Financial Aid Policies & FAQ

You must file the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile and the FAFSA by the appropriate deadline. Applications open on October 1. 

For detailed information, see Apply For Financial Aid. 

Remember, you must meet our filing deadlines in order to be considered for College-funded aid. In addition to the Profile and FAFSA you must submit copies of your parents' taxes and w2s that correspond to the tax year used to complete the FAFSA.

If you miss our filing deadline but wish to apply for financial aid, you may still do so. However, it is important to be aware that Bucknell Need-based Grant funds are limited. Therefore, it is possible that this funding will not be available if you should apply late.

After you complete the FAFSA, you may be selected for verification by the Department of Education. Bucknell will inform you by email if you are selected for this process, as well as the required documentation you must submit.

For the CSS Profile, both the custodial and non-custodial parent must provide information. For additional details, please refer to the instructions on the College Board website. 

For the FAFSA, the parent who provided more financial support in the last 12 months is the contributor. If each parent provided equal support or if they don’t support you financially, the parent with the greater income and assets is the contributor. This wizard is helpful if you’re still unsure.

You will be considered a dependent student for the current academic year unless you are 24 years of age or older, are an orphan or ward of the court, a veteran of the US Armed Forces, a graduate or professional student, are married, or a student who has legal dependents other than a spouse. If you feel you have a unique situation that does not meet the above criteria, you should contact the Office of Financial Aid for assistance.

As a prospective student, you may complete our Need Based Financial Aid and Merit Appeal Form to let us know about any reductions in income or other special circumstances your family may have.

Your file will be reviewed and a determination communicated to you via email.

No. Our merit scholarships are only awarded at the time of admission.

Yes, you must file a FAFSA each year to provide updated financial information but you do not need to complete a CSS Profile after the first year. In addition to the FAFSA you must also provide the supporting tax documents (parent 1040 and w2s) by February 15th. If you do not complete your financial aid file until after the deadline, please know that we will not be able to award the same amount of grant as in the previous year. 

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

• Your family's financial situation stays relatively the same (income, assets)
• Your household size and number in college stays the same. Please be aware that reductions in household size or number in college can significantly lower the amount of your Bucknell need-based funding.

We will review your application materials and try to award as much aid as we can. Please know that we are unable to award additional funds to cover tuition increases from year to year. Merit awards will automatically be renewed each year, as long as students meet the specific requirements for each program.

Federal aid can also vary each year based on your family’s financial situation.  In addition, you must meet satisfactory academic progress.

No. Our merit scholarships are only awarded at the time of admission.

Bucknell University students who receive federal financial aid are required to be in good academic standing and to be achieving satisfactory academic progress toward their degrees. (Please be aware that satisfactory progress for federal financial aid eligibility is separate from the University's academic progress policy)

The academic progress of financial aid recipients will be reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid at the end of each semester.

Please review our satisfactory academic progress policy for important details

The timing of your withdrawal from the University may result in outstanding financial obligations. Until the withdrawal process is completed by the Registrar's Office, no refunds, if applicable, can be initiated.  You can find the details of the University's Credit and Refund Policies, including guidance on the return of Federal Student Aid requirements published in the Finances and Financial Aid section of the University catalog. Questions regarding potential financial obligations and refunds should be directed to Bursar Services at 570-577-3733 or bursar@bucknell.edu.

If you are a current financial aid recipient, please understand that if you withdraw before 60% of the semester has passed, federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to calculate the percentage of the semester you completed and determine whether we must return any of your federal financial aid to the federal government and/or Bucknell financial aid to the University.  In addition, please be aware that federal loans that you have borrowed will go into repayment six months after you drop below half-time enrollment, unless you are in an approved leave of absence status as defined by the federal government for Title IV financial aid purposes.

Please note that in most cases, a leave of absence from Bucknell does not qualify as a federal Title IV leave of absence and your enrollment will be reported as a withdrawal. If you will be returning to Bucknell after a voluntary withdrawal, health withdrawal, or leave of absence, please be aware that you must re-apply for financial aid each year by February 15th. Although we cannot make any guarantees, if you are eligible, we will do our best to provide financial aid to you.

Yes, if there has been a reduction in family income or another significant change in family situation, please review Financial Aid Request for Special Circumstances.