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Undergraduate Application for Financial Aid & Forms

Lehigh University strives to meet the calculated financial need for all students who submit a complete aid application by our given deadlines. Review the important steps, required financial aid application materials and other forms below to learn how to apply for financial aid.

The Office of Financial Aid invites you to contact them to discuss the application process if you need assistance. Each student has an assigned financial aid counselor to help with all of your financial aid questions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out! Students who submit a complete financial aid application after our deadlines are at risk of not being funded and may be added to a waitlist for institutional need-based funds.

First-year applicants who are Non-US Citizens should visit our International Students page for financial aid requirements and information.

Application Steps

The following steps are required for all incoming US citizens, Permanent Residents and eligible non-citizens who are applying for need-based institutional aid. If you are applying for federal aid only, you will only need to submit the FAFSA. First-year applicants who are Non-US Citizens should visit our International Students page for financial aid requirements and information.

  1. Submit the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

    • School code: 003289
    • The release of the 2025-2026 FAFSA will be delayed until December 2024. Since the FAFSA will not be available prior to the deadline, Early Decision applicants will receive a tentative award based on the CSS Profile and tax documents.  All applicants (both Regular and Early Decision) will be required to complete the application by January 15th. Current students should submit the FAFSA by the normal March 15th deadline.

  2. Complete the 2025-2026 CSS Profile

    • School Code: 2365
    • Submit a separate CSS Profile for each parent if legal parents are not married and do not live together.
    • There is a fee to complete the CSS Profile. Families reside in the United States and earn less than $100,000 will qualify for a waiver. First-year applicants who are Non-US Citizens should visit our International Students page for financial aid requirements and information.

  3. Submit 2023 federal income tax return

    • If either parent is required to file a tax return, please submit a signed copy of their 2023 federal income tax return, along with all accompanying schedules & W-2 forms.
    • If either parent is self-employed or an owner (part or full) of a corporation/partnership, submit signed copies of the 2023 business tax returns (Schedule C, corporate tax returns and/or partnership tax returns).
    • Please note that Lehigh is NOT an IDOC participating school. Parent and student tax information and any supplemental documentation should be submitted directly to the Office of Financial Aid at Lehigh University via the FinAid Doc Center or U.S. Mail.

  4. Grant Proxy Access to Parents/ Guardians/ Third Parties (recommended, not required)

    • The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) limits the kind of information that can be shared by Lehigh faculty and staff. By granting proxy access, current undergraduate students can give select individuals permission to view specific student information protected by FERPA (i.e. financial aid, grades, schedules, etc.). Log in to Banner and click on “student services” to initiate proxy access set up.

  5. Certificate of Finances (non-citizen applicants only)

    • All non-U.S. citizens who will need financial aid during any of their years enrolled at Lehigh are required to submit the Lehigh University Certificate of Finances form filled out for all intended years of undergraduate enrollment and to submit it by the application deadline. Please submit this form through your Lehigh Applicant Portal: This form can be uploaded through your checklist once you've submitted your application and established your applicant portal. To be considered for need based financial aid, you must also submit the CSS Profile through the College Board.

      Both the Lehigh Certificate of Finances and CSS Profile must be submitted by your application deadline. For instance, if applying Early Decision 1, then the forms are due November 1, and if applying Regular Decision or Early Decision 2, then the forms are due by January 1.

Forms

This is a master list with links to all applications and forms related to the need-based financial aid process. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm that all application materials are received by the deadline.

NOTE: Additional forms may be requested on a case-by-case basis and can be accessed by clicking the requirement in the Lehigh portal (or by contacting our office).

Applications & Forms for the 2025-2026 Award Year

Applications & Forms for International Students

View more information on applying for international financial aid >

Winter, Summer or Short-term Financial Aid Application

Students enrolling in a winter, summer or short-term session may apply with the Office of Financial Aid for loan consideration only. Students should complete the application below for the appropriate academic year.

Loan Forms

Should you be offered and accept federal or institutional loans, our office will notify you of additional requirements that must be completed in order to receive this funding. The following are some of these requirements:

Academic Petitions for Financial Aid

All financial aid eligibility is based on students’ Satisfactory Academic Progress toward their undergraduate degree. If students fail to meet the minimum academic standards, they will be ineligible to receive need-based aid moving forward, but they may complete and submit an Academic Petition for Financial Aid. The petition is an opportunity for students to explain why they failed to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards and may result in continued financial aid support on a probationary status.

Petition for Review of Financial Aid Eligibility: this main Academic Petition form is required of any student failing to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Petition for Institutional Aid (beyond eight consecutive semesters): This form is specifically for students petitioning to receive financial aid beyond eight consecutive undergraduate semesters.

Petition for Institutional Aid (interruption of eight consecutive semesters): This form is for students who have achieved Satisfactory Academic Progress in terms of G.P.A. and full-time enrollment, but have had a break in their enrollment for any reason (leave of absence or medical withdrawal).

Petition for Institutional Aid (part-time in last semester): This form is for final term seniors who do not require full-time enrollment to complete remaining bachelor's degree requirements.

If students are concerned about their financial aid eligibility related to the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, or uncertain of which form above to complete, please contact our office.

Submitting Materials via Lehigh Financial Aid Document Upload Center

Lehigh is not an IDOC-participating school. Parent and student tax information, and any supplemental documentation, should be submitted directly to Lehigh via FinAid Document Center (preferred), mail or in-person.

Important Financial Aid Deadlines

The details below will help you understand your responsibilities and provide a timeline to ensure you have the best possible financial aid package in place for the upcoming academic year.

Student TypeApplication DeadlineOffer Notification
Early Decision INovember 1Mid-December
Early Decision IIJanuary 1Mid-February
Regular DecisionJanuary 15
(Non-U.S. citizens: January 1)		Late March
Current StudentsMarch 15Late June
Fall TransferApril 1Late May
Spring TransferNovember 1Late December