Common Financial Aid Questions

When determining your financial aid eligibility, we take into account multiple factors, including:

• Family income
• Family assets like savings, investments, businesses, and real estate
• Number of children in college or private school
• Household size and living expenses, based on the average cost of living in your zip code
• Special circumstances like loss of income, one-time income, or support to grandparents

We work with your family to understand your unique circumstances to determine what you can pay toward college costs. Then we cover the rest through need-based scholarships and work opportunities—money that doesn’t need to be paid back. To get started with the financial aid process, visit How to Apply for Financial Aid.

Yes. Early Decision applicants are eligible for the same need-based and merit scholarships as students who apply Regular Decision.

Our financial aid offers contain a combination of need-based scholarships and work opportunities to cover the difference between the total cost of attendance and your family’s contribution. We don’t include loans, but some families choose to borrow, in addition to seeking out private scholarships and taking advantage of our no-interest payment plans, as part of their strategy to cover college costs. Learn more about types of financial aid and consider which options are right for your family.

Yes. Student employment offers flexible hours, competitive wages, and the opportunity to get to know the Hopkins community better. Most students work 8-10 hours per week. Jobs range from lifeguarding to web design, and they’re located on the Homewood campus, other Hopkins campuses, or off campus.

Private scholarships reduce your summer savings and work-study expectations. If your private scholarships total more than these expectations, your need-based scholarship will be adjusted based on the leftover amount.

Even if you don’t think you’re eligible, we encourage you to apply. If we determine that you don’t qualify for need-based financial aid, there are still a variety of options to reduce your college costs, including:

• Monthly payment plans
• Part-time work opportunities
• Private scholarships
• Unsubsidized federal loans
• Parent PLUS loans

To continue receiving federal financial aid, you must meet the criteria outlined in the policy for Satisfactory Academic Progress. There isn’t a GPA requirement to continue receiving institutional need-based scholarships. If unique circumstances have impacted your academic performance, you can appeal a loss of eligibility through a special process. The minimum GPA for merit scholarships can vary, so be sure to review the individual scholarship pages.

If you withdraw, are dismissed, or begin a leave of absence before completing more than 60% of the semester, we’ll recalculate your eligibility for federal financial aid according to the Return of Title IV Funds Policy, and charge for tuition, room, and board according to the Refund Policy in the undergraduate catalog. We’ll also adjust your Hopkins need-based scholarship at the same rate as any tuition refund you receive. For example, if you receive an 80% tuition refund, your Hopkins need-based scholarship will also be reduced by 80%.

You must be enrolled full-time (or at least 12 credits each semester) to receive financial aid unless you have an approved exception through Student Disability Services or Student Financial Support. Changing your enrollment status may result in the adjustment or cancellation of your financial aid, depending on timing and your plan for the semester.

Yes, you may request a Technology Grant to receive one-time financial assistance of up to $2,000 to purchase a computer during your time at Hopkins. To get started, submit a Budget Adjustment Request.

All full-time students must maintain adequate health coverage. If you don’t show proof of comparable health insurance, we’ll automatically enroll you in the university-sponsored plan and charge the premium to your student account. Based on your financial aid status, we offer limited funding to cover the insurance premium. If eligible, you’ll receive the funding in October.

We recognize that unexpected events—such as loss of income, death, major illness, and disability—can affect your ability to cover costs. We’ll work with you to navigate changes to your financial circumstances as best we can.

As an institution that meets 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted students, the FAFSA simplification will not affect the amount of need-based scholarships we offer to a student, regardless of which round you are applying (Early Decision I, Early Decision II, or Regular Decision).  

International applicants do not submit the FAFSA and will not be affected by the changes. You will still have to submit the CSS Profile and Certification of Finances (COF) by the required deadlines.

Yes. If you’re admitted through Early Decision I, you will still receive a financial aid offer with your admissions decision in December as long as you have completed the CSS Profile.

After we receive your FAFSA, your total amount of financial aid offered will remain the same and still come from need-based scholarships that don’t need to be paid back. However, the amount of money that comes from the federal government (as determined by the FAFSA) or directly from Hopkins (as determined by the CSS Profile) may change, but both amounts will still add up to the total financial aid offered.

For example, if the FAFSA determines you are eligible for a federal grant, we will reduce the Hopkins scholarship by the same amount to remain at the total financial aid offered.

Yes. We encourage you to use our financial aid estimators—MyinTuition and the Net Price Calculator—to get a ballpark estimate of your college costs and estimated financial aid offer before applying.  

These tools will still work to give you a general idea of college costs. Keep in mind that the official financial aid review is more comprehensive than the estimator tools, so your financial aid offer may look different from the estimates.