MIT Scholarships for International Students

Massachusetts Institute of Technology has long been considered out of reach financially for many international applicants, but that changed starting with the 2025-2026 academic year. MIT now extends its full need-blind admissions and need-based financial aid commitment to international students, putting it among an extremely small handful of U.S. universities to do so. Here’s exactly what that means, who qualifies, and how to apply.

MIT Is Now Need-Blind for International Students

This is the single most important thing to understand before applying. MIT is proud to be one of the very few institutions in the United States that are need blind and full need for all of our undergraduate students, domestic and international, and most MIT students receive need-based aid. Need blind means that MIT doesn’t consider your ability to pay for college in the admissions process, and full need means MIT is committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need with its aid.

International students are considered for aid using the same process used for all applicants, MIT is committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need for international students, just as it is for domestic students.This puts MIT in genuinely rare company among elite global universities, most of which still factor financial need into international admissions decisions or cap how much aid international students can receive.

How Much Could You Actually Receive?

The numbers here are substantial and reflect a real commitment, not a marketing line:

• The most common type of aid is the MIT Scholarship which is a grant given solely on the basis of need that does not need to be repaid. About 57% of MIT undergraduates receive an MIT Scholarship, and the median MIT Scholarship was $69,777 for the 2024–2025 academic year.
• Beginning with the 2025–2026 academic year, students from families with an annual income under $200,000, about the 80th percentile income for American families, attend MIT tuition-free, meaning their total grant and scholarship aid covers at least the cost of MIT’s tuition.
• The median annual price paid by an undergraduate who received an MIT Scholarship was $10,268 for the 2024–2025 academic year.
• MIT calculates financial aid offers such that students shouldn’t need to take out any loans to afford MIT, 88% of MIT students graduate debt-free.
• For international students specifically, recent reporting indicates the average international grant covers $45,000 or more per year, significantly reducing the self-funding burden, with aid renewed annually based on updated family financial information.

Eligibility Requirements

1. International Classification

• For financial aid purposes, you’re classified as “international” if you are not eligible for federal student financial aid as determined by the FAFSA, this includes anyone who isn’t a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. If this describes you, you’ll follow MIT’s international financial aid process regardless of where you currently live.

2. Standard MIT Admissions Eligibility

• You must be admissible through MIT’s standard undergraduate admissions process. Since admissions is need-blind, your financial circumstances have zero bearing on whether you’re accepted.

3. Submission of the CSS Profile

• The CSS Profile is an online application provided by the College Board that MIT uses to determine if you qualify for a need-based MIT Scholarship. Designate MIT as one of your recipients by using MIT’s CSS Code 3514, and answer all supplemental questions specific to MIT.

4. Parental Tax Returns or Income Documentation

• If your parents live outside the U.S., you must provide the tax return from that country, along with a translation to English if applicable. Professional translation is not required, documents may be translated by you, your family, or someone you know.

5. Separated or Divorced Parents

• If your parents are separated or divorced, each parent will need to complete their own CSS Profile application, and you will need both parents’ income documentation.

6. Undocumented and DACA Applicants Are Also Eligible

• Undocumented and DACA students are able to apply for financial aid as non-U.S. citizens, consideration is not affected by citizenship status, and applicants still receive aid that meets 100% of their demonstrated need. Note that for these students, financial aid awards only include an MIT Scholarship, which does not need to be repaid, and awards do not include any expectation of work or loans.

Benefits of MIT’s International Financial Aid

• Need-blind admissions: Your family’s financial circumstances will not influence whether MIT admits you, a rare guarantee among top global universities.
• 100% of demonstrated need met: MIT does not consider a student’s ability to pay during the admissions process, and is committed to meeting full demonstrated need for every admitted student.
• No loans required: Aid packages are structured so most students never need to borrow to attend.
• First Year Grant for highest-need students: MIT provides its highest-need first-year students a $2,000 grant to help with extra expenses that come with the transition to college, such as sheets, towels, or a warm coat for the winter, divided equally between the fall and spring semesters.
• Eligibility continues for the duration of your degree: A student’s eligibility for an MIT Scholarship ends when the student receives an initial degree, or after the equivalent of eight attempted or completed terms, whichever occurs first, with the option to appeal for additional terms.
• Personalized donor connections: MIT’s scholarship donors often specify the kind of student they like to support and take an interest in learning about recipients, so you may be invited to connect with an MIT alum over shared interests.
• A world-class education and global network: Beyond the financial benefit, MIT offers access to leading research opportunities, faculty, and an influential international alumni community.

How to Apply

Step 1: Apply for Admission

• Financial aid at MIT is tied directly to your admissions application, there is no separate scholarship competition to enter.
• Apply here

Step 2: Submit the CSS Profile

• All students who apply for financial aid and fill out the CSS Profile are automatically considered for an MIT Scholarship. Use MIT’s CSS Code 3514.
• For the CSS Profile, you’ll need your parents’ income tax returns or wage statements from two years prior, any other records of money earned, current bank account balances, records of investments, and records of untaxed income.
• Complete it here

Step 3: Submit Parental Tax Returns or Income Documentation via IDOC

• After submitting the CSS Profile, submit your parents’ tax returns or income documentation to the College Board’s secure Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC) for processing, it can take up to two weeks for tax returns to be received by MIT, and documents must be submitted directly to IDOC, since MIT cannot accept documents sent directly to them.
• Submit here

Step 4: Track Your Financial Aid Documents

• After applying for aid, manage your financial aid documents by accessing the MIT Application Portal and clicking “Track Financial Aid Documents” to reach the MIT Online Financial Aid System, allow about 10 business days for documents to appear after submission.
• Access the portal here

Step 5: Receive Your Aid Offer

MIT will email you from sfs@mit.edu once they’ve completed their review and prepared your offer, the offer will be linked directly in the email, and can also be viewed in your Application Portal by clicking “View Update,” the same location where you accessed your admissions decision.

Step 6: Complete Your Student Information Review Form (If Awarded)

• If you’re awarded an MIT Scholarship, fill out an annual Student Information Review Form between May 1 and July 1 so MIT can match you with the right scholarship fund.

Tips for a Successful Application

• Don’t let cost stop you from applying: With need-blind admissions and full demonstrated need met for international students, MIT is now genuinely more accessible than its sticker price suggests. Don’t self-select out before you’ve run the numbers.
• Submit your CSS Profile as early as possible: Financial aid documentation takes time to process, and submitting early helps ensure your aid offer arrives in time to inform your enrollment decision.
• Be thorough with translated documents: Since professional translation isn’t required, focus on accuracy and completeness rather than worrying about formal certification — but make sure every figure is clear and consistent with your CSS Profile entries.
• If your parents are separated or divorced, start both applications immediately: This requirement often catches families off guard late in the process, both parents need separate CSS Profile submissions and income documentation.
• Use MIT’s correct CSS code: Many applicants accidentally search for a generic CSS code instead of using MIT’s specific code, 3514, double-check this when completing your profile to ensure your information reaches the right institution.
• Reach out to MIT’s financial aid counselors if you’re unsure about anything: MIT has a full team of financial aid counselors who guide families through the process, reachable at sfs@mit.edu or 1.617.258.8600. Use this resource rather than relying solely on third-party guides.
• Plan for the CSS Profile fee: Unlike some aid forms, there’s typically a cost to submit the CSS Profile, and fee waivers for this form are generally not available to international applicants, budget for this as part of your application costs.
• Build a genuinely strong, authentic admissions application: Since aid is entirely separate from merit and tied only to need, focus your application energy on academics, essays, and extracurriculars. Your financial aid outcome will be determined independently based on documented need.

Conclusion

MIT’s decision to extend full need-blind admissions and 100% demonstrated-need aid to international students marks a genuine shift in how accessible an elite American education can be, regardless of nationality or family income. This isn’t a narrow scholarship competition with a handful of winners, it’s a systemic commitment that applies to every admitted international student who demonstrates need. The path forward is straightforward in structure, even if the documentation takes care to assemble: apply for admission, submit your CSS Profile under MIT’s code, provide your family’s financial documentation through IDOC, and let MIT’s process do the rest. Start early, stay organized, and don’t let assumptions about cost keep you from applying to one of the world’s most accessible elite universities.