All communication is directed to you, the student. The Office of Financial Aid will communicate with you via your Brown email account. 

Student Health Insurance 

All students are required to have health insurance while attending Brown University. The health insurance annual fee for 2026-2027 is $5,283. Finalized cost for the upcoming year is provided in late spring on the Student Financial Services website. Your Cost of Attendance does not include the Health Insurance fee.
Once enrolled, you are billed for the University's Health Insurance Plan; however, this fee can be waived if proof of adequate alternative coverage is provided.
You will receive information from the University during the summer regarding the specifics of the Health Insurance Plan, and steps to take if requesting to waive the University's coverage. Please visit Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for specific information or answers to additional questions.

Financial Aid from Program

If funding from your program is not listed in the financial aid offer section of your Banner Self-Service, you may contact your program directly with any questions. Funding from your program may be listed on your admission letter or in a separate notification from your program. Certain programs may post their funding closer to when your initial billing statement is produced. It is important to note that any funding that is unknown at the time of your eligibility determination and is not listed as part of your financial aid offer may affect loan eligibility once the Office of Financial Aid is notified of that funding. This may happen at any point during your enrollment. More detailed information on graduate financial aid and program funding is available here.

Student Employment

Graduate students who are not supported on full-time, tuition-based appointments may choose to find hourly employment during their time at Brown. The Student Employment Office operates an online listing of employment opportunities. Any current student is eligible to work through the student employment program without regard to financial need. For more information about working at Brown, such as pay rates, how wages are paid, and finding a job, visit the Student Employment website.

Graduate Student Loans

Regardless of whether or not student loans were offered in your initial financial aid offer, additional loan eligibility may be available to assist you with your educational costs. For more information and details on graduate student loan options, please contact our office or visit Student Financial Services.

Outside Resources

Receiving outside scholarships and tuition benefits is an excellent way to help reduce your need to work and/or borrow student loans while at Brown. When you receive an outside scholarship, our office is required to reevaluate your financial aid package and account for the additional resource. This could result in a reduction of federal or private loan funding depending on the amount of outside funding received. You are responsible for notifying the Office of Financial Aid of any assistance awarded by outside sources.

Educational Financing

To assist you in exploring options of how to best finance your education at Brown, we encourage you to visit Educational Financing Options.

Cost of Attendance

Your cost of attendance is based on the initial enrollment structure the Office of Financial Aid has for your program. This means any increase or decrease in credits/courses taken during the year may affect your financial aid eligibility. Federal regulations also prevent you from receiving more resources than your total cost of attendance at Brown University. If Brown or outside funding is subsequently awarded to your account, when combined with any previous loan borrowing, exceeds your cost of attendance, your loan eligibility will be reduced.

Changes in Financial Aid Eligibility

Changes in your financial circumstances may impact your ability to cover your Graduate School costs after any offered aid. Unfortunately, the Office of Financial Aid offers no aid besides loan borrowing and cannot adjust your current financial aid offer. If you wish to appeal your departmental funding or have special financial circumstances, we suggest contacting your program directly.

If you require additional loan funding but currently do not have any remaining loan eligibility, you may request a loan eligibility appeal form from our office. The information submitted will be used to determine if your actual expenses outside of Tuition and Fees exceed your estimated budgeted allowances. Documentation (i.e. copies of rent/lease agreements, utility bills, computer purchase receipt, etc.) will be required to be submitted with the request for review. You can request an appeal by emailing GS_Financial_Aid@brown.edu. Please note that only documented expenses required for your degree completion while enrolled can be considered.