First-Year US Citizen/ Permanent Resident Applicants

Undergraduate students applying for first-year admission should follow the steps outlined for you here.

1. Submit the CSS Profile (required).

The CSS Profile must be submitted by all applicants for need-based financial aid.

WashU’s CSS Profile Code: 6929

The CSS Profile is used by nearly 400 colleges and scholarship programs. The initial application fee is $25, each additional college costs $16.

The Noncustodial Parent Profile is a CSS Profile submitted for your noncustodial parent’s household. WashU requires the CSS Profile from both biological parent households when parents are separated or divorced. If you do not have contact with your noncustodial parent, you may request to waive this requirement by completing this waiver request form.

CSS Profile fee waiver

You are eligible to submit the CSS Profile for free if you are a domestic first-year undergraduate applicant who fits one of the following criteria:

1. Family adjusted gross income is up to $100,000
2. The student qualified for an SAT fee waiver
3. The student is an orphan or ward of the court under the age of 24

Students will find out if they are eligible for the fee waiver while completing the CSS Profile. 

The CSS Profile for noncustodial parents of domestic undergraduate students is free to submit for noncustodial parents whose family adjusted gross income is up to $100,000.

If you have an extenuating circumstance in which you may need a fee waiver, but do not fall within one or the criteria above, please reach out to our office.

---

2. Submit your FAFSA® (required).

All students seeking financial aid who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents must submit the 2026-2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).

WashU’s FAFSA school code: 002520

The FAFSA submission deadline for first-year students is February 2, 2026, for all admission decision plans. 

To complete the (FAFSA®), you will need:

• Your Social Security Number
• Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
• Your federal income tax returns (including schedules), W-2s, and other records of money earned
• Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
• A Federal Student Aid ID to sign electronically.

If you are a dependent student, then you will also need most of the above information for your parent(s).

---

3. Track your financial aid application.

The Financial Aid Portal tracks your financial aid application, which is separate from your application for admission. You will use your Financial Aid Portal to:

• See your financial aid application checklist
• See your financial aid offer as soon as it is released
• Manage/review your financial aid offer

Application Status

To track the status of your financial aid application, log in to the WashU Pathway.

An account is automatically created for you when you submit:

1) Either the Common App or the Coalition App (Indicate on either application that you are applying for need-based financial aid. You do not need to complete your admission application, just submit.)

2) And one of the following:

• the CSS Profile
• the FAFSA
  *Please note that you will still need to submit both the CSS Profile and the FAFSA to complete your financial aid application.

Within a few days of submitting these forms, you’ll be able to access your financial aid application in your WashU Pathway account.

---

4. Submit additional application requirements.

Supplemental forms may be required based on information you supplied on your CSS Profile or FAFSA. The Financial Aid Portal in your WashU Pathway keeps a personalized checklist of the forms that you need to submit. All forms can be found in the form library.