Frequently Asked Questions: Prospective International Students

First year international students are eligible for need-based financial aid. If you apply for need-based aid, meet all published deadlines, and we offer you admission, we are committed to meeting 100% of your demonstrated financial aid. For this reason, our process is need-sensitive. With a limited amount of funds available for international students, we need to know if you think you will need aid. If you think you may require aid at any time during the four years of college, you must apply for financial aid at the same time you submit your admission application to Reed. If you do not apply for aid, there will not be funds available after you are admitted.

As an international student, you must complete the College Board CSS Profile to determine your financial need and eligibility for assistance at Reed.

More specific instructions application for first-year international students can be found here.

No. Reed does not consider applications for financial aid from international students after they have begun their studies at the college. As part of the application for admission, all applicants needing financial assistance are required to complete the CSS Profile thoroughly and accurately at the time of admission.

We primarily use the CSS Profile because we believe it produces a more refined and accurate assessment of a family’s need and their eligibility for funding from Reed.

The CSS Profile application code is 4654.

Application deadlines for prospective Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision, and Transfer students can be found here.

No. Reed’s financial aid program is based on need, not merit. We don’t award scholarships based on achievement in a particular arena (academic, leadership, music, etc.) We believe that every student we admit is outstanding and has the potential to make a significant contribution to the Reed community.

No. Financial aid at Reed is based on financial need, and will not be influenced by assistance offered by another college. However, if the differences in aid awards are due to changes in the family’s financial circumstances that were previously not communicated to Reed, the application may be reviewed again when the additional information is provided.

Yes. You will complete the CSS Profile each year. If there are significant changes in income or assets from one year to the next, we may request you send supporting documentation (taxes, etc.) directly to the Financial Aid Office.

We will attempt to keep aid awards as consistent as possible in subsequent years. However, requests to be reconsidered for additional assistance due to exchange rates worsening or changes in family circumstances are not accepted. Students can also expect their loan amounts to increase in subsequent years along with our cost increase. In most cases, student loans will increase by about $500-$1,000 in each subsequent year.