WashU Financial Aid 2027 | 100% Need Met, No Loans

International undergraduate students in an illustrative St. Louis academic setting with WashU Financial Aid 2027, 100% need met without loans, and November 2 and January 4 deadlines — Original illustrative artwork for the WashU Financial Aid 2027 guide; not an actual campus photograph.

WashU Financial Aid 2027 can cover up to the full cost of attendance for admitted undergraduates, including eligible first-year international students. Washington University in St. Louis says it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need without loans. Aid offers are built from scholarships, grants and work-study, so this is need-based funding rather than one fixed-value scholarship.

Quick facts

Study level: Undergraduate, first-year entry
International eligibility: First-year international applicants may apply for aid; international transfer applicants are not eligible
Funding: 100% of WashU-calculated demonstrated need, without loans
Admission deadlines: November 2, 2026 (Early Action and Early Decision I); January 4, 2027 (Early Decision II and Regular Decision)
Aid deadlines: November 17, 2026 (EA/ED I); January 11, 2027 (ED II); February 1, 2027 (Regular Decision)
Application fee: US$75; waived for any student applying for need-based financial aid
Official cutoff time: Not stated on the current deadline page

What does WashU financial aid cover?

WashU commits to meeting the full demonstrated financial need it calculates for every admitted undergraduate student. The university describes its offers as combinations of scholarships, grants and work-study, with no student loans in the package. The exact amount varies by family finances; WashU reports an average need-based offer of US$75,000.

This does not mean every recipient automatically receives the same amount or a full-cost award. It means the university calculates what a family can contribute and builds an aid offer intended to cover the remaining demonstrated need, potentially up to the full cost of attendance.

Who is eligible?

You must be applying for first-time undergraduate admission for fall 2027.
International applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of a country other than the United States and normally study on a temporary visa.
You must still be in secondary school, or have graduated without enrolling full-time in an undergraduate degree program.
You must request need-based aid during the admission process and submit the financial-aid application by the deadline for your decision plan.
International transfer applicants are not eligible for WashU institutional financial aid.

WashU’s need-blind policy applies to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, not international applicants. However, WashU states that it still meets 100% of demonstrated need for admitted international students. International applicants who do not request aid by the relevant deadline cannot seek it after admission or during their undergraduate years.

Fall 2027 deadlines

Decision plan	Admission application	School materials	Financial aid
Early Action	November 2, 2026	November 9, 2026	November 17, 2026
Early Decision I	November 2, 2026	November 9, 2026	November 17, 2026
Early Decision II	January 4, 2027	January 11, 2027	January 11, 2027
Regular Decision	January 4, 2027	January 11, 2027	February 1, 2027

The Common Application and Coalition Application are open. WashU’s current official table does not state a cutoff time or time zone, so submit early rather than assuming an end-of-day deadline.

Documents and tests

Admission application

Common Application or Coalition Application, including WashU questions
School Report and official secondary-school transcript
Counselor recommendation and one teacher evaluation
Original or certified academic records, grading-system description, examination results and school-leaving certificates where applicable
Certified English translations for documents not issued in English
Application essay and WashU’s 250-word academic-interest response
Portfolio for College of Art applicants; strongly encouraged for Architecture applicants

Financial-aid application

CSS Profile using WashU code 6929
CSS Profile for both biological-parent households when parents are separated or divorced, unless a noncustodial-parent waiver is approved
Any supplemental forms shown on the personalized WashU Financial Aid Portal checklist

The CSS Profile costs US$25 for the initial application and US$16 for each additional institution. International applicants unable to pay that fee may use WashU’s institutional aid form, which becomes available in the WashU Pathway in October after the admission application is submitted.

Testing

Standardized admission testing is flexible for international applicants: applicants may submit the SAT, ACT, eligible national examination results, an IB Diploma, A Levels, or qualifying AP/IB Higher Level scores. International students whose first language is not English must normally submit TOEFL, IELTS Academic or Duolingo English Test results. WashU recommends IELTS 7.0 or Duolingo 130; its current TOEFL recommendation depends on the test date and scale. English-test exemptions are considered case by case for students with at least three years in an eligible English-medium academic program or U.S. high school.

How to apply

Choose a decision plan. Early Action is non-binding; Early Decision I and II are binding; Regular Decision gives the longest admission timeline.
Submit the Common App or Coalition App. Indicate that you are applying for need-based financial aid. WashU waives its US$75 fee for any student who applies for need-based aid.
Complete the CSS Profile. Use institution code 6929. If the fee is unaffordable, access WashU’s institutional form through the Pathway after submitting your admission application.
Send school materials and required test results. Follow the dates for your selected round.
Monitor both portals. Use WashU Pathway and the Financial Aid Portal to check missing admission and aid documents.
Respond promptly to requests. Submit any family-finance or supplemental forms shown on your personalized checklist.

Apply Now on the Official WashU Page

Important international-applicant notes

International applicants must request aid when applying. If you say you will not apply for need-based aid, WashU requires an International Financial Information form explaining how you plan to fund your education. After admission, enrolling international students must provide financial documentation for the I-20 or DS-2019 process; this is separate from the admission-stage aid application.

Frequently asked questions

Is WashU financial aid fully funded?

It can reach the full cost of attendance when WashU calculates that a family has full demonstrated need. It is not a flat full scholarship for every recipient; the amount is individually calculated.

Can international students receive WashU aid?

Yes, first-year international applicants may apply. International transfer applicants are not eligible.

Does the package contain loans?

No. WashU says its undergraduate need-based offers meet demonstrated need without loans, using scholarships, grants and work-study.

Is WashU need-blind for international applicants?

No. The university’s published need-blind policy is limited to first-year U.S. citizens and permanent residents. International applicants can still receive aid meeting 100% of demonstrated need if admitted.