How to Apply for Aid

We want you to be eligible for as much financial aid as possible, and here are a few steps for getting there. It is critical that you complete both applications, regardless of what you think your eligibility may be.

Investing in a Drexel University Education

At Drexel, we want to make sure the cost of a Drexel education is clear, and that every family fully understands and takes advantage of all the financial resources available.

First-Year Applicants

Drexel requires the CSS Profile in order to be considered for Drexel need-based grant funding. This electronic application is provided by the College Board and gives Drexel an overview of your family's finances. You can review detailed information about this process on Drexel Central's How to File the CSS Profile page.

Please note that admission decisions may be impacted by a failure to submit the CSS Profile for those applicants who have indicated on their application that they are interested in receiving financial aid.

Early Action/Early Decision	November 25
Regular Decision	February 1
Winter Entry Program	October 8

Please note: Students from North Korea and Iran cannot currently complete the CSS Profile. Instead, they should submit the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA) according to the CSS Profile deadlines. Visit Drexel Central's How to File the CSS Profile page for more information.

The FAFSA is used to determine your eligibility for federal and state grants, work-study, and federal loans.

The 2027–2028 FAFSA can be completed at the Federal Student Aid website and will open on October 1. Drexel recommends completing your FAFSA as soon as possible. You will need Drexel's school code (003256) and your 2025 tax information to submit this application. To learn more, visit the How to File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) page.

FAFSA Priority Deadlines

Early Action/Early Decision	February 1
Regular Decision	February 1
Winter Entry Program	October 8

Transfer Applicants

The FAFSA is used to determine domestic transfer students' eligibility for institutional need-based aid, federal and state grants, work-study, and federal loans.

The 2026–2027 FAFSA is available at the Federal Student Aid website. You will need Drexel's school code (003256) and your 2024 tax information to submit this application. To learn more, visit the How to File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) page.

Drexel strongly recommends transfer students complete the FAFSA no later than a month prior to the start of their first term.

Drexel requires the CSS Profile in order to be considered for Drexel need-based grant funding for all international transfer applicants. This electronic application is provided by the College Board and gives Drexel an overview of your family's finances. You can review detailed information about this process on Drexel Central's How to File the CSS Profile page.

Drexel strongly recommends international transfer students who are not eligible for the Drexel Promise submit the CSS Profile no later than a month prior to the start of their term.

Please note: Students from North Korea and Iran cannot currently complete the CSS Profile. Instead, they should submit the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA) according to the CSS Profile deadlines. Visit Drexel Central's How to File the CSS Profile page for more information.

Continue to Review Your Financial Aid Status

Information during the entire financial aid process, including the status of your financial aid applications and any additional steps you must take to be considered for aid, will be available on Discover Drexel in the Financial Aid tab once you submit your admission application to Drexel.

Admitted students will receive information about the financial aid that is being offered to them at the time of admission.

Early Estimate of Financial Aid

We know that finances are an important factor when it comes to choosing your college — that's why Drexel is offering Early Decision and Early Action applicants the chance to see an early estimate of their institutional merit and need-based aid eligibility. While this estimate doesn't include federal or state aid, we hope it will be helpful in demonstrating how affordable a Drexel education can be.

If you complete the steps below, the Office of Financial Aid will do its best to provide you with an estimated financial aid package. Please note that this estimate is not a guarantee of admission — official admissions decisions will be released in mid-December. While we strive to ensure the estimate is as accurate as possible, there is a possibility that subsequent changes to your enrollment (such as switching from an on-campus student to a commuter) could impact your financial aid awards. There will be times when the Office of Financial Aid is unable to provide a student with this early estimate. You will be notified by email if that is the case.

Steps to see your early financial aid estimate:

Complete an Early Decision or Early Action application by November 15
Submit the 2027–2028 CSS Profile by November 17
Log in to Discover Drexel and submit the Interest in an Estimated Institutional Financial Aid Package form by November 17

If all required steps are completed, your financial aid estimate will be available in your Discover Drexel portal. If we are not able to provide the estimate to you, we will email you to let you know.

If you decide you would like to apply as an Early Decision applicant once you have viewed your early financial aid estimate, we invite you to switch your application to Early Decision by December 1.

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