{"id":10073,"date":"2024-04-03T16:25:49","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T20:25:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/finaid\/?page_id=10073"},"modified":"2026-04-01T13:24:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T17:24:17","slug":"how-aid-works","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/finaid\/how-aid-works\/","title":{"rendered":"How Aid Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s normal to have questions about financial aid. Lots of them.<\/h3>\n

We encourage you to treat our website as your primary source of information. If you come across any stumbling blocks, we’re here with answers and guidance.<\/p>\n

What will BU Cost you?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Total Household Income<\/td>\nTotal Scholarship and Grant<\/td>\nNet Cost of Attendance*<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
$0 – $75,000<\/td>\nFull Tuition + Standard Housing & Dining Plan<\/td>\n$0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$75,001 – $100,000<\/td>\nFull Tuition +<\/strong><\/td>\n$10,000 or less<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$100,001 – $150,000<\/td>\nFull Tuition +<\/strong><\/td>\n$15,000 or less<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$150,001 – $200,000<\/td>\nFull Tuition +<\/strong><\/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

*Table illustrates sample costs for admitted first-year students starting in 2026\/2027. Based on total household income with typical assets<\/a>. Cost of Attendance based on standard Housing and Dining Plan cost for four years and standard 26\/27 Tuition – $73,024. BU Promise minimum awards apply for resident students, students commuting from home will receive a tailored award that meets their BU demonstrated need.<\/em><\/sub><\/p>\n

The BU Promise<\/h5>\n

BU meets 100% demonstrated financial need, without loans, for all domestic first-year students who have not previously attended college. Starting in 2026\/2027, admitted first-year students with total household incomes<\/a> under $200,000 and typical assets can anticipate a financial aid award with a parent contribution of no more than $20,000, covering at least full tuition plus a percentage of housing and dining plan cost.<\/p>\n

Families with total household incomes of $200,000+ will receive a tailored financial aid package based on your family’s specific circumstances.<\/p>\n

Starting in the 2026\/2027 academic year, first-year students will receive financial aid awards that do not include loans. While student loans are not part of the financial aid package, they can still be a valuable resource when investing in your education<\/a>. Families may choose to use reasonable educational borrowing to help cover expenses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Students must submit complete financial aid applications<\/a> prior to the application deadline<\/a> and meet all eligibility criteria<\/a> in order to be considered for BU Need-Based Financial Assistance. Learn more about how BU determines your eligibility<\/a> for need-based financial assistance.<\/p>\n

BU Financial Assistance, in considering all circumstances impacting a family’s ability to pay for the cost of education, reserves the right to make the final determination of a family’s expected contribution and financial aid award.<\/em><\/sub><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s normal to have questions about financial aid. Lots of them. We encourage you to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1355,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"bu-landing","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/finaid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10073"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/finaid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/finaid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/finaid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1355"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/finaid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10073"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/finaid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10073\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11948,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/finaid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10073\/revisions\/11948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/finaid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}