Apply for Aid: Prospective Students

The CSS Profile is required to be considered for Bucknell need-based financial aid.

• Please complete at collegeboard.org 

• Bucknell's CSS Profile code: 2050
• Meet all submission deadlines

SUBMISSION DEADLINES

• Early Decision I: Nov. 15, 2024 (CSS Profile and FAFSA)

• Early Decision II and Regular Decision: Jan. 15, 2025
   

• The CSS will collect income information from calendar year 2023.
• A fee waiver is built into the CSS Profile form. The CSS system will inform you if you qualify.
• If your family has low income but you do not qualify for the automatic CSS fee waiver, contact Bucknell's Office of Financial Aid so that we can review your information to determine if you qualify for one of the fee waivers that we have purchased for this purpose.
• For the Class of 2029, the CSS Profile is available to submit on or after Oct. 1, 2024.
• CSS Profile Tutorial

FAFSA information will not change your eligibility for Bucknell need-based financial aid, but it is a required federal form for federal financial aid programs.

• Please complete the FAFSA at studentaid.gov
• Submission deadlines:
  • Early Decision I: Nov. 15, 2024 (CSS Profile and FAFSA)
  • Early Decision II and Regular Decision: Jan. 15, 2025
• Bucknell's FAFSA code: 003238
• The FAFSA will collect income information from 2023.
• Students, spouses, parents and stepparents will now need to provide their consent in the new "Consent to Retrieve and Disclose Federal Tax Information" section of the FAFSA for federal student aid eligibility.
  • This consent will allow the IRS to share Federal Tax Information (FTI).
  • If any contributor to the FAFSA form does not provide consent, submission of the form will still be allowed. However, a Student Aid Index (SAI) will not be calculated and the Office of Financial Aid will not be able to determine your federal aid eligibility.
• For the Class of 2029, the FAFSA is available to submit on or after Oct. 1, 2024.

Non-custodial parents must complete the Non-custodial application, noted as Household B in the CSS Profile.

To complete a CSS Profile application, you need a College Board student account. If you need to complete the CSS Profile as a parent (as a non-custodial parent), you still need to create and use a student account.

 Account creation step-by-step: 

1. Go to cssprofile.org
2. Click the Sign In to button for the appropriate application award year 
3. Click Create Account under "Don't have an account?"
4. Create your account using your (the parent's) information, not the student's information. 

Once you have created your account and are completing the CSS Profile application, be careful to answer student sections with the student's information and parent sections with the parent's information.

Submission Deadlines

Early Decision I: Nov. 15, 2024

Early Decision II and Regular Decision: Jan. 15, 2025

Submit copies of applicant and parent Federal Tax Returns for tax year 2023, along with all accompanying schedules and W-2 forms to IDOC.

Bucknell has contracted with the College Board to collect tax returns and other verification documents through their IDOC service. Applicants who have filed the Profile will receive an email from IDOC with instructions for completing this requirement. 

The financial aid file will not be complete, nor can we verify or disburse aid, until a copy of the actual tax return is submitted to our office after it is filed with the IRS.

If you plan to borrow a Federal Direct Loan, please complete the requirements below online at studentaid.gov. We suggest you complete these after May 15.

• 30-minute Entrance Loan Counseling session, results of which will be sent to Bucknell electronically.
• Master Promissory Note, a legal federal document in which you promise to repay your loans and any accrued interest and fees. This must be completed in one session, and typically takes 30 minutes (results sent to Bucknell electronically).

Financial Aid at Bucknell University is made possible through donations to the University from a diverse group of alumni, parents, and friends, as well as foundations and other organizations. Much of this aid comes from named endowed or annual funds which help Bucknell offer generous financial aid packages. In many cases, a donor's only restriction when they made their gift to Bucknell was that it provides financial aid to eligible students. However, some donors ask that their named endowed or annual funds support students who also have specific academic, extracurricular or career interests.

The Stewardship & Donor Relations Office, working closely with the Office of Financial Aid, reviews the information provided on the Student Disclosure Survey (linked below) to determine students who qualify for one of Bucknell's named endowed or annual funds. This information is critical for staff to understand student interests, activities and goals.

A student selected for a named endowed or annual fund best fits the intent of the fund. Students who participate in this program often form lifelong connections and gain valuable networking opportunities with their named fund supporters, many of whom also received support while they were at Bucknell. If you are interested, we may provide an opportunity to connect students with the named or endowed fund supporters, either through written communication, or in-person and virtual events.

Please know that receiving a named endowed or annual fund does not increase the total amount of Bucknell aid that a student receives. Instead, the named fund replaces some or all of the Bucknell aid.

Coming soon — First-year Student Disclosure Survey

• Deadline: Aug. 15, 2025

You can expect a similar need-based aid package each of your four years at Bucknell if:

• Your family's financial situation stays the same (income, assets, number in the household, number of children in the household enrolled at least half-time in degree-seeking first undergraduate programs).
  • Be aware that one of the factors affecting need-based aid eligibility the most is the number of children enrolled at least half-time in degree-seeking first undergraduate higher education programs. When this number decreases, your need-based grant will decrease as well. A decrease from two in college to one in college will result in your need-based aid decreasing significantly, but this amount can vary due to the many variables involved.
• You continue to demonstrate financial need as determined by Bucknell's Office of Financial Aid.
• You adhere to our application deadlines.
• You maintain satisfactory academic and social standing.

Note: We are unable to award additional aid to cover cost increases from year to year.