Apply for Aid: Prospective Students

Early Decision I deadline: Nov. 15 (CSS Profile) and Jan. 15 (FAFSA)

Early Decision II and Regular Decision deadline: Jan. 15 (CSS Profile and FAFSA)

The prospect of paying for college doesn't have to feel overwhelming. At Bucknell, we're here for you every step of the way as you make this important investment.

Every situation is unique, so we'll work with you to discuss aid options, answer your specific questions and navigate the process of applying for financial aid.

Here is how financial aid works at Bucknell: At the same time you apply for admission, file the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile using the instructions below. We will evaluate your CSS Profile information and determine any need-based eligibility that you may have. We are not able to meet financial need levels, but we award as much financial aid as we can with a combination of grants, scholarships, loans and work-study from the federal, state and institutional aid programs that we offer.

Also, if your parents are divorced, separated or never married, both households will be instructed to fill out a separate CSS Profile. Both forms must be submitted by the admission deadline. If you feel you have special circumstances, please contact our office.

In addition, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required each year for all federal financial aid programs such as the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Direct Loans and Federal Work-Study.

As you complete your financial aid materials, we suggest you keep copies of all documents in your own file at home.

Get in Touch With Our Team

At the Office of Financial Aid, we welcome your questions throughout your financial aid journey with Bucknell.

Important Dates

  • Early Decision I application due (CSS Profile)

  • Early Decision I application due (FAFSA)

  • Early Decision II application due (CSS Profile and FAFSA)

  • Regular Decision application due (CSS Profile and FAFSA)

  • Early Decision I deposit due

  • TBD

    Early Decision II deposit due - early March

  • Regular Decision deposit due

View all dates

These are the primary pieces of information that we review:

  • Parent and student income (both taxable and untaxed).
  • Parent and student assets.
  • Number of family members supported by your parents.
  • Number of those family members below age 24 who are enrolled at least half-time in degree-seeking first undergraduate higher education programs.

In order for us to determine eligibility for Bucknell need-based aid, please understand that we need to know the total financial resources of the family. We require all income and asset information from the parents (or adults who are functioning as parents) who are supporting the family, regardless of gender, legal marital status or whether or not both are biological or adoptive parents. For divorced or separated parents, income and assets are reported for the parent who provides the most financial support over the 12 months prior to filing the FAFSA even if the student does not live with that parent or lives with the other parent.

In some cases, parents have not or cannot be married but wish to apply for financial aid. If your family has integrated their economic resources for at least one year, then we need to know the information of all adults supporting the household, and we will require their tax documents for our institutional verification process.

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