Applying for Aid

Boston College awards need-based financial aid. You are eligible to apply for need-based aid if you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. We do not offer merit financial aid. You must submit all required documents to:

Boston College Financial Aid Processing Center
P.O. Box 67486
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

Please write the student's eagle number on each page submitted.

2019–2020 Financial Aid

• The Financial aid priority filing date is February 1, 2019.
• Financial aid applications completed after the priority filing date may be considered late and will be reviewed as time and funds permit.
• Late applications will be reviewed only after all on-time, completed applications have been reviewed.
• Financial aid award notifications will be released on My Services late June. Note: This release date is later than the award notification received as an incoming freshman.
• Please check your financial aid application status online for your specific required documents at www.bc.edu/finaidapp.
   

To apply for federal and/or state aid, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), using your FSA ID. Federal aid includes Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Direct Loans, both subsidized and unsubsidized, Nursing loans, and Work-Study. State aid varies by state. Once the FAFSA is completed, you may be selected by the Federal Processor for a process called V​erification, which means you will have ​to provide additional requirements to verify actual tax data​. For more information, visit the Verification tab on this page.

Priority Filing Deadlines

Please note that by completing only the FAFSA, Boston College is not able to determine your eligibility for institutional need-based grants. In order to be considered for all institutional need-based aid as well as all federal and state aid, you must complete the FAFSA and the forms listed above, if applicable to your situation.

To check the status of your financial aid application you will need to do the following steps:

1. Go to www.bc.edu/finaidapp.
2. Enter your Eagle ID and date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy).
3. Click Submit.
4. Select the award year to view the status of your financial aid documents.
   

** If you are an admitted student, you can also follow these steps:

1. Log into www.bc.edu/myservices.
2. Under the "My Services" tab, scroll down to "Financial Aid."
3. Click on "Application Status."
4. Select the award year to view the status of your financial aid documents.
   

To view your financial aid award information you will need to do the following steps:

1. Log into www.bc.edu/myservices.
2. Under the "My Services" tab, scroll down to "Financial Aid."
3. Click on "Financial Aid Award Notification."
4. Enter your financial aid access key.
5. Select the Academic Year Period in the drop down menu.
6. 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.

To check the status of your financial aid application you will need to do the following steps:

1. Log into www.bc.edu/myservices.
2. Under the "My Services" tab, scroll down to "Financial Aid."
3. Click on "Application Status."
4. Select the award year to view the status of your financial aid documents.
   

To view your financial aid award information you will need to do the following steps:

1. Log into www.bc.edu/myservices.
2. Under the "My Services" tab, scroll down to "Financial Aid."
3. Click on "Financial Aid Award Notification."
4. Select the Academic Year Period in the drop down menu.
5. 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 Lyons Hall.

Verification is the process used to confirm that the data reported on your FAFSA is accurate. If you are selected for federal verification by the Department of Education, this will be indicated on your Student Aid Reported (SAR), which will be e-mailed to you after submission of your 2019–2020 FAFSA. If your FAFSA was selected for verification, students and parents can complete this process by providing the following information:

• Tax account information transferred from the IRS using the FAFSA IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT) and/or a tax return transcript from the IRS continues to be acceptable documentation; however, a signed copy of the 2017 federal tax return is also acceptable to fulfill verification requirements. For more information, visit the IRS Verification Process dropdown below.
• If you have not and are not required to file a 2017 federal tax return, you will need to provide an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter along with copies of your W-2 forms from all employers that paid wages in 2017, and an Income Tax Non-Filer Verification form. The IRS Verification of Non-Filing letter is required of parents (of dependent students) who did not file a tax return as well as independent students and/or their spouse who did not file a tax return. Dependent students who did not file a tax return are not required to submit an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter. For more information, visit the IRS Verification Process dropdown below.
• Additional documentation may be required for some to verify:
  • SNAP Benefits
  • Child Support Paid
  • Untaxed Income
  • High School Completion Status
  • Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose​
     

Please note: Copies of your federal tax returns, along with all schedules and W-2 forms, still must be submitted directly to the Boston College Financial Aid Processing Center as part of the standard financial aid application process, even if your FAFSA was not selected for verification.  

Boston College Financial Aid Processing Center
P.O. Box 67486
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

IRS Data Retrival Tool

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT) allows students and parents to electronically transfer their IRS tax return information into the FAFSA. The IRS DRT, if successfully matched, is one method used to complete the FAFSA Verification process.

We strongly encourage you to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool during the initial filing of your FAFSA. Families must actively choose to utilize the IRS DRT by clicking “Link to IRS” on the FAFSA. If they choose to do so, they will be transferred to the Internal Revenue Service web site. There, the FAFSA Central Processing System (CPS) will conduct a data match with the IRS. In order to enhance the security and privacy of personal data transferred into the FAFSA from the IRS, the 2019–2020 IRS DRT will encrypt the student applicant and parent transferred tax data and hide it from view on both the IRS DRT website and on the FAFSA web pages. The words “Transferred from the IRS” will display in the data entry fields throughout the FAFSA form and on the Student Aid Report (SAR).

Eligibility

You and your parents are eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool if you:

• Filed your 2017 federal tax return with the IRS.
• Have a valid social security number.
• Have a Federal Student Aid ID
   

You and your parents are not eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool if:

• Your marital status changed after December 31, 2017.
• You filed taxes married filing separately.
• You filed an amended tax return.
• You filed a foreign tax return.
• You filed a tax return using a Tax Number (TIN).
• The home address on the FAFSA does not match the address on the tax return.
   

IRS Tax Return Transcript

If your FAFSA is selected for Verification and you and/or your parents are not eligible or choose not to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool on your FAFSA, the US Department of Education requires our office to collect a certified Tax Return Transcript processed by the IRS. Please make sure to request a Tax Return Transcript (DO NOT request a Tax Account Transcript, Record of Account Transcript, or Wage and Income Transcript).

Please note, that parents who are married but filing separately must submit two separate IRS Tax Return Transcripts. Transcripts are not required for those filing a foreign or Puerto Rican tax return.

New: If you are unable to obtain an IRS tax return transcript, you may submit a signed tax return to fulfill the requirement.

Online Request for Tax Return Transcript

1. Go to www.irs.gov/transcript.
2. Select “Get Transcript Online” or “Get Transcript by Mail."
3. You will need to create an account by providing your name, e-mail address, SSN, and answering some security questions. Please make sure you use the address currently on file with the IRS. Typically, this will be the address that was listed on the latest tax return filed.
4. Select “Higher Education/Student Aid” as your reason for requesting the Tax Return Transcript, which will provide you with a free transcript.
5. Select the tax year for your Tax Return Transcript (i.e., “2017” for Academic year 2019–2020).

Telephone Request for Tax Return Transcript

1. Call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946 (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.).
2. Tax filers must follow prompts to enter their Social Security Number and the numbers of their street address. Generally, these will be the numbers of the street address that was listed on the latest tax return filed. However, if an address change has been completed through the U.S. Postal Service, the IRS may have the updated address on file.
3. Select "Option 2" to request an IRS Tax Return Transcript, and then enter tax year (i.e., “2017” for Academic year 2019–2020).
4. If successfully validated, tax filers can expect to receive a paper IRS Tax Return Transcript at the address that was used in their telephone request within 5 to 10 days from the time the IRS receives the request. Note: The IRS cannot send IRS Tax Return Transcripts requested by telephone directly to a third party.

Paper Request for Tax Return Transcript

1. Complete Form 4506-T (Request for Transcript of Tax Return).
2. Mail or fax the completed IRS Form 4506-T to the appropriate address or fax number provided on page 2.
3. You can expect your Tax Return Transcript to be mailed within 5 to 10 days from the IRS.
    

IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter

If your FAFSA is selected for Verification and you have not and are not required to file a 2017 federal tax return, you will need to provide an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter along with copies of your W-2 forms from all employers that paid wages in 2016 and an Income Tax Non-Filer Verification form.

The IRS Verification of Non-Filing letter is required from:

• Parents (of dependent students) who did not file a tax return.
• Independent students and/or their spouse who did not file a tax return.
   

Dependent students who did not file a tax return are not required to submit an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter.

The IRS Verification of Non-Filing letter can be requested from the IRS in one of three ways:

1. Online request at www.irs.gov/transcript. Select “Get Transcript Online” or “Get Transcript by Mail.”
2. Telephone request by calling the IRS at 800-908-9946 (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m).
3. Paper request by mailing IRS form 4506-T (make sure to check box 7).
    

If you have questions about the IRS Tax Return Transcript or IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter process, please review the IRS Get Transcript Frequently Asked Questions or call the IRS Tax Help line for individuals at 800-829-1040.

A student interested in Summer Work-Study should complete the Summer Work-Study Application.

Federal Direct Loans

A student may be eligible to borrow the Direct Loan for the summer term if the student did not borrow all of his/her annual loan limit during the prior academic year or will not be borrowing the annual loan limit for the coming academic year due to attendance for only one semester. In addition, a student is eligible to borrow if the summer term is the student's final enrollment period. Students must also be enrolled at least half-time (six credit hours) over the course of both summer sessions to be eligible. For more information on Direct Loans, visit the Types of Financial Aid web page.

Federal and State Grants

Federal Pell grants are awarded to students demonstrating substantial financial eligibility, based on information submitted on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who were enrolled full time for both fall and spring semester and received their maximum Pell award during the academic year are eligible for an additional Pell Grant in the summer. Eligible students "shall" be awarded up to one and one-half Federal Pell Grants (i.e., 150 percent of the student's scheduled award) during a single award year. The student must be enrolled on at least a half-time basis in the payment period during which the additional Pell Grant funds are received. All Pell Grant funds received must be counted towards the student's overall lifetime eligibility limits. Please contact your financial aid advisor for additional details. Other Federal and state grants are generally not available for summer enrollment.

A Federal Direct PLUS is a Federal credit-based loan that is available to assist parents with the costs of higher education. The Direct PLUS is available to parents of dependent undergraduate students. The parent applicant must pass the PLUS loan credit check review and must not have an adverse credit history. Additionally, as of July 1, 2012, a FAFSA must be filed for the student.The parent borrower and student must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. The student for whom the Direct PLUS is requested must be enrolled for at least 6 credit hours in a degree-granting program. The credit hours must be accepted toward his/her degree program. For more information on the PLUS loan, visit the Types of Financial Aid web page.

Students and/or parents can apply for a private educational loan for the summer. For more information, visit the Types of Financial Aid web page.