Requirement & Exceptions
Eligibility for Cummings institutional financial aid, is awarded solely based on demonstrated financial need and should be viewed as supplemental to family resources. A financial aid application must be submitted annually to receive consideration for institutional aid, which includes grants and scholarships (institutional loans may be offered in addition to a grant/scholarship). Grants and scholarships do not require repayment and are the most favorable form of financial aid. Grant and scholarship award amounts are relative to a student’s need as well as the total amount of funding available. The school does not offer merit-based or academic scholarships.does not offer academic or merit-based scholarships.
Institutional aid applicants are required to provide parental household and financial information on the CSS Profile application and to submit copies of federal tax documents to the financial aid office. Parent information must be provided to receive consideration for institutional aid, even if they do not intend to contribute financially to graduate/professional school expenses. The financial aid office assesses financial need using a standardized needs analysis to identify students whose personal and family resources are insufficient to meet tuition expenses. In this way, the school is able to direct the limited amount of aid available to those who have the greatest financial need.
Parents must complete the parent section of the CSS Profile and submit signed copies of their federal tax return, including tax schedules (for example, Schedules, 1, 2 & 3 and Schedules B, C, D, E, etc.) and W2 Forms. Financial aid for the 2024-25 academic year will be based on the 2022 tax year. The V28 institutional aid application deadline is Thursday, February 1, 2024. Applicants should wait to complete the CSS Profile until they have been invited for an admissions interview.
If a student’s parents are divorced, separated or unmarried, the student will provide information for one parent on the CSS Profile, including spouse’s information if remarried and the second parent will complete the CSS Profile Non-Custodial Parent form. Both parents are required to submit the required tax documents, including spouse’s information if remarried. Note, parents will create separate CSS College Board accounts to complete the Custodial and Non-Custodial Parent applications; therefore, with separate log in credentials, each parent can access only their data. Other required documents may be uploaded through Tufts Box.
Providing parent information does not obligate a parent(s) to pay for school — it allows the student to be considered for institutional financial aid. Cummings Veterinary School is committed to helping students identify resources to assist in offsetting an unmet assessed parent contribution. Those resources include federal student loans, private loans and outside scholarship guidance. For most federal student aid programs, graduate/professional school student are independent.
Exceptions to the Parent Information Requirement
Applicants whose circumstances meet one of the two following exceptions are eligible to apply for financial aid without parental information.
- Applicant has been financially independent of their parents and self-supporting for at least five years prior to matriculation.
- Applicants must complete the Affidavit of Self-Supporting Status as detailed in the Self-Supporting Criteria section below.
- Applicant is unable to provide a parent(s) information due to estrangement or other circumstances that make it impossible to obtain the required information.
- Applicants must complete the Parent Waiver Request form even if parent information was not required by a school previously attended.
Self-Supporting Criteria
Applicants who have have been self-supporting for at least five years prior to matriculation, meet minimum income requirements, and the following criteria, may apply for institutional aid without parent information. An Affidavit of Self-Supporting status, which may be obtained through the Financial Aid Office (vet-finaid@tufts.edu), and copies of the applicant’s federal tax returns for the five years prior to matriculation, 2019-2023, must be submitted. For transfer students, the five year period is based on the five years prior to when the class you join matriculated.
The following must be true for the 5 years prior to enrollment and remain true for the period of enrollment:
1. Applicant did not and will not receive financial support (through gift or loan) from parent(s).
2. Applicant was not claimed and will not be claimed by a parent as a dependent on tax return.
3. Applicant did not and will not live with a parent for more than six weeks.
4. Applicant received bachelor’s degree at least five years prior to matriculation or document self-supporting status during undergraduate school.
Minimum annual income requirements for self-supporting status (in addition to the above 4 requirements):
- 2023: $14,580
- 2022: $13,590
- 2021: $12,880
- 2020: $12,760
- 2019: $12,490
Once granted self-supporting status, students need not resubmit documentation in subsequent years.
Request to Waive Parental Information
If an applicant is unable to provide information for a parent(s) due to exceptional circumstances, a Request to Waive Parental Information form must be submitted to the Cummings School Financial Aid Office. Examples of qualifying circumstances for a waiver may include the applicant having no relationship with parent or estrangement from parent(s). A parent who is unwilling to complete the application process is not a qualifying circumstance for a waiver.
In addition to the waiver request form, an applicant requesting a parent information waiver must submit a letter from an independent, third-party who knows the applicant in a professional capacity and can attest to the status of the applicant’s relationship with their parent. A qualified professional may be an academic advisor or teacher, a doctor or therapist, or a member of the clergy. The applicant may obtain a Request to Waive Parental Information form through the financial aid office: vet-finaid@tufts.edu.