Parents

Information for Parents of Undergraduate Students

The Parent Contribution

The parent contribution is a central component to helping your child meet their educational expenses. While undergraduate costs can be significant, Stanford’s financial aid program can assist your family with these expenses. To better understand financial aid at Stanford, our section on How Aid Works can provide you with information about how we calculate your parent contribution and how aid eligibility is determined.

Federal Direct PLUS Loans

In deciding how your family will pay for your student’s expenses, you may want to consider borrowing a Federal Direct PLUS Loan to finance a portion of the costs. You can learn more about this option at our information page for Federal Direct PLUS Loans. To apply for a Federal Direct PLUS loan, you should follow the instructions on our Parents of Undergraduate Students page.

Parent Access to Student Records

Stanford’s Office of the University Registrar posts Stanford’s policies regarding privacy of student information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Under FERPA, our office will not disclose any student’s financial aid information to parents unless the student provides written consent.