How Aid Works

When considering a Stanford education, you and your family may be concerned about the high costs. The Financial Aid Office is ready to help. We view the financing of your educational costs as a partnership between you (the student), your family and the University. Our aid program is designed to ensure that your family's economic circumstances will not prevent you from being able to enroll at Stanford.

Determining Eligibility

Our financial aid program is need-based, meaning that all aid eligibility is determined by your family’s financial circumstances. While you and your parents have the primary responsibility for paying for college, financial aid can bridge the gap between the total costs and your ability to pay.

We use a standard method to carefully review your family’s financial circumstances and establish an expected contribution from you and your parents. If we determine that you cannot meet the student budget based on that calculated amount, we will award or recommend scholarships, grants or other resources to help you.

Average Scholarship/Grant for the Class of 2019

The average amount of Scholarship and Grant from all sources received by need-based aid recipients in the current freshman class is $49,220. This includes $43,628 average scholarship from Stanford as well as grant funds received from federal, state and private resources. The table below shows the average scholarship and grant by income range for students whose families live in the United States.

Gross Family Income	Average Scholarship and Grant	Average Net Price	% of applicants who qualify for scholarship aid from Stanford
*most who qualify have 2 (or more) children in college
Less than $ 65,000	63,830	4,646	99%
65,000 - 95,000	58,769	7,884	98%
95,000 - 125,000	49,655	16,603	98%
125,000 - 155,000	40,873	25,286	95%
155,000 - 185,000	33,046	33,138	90%
185,000 - 215,000	26,402	39,936	89%
215,000 - 245,000*	22,285	43,755	57%
Greater than $245,000*	18,232	47,912	32%

Eligibility for Stanford Scholarship funds is based not only on family income level, but also on the size of the family, number of family members in college and family assets among other factors.  This explains why not every applicant at a particular income level may qualify for assistance.

Average Net Price is the amount of the average individual student budget that's not covered by gift funds, in other words, the amount for which the student and parents, when appropriate, are responsible.  These averages are for students who apply for aid, are admitted and choose to enroll at Stanford.

Prospective students and parents are encouraged to use our Net Price Calculator to obtain an individualized estimate of eligibility for need-based financial aid from Stanford.

Updated on January 25, 2016 1:43 PM