Prospective Students Applying for Financial Aid
Availability of the FAFSA
The 2025-2026 FAFSA is now available. Domestic students may contact financialaidoffice@davidson.edu if they encounter any significant technical difficulties in completing this application requirement.
Explore our Admission & Aid Timeline to learn when each application item needs to be submitted.
We are committed to making a 51¹ÙÍø education affordable. Financial aid offers typically include a combination of grants, scholarships, and student employment.
- Domestic applicants, including transfers, can be considered for need-based aid. The domestic-student aid application process is described below.
- International applicants applying as first-years can be considered for need-based aid. Learn about financial aid for international applicants.
- First-year applicants, including both domestic and international students, can be considered for 51¹ÙÍø's non-need-based scholarships. Learn about scholarships.
If applying for need-based aid at 51¹ÙÍø, plan to apply for financial aid at the same time you apply for admission, as the application deadlines are the same. Domestic students wishing to be considered for need-based aid in a future year as well should be prepared to reapply annually.
We’re here to help, and these videos will walk you through the steps involved in applying for financial aid!
This video walks through the process of applying for financial aid at 51¹ÙÍø as a prospective student.
If your parents are divorced or separated, watch this video on how to apply for financial aid at 51¹ÙÍø.
If you are applying for financial aid at 51¹ÙÍø as an undocumented student, explore the process in this video.
How We Evaluate Your Application
We evaluate each need-based financial aid application according to these guiding principles:
- You and your family have the primary responsibility for college costs, to the extent of your ability.
- Your ability to contribute may be determined through assessment of your CSS Profile and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Financial need is the estimated annual cost of attending 51¹ÙÍø minus your family's estimated annual contribution.
- In determining the "number in college" for awarding 51¹ÙÍø's grant funds, only siblings who are seeking their first undergraduate degree will be considered. Siblings who are in graduate school or are pursuing an additional undergraduate degree will not be counted as a family member in college.
How You Apply for Aid
Complete the Required Forms listed on the Financial Aid Forms page. The FAFSA is used to determine eligibility for federal student aid, and the CSS Profile and tax materials are used to determine eligibility for institutional aid.
You or a parent may also be requested to submit:
- CSS Profile from the noncustodial parent (if biological or adoptive parents are not living together and are unmarried, divorced, or separated).
- Schedule K-1 (if a parent is involved with a business partnership or S corporation);
- Verification Worksheet (if an admitted student enrolls and is selected for federal verification);
- A non-filer's certification (if you did not file a tax return in the relevant year).
We receive CSS Profile and FAFSA data electronically. You do not need to submit paper copies of these forms to our office.
Additionally, when you file your CSS Profile you will receive an email from the College Board explaining how to submit your tax returns and other forms through the College Board's IDOC service.
Explore our complete list of forms and worksheets, including links to the FAFSA, CSS Profile and requested tax documents for the IDOC.
Important Dates & Deadlines
Our Admission & Aid Timeline outlines key dates in the financial aid application process, listed by application round. Students who intend to apply must submit aid application materials in conjunction with their admission application.
Late Applications
Students who file aid application materials after the published deadlines are subject to a reduction in the college grant portion of the award. This grant reduction will be filled with a student loan offer of $3,500.