Questions concerning financial aid should be addressed to:
Financial Aid Office
Rhode Island School of Design
Two College Street
Providence, RI 02903-2784
telephone: 401 454-6661
fax: 401 454-6412

In order to consider you for the widest range of aid programs and as a means of fairly assessing your financial need, RISD requires that you submit both a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE Application. Students are encouraged to file the FAFSA online and must submit a PROFILE online. Information for FAFSA is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov and for PROFILE at www.collegeboard.com. (If you choose, you may file the FAFSA in a paper format. The form is available from secondary school guidance offices, college financial aid offices or by contacting the RISD Financial Aid office at 401 454-6661.)

Please note these deadlines: freshman applicants must submit both of these forms by February 15; transfer applicants by March 15; graduate students by February 15. Applicants who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree do not need to file the PROFILE Application.

You should indicate on these forms that RISD is one of the colleges you wish to receive a copy of the financial analysis. Financial aid forms completed after your appropriate deadline will be considered in light of available resources. To apply for financial aid you should also submit the most recent copy of your parents’ federal tax return to the Financial Aid Office by April 15 (this also applies if you are claiming independent status).

Freshman applicants will be notified of the financial aid decision in the first week of April, and transfer students in the first week of May. Graduate applicants will be notified no later than the last week of March.

To process your FAFSA or PROFILE online, follow the appropriate links below:
· graduate students, freshmen and transfers: FAFSA
· freshmen and transfers: PROFILE

In addition to the financial aid websites mentioned above, there are many free online scholarship sites that may also help you fund your education. Here are some links to get you started:

www.afcea.org/education/scholarships
www.brokescholar.com
www.collegeanswer.com
www.collegenet.com/mach25
www.fastaid.com
www.fastweb.com
www.finaid.org
www.free-4u.com
www.freschinfo.com
www.gocollege.com
www.mapping-your-future.org
www.rischolarships.com
www.srnexpress.com
www.scholarshiphelp.org
www.scholarships.com

Please note: each year the US Department of Education receives countless complaints from students and parents who did not receive the services and/or information they expected from private scholarship search companies. If you decide to pay a fee to one of those companies you should research its reputation first with the Better Business Bureau, a school guidance counselor or the office of your state attorney general.