U.S. Students

Apply for financial aid early: it’s a good idea to apply for financial aid right after you apply for admission. The FAFSA and any other required financial aid materials are due by the same deadlines as the application for admission.

RoundApplication Deadlines
Early Decision INovember 1
Early ActionNovember 1
Early Decision IIJanuary 15
Regular DecisionJanuary 15
Transfer – Fall Semester StartRolling, February 1 – May 1
Transfer – Spring Semester StartRolling, September 1 – November 1

How to Apply

  • If admitted to Clark, you will receive your financial aid award notification. We seek to notify regarding admission and financial aid at the same time whenever possible. If either application is incomplete, it will delay notification of both.
Spring 2026 Applicants Only

Students applying for the Spring 2026 semester should complete both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile. Any additional requests will be posted to your Clark University Financial Aid Portal.

Complete Your FAFSA
Complete Your CSS Profile

Monitor Your Financial Aid Portal

What to do if a federal processor selects you for FAFSA Verification.

All undergraduate applicants are automatically considered for merit-based aid

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Clark’s current tuition?

View our current tuition rates. Your tuition and expenses may be adjusted according to your financial need. For more information, please contact a staff member in the Office of Student Accounts.

Are the financial aid requirements and procedures different if I am a transfer student?

No. Transfer students follow the same guidelines as all first-year U.S. candidates.

What if my financial aid forms are turned in late?

Because state funds are limited, filing late may affect your eligibility for such assistance. However, you may still be eligible for federal funds.

What if my application is not complete?

Your application cannot be reviewed until all materials required and requested have been received.

I understand that I will need to contribute at least part of my total expenses. How is my expected contribution determined?

Your Student Aid Index is an estimate of how much of your educational expenses you and/or your family are expected to absorb. Your family contribution is not a prediction of how much cash you have on hand; neither is it a value judgment about how much your family ought to have available from their current income, or a measure of your liquidity. Rather, it is an estimate of your capacity over time to absorb some of the cost of education.

The SAI generally expects a strong financial commitment on your part proportional to your income. We estimate how much you can be expected to contribute (relative to other students), but we make no assumptions about how you will finance that contribution.

Does my or my parent’s debt factor into my award?

Consumer debt, such as car loans and credit card bills and educational debt does not have any bearing on your financial aid award. 

I have other family members in college. Will that be considered in my aid package?

Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, federal student aid calculations no longer count other family members in college. There is no special discount for multiple siblings attending Clark University. Parents in college are not counted as family members enrolled in college.

If I was not awarded federal work-study funds, can I still work on campus?

Yes, all students are eligible to work on campus. Available jobs are listed on Handshake, Clark’s online job posting board. Over the summer, incoming students will receive information regarding the student employment process and how to access Handshake.

An award of federal work-study does not require you to work nor is it a guarantee of employment. The award is a limit of your potential earnings.  Earnings are not deducted from the bill, student employee’s are paid their earnings via direct deposit every two weeks.

Any student employee needs to meet the federal I-9 requirements for employment. Original documents, not copies, need to be presented with the completed employment packet for certification.  Please review the I-9 requirements and bring the original documentation with you to campus so we can complete the federal certification requirement.

If you are having difficulty finding employment on campus, you should visit the office of Financial Assistance for guidance.

If I receive outside scholarships (e.g. Women’s Club, High School Scholarship), will this affect my financial aid award?

Unless you notify us otherwise, your financial aid award at Clark is based on the assumption that you will not receive aid from non-Clark sources. If you do receive such assistance, we may revise our offer of financial aid.

Clark University’s policy for these adjustments is as follows:

  • Your financial aid award at Clark is based on the assumption that you will not receive aid from non-Clark sources, unless otherwise reported. If you do receive outside scholarships from outside resources, we may revise our offer of financial aid.  Clark University’s policy for these adjustments is as follows: for scholarships based on the student’s merit, outside funds may first fill unmet need as calculated by Clark University. Any remaining outside funds will go first to reduce the student’s self-help aid -work-study then loans-; any remaining outside funds will then reduce Clark grant dollar-for-dollar. Scholarships that are not meritorious like federal or state grants will reduce the Clark University Grant dollar-for-dollar. Tuition subsidies based on parent’s employment, reduce Clark University Grant $.50 per dollar after the first five thousand dollars. Copies of all Scholarship awards need to be provided to both the Financial Assistance and Student Accounts Office as soon as you are notified of the award, to provide you the best possible information  about how these awards can impact your financial aid award and bill. Clark reserves the right to make adjustments at any point during the semester.
How will participating in a study abroad program affect my aid award?

If you take part in a Clark study abroad program, you will receive your usual aid package, with the exception of federal work-study. If you study in a non-Clark program you will receive only your federal Stafford Loan and federal Pell Grant, if applicable.

Will my financial aid award change if I move into an off-campus apartment?

Unless you have indicated that you are living at home with your parents and commuting to Clark, your financial aid award is based upon the premise that you are incurring living expenses such as room and board on campus or rent and groceries off campus.

Therefore, whether you are living in an on-campus residence hall or an off-campus apartment and you are or are not participating in the meal plan, your aid will remain the same.

If I have not completed my undergraduate requirements in four years, can I still receive aid to complete my degree?

Students are limited to eight semesters of Clark-sponsored, need-based financial aid and merit scholarship awards.

If you expect to take more than eight semesters to complete your undergraduate degree, you may be eligible aid during a ninth semester upon appeal. Please contact the Office of Financial Assistance for more information.

Does Clark offer a “discount” if I pay for all four years at once?

Clark offers families the option of fixing the tuition rate for four years at the first-year level. To do this, families pay four years of tuition the first year, thereby “locking” into the first year’s tuition rate. Arrangements can be made by contacting the Director of Student Accounts at 1-508-421-3801.

Contact information

Office Location

Clark University
Office of Financial Assistance
950 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01610

1-508-793-7478

1-508-793-8802