Important Information: The Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment has transitioned to a fully remote model of engagement. Service at the front desk and counselor walk-ins are suspended until further notice. Assistance will continue uninterrupted via email, phone, and our secure document uploads. For more information see our message about continuing operations remotely. For more information specific to the impact of coronavirus, please view Cornell's Coronavirus FAQ.

Please be mindful of phishing attempts regarding CARES Act Funding. To verify phishing attempts, please reference the Cornell IT Security Phish Bowl.

Continuing Students - DACA, Long-term Undocumented Applicants, and Green Card Applicants

2020-21 Financial Aid Application Process Requirements

As a returning student who completed an application for institutional aid in 2019-20, the only application you need to submit at this time is the 2020-21 CSS Profile (Custodial and Noncustodial Parents).

The upper class financial aid deadline is March 1, 2020. Please be sure to complete your CSS Profile by the deadline in order to have your institutional aid offer in place before the fall bill is issued in July.

Completing the CSS Profile 

  • Access the CSS Profile. College Board has created interactive instructions to assist you. 
  • Cornell’s undergraduate CSS Code is 2098 (Cornell Vet: 2822, Cornell Law: 2099) - students should select “continue” if any warning message pops up on the college selection page.
  • The registration step has been eliminated; applicant information will be saved from the moment you first interact with the CSS Profile.
  • If parents are divorced, separated, or were never married, your noncustodial parent will need to complete a separate CSS Profile. Each parent will access their CSS Profile with different College Board log-in credentials.
    • College Board recommends that the student and the custodial parent start the CSS Profile application first. Although the noncustodial parent can start the application at any time, the noncustodial parent will not be able to complete the application until the student selects a college that requires the CSS Profile from the noncustodial parent.
    • To keep financial information private, the student and parents should not share their College Board account passwords with each other. 

Next Steps After CSS Profile Completion 

Unless specifically requested, you do not need to submit additional documentation at the present time. If supporting documentation is needed, you will be notified via your Cornell email and the Student Center To Do List. Please pay close attention to any instructions received from our office and respond as soon as possible.

We will begin notifying applicants of 2020-21 aid eligibility in May via email to the student’s Cornell email address.

Instructions for first-time aid applicants or additional requests made by the Financial Aid Office

In the event that we need additional documentation, we may ask you to submit tax documents directly to the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment via one of the following methods below. Please be sure to include your name and Cornell ID number on your documents.

Secure Fax: 607-255-6329 or;
Secure Online Upload 

Continuing students who are first-time aid applicants will need to complete the additional aid requirements.

Select the dropdowns below for further instructions.

Prepare and submit your materials

2018 federal tax return(s) for custodial parent(s)

If your parent(s) did not file a federal tax return for 2018, please have them submit a signed statement indicating he/she was not required to file a tax return for 2018. Please submit with W2s or 1099s if any income was earned.

2018 federal tax return(s) for noncustodial parent(s), if parents are divorced, separated, or were never married

If the noncustodial parent is re-married, the current spouse’s income information is also required.

Tax Return Requirements:

  • Must be copies of returns actually filed with the IRS
  • Must include all schedules, such as A, B, C, C-EZ, E, and/or F
  • Must include all W2 forms
  • Must include business returns: if either of your parents has an interest in a business or farm, submit the business tax return for each business and/or farm. In the U.S., this refers to the full 1065 Partnership Return, 1120S Corporate Return, and 1120 Corporate Return, along with K-1 Statements.
  • Must include trust or estate documents: if you or your parents are the beneficiary of an estate or trust, submit the full Trust Tax Return and a letter explaining the contents of the trust or estate, value, and accessibility.

Monitor your Cornell To Do List

Applicants have a Cornell To Do List. We communicate our aid application requirements through the Cornell To Do List. Please reference this regularly to see that everything is complete. Items will disappear once they are completed in your financial aid file.

Per IRS guidelines, we require parental tax information if your parent's earnings are greater than the minimum filing threshold.

Federal Withholding Tax

Undocumented students (with and without DACA status) are to be treated, for tax purposes, as any other foreign national student. The Internal Revenue Service classifies grant aid in excess of tuition and mandatory fees as taxable income and requires Cornell to withhold 14% in taxes if you are a non-resident alien and not eligible for exemption from taxes under a tax treaty. If you are deemed to be a "resident alien" based on the amount of time you have been present within the U.S., or if you are from a treaty country that includes a treaty article that would grant an exemption from tax withholding, Cornell would not be required to withhold 14% of excess aid.

In order to evaluate either option for non-withholding, the student will need to complete a Foreign National Questionnaire. Access to the on-line Questionnaire can be gained by emailing the FNIS system administrator requesting a user name and password.

Do you have further questions?

We're happy to answer any questions you have before you begin the aid application process. The Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment has a staff member dedicated to assisting students with DACA status, students who are long-term undocumented applicants, and students with a pending Green Card application through the financial aid process.

Jessica Potter: 607-255-4772