FAQs - Financial Aid

Visit our financial aid website for information about the different types of funding available to pay for your Notre Dame education.

There are a variety of ways to make payments for your Notre Dame education, including monthly payment plans.

Students applying for financial assistance should complete the CSS Profile and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Parents and students should also submit supporting documentation, such as copies of signed federal income tax returns (including schedules), W-2 wage statements, and other documents requested by the Office of Financial Aid, to the College Board’s Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC). Additional information can be found here. 

The College Board's IDOC service collects family financial documents and distributes them to institutions on behalf of the student. CSS Profile applicants will receive communication directly from the College Board regarding the submission of supporting documentation. Once your CSS Profile is processed by College Board, your IDOC dashboard will populate with the required documents. To upload your documents, select the Upload Document(s) button and follow the instructions. Your documents will be sent electronically to the schools that are using this service.

First-year applicants applying Restrictive Early Action should complete the CSS Profile, FAFSA, and IDOC information by November 15, 2025.

First-year applicants applying Regular Decision should complete the CSS Profile, FAFSA, and IDOC information by January 15, 2026.

If you did not meet the priority submission date, you can still apply for financial assistance and will receive full consideration for financial aid. Completed financial aid applications received after the priority submission date are sent out to students on a rolling daily basis to the email address the student used on their application.

Yes. Information and cooperation from both of the student’s natural parents (biological and/or adoptive), regardless of marital status, will be requested as part of the financial aid application process. Both the custodial parent and noncustodial parent should complete a separate CSS Profile for their student. Parent information is maintained separately and securely and is visible only to the colleges the student has authorized to receive it. Neither the student nor the custodial parent has access to the noncustodial parent’s information unless the noncustodial parent shares his or her password.

Students with a completed file by our priority submission dates (REA Nov. 15 and RD Jan. 15) will receive their Financial Aid Offers for 2026-2027 with their offer of admission. Files completed after our priority submission dates are sent out to students on a rolling daily basis to the email address the student used on their application.

If you are in the process of completing your financial aid applications, include information about your family’s circumstances on the CSS Profile. If you have already completed the financial aid application process and received a Financial Aid Offer, you should complete and submit a Change in Circumstances Form with the required documentation to the Office of Financial Aid.

Merit-based scholarships are competitive and there are a limited number of recipients. Applicants are encouraged to apply for need-based financial aid if the costs of a Notre Dame education presents a financial challenge. Around four percent of admitted students receive merit aid, while need-based financial aid is a possibility for many more students. The majority of financial assistance at Notre Dame is administered based upon financial need as demonstrated through the CSS Profile and FAFSA.

The receipt of any scholarship, grant, or loan not listed on the original Financial Aid Offer must be reported to the Office of Financial Aid as soon as the student is notified of the award. The receipt of funds not listed on the Financial Aid Offer may result in an adjustment to the student’s financial assistance.

As a guide, if a student receives aid beyond that listed on their Financial Aid Offer, their outside financial assistance is considered a resource and will reduce the amount of need-based financial aid you are offered. Work is reduced first, University Scholarship, state and Federal Grants.

Forward the endorsed check directly to the Office of Financial Aid with your NDID and make payable to the “University of Notre Dame” for application to your student account. You are required to report any outside scholarships you are or will be receiving as they are a resource in your financial assistance. Outside scholarship funds are divided equally between the fall and spring terms unless otherwise specified in writing by the scholarship organization.