December can be a busy time of year and that’s especially true for high school seniors in the midst of the college application process. Some of you may be waiting to hear back about Early Decision or Early Action applications, while others may (hopefully!) be putting the finishing touches on your Regular Decision supplemental essays. If you’re applying for financial aid, you’ll also need to add the FAFSA and CSS Profile to your list of priorities. This week, we’re sharing several helpful tips for navigating the financial side of your college search.
1) Have a conversation with your family now about how you’ll pay for college.
The earlier you start talking about finances, the better. It’ll be helpful to you to know if your family has saved funds in a 529 Plan or other savings account, how your family feels about the idea of borrowing student loans, and how much they can reasonably contribute each year toward your educational costs.
2) Look beyond the sticker price.
Tufts meets 100% of the demonstrated need of our admitted financial aid applicants, regardless of citizenship status. If you apply for financial aid on time, we are committed to providing financial aid packages that meet your calculated need. While students typically apply to a variety of colleges — full-need schools (like Tufts), public universities in your home state, and private institutions that offer merit scholarships — please don’t let Tufts’ “sticker price” scare you. Beginning with the fall 2026 entering class, U.S. undergraduates will attend Tufts tuition-free if their annual family income is under $150,000 (with typical assets). Students with an annual family income under $60,000 will typically receive a financial aid package with no student loans.
3) Use Net Price Calculators.
Net Price Calculators, such as Instant Net Price Estimator and MyinTuition Quick College Cost Estimator, will give you a quick estimate of your financial aid eligibility at Tufts, and many other colleges utilize these tools. MyinTuition takes about three minutes and is easiest to complete with a parent or guardian. This is a great way to understand what your aid package might look like if you are admitted.
4) Make sure you meet your deadlines!
Below are the FAFSA and CSS Profile deadlines for Tufts' 2025–2026 application cycle:
Early Decision: November 17
Early Decision 2: January 15
Regular Decision: February 2
Transfer Admissions: April 1
All students must also upload their family’s tax forms to IDOC shortly after the FAFSA and CSS Profile deadline. The FAFSA is free to submit and the CSS Profile has a fee for each submission, though eligible students will automatically be given fee waivers by the CSS Profile.
5) Gather your documents before you start the forms.
For fall 2026 applicants, you will need your family’s 2024 tax information (including all schedules) and W-2s, as well as information about untaxed income and assets. Make sure you save your FSA ID that you use for the FAFSA in a safe place, and log into the CSS Profile with your existing College Board account (as this allows any applicable fee waivers to transfer).
6) Use the “help” features in the application platforms.
If you’re not sure what number to include, use the help features on the financial aid application forms. Both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile have incredibly helpful info boxes. Anytime you’re not sure how to answer a question, read the help text.
7) Memorize your Social Security Number, if applicable.
If you have a valid Social Security Number and don’t already have this identifier memorized, now is a great time to learn it! If you are a US citizen or US Permanent Resident, please include your Social Security Number both on your admissions application and your financial aid applications. You will also need to indicate that you’re applying for financial aid on your admissions application. Including your Social Security Number helps us match your admissions and financial aid applications.
8) Check to make sure you’re done!
Confirm that you’ve submitted the required forms to every college you’re applying to! You can check each college’s applicant portal (you’ll usually receive a link to access it after you apply) to see what admissions and financial aid applications you have submitted and what’s still missing. If it’s been more than a week since you submitted the forms, you can contact our Financial Aid office by email to check on the status.
Good luck completing your college applications! Just as much as our Admissions team looks forward to reading your essays and letters of recommendations, our team in the Financial Aid office looks forward to receiving completed application materials soon.