Financial Aid FAQ

A family’s eligibility for financial aid is determined through a comprehensive analysis of the information provided in a Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST) online application. FAST later verifies that application with all relevant tax documentation—notably W2s, and state and federal filings—submitted by parents. A financial aid committee carefully reviews each verified application and makes a determination on an award.

We do our best to provide as much assistance as we can to as many families as we can. And though we strive to meet each qualifying applicant’s full need, sometimes we cannot entirely bridge the gap. Our goal is to get as close as we can to help make Notre Dame a reality for each qualified applicant. In recent years, awards granted to students have ranged from 10 to as much as 50 percent of tuition. 

Financial aid is considered a gift and is not expected to be repaid. We operate a budget for financial aid, supplemented by donations to the school through the Notre Dame Fund and other philanthropic efforts.

No, we do not provide financial aid to international or foreign exchange students.

The FAST application can be found here. Applications for new and returning students are accepted beginning Oct. 1. Applications for returning students will be reviewed exclusively between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30. Applications for new students will be given priority review from Dec. 1 to Jan. 31. Applications will be considered after these dates as long as funds remain available. The FAST application costs $48.

In the simplest terms, FAST will ask you to submit information pertaining to your income, expenses, assets and liabilities. Regarding income, you will be expected to provide your wages, as well as earnings from capital gains, dividends, interest, real estate, etc. Regarding expenses, you will be expected to provide costs related to housing, vehicles, insurances, utilities, etc.

We strongly recommend that you utilize the downloadable worksheet provided by FAST before starting your application, as this likely will save you time and effort.

We expect both living parents of a student, regardless of any court decrees or personal agreements between them, to participate in the financial aid process. FAST enables one parent to submit an application, and the other parent to do his/her part with a separate login. Neither parent can see the other parent’s application or financial information.

You may submit copies of tax documents one of two ways: mail them directly to FAST in Delaware, or scan/upload them directly to your FAST application.

If you file late or do not file at all, we still need you to complete a FAST application and explain in your letter the cause/status of your situation.

The time between an application’s submission and verification can vary greatly, as it depends entirely upon FAST receiving all relevant tax documentation. If anything is missing, verification will be delayed. The financial aid committee aims to meet weekly during the regular evaluation period to review all verified applications and communicate decisions in a timely fashion.

The only way to determine whether an award is in order is to submit a FAST application. If you think you may qualify and believe it is worth your time to find out, we encourage you apply.

Awards are not guaranteed, as they are based strictly on a family’s demonstrated need.

You may apply for aid at any time. However, as can be expected, our funds are less plentiful later in the year than they are at the beginning.

Because income and expenses are variable, awards cannot be guaranteed from year to year.

Yes, you will need to reapply for aid every year.

Currently we have one named scholarship funded by grateful alumni who wish to further assist students in realizing a Notre Dame education. You can find more information about the Berch Family Scholarship here.

Yes, we offer merit scholarships to incoming Grade 9 students in the areas of Academics, Arts, Christian Citizenship, Diversity, and Leadership. All scholarship requirements—notably an essay and a letter of recommendation—and the entire admission process must be complete by Dec. 17, 2021. You can find more information on scholarships here.

We recommend you look into Your Tuition Solution, which you can find online.

Yes, you also may apply for aid through the Archdiocese. Please note, however, that that requires a separate application through a different service called FACTS. Receiving aid from Notre Dame does not preclude you from also receiving aid from the Archdiocese, and vice versa.

Please contact Director of Enrollment Management Kathleen Offer at koffer@ndpma.org, or 248-373-1061.