Office of Financial Aid

Opening Doors for Future Commodores

Providing for a college experience is one of the largest single investments a family will make, and we strongly believe that a Vanderbilt education is well worth it. As a result, we do three very important things to make it possible for U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens from many different economic circumstances to enroll at Vanderbilt.

First: Since talent and promise recognize no social, cultural, economic, or geographic boundaries, our admissions process is need-blind. This means that your family’s ability to pay for a Vanderbilt education is not a factor in our admissions process. Our goal is to admit students who will be academically successful and contribute to our community.

Second: Vanderbilt will meet 100% of a family’s demonstrated financial need. With the additional investment that we make in your future, many students often pay no more to attend Vanderbilt than they would pay to attend a college with a lower total cost.

Third: Financial aid awards do not include loans. Instead of offering need-based loans to undergraduate students, Vanderbilt offers additional grant assistance. This initiative does not involve income bands or “cut-offs” to determine levels of eligibility and instead applies to admitted undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need.

These three commitments place Vanderbilt among a small number of U.S. universities to adopt these philosophies and allocate the resources necessary to make a premier college education a reality for students and their families.

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