Applying for Financial Aid as a Transfer Student
The financial aid application process runs concurrent to the admission process. For many students and families, financial aid plays an important role in choosing a college and our goal is to provide you with accurate and timely information to help you make your decision.
Dates and Deadlines
For students intending to start in February 2026, the CSS Profile and FAFSA should be completed by November 1, 2025.
For students intending to start in September 2026, the CSS Profile and FAFSA should be completed by April 1, 2026.
- Students who wish to apply only for merit scholarships (and don’t want to apply for need-based aid) do not need to complete any of the other parts of the financial aid process.
- All students are considered for Academic scholarships during the admission review process. Academic scholarship decisions are made by the Admissions Office.
- Students applying for Fine Arts Scholarships must submit separate applications. Please click here for more information about applying for merit scholarships at St. Olaf.
- St. Olaf is one of over 350 schools nationally to require the CSS Profile in determining institutional aid. The CSS Profile is a more in-depth and nuanced financial aid application than the FAFSA.
- All students interested in need-based St. Olaf aid are required to complete the CSS Profile.
- There is a fee required to complete the CSS Profile. There is an automatic fee waiver that applies for certain students and eligibility for this fee waiver is determined by the CSS Profile.
- St. Olaf’s CSS PROFILE Code: 6638.
- If your parents are separated or divorced or were never married, St. Olaf will consider both biological parents’ financial information when determining eligibility for institutional need-based grants.
- The FAFSA is required to determine your eligibility for all federal and state based financial aid, such as the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Direct Loans, or Minnesota State Grant.
- There is no fee associated with filing the FAFSA.
- The FAFSA can be completed any time after October 1, 2025 and will use 2024 tax information.
- Students who wish to apply for federal/state aid only (and do not wish to be considered for St. Olaf need-based grants) do not need to complete the CSS PROFILE.
- St. Olaf’s FAFSA Code: 002382.
- If your parents are separated or divorced or were never married, only the custodial parent (the parent with whom you lived the most in the last 12 months) should complete the FAFSA. If that parent has remarried, then your step-parent’s financial information should also be reported on the FAFSA.
- Students who are receiving need-based financial aid may be asked to turn in additional documents to the Financial Aid Office.
- The most commonly requested additional forms are the 2024 Parental 1099 or W2 forms.
- Families are also required to either utilize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool within the FAFSA or submit their 2024 1040 Tax Returns.
- Please submit all tax documents to St. Olaf via Egnyte.