Financial Aid Office

Office Hours

The Financial Aid Office is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 4:30pm (Central Time) during the Academic Year.

Prospective Students

Please review the financial aid application requirements and filing dates on our Apply for Aid page. We ask U.S. students to complete the CSS Profile and the FAFSA and provide tax documents. International students can complete the CSS Profile or the International Student Application for Financial Assistance. Students who complete their financial aid application by the specified filing date for their admission round will receive financial aid results shortly after notices of admission.

We encourage students to estimate their aid eligibility by using MyinTuition or our Net Price Calculator. Both of these estimating tools offer families an idea of what it might cost to attend Macalester.

Please contact us with questions about any aspect of the financial aid process.

Communication From Our Office

In an effort to conserve resources, we will limit the number of paper financial aid eligibility notifications sent from our office. Students will receive initial eligibility notifications in the mail and electronically. Subsequent notifications will be electronic only. Paper notifications are sent to the permanent address on file with the Registrar.

If you would prefer to receive paper notifications (sent to your SPO during the academic year), please send an email to [email protected].

2025-2026 Key Facts and Figures

90% of Macalester students receive a grant or scholarship from Macalester.

The average need-based financial aid package totals $67,609

The average financial aid package includes the following:

Grants/scholarships: 83%
Loans: 7%
Student Employment: 5%

More financial aid facts and figures are available on our Macalester Financial Aid In Brief page.

Merit Scholarship Opportunities

More than half of Macalester students are recipients of a merit-based scholarship (many of those students also receive need-based financial aid). All applicants for admission are considered for Macalester’s merit scholarships; no additional scholarship application is required. Merit scholarship awards range from $8,000 to $100,000 over four years. More information about Macalester’s Merit Scholarships.