Financial Aid

ritaid@rit.edu
ntidaid@rit.edu (NTID)
585-475-2186

An Innovative, Creative Education is Within Reach

RIT is committed to making education affordable and accessible to all students. RIT invests more than $180 million in our students and distributes another $140 million from other sources to assist students and their families meet the cost of an RIT education. We realize that you are taking an important step in your life, and we want to help make your financial aid experience as smooth as possible.

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$320mil

In financial assistance from all sources

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95%

RIT grads employed or in graduate school full time

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11,000+

Students receiving some type of financial aid

Applying for Aid

  1. To be considered for merit-based aid: Apply for admission by the priority timelines.  Admitted students will be reviewed for merit-based scholarships.
  2. To be considered for need-based aid: File the FAFSA and create an  FSA ID - visit the Federal Student Aid website. A FSA ID is required for a student and parent (of dependent students). Each FSA ID user must have a unique email address. RIT’s FAFSA school code is 002806.
  3. State Application (if applicable): New York State residents should complete the Express Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Application.  To complete the application and for more information, please refer to Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).
  1. Apply for admission.
  2. File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by visiting the Federal Student Aid website.  You will need to create a FSA ID to act as your electronic signature on the FAFSA.

Undergraduate Students 

International student scholarships (if awarded) may be based on merit, need or a combination of both. Full tuition scholarships are not available. 

  1. All undergraduate applicants are considered for merit-based scholarships and are awarded to highly qualified admitted freshman and transfer students. Merit-based scholarship awards are only offered upon admission to RIT.
  2. To apply for need-based grants, students must complete the College Board International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA) and submit to RIT. Feel free to email a scanned copy of your completed ISFAA to admissions@rit.edu.

Graduate Scholarships

RIT Graduate Scholarships are awarded by academic departments in recognition of students’ academic excellence. The amount of the award varies by student and department. Scholarships do not include a stipend. Scholarships may be awarded for some or all of a student’s tuition in a given year and are credited directly to the student’s account at Student Financial Services. These awards carry with them the expectation that students will maintain a minimum academic standard (3.0 grade point average per term) and make satisfactory progress toward their degrees. Students seeking more information about these awards should contact their graduate department coordinator.

Graduate Assistantships

RIT Graduate Assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e. tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties. Students seeking more information about a possible appointment should contact their graduate department coordinator.

If you are interested in an administrative assistantship, it is likely that you will need to conduct your own search for offices on campus that have such opportunities. Some examples are:

  1. Residence Life Assistantships, which include Community Advocates and a Graduate Assistantship for Finance: https://www.rit.edu/studentaffairs/reslife/
  2. Student Affairs Graduate Assistantships: www.rit.edu/emcs/seo/graduate-assistantships

If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and are also applying for federal student aid, the receipt of a graduate student scholarship or assistantship may affect your federal aid eligibility. If you receive a scholarship or assistantship after you have received an award letter from the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, we will notify you of any changes to your award. Students who qualify for a full RIT tuition waiver or full reimbursement from an employer are not also eligible for an RIT Institute Graduate Scholarship.

  1. File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by visiting the Federal Student Aid website.  You can file as early as October 1st of the preceding year that you intend to enroll in classes.  Please file by April 1st before returning in the fall.  Use your FSA ID to act as your electronic signature on the FAFSA.
  2. If applicable, New York State residents should complete the Express Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Application by referring to the NYS Higher Education Services Corporation website.
  3. Returning RIT graduate students are also required to complete the RIT Application.  This form collects important information regarding your enrollment plans for the academic year.  Please refer to the Financial Aid & Scholarships section of eServices to submit this required document to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
  4. An award notification will be sent to your RIT e-mail address.  Award notifications will begin in mid-May assuming that all required documents have be submitted.

Application Timelines

Fall 2019 Entry
Early Decision I Freshman

FAFSA by November 1, 2018
Notification begins mid-December

Early Decision II Freshman

FAFSA by January 1, 2019
Notification begins mid-January
Regular Decision Freshman

FAFSA by January 15, 2019
Notification begins mid-March
Incoming Transfer Students *

FAFSA begins March 1, 2019
Incoming Graduate Students

FAFSA by March 1, 2019
Notification begins mid-April

* Rolling Notifications

Spring 2020 Entry
Incoming Freshman *

FAFSA by November 1, 2019
Incoming Transfer Students *

FAFSA by November 1, 2019
Incoming Graduate Students

FAFSA by November 1, 2019
Award notification begins Late November

* Rolling Notifications

Current / Returning Students

FAFSA by April 1
Award notification begins mid-May

Determining your Financial Need

Cost of Attendance (COA)

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Financial Need

Cost of Attendance (COA) includes all expenses billed by RIT and additional estimated expenses for books, transportation and other miscellaneous expenses.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is based on a federal calculation using the information provided on a student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The EFC is made up of two parts: the student contribution (a percentage of the student’s income and assets) and the parent contribution (calculated by a percentage of total income and assets AFTER allowances).  Your EFC is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college, nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive. It is a number used by RIT to calculate how much financial aid you are eligible to receive.

Financial Need is the difference between the cost of education and the amount a student and family is expected to contribute toward those educational costs (the expected family contribution).

Scholarships and Other Aid

Undergraduate Scholarships

Admitted students are automatically reviewed for merit-based scholarships. In most cases, a separate application is not required. If eligible, students will receive a notification letter and the award will also be listed on your RIT financial aid award. Students qualifying for an additional RIT merit-based scholarship will automatically be awarded the scholarship with the highest amount.

Scholarships for RIT Freshman Students 

Scholarships for RIT Transfer Students 

Scholarships for NTID Supported Students

Undergraduate Need-Based Grants

By filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), your application will automatically be considered for all institutional need-based grant and scholarship programs. If eligible, awards will be listed on your RIT financial aid award letter. Below is an overview of RIT need-based grant programs.

Need-based Grants for RIT Students

Need-based Grants for NTID Supported Students

Graduate Scholarships and Assistantships

Graduate student scholarships and assistantships are awarded, regardless of financial need, to U.S. and international students through academic departments. Most scholarships and assistantships are awarded by the individual academic departments. In most cases, applicants for admission will be considered for scholarships and assistantships as long as they check the appropriate box on the application for admission. The level and type of support will vary. Students should consult directly with their academic department for information regarding the types of support available and how the department considers students for scholarships and assistantships.

RIT Graduate Scholarships are awarded by academic departments in recognition of students’ academic excellence. The amount of the award varies by student and department. Scholarships do not include a stipend. Scholarships may be awarded for some or all of a student’s tuition in a given year and are credited directly to the student’s account at Student Financial Services. These awards carry with them the expectation that students will maintain a minimum academic standard (3.0 grade point average per term) and make satisfactory progress toward their degrees. Students seeking more information about these awards should contact their graduate department coordinator.

RIT Graduate Assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e. tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties. Students seeking more information about a possible appointment should contact their graduate department coordinator.

If you are interested in an administrative assistantship, it is likely that you will need to conduct your own search for offices on campus that have such opportunities. Some examples are:

  1. The Center for Residence Life Assistantships, which include Graduate Resident Advisor for Apartments and Greek Housing. Application Form.

If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and are also applying for federal student aid, the receipt of a graduate student scholarship or assistantship may affect your federal aid eligibility. If you receive a scholarship or assistantship after you have received an award letter from the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, we will notify you of any changes to your award. Students who qualify for a full RIT tuition waiver or full reimbursement from an employer are not also eligible for an RIT Institute Graduate Scholarship.

Loans

Loans are a valuable resource for students and their parents because they allow you to postpone paying a portion of your educational costs until after you graduate or after you drop below half-time (6 credits) enrollment. Repayment of student loans is traditionally scheduled over a ten-year period beginning 6 months after you leave school.

Federal Loans Alternative Loans State Educational Loans

Student Employment

There are a variety of on-campus employment opportunities for RIT students. The hourly rate of pay begins at minimum wage and is dependent upon the skill or experience required for the job. Student employees are paid bi-weekly and these earnings are taxable. Most students use their earnings to pay for books, travel, and personal expenses rather than for tuition and fees. On-campus student employment is limited to full-time matriculated students. There are two types of on-campus jobs:

Federal Work Study

Federal Work Study is a government-subsidized financial aid program which provides part-time jobs to assist students in paying for their education. Federal Work Study is offered by RIT to students who meet the eligibility requirements as determined by information reported on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

RIT Campus Employment

RIT Campus Employment offers on-campus job opportunities to all work eligible students. These jobs are offered regardless of a student’s financial need (therefore filing a FAFSA is not required) and are similar to Federal Work Study jobs.

Student Employment Office (SEO)

Estimated Cost of Attendance

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships provides detailed Cost of Attendance Budgets for undergraduate and graduate students. These budgets are used to determine the amount of need-based financial aid that you are eligible to receive. We also encourage families to use these budgets to plan for college expenses.

Estimated Cost of Attendance

Additional Information

Forms

A listing of the forms you many need to fill out during the financial aid process can be found by following the link below. In order to download the PDF forms, we recommend that you have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. You may download Acrobat Reader for free if you do not have it. Please mail completed PDF forms to RIT's Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Financial Aid Forms

eServices

Once you have activated your official RIT e-mail account, simply log into www.rit.edu/eservices and select the “Financial Aid and Scholarships” tab located on the left-side navigation bar. From the self-service portal, you will be able to:

  • Check the status of your Financial Aid applications
  • View your Financial Aid Award Letter
  • Accept the Financial Aid awarded
  • Get a detailed explanation of each type of award offered
  • Check for missing or incomplete documents
  • Notify Financial Aid of enrollment changes
  • Calculate your Cost of Attendance

Contact Us

Aid Contact Info

Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships

Bausch and Lomb Center
56 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, New York 14623-5604
Getting to Admissions and Aid

Financial Aid Counseling Staff
Office Hours

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

ritaid@rit.edu
ntidaid@rit.edu (for NTID inquiries)
585-475-2186
585-475-7270