Step by Step

Step-by-step instructions for applying for financial aid at Wellesley

1. Gather your documents

2. Complete the CSS PROFILE

3. Complete the FAFSA

4. Provide Income Documentation

5. Monitor your Admissions Portal for Updates

Step 1. Gather your documents

Completing the required forms is a lot easier when you have all of your information handy. If you have any questions, you are welcome to call our office at 781-283-2360. We're eager to help.

DOCUMENTS YOU WILL NEED:

• Your Social Security Number: Make sure you enter it correctly on your CSS PROFILE and FAFSA
   
• Your Parents' Social Security Numbers: If you are a dependent student
   
• Your spouse's Social Security Number: If you are an independent student and married
   
• Your driver's license number: if you have one
   
• Your Alien Registration Number: if you are not a U.S. citizen
   
• Federal tax information/tax returns/W-2s/T-4s: For you and your parents (if you are a dependent student) or your spouse (if you are an independent student and married)
   
• Business tax returns: For you and your parents (if you are a dependent student) or your spouse (if you are an independent student and married)
   
• Records of untaxed income: Such as child support received, interest income, veterans' noneducation benefits
   
• Asset information: Such as bank statements, investments (stocks, bonds, etc.), home equity, other real estate equity, and business/farm assets

Step 2. Complete and submit the CSS PROFILE

• Purpose: The CSS (College Scholarship Service) PROFILE, a form distributed by the College Board, allows students to apply for financial aid at over 600 colleges and universities, including Wellesley.  The CSS PROFILE allows us to calculate eligibility for Wellesley need-based programs.
   
• Who must file: Anyone who wishes to apply for Wellesley College grant aid.

  If your parents are divorced or separated, both households complete the CSS Profile using the student's information, and Collegeboard will link your application.
   

• Filing date: The CSS PROFILE is available after October 1. Please be sure to complete the form by the applicable deadline. See prospective student deadlines. See current student deadlines.
   
• Filing fee: CSS charges a fee for processing the PROFILE. The registration fee is $25 plus an application fee of $16 per college.  Households whose Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is less than $100,000 are eligible for an automatic fee waiver. 
   
• Wellesley CSS #: The CSS code  for Wellesley College is 3957. You will be asked to list the colleges and universities who should receive your CSS PROFILE data, which should include Wellesley.
   
• How to complete: Complete this form using actual or estimated income. Submit at profileonline.collegeboard.com. If after submitting your CSS Profile you notice a mistake  email sfs@wellesley.edu for your next steps. 
   
• Notes: Please utilize the "Special Circumstance" section of the CSS PROFILE to provide additional information about your family. If you have experienced a job loss or change, you may also upload to IDOC your most recent federal tax return. including all statements, forms, schedules and W-2(s). 

 Step 3. Complete and submit the FAFSA

• Purpose: The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), a form distributed by the U.S. Department of Education, allows students to apply for need-based federal and state aid (such as grants, loans, and work-study).
   
• Who must file: All U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and eligible non-citizens. Canadian and other international students do not submit this form. 

  If your parents are divorced or separated, your custodial parent (the parent with whom you lived the most during the past 12 months) completes the FAFSA.  If your custodial parent is remarried, the household information must also include the spouse's information.
   

• Filing date: The FAFSA form is available online on October 1 and must be submitted by the applicable deadline. See prospective student deadlines. See current student deadlines.
   
• It's free!: As the name - ​Free Application for Federal Student Aid - indicates,  it's free to apply.
   
• Wellesley FAFSA #: The Federal Code for Wellesley is 002224. You will be asked to list the colleges and universities who should receive your FAFSA data, which should include Wellesley.
   
• How to complete: 
  • Step 1. Complete this form using either actual or estimated income. Submit at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
    • If you have already filed your taxes, you can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to automatically answer certain questions. For more information about DRT, visit our Verification page (coming soon!).
    • If you have not filed your taxes, estimate to the best of your ability. After you file your taxes, you'll need to log back into the FAFSA and correct any estimated information.
       
  • Step 2. Within 7-10 days after submitting the FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR), which summarizes the information you submitted on your FAFSA. When you receive your SAR, review all information to make sure it is correct and complete. If you notice an error, you can access your FAFSA to make corrections and provide additional information, as necessary.  File with your other financial aid records. if your circumstances change, you should contact our office. 
     
• Notes: The FAFSA will generate an Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is used exclusively to apply for federal and state programs. Learn more about FAFSA at studentaid.edu.gov/fafsa.

Step 4. Provide Income Documentation

• Purpose: Like many colleges and universities, Wellesley College will collect your family's income information and other documents to determine your eligibility for need-based financial aid.
   
• Who must file: Anyone who wishes to apply for financial aid. 
   
• Required documents: 
  • Parents' 2022 federal tax returns, signed by your parents, including all pages, statements, and schedules.  See additions and exceptions below.
  • Parents' 2022 W-2 forms, from all employers. 
  • Student's 2022 federal tax return, signed by you, including all pages, statements, and schedules. See additions and exceptions below.
  • Student's 2022 W-2 forms, from all employees, including Wellesley College. *Note: While W-2 forms are required when students indicate on their FAFSA and CSS Profile that they had earned income, they generally are not required for our initial aid review nor will the status of "Not Received" delay a financial aid offer.

Make sure that you have included all of the required documents in your packet to SFS. If any documents are missing, it will delay processing of your application. You may check the status of your application through MyWellesley.
 

• Filing date: Please be sure to complete and submit these forms by the applicable deadline. See prospective student deadlines. See current student deadlines.
   
• Send/submit: 
  • ​All students will need to submit signed copies of their families' tax returns and income documentation through IDOC. You will receive an email giving you access to the uploading feature after you have completed your CSS Profile.
     

    If you have any difficulty submitting documents, please feel free to contact our office. 

Additions and Exceptions:

Non-tax filers. If the parent or student is not required to file a tax return, he or she should indicate their non-filing status. Prospective students should complete the verification worksheet, paying special attention to sections 3 and 4 and upload the worksheet to IDOC. 

Business owners. If a student, spouse, parent or stepparent is self-employed or holds interest in a corporation, partnership, and/or farm, you are also required to submit a signed copy of the federal tax return (IRS Forms 1120, 1120S, or 1065), including all statements and schedules (especially Schedule K-1), for each business or farm. 

Divorced or separated parents. Both your custodial and noncustodial parents (including stepparents) are expected to supply the required documents. 

Business/farm supplement. If business, partnership, or corporate income is part of your noncustodial parent's reported income or assets, you will need to submit this form. Submit with other noncustodial income documentation according to instructions. Custodial parents do not submit this form because business information is collected on the CSS PROFILE.

Parents with international income. If one or more of your parents earns income outside the U.S. or Canada, they must submit a translated copy of their most recent tax return or a translated statement of earnings from their employer.

Independent students. Independent students are not required to submit parent information unless they are supported by their parents. Include spouse's information, if applicable.