The mission of the Office of Financial Aid is to foster the educational goals of Cornish students by focusing on increasing opportunities for student access and success in higher education. We seek to assist students by providing information on student eligibility, types of aid available, cost of attendance, and policies and guidelines for federal, state, and institutional programs. We understand that your education is a big investment, which is why Cornish offers a full range of funding options, including Merit and Need-Based aid.

The Office of Financial Aid is located in the Main Campus Center on the third floor. We are located behind the Cashier’s Window.

Looking for your missing documents or a list of your awards? You're in the right place! You can also find great scholarship resources and news about upcoming deadlines. On your right you can find our contact information should you need help, and on the left are all the places you might need to go.

IMPORTANT NOTE: ONLY COURSES COUNTING TOWARDS YOUR DEGREE will be financial aid eligible, that means if you are taking a course outside of your degree program, financial aid will not be eligible to cover this cost. 

You must be at full time in order to keep your Cornish Scholarship. Please keep this in mind while registering for classes.  Your Cornish Merit Scholarship is awarded when you apply to Cornish.  Students are eligible to receive this scholarships for all 4 years.  Students need to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress to maintain the scholarships.

Students that are graduating and do not need to maintain full time status, can have their scholarships prorated.  To prorate your scholarship, please have your Academic Advisor reach out directly to Financial Aid detailing how many credits are required for graduation.

9-11 credits: 75% proration

6-8 credits: 50% proration

0-5 credits: no proration  

Housing Grants: 

If you are offered a Housing Grant, they are available for your first and second year, on a first come first serve basis.  If you receive a Housing Grant your first year, it is not guaranteed for your second year nor is the amount guaranteed.  Please make sure you get your financial aid file completed to receive these funds.  Also if there is a Housing Grant on your official offer but you are not living on campus, please inform the Office of Financial Aid immediately so we can update your offer. 

If you received an email from us about Verification, it means the Department of Education has selected your FAFSA for an additional review. Verification requires the college to collect additional documentation in order to review the information you reported on the FAFSA and confirm its accuracy (34 CFR, Part 668), although does not necessarily mean you filled out your application incorrectly. Any differences we resolve will be reported to the Department of Education as a correction to your FAFSA. Should this cause a change in your eligibility after you've been awarded, you will be notified by your advisor. We require Verification to be completed before aid is officially offered.

Please see the Applying for Financial Aid tab for additional information: Verification with Inceptia.

FAFSA PRIORITY DEADLINE: February 15th

FINAL DEADLINE INCLUDING ALL NON-VERIFICATION FORMS: June 1st

VERIFICATION DEADLINE: JUNE 30th

SCHOOL CODE: 012315

If your verification isn't complete by this date, you will not be able to register for classes, or your registration will be cancelled if you're already signed up for classes. After completing your financial aid application, you will be allowed to re-register.

If you and your family are experiencing extenuating circumstances that prevent you from submitting your documents by this date, please contact us immediately.

ACCEPTANCE FORMS: JUNE 30th. This includes all PLUS applications.

Financial aid will need to be in place prior to the start of fall semester.

These deadlines must be met in order for financial aid to be processed on time. If you anticipate any delays, please email us as soon as possible.

Legal names, not preferred names, will appear on diplomas, transcripts, official student accounts, financial aid records and emails, certification documents, student employment records, and immigration/SEVIS documents

Have more questions you can't find answers to on Compass? Are your finances way, way different than what's on the FAFSA? Schedule an appointment with us here!