All outside/third-party scholarships (including tuition benefits, ROTC, etc.) must be reported to the Financial Aid Office to be incorporated into the financial aid offer in accordance with requirements outlined below. Please email faoffice@princeton.edu to report scholarship and donor information. Since Princeton meets students’ full financial need, and outside/third-party scholarships are additional resources intended to reduce financial need, they cannot be used to replace the family contribution and Princeton grant will be reduced instead.
Need-based federal and state grants are considered part of the overall Princeton financial aid offer. Although they reduce Princeton grant, they are not considered outside scholarships and are not eligible for the educational technology policy.
Third-party scholarships and requirements to disclose funding sources
Scholarships, employee tuition benefits, stipends, and any other financial aid awarded to you by organizations outside the University are considered financial assistance for your cost of attendance at the University. Under federal and institutional rules, such amounts are deemed to be used to meet your financial need, and you are required to report such financial assistance to Undergraduate Financial Aid so that your financial aid offer is properly calculated. Financial assistance from third parties is included as part of your financial aid offer and does not decrease your expected family contribution amount. Such assistance does reduce any Princeton grant for which you may be eligible.
In accordance with U.S. Department of Education rules, Undergraduate Financial Aid treats third-party scholarships and other financial aid as “estimated financial assistance” which must be included in a student’s financial aid offer. This treatment is consistent, even if the scholarship or other financial aid is received during a period of non-enrollment (i.e. summer) or is used to cover expenses during a period of non-enrollment (i.e., summer). Outside scholarship and financial aid sources include, but are not limited to, private non-profit organizations, government agencies, civic organizations, and business entities.
The University offers federal and institutional need-based aid only after considering all financial assistance from third parties and expected family contribution. Failure to disclose all outside funding sources to Undergraduate Financial Aid may result in disciplinary action; this failure to report would result in the receipt of University aid for which, according to Princeton’s policies, you would not be otherwise eligible.
If your Princeton grant is reduced (but not fully replaced) as the result of an outside/third-party scholarship, you may recover reduced funds toward the one-time purchase of a personal computer. If your outside/third-party scholarships have replaced your entire Princeton grant, you may not be eligible to receive grant aid for educational technology. View the Computer Purchases Policy for more information on eligible technology items and how to request a computer purchase budget adjustment.
Contact our office if you have questions about your eligibility. This policy applies to basic hardware products up to $3,500. Please note that VA benefits (Chapter 33, etc.) and need-based government grants are not considered outside scholarships.
Students searching for outside scholarships may wish to visit fastweb.com or the Army ROTC website.