Financial Aid Deadlines

Meeting deadlines is important — it ensures that you will be considered for all available forms of need-based financial assistance.

Submission Dates CSS Profile and Tax Documents FAFSA
Early Decision Option 1 November 15 January 15
Early Decision Option 2 January 15 January 15
Regular Decision January 15 January 15
Transfer Option 1 * March 15 March 15
Continuing Students April 15  April 15
* See additional transfer option deadlines.

Need-based financial aid is awarded to students who demonstrate that their family's financial resources are not sufficient to meet the full annual cost of attending Kenyon. Aid awards usually consist of "packages," which include institutional grants, scholarships, loans, and campus employment. In some cases, students are also eligible for federal or state grants, and these are included in the total package.

CSS Profile

To determine whether a student who is a U.S. citizen has financial need, Kenyon College requires the CSS Profile to determine eligibility for institutional or Kenyon College need -based financial aid. Submit the 2025-2026 CSS Profile (Kenyon code 1370) by the priority deadlines shown above. Applications submitted up to ten days after the deadline will be considered as filed on time. Late applications may be placed on a financial aid waitlist to be considered for aid only if funds are available after May 15.

Divorced/separated parents: If the student's biological/adoptive parents are not married and do not reside in the same household, both parents must complete separate CSS Profile applications to be considered for financial aid from Kenyon.  If the student does not have contact with one of the biological/adoptive parents, a CSS Profile waiver request can be filed and submitted to the Office of Financial Aid.

FAFSA Information for 2025-2026

Kenyon uses the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) solely to determine eligibility for federal and state financial aid (grants, loans, and student employment). The FAFSA is NOT used to calculate eligibility for need-based institutional grant aid. Please ensure that you submit the CSS Profile by the deadlines to be considered for institutional need-based assistance.

2025-26 FAFSA Timeline Updates

FAFSA Launch: While the FAFSA has typically been available October 1 each year, the U.S. Department of Education announced that the 2025-2026 FAFSA will open for testing in October 2024 and to all students and families by December 1, 2024. The December release date is only applicable to the 2025-26 FAFSA, and no changes have been announced for future years.

The FAFSA status in Kenyon's records will show "not received" until we have received the application data from the US Department of Education. Please know that we are well aware of the delays and your eligibility for financial aid will be processed normally as long as we receive the CSS Profile. by the deadlines.  Submit the FAFSA (Kenyon code 003065) to the processing centers when it is available.

Tax Documents & Verification

The Office of Financial Aid verifies application information for all U.S. citizens and permanent residents who apply for need-based aid. For the 2025-2026 award year, we require copies of the parent's 2023 federal tax return and W2 form(s). Additional verification items may be required to resolve conflicting information or satisfy federal verification requirements. Tax documents may be uploaded to the student's Kenyon Admissions portal (available after applying for admission). Please note that Kenyon is not an IDOC participating school and we do not have access to any materials posted with the College Board. 

How Aid is Determined

The information provided on the CSS Profile is analyzed using standard formulas. The result of this analysis is a calculation of what the family can contribute toward the cost of attending Kenyon from parental and student assets and incomes. The difference between what the student's family can contribute and the cost of attending the College is defined as that student's financial need. A financial aid package then provides resources (grants, loans, and employment) to meet this demonstrated need.

Estimating Aid

By filling out the Kenyon College Net Price Calculator, students and families can receive an estimate of their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and their Kenyon need-based financial aid package. These numbers are only estimates and rely primarily on self-reported information from the student and family.

In addition to financial aid based on need, Kenyon offers a variety of scholarship programs without regard to need.

International Students

International students* applying for need-based financial aid are required to complete either the CSS Profile application (Kenyon code 1370) or Kenyon's Online International Financial Aid Application (available in the Kenyon Admission Portal after applying for admission).

* International students living in the United States or Canada must complete the CSS Profile application to be considered for need-based assistance and are not eligible to use Kenyon's international aid application form.

Contact the Office of Financial Aid for any questions you may have regarding financial aid at Kenyon.

Aid in Future Years for International Students

The family contribution for admitted international students remains constant in future years. If you are admitted to Kenyon College without financial aid, you are not eligible to be considered for financial aid during your four years at Kenyon.