Undergraduate Aid

Admitted applicants are considered for RISD scholarship aid based upon the financial aid application process at the time of admission to RISD.

The RISD Promise is the institution’s commitment to provide annual scholarship funding renewed each year with proportionate increases to the rise in tuition costs for the regular duration of the degree program.

RISD offers several scholarships each year to first-year students who exhibit outstanding academic and artistic achievement but do not necessarily demonstrate need. Two awards of at least $10,000 are made to students participating in the National YoungArts Foundation competition.

To be eligible for these scholarships, applicants must enter the YoungArts competition.

RISD-controlled financial aid is not available to special, visiting, international or exchange students.

RISD is pleased to participate in the Post 9/11 GI Bill® Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides additional financial assistance to veterans who qualify for 100% of Post-9/11 GI Bill® educational benefits. Yellow Ribbon Program-eligible recipients receive RISD scholarship in conjunction with Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits as well as Yellow Ribbon Program federal matching funds, covering the full cost of RISD tuition and fees from all sources.

Participation is limited to 25 veterans, with Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations stipulating that assistance be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

To be considered for this program you must provide a copy of your VA Certificate of Eligibility for the Yellow Ribbon to RISD. Qualified students seeking assistance for the upcoming academic year can begin submitting certificates on April 1; application materials submitted prior to April 1 are not accepted.

Please note: Scholarship assistance cannot exceed tuition and fees from all sources. If an applicant receives scholarship assistance from RISD, $10,000 of this scholarship amount will be designated as the Yellow Ribbon match. If the total of scholarship assistance from RISD, the Yellow Ribbon Program and Chapter 33 benefits exceeds tuition and fees, the scholarship assistance offered by RISD will be reduced commensurately.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the US Department of Veterans Affairs. More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official US government VA benefits site.

In your preparations to attend RISD, it is expected that applicants do a thorough search for outside funding opportunities. Many RISD students have success in finding opportunities within their community, geographic location, areas of interest and more.

To help you begin your search, we have identified several scholarship search engines and other resources for both domestic and international students.

Find scholarship search resources here

RISD is in partnership with Scholarship Universe, an online portal that works to match you with outside funding opportunities. Sign in with your RISD account and answer questions to build your profile, which will provide you with information on scholarships you may be eligible to apply for. The portal allows you to save scholarship results and receive emails about deadlines.

Reminders:

• You will apply with individual organizations, not RISD, and they will contact you with updates
• Scholarship Universe listings are fully-vetted
• Keeping your Scholarship Universe profile current improves scholarship matching

Please contact Student Financial Services with any questions pertaining to Scholarship Universe.

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Your completed FAFSA form determines student eligibility for:

• Federal Pell Grants
• Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants
• Most state grants

Please list RISD’s federal code 003409 on the FAFSA form so that your information is sent to RISD’s Financial Aid office.

Federal grants and most state grants are considered entitlement grants that are based on financial need rather than merit.

Direct subsidized loan

Interest on these loans does not accuse while a student is enrolled at least half-time. Repayment begins six months after graduation or when a student stops attending school at least half-time.

You can find additional information, including rates, from the US Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid office.

Direct unsubsidized loan

Interest on these loans begins to accrue at time of disbursement. Repayment begins six months after the student recipient graduates or ceases attending school at least half-time.

For additional information, including rates, visit the US Department of Education’s FAQ overview of subsidized and unsubsidized loans.

All borrowers need to complete a master promissory note with the Direct Loan program. First-time borrowers at RISD will need to complete a loan entrance counseling session, even those who have borrowed at a previous institution.

Borrowers can complete these steps with the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid office.

Federal Direct Parent PLUS loan

Creditworthy parents of a dependent undergraduate student can apply for a Federal Student PLUS loan. These loans are not based on demonstrated need and may be used to replace all or part of the calculated family contribution for students who have completed a FAFSA.

RISD will not certify a PLUS loan until it accepts a student for admission and the student has paid a commitment deposit to attend. Please visit Federal Student Aid for PLUS rates and additional information.

A parent (biological, adoptive or stepparent) listed on a student’s FAFSA should first apply for the PLUS loan and then the PLUS master promissory note.

Apply for the PLUS loan by July 15 before each academic year. If denied, please email Student Financial Services for counsel.

Credible provides borrowers with competitive, personalized loan offers from multiple vetted lenders in real time without impacting the borrower's credit. It is not a lender or a bank, but rather partners with a number of leading lenders to offer options that best fit the needs of the student. Credible allows students to analyze prequalified rates, terms and eligibility rules side by side in a short time.

Go to Credible

The ELMSelect loan comparison tool offers the ability to compare and select the loan that best suits student needs. With ELMSelect, students can view, filter and compare private student loan options from lenders included on RISD’s lender list.

Go to ELMSelect

Although departments are asked to consider students with FWS first during the hiring process, students who have a been given FWS as part of their financial aid package are not guaranteed a job.

Depending on your previous work experience and how much effort you invest in your search, you may be able to find a job related to your academic/creative and career goals. A job that isn’t related to your field of study can still provide valuable experience and a better understanding of workplace dynamics, so keep an open mind.

Remember, many supervisors are open to expanding a routine job into new responsibilities. The more initiative you demonstrate, the more likely your supervisor will be to assign you higher-level tasks and/or promote you.

Students who have been awarded FWS can find on campus jobs on RISD’s Career Center/ArtWorks platform. When searching for on campus jobs, remember to choose “RISD Student Employment Hourly Paid On Campus” under the “Type of Job” filter.

Contact listed employers to learn more about posted positions or to set up interviews. Introduce yourself as a FWS student, and write emails with the same formality you would use for a business letter. If you don’t hear back, it may be appropriate to follow up to be sure the prospective employer received your initial email.

If you need further assistance in your job search, contact Student Employment.

The I-9 Form is a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services form used by employers to verify employees’ identities and to establish that workers are eligible to accept employment in the US. It is officially known as the Employment Eligibility Verification Form.

Employers are legally required to have employees complete the I-9 Form, including providing required original supporting documents to establish the identity and eligibility of any individual hired to perform work for an employer in the United States.

To determine eligibility to work, students must provide acceptable documentation. Documents presented to complete the I-9 Form must be originals. Faxes, photocopies and laminated documents will not be accepted.

If a document submitted as identification requires a signature and is not signed, it will be considered invalid. The student then must provide an alternate form of identification. Students may not use any form of expired identification to establish identity and eligibility. 

The most common documents used are:

• an original, unexpired, US Passport, or
• an original Social Security Card, or
• an original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a state, county, municipal authority or outlying possession of the US, bearing an official seal.

A list of acceptable documentation can be found online.