{"id":24794,"date":"2019-08-08T11:46:03","date_gmt":"2019-08-08T15:46:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/?page_id=24794"},"modified":"2026-07-30T14:03:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T18:03:34","slug":"financial-aid","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/tuition-aid\/financial-aid\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Best Investment is You"},"content":{"rendered":"

What Will BU Cost You<\/span>?<\/h2>\n

A Boston University education can be accessible to all. The BU Promise meets 100% of your demonstrated financial need, without loans, for all\u00a0first-time, first-year students who are US citizens and permanent residents.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
*Table illustrates sample costs for admitted first-year students starting in 2026\/2027. Based on total household income with typical assets. Cost of Attendance based on standard Housing and Dining Plan cost for four years and standard 26\/27 Tuition\u00a0\u2013 $73,024.<\/caption>\n
Total Household Income<\/th>\nTotal Financial Aid<\/th>\nNet Cost of Attendance *<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
$0\u2013$75,000<\/td>\nFull Tuition + Standard Housing & Dining Plan (SHDP)<\/td>\n$0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$75,001\u2013$100,000<\/td>\nFull Tuition\u00a0+ % SHDP<\/td>\n$10,000 or less<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$100,001\u2013$150,000<\/td>\nFull Tuition\u00a0+ % SHDP<\/td>\n$15,000 or less<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$150,001\u2013$200,000<\/td>\nFull Tuition\u00a0+ % SHDP<\/td>\n$20,000 or less<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$200,000 +<\/td>\nTailored Financial Aid<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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<\/a>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n

What does BU mean by \u201cwill meet my need\u201d?<\/h3>\n

Meeting your need means that the gap between the cost of BU and what your family can be expected to contribute, based on your demonstrated financial need, will be covered through some combination of scholarships, grants, low-interest government student loans, and Work-Study. Aid packages for first-year students will not include loans.<\/span> Additionally, if tuition increases, your Boston University need-based scholarship will increase at the same percentage as the increase in tuition.<\/p>\n

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What is demonstrated financial need?<\/h3>\n

Demonstrated need is the cost of attending BU minus your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is calculated from information you submitted on the FAFSA and the CSS Profile forms. You can calculate your estimated<\/em> need with this calculator<\/a>, but keep in mind it is only an estimate. To determine your actual need, you must<\/em> complete both your FAFSA and CSS Profile. Your financial aid will be equal to the calculation of your need and may be comprised of need-based scholarships, grants, government student loans, and\/or Work-Study.<\/p>\n

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What is included in the \u201ccost of attendance\u201d?<\/h3>\n

For financial aid purposes, the cost of BU is the yearly expected total of tuition, room and board, local transportation, books, supplies, and personal expenses.<\/p>\n

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How do I know if I qualify for financial aid based on my family\u2019s situation?<\/h3>\n

You must file the FAFSA and CSS Profile to officially determine whether you qualify for financial aid. However, for planning purposes, we also have an online tool to help you and your family estimate the amount of financial aid you could be offered and the net amount you may be expected to pay toward the cost of attending BU. For more information, visit the MyinTuition: Quick College Cost Estimator<\/a> or the Net Price calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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If I do not qualify for financial aid, does BU still offer merit scholarships based on my grades or other factors?<\/h3>\n

BU offers merit-based scholarships for academics, athletics, arts, and leadership. Merit-based scholarships have varied requirements and submission guidelines that must be followed in order to qualify. Please review our Merit Scholarships for First-Year Students page<\/a> for information about specific merit scholarships, requirements, and deadlines.<\/p>\n

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Who is eligible for the BU Promise?<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

First-time, first-year students who are US citizens and permanent residents<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>are eligible for the BU Promise. Transfer students are not eligible.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

*U.S. citizens and permanent residents<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

What about international students?<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

International students are not eligible for the BU Promise; however, they may apply for merit scholarships<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Find details, deadlines, and how to apply at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>bu.edu\/apply<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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What are \u201ctypical assets<\/span><\/span>\u201d?<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Assets may include cash, savings and checking accounts, investments, equity in real estate other than a primary residence, and business equity. Families with significant assets in these categories,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>relative<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to what is typical for their income level, may not meet the BU Promise income eligibility requirements, even if their annual income is below $200,000. BU does not include assets held in designated retirement accounts when evaluating a family\u2019s assets<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Will I still need loans even if my family earns under $200<\/span>,000<\/span>?<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

With the BU Promise, your financial aid covers 100% of your demonstrated need without student loans.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Even when your BU financial need is fully met, eligible students have the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>option<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to use federal Direct Loans to help manage their education expenses.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>While borrowing can be a useful tool to help manage education costs, accepting these loans is optional\u2014you can choose to accept or decline them in your\u00a0<\/span><\/span>MyBU<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Student Portal.<\/span><\/p>\n

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My family earn<\/span>s more<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>than $200<\/span>,000 a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>year.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Is it still worth applying<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>for aid<\/span>?<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Absolutely.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Families earning more than $<\/span>200,00<\/span>0 ar<\/span>e encou<\/span>raged to apply. BU provides\u00a0need-based aid packages that r<\/span>eflect each famil<\/span>y’s unique financial circumstances. For example,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>BU\u00a0<\/span><\/span>aid may\u00a0<\/span><\/span>take into account<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>factors such as having mult<\/span>iple childr<\/span>en enrolled in college at the same time or living in an area with\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a high cost<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of living.<\/span><\/p>\n

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View More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What Will BU Cost You? A Boston University education can be accessible to all. The BU Promise meets 100% of your demonstrated financial need, without loans, for all\u00a0first-time, first-year students who are US citizens and permanent residents. *Table illustrates sample costs for admitted first-year students starting in 2026\/2027. Based on total household income with typical […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13922,"featured_media":0,"parent":17917,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/affordability-landing.php","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24794"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13922"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24794"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32211,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24794\/revisions\/32211"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}