Need-based financial aid is awarded to students who demonstrate that their family 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 grants from the federal or state government, and these are included in the total package.
CSS Profile and FAFSA
To determine whether a student who is a U.S. citizen has financial need, Kenyon College requires the FAFSA, to determine eligibility for federal financial aid, and the CSS Profile, to determine eligibly for institutional or Kenyon College need based financial aid. This requires an aid applicant's family to submit the 2023-2024 CSS Profile (Kenyon code 1370) and the 2023-2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA: Kenyon code 003065) to the processing centers. Deadlines for these documents differ for regular-decision and early-decision applicants. Please consult our financial aid deadlines to determine the correct deadline for your CSS Profile and FAFSA applications. Applications filed after the correct deadline will be placed on a financial aid wait list 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 in order 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.
How Aid is Determined
The information provided on the CSS Profile and FAFSA 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. This need is then provided for by a financial aid package.
Verification
Prior to finalizing financial aid packages, some financial aid applicants will be selected by the federal government to complete a process termed verification. When performing verification, the Office of Financial Aid staff compares information on a family's CSS Profile and FAFSA applications to data reported on the Kenyon College Verification Statement(s) and official IRS income tax transcripts. Being selected for verification is fairly common and does not indicate an applicant has been admitted to the College.
Estimating Aid
By filling out the Kenyon College Net Price Calculator, students and families can receive both 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.