Federal financial aid. Visit the International Students page for more information.
How to Apply for Financial Aid
Preferred Filing Dates
- Continuing Graduate Students: March 7, 2022
- Continuing Law Students: March 7, 2022
- Summer Continuing Graduate and Law Students: February 4, 2022
- Incoming Graduate Students: February 4, 2022
- Incoming Law Students: February 4, 2022
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is used by Boston College to determine your federal aid eligibility.
Boston College’s school code is 002128.
- Available online after October 1
- Allow 2 weeks for processing
- The IRS Data Retrieval tool is a feature of the FAFSA that enables the automatic transfer of tax return data from the IRS directly to your online application. It is strongly encouraged that you use this feature if it is available to you. For more information, visit studentaid.gov/resources/irs-drt-text.
- Note: You will need an FSA ID to electronically sign your FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA. If you do not have or do not remember your FSA ID, visit studentaid.gov/fsa-id/sign-in/landing.
Do you meet any of the following requirements?
- applying for Summer Work Study
- in a Dual Degree program
- receiving a scholarship, employer tuition remission, or other aid to report?
If so, complete the Graduate/Law Supplemental Form.
If not, complete the Graduate Enrollment Form.
Only one form is required.
Preferred Filing Dates
- Continuing Graduate Students: March 5, 2021
- Continuing Law Students: March 5, 2021
- Summer Continuing Graduate and Law Students: February 4, 2021
- Incoming Graduate Students: February 4, 2021
- Incoming Law Students: February 4, 2021
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is used by Boston College to determine your federal aid eligibility.
Boston College’s school code is 002128.
- Available online after October 1
- Allow 2 weeks for processing
- The IRS Data Retrieval tool is a feature of the FAFSA that enables the automatic transfer of tax return data from the IRS directly to your online application. It is strongly encouraged that you use this feature if it is available to you. For more information, visit studentaid.gov/resources/irs-drt-text.
- Note: You will need an FSA ID to electronically sign your FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA. If you do not have or do not remember your FSA ID, visit studentaid.gov/fsa-id/sign-in/landing.
Do you meet any of the following requirements?
- applying for Summer Work Study
- in a Dual Degree program
- receiving a scholarship, employer tuition remission, or other aid to report?
If so, complete the Graduate/Law Supplemental Form.
If not, complete the Graduate Enrollment Form.
Only one form is required.
Submit all required documents to www.bc.edu/finaidupload.
Please note that it will take 48–72 hours for your documents to be added to your financial aid file.
Please remember to write your assigned Eagle ID Number on every page of all documents you submit.
Upload Limitations and Restrictions
- File size is limited to 5 MB per document. If your document exceeds this size, consider the following:
- Do not use a camera to create images of the documents
- Do not attempt to upload color copies
- Use a lower resolution setting when scanning documents
- Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and .tiff documents are not acceptable. Conversion options are usually available for any file type that is not in an accepted file format.
- Password-protected documents cannot be accepted
If you experience any issues while attempting to upload your documents, please contact the Office of Student Services at 1-800-294-0294 or at studentservices@bc.edu.
Documents may also be submitted to the following PO address as a secondary option:
Boston College Financial Aid Processing Center
PO Box 1482
Portsmouth, NH 03802
For Fall Enrollment
Submission Deadline
March 7
Award Notification
Mid-June
For Fall Enrollment
Submission Deadline
March 7
Award Notification
Mid-June
For Fall Enrollment
Submission Deadline
February 4
Award Notification
Early May
For Fall Enrollment
Submission Deadline
February 4
Award Notification
Mid-April
For Fall Enrollment
Submission Deadline
February 4
Award Notification
Mid-April
For Summer Work Enrollment
Submission Deadline
February 4
Award Notification
Early May
Note: this submission deadline is a hard deadline.
Boston College is committed to providing information in a manner that is accessible to all. If you are in need of a printed copy of the material presented on this web page, please contact the Office of Student Services.
Your Unique Situation
PrintLate Applicants
In order to be considered for Federal financial aid, your processed FAFSA must be received by BC before the end of the enrollment period. Application materials that are received after the following dates may not be processed and federal financial aid may not be received before the enrollment period is over.
Enrollment |
Application Deadline |
Summer only |
June 17, 2022 |
Summer and Fall only |
November 2, 2022 |
Academic year only (Fall and Spring) |
April 7, 2023 |
Consequences of Applying Late
- Aid may not arrive in time to pay bill or receive refund
- Aid may not arrive in time to pay for books and/or living expenses
- Incomplete applications will delay process
Summer Financial Aid
Federal financial aid for Boston College's summer sessions is limited to Federal Direct loans (Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS), Work-Study, and private educational loans. Graduate students must be enrolled at least half-time for summer in order to be considered for these funds.
Appeals
The Cost of Attendance (COA) increase appeal process allows the Boston College Graduate and Law Financial Aid team to review additional educational expenses incurred during your enrolled academic period. In order to appeal, students must receive aid up to their cost of attendance, and your expenses must exceed the living allowances listed on our Cost of Attendance page.
Increases to COA are limited and are based on federal regulations. These expenses may include:
- Rent, if it is above the amount included in the living expenses portion of the cost of attendance
- One-time computer purchase
- Dependent care expenses for dependents under the age of 16 (Note: please speak with your financial aid counselor first)
- Other expenses as listed on the appeal request form.
All requests must include supporting documentation for each expense. If you list expenses without any supporting documentation, the request will not be considered, and it will be automatically denied.
Note: the Graduate and Law Financial Aid Office may limit the amount of a student’s increase for any reason. If it is determined that the cost was not incurred during the current academic enrollment period or if it is not an allowable education-related expense, the request for an increase will be declined.
Cost of Attendance Increase Form (PDF)
The following is a list of items that are not allowable expenses:
- Costs incurred outside of the current academic year
- Costs incurred by anyone other than the student
- Outstanding student loan payments
- Automobile purchase or payments, including insurance
- Credit card payments or other consumer debt payments
- Moving expenses, including security deposits
- Child support and other child care expenses (except for day care)
- Legal fees or fines, including traffic tickets, parking tickets, or bail
- Veterinary costs
- Test preparation fees, or exam fees not related to the current academic program
Receipts for expenses must show the identity of the buyer, the identity of the vendor, the amount of the purchase, and the date.
The Graduate Financial Aid team will notify you by email within 7 business days whether or not your request was approved.
If approved, you may apply for additional federal and/or private loans to cover approved expenses. You may visit bc.edu/altloans for more information regarding private educational loans. Approval for an increase in your cost of attendance does not guarantee an approval for an additional loan.
If you have questions or concerns about an appeal, please contact your financial aid counselor in the Office of Student Services.
Financial Aid Application Status
Students are encouraged to monitor your financial aid status online before contacting Student Services. The following financial aid information is available online:
- Financial aid application document status
- Financial aid award status
- View your financial aid award
- Adjust your financial aid award
- Report outside scholarships
- Financial aid award history
How to Check the Status of Your Financial Aid Application
To check the status of your financial aid application you will need to complete the following steps:
- Go to bc.edu/finaidapp.
- Enter your Eagle ID and date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy).
- Click Submit.
- Select the award year to view the status of your financial aid documents.
If you have any questions, you may contact the Office of Student Services at (800) 294-0294, studentservices@bc.edu, or visit our location in Lyons Hall.
To check the status of your financial aid application you will need to complete the following steps:
- Log into bc.edu/myservices.
- Scroll down to the "Student Financial Services" tab.
- Click on "Application Status."
- Select the award year to view the status of your financial aid documents.
If you have any questions, you may contact the Office of Student Services at (800) 294-0294, studentservices@bc.edu, or visit our location Lyons Hall.
How to Check Your Financial Aid Award Information
Financial aid awards are released in the BC Applicant Status Portal. If you have trouble accessing your portal, please contact your Admissions Office.
To view your financial aid award information you will need to complete the following steps:
- Log into your BC Applicant Status Portal.
- Scroll down and select the "Check Your Financial Aid Status" dropdown.
- Follow the steps provided to view your financial aid award information.
If you have questions about your financial aid award, you may contact the Office of Student Services at (800) 294-0294, studentservices@bc.edu, or visit our location in Lyons Hall.
To view your financial aid award information you will need to perform the following steps:
- Log into bc.edu/myservices.
- Scroll down to the "Student Financial Services" tab.
- Click on "Financial Aid Award Notification."
- Select the Academic Year Period in the dropdown menu.
- Your financial aid award details will then appear, which includes residential status, cost of attendance, scheduled graduation term, and award file status.
If you have any questions, you may contact the Office of Student Services at (800) 294-0294, studentservices@bc.edu, or visit our location in Lyons Hall.