Eligibility and Application Information
Applicants should be aware that virtually all financial aid awarded by Rhode Island College is limited to students who are:
- enrolled in a program that will lead to a degree
- U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens
- enrolled at the College at least half-time (6-8 credits for undergraduates; 4.5 or more credits for graduate students). Limited Federal Pell Grants are available to some students studying less than half-time.
- maintaining Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress
For financial aid purposes, student status is typically verified after the end of the Add Period (the first two weeks of the semester). Students should expect that the amount of their award(s) might be reduced proportionately and/or cancelled if their status at the end of the Add Period is less than full time.
Those who are officially classified as non-matriculated students, visiting students, or special students should anticipate that their awards would be canceled.
Students enrolled in a program designed to lead to a second baccalaureate degree are considered ineligible for virtually all grant/gift assistance provided by or through Rhode Island College. Second baccalaureate degree students may be considered for financial assistance in the form of loan and/or work opportunities.
RIC's Federal School Code is 003407.
Applicants should fill out all forms completely and accurately in order to avoid delays in processing and possible loss of financial aid.
When completing the FAFSA, we encourage you to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to transfer your IRS Tax Return data directly into your FAFSA. This will make the application process easier and more accurate. In order to successfully use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, you must have a:
- Federal tax return filed with the IRS
- Valid Social Security number
- Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID
- Unchanged marital status since December 31 of the prior year
After the FAFSA is submitted, a confirmation email will be sent by the federal processor. A second email will be sent to the student shortly afterwards confirming the FAFSA has been processed. At that time, you may view a Student Aid Report (SAR). Be sure Rhode Island College is listed on the SAR (School Code 003407), otherwise we will not receive your information from the federal processor. If a SAR is not received within five to 10 days, please contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.
Financial aid awards are not automatically renewable unless specified otherwise in your award letter. Almost all student aid at the College must be reapplied for every year.
Note: Rhode Island College reserves the right to require verification of income data submitted by any and all applicants for financial assistance. Awards for those who are asked for such verification will be made conditional upon receipt of the requested information/documentation. Forms of documentation or verification that may be requested include, but are not limited to, transcripts of federal income tax returns and copies of authorization letters for untaxed income. Any discrepancy in reported figures may result in adjustment or cancellation of the financial aid award and may be reported to the federal government for further review and possible legal action.
All awards made by or through the College are conditional and are based upon information available to College officials at the time the award is made. All awards are, therefore, subject to change and/or cancellation, should the College become aware of facts, conditions, and/or circumstances that differ from those upon which the award(s) was (were) based. Similarly, all awards are contingent upon the receipt by the College of sufficient funding from state, federal, or other funding sources and/or donors to cover award offers.
The priority filing deadline for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is March 15th, with rolling consideration thereafter. Rhode Island College has begun awarding eligible new students Financial Aid for 2025–26. Students will be emailed when their financial aid award is available in the Student Center area of MyRIC.
If you have not done so already, we strongly encourage you to complete the 2026-2027 FAFSA as soon as possible.
RIC's Federal School Code is 003407.
Financial aid awards are not automatically renewable unless specified otherwise in your award letter. Almost all student aid at the College must be reapplied for each year by completing a new FAFSA by the priority deadline.
Students enrolled in classes during the Summer Semester may be eligible for financial aid to help cover the cost of attendance. Federal aid in the form of the Pell Grant and Direct Loans will be available to those who qualify and who have completed the 2025-2026 FAFSA application on StudentAid.gov. Federal Direct Loans require students to be enrolled in at least 6 credits over the Summer at the undergraduate level and 4.5 credits at the graduate level.
An additional institutional scholarship will be automatically applied to student accounts by the Office of Financial Aid to help cover up to 8 credits in Summer Session I after federal grants are considered. Eligibility is based on the following criteria:
- Rhode Island resident
- Student Aid Index (SAI) under 15,000
- Undergraduate degree-seeking student
