Princeton has a long history of admitting students without regard to their financial circumstances and, for more than a decade, has provided student grants and campus jobs — not student loans — to meet the full demonstrated financial need of all students offered admission.
If you receive financial aid as a currently enrolled student, you will need to reapply each year, so that the financial aid office can determine if your needs have changed, based on the expenses for the following academic year and your family's financial circumstances. A full set of instructions and forms for applying for financial aid can be found at the Office of Financial Aid website for current students.
Aid students may contact the financial aid office during the year if they have concerns about their educational costs or a potential lack of resources. Financial aid counselors will be able to help you sort through options to cover educational expenses not included in the basic student budget, or to replace a shortfall in family resources. Common examples include summer earnings replacement aid and personal computer purchases. Information about student and parent borrowing options is also available from the aid office for those who wish to finance a portion of their expenses.
The financial aid office also administers the student employment program, and can answer questions about finding jobs on and off campus.
In addition to the help offered by the Office of Financial Aid, all Princeton students have access to a variety of funding resources for assistance in case of personal emergencies, to support academic work, extracurricular activities and events and public service projects.