How to Apply for Financial Aid
It never hurts to apply for financial aid. You do not need to be accepted at St. Olaf to complete our financial aid application requirements. The Office of Financial Aid will not act on your application until we have been notified by the Admissions Office that you have been admitted. However, if you complete the forms prior to being admitted, everything will be in place for us to review once your admission status is determined. For many, financial aid plays a huge role in choosing a college. Our goal is to explain the St. Olaf financial aid process in understandable terms, and all in one place, so you will have all the tools you will need to make your college choice.
To apply for Financial Aid at St. Olaf, you will need to complete two forms in addition to your application for admission to St. Olaf:
- CSS PROFILE Application (can be completed starting in October)
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (can be completed starting January 1)
If you decide to enroll at St. Olaf, we will require a signed copy of both the student’s and parents’ 2007 federal income tax returns as well as copies of W-2s and other forms that we will provide to your family.
Filing for Financial Aid
Step 1
Complete your Application for Admission to St. Olaf College.
The St. Olaf Application for Admission gives the college all the information it needs to make an admissions decision. Early Decision candidates must apply by November 1, and Early Action candidates must apply by December 1. In the Regular Admission round, there is a priority submission date of January 15. For further details, see the Admissions Dates & Deadlines page.
The supplement to the Common Application will contain the Scholarship Application for merit scholarships. If you wish to apply for merit scholarships (scholarships based on achievement), submit the application by the appropriate deadline(s). Please do not mistake this for the Application for Financial Aid.
Step 2
Complete the CSS PROFILE Application.
St. Olaf requires all first-year students to complete the CSS PROFILE Application. A PROFILE registration packet is available in most high school guidance offices or by calling PROFILE directly at 1-305-829-9793. You can also complete the PROFILE online. You must include St. Olaf's school code, 6638, in order for the financial aid office to receive your results.
In a case where the student’s parents are separated or divorced it is the obligation of the custodial parent, or the parent with whom the student lives most of the time, to complete the PROFILE. Once completed, the student will receive an email alerting them that their noncustodial parent also needs to complete information on the CSS PROFILE. The student will be given a password that they can forward to their noncustodial parent, so that the form can be completed and submitted by the noncustodial parent electronically.
A good way to get started collecting the information you will need to complete the PROFILE is to download and print the PROFILE Pre-Application Worksheet. To do so, log on to the College Board website and view the PROFILE Pre-Application Worksheets. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader it is available free of charge.
While there are priority dates listed below, you are encouraged to complete the CSS PROFILE at your earliest convenience to allow the Financial Aid Office to begin processing your award.
Priority CSS PROFILE Dates:
Early Decision: November 1
Early Action: December 1
Regular: January 15
Step 3
Acquire and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Apply for federal financial aid by completing the FAFSA. You can complete the FAFSA using a paper based form available from your high school guidance office or online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
The FAFSA cannot be turned in before January 1 of the year you are entering college. Enter St. Olaf’s FAFSA Code: 002382 to have your results sent directly to St. Olaf. The priority deadline for the FAFSA is February 1.
That's it! After you have completed these steps, you can sit back and wait for us to notify you about your eligibility for need-based financial aid. If you do decide to attend St. Olaf, we will keep you posted throughout the summer about any paperwork necessary to get your financial aid disbursed.
