Apply

U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to allow Pitzer to determine student eligibility for federal aid and state grants (California residents). The FAFSA is available no later than December 1 of each calendar year.

International and undocumented or AB540 students should not complete the FAFSA. 

Divorced/Separated Parents

Students with divorced/separated only need to report information for one parent on the FAFSA. Report information for the custodial parent, which is the parent that has provided the most financial support to the student in the past 12 months (even if the student does not live with that parent).

The CSS Profile application enables us to consider students for Pitzer’s need-based scholarship. All currently enrolled and prospective students, except prospective international students, must complete the CSS Profile. The CSS Profile is available starting October 1 of each calendar year.

Costs: Unlike the FAFSA, the CSS Profile has fees. Students pay $25 for the first school, plus $16 for each additional school. Pitzer does not offer CSS Profile fee waivers. However, the College Board automatically waives application fees for eligible students.

Divorced/Separated Parents

For the CSS Profile, both parents are required to complete their own CSS Profile application. One parent will be the custodial and the other will be the noncustodial parent. The custodial parent is the parent that has provided the most financial support to the student in the past 12 months (even if the student does not live with that parent).

Students who do not have contact with their noncustodial parent may request a waiver of this requirement. The noncustodial waiver, along with more information about divorced/separated parents, is available on the College Board’s website.

AB540 or undocumented students from California must complete the Dream Act application instead of the FAFSA. This allows the California Student Aid Commission the opportunity to review Cal Grant eligibility.

Undocumented students who are not California residents do not need to complete this application.

Prospective international applicants interested in need-based financial aid only need to complete our online Pitzer International Financial Aid Application (PIFAA) form. Please do not complete the CSS Profile or FAFSA.

Currently enrolled international students do not need to complete this requirement.

To access the PIFAA, international applicants must log-in to their admission Applicant Status page. These credentials are emailed within 2 days of submitting the Common Application.

Please have the following documents available in order to answer questions about student/parent income and assets on the PIFAA:

• Income Statements

• Bank Statements

Here’s a simple guide to help you through the process of submitting your 2023 federal tax documents to Pitzer:

Who Needs to Submit Documents

Pitzer requires tax documents from the following individuals:

• Student (if applicable - not all students have tax documents)

• Custodial Parent(s)

• Noncustodial Parent (if parents are divorced/separated)

• Stepparent (if applicable)

• Student's spouse (if applicable)

What to Submit

Make sure to include all relevant tax documents, including personal and business tax returns (if applicable). A good rule of thumb: if you sent it to the IRS, we want a copy!

• 2023 Federal Tax Return: Include Schedules 1-3, Schedules A-F, statements, and worksheets.

• 2023 W-2(s)

• 2023 1099(s)

• 2023 Business Returns: Forms 1065, 1120-S, and 1120.

• 2023 K-1 Statements: Forms 1065 and 1120-S.

How to Submit Documents

All tax documents must be uploaded directly to College Board’s Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC) system. Students will have access to IDOC 2 to 5 days after submitting their CSS Profile application.

Do not email documents containing Personal Identifiable Information (PII) to our office. Any documents emailed to us that contain PII will be deleted and will not be processed.

Prospective Students: Do not upload financial aid documents to your admission applicant status page. Documents submitted this way will not be processed.

We know this process can feel a bit overwhelming, but we're here to help every step of the way. 

Prospective international students are not required to submit tax documents until after they have been admitted. 

Translation Requirements

All tax and income documents must be translated into English by a third-party professional. Unfortunately, we can't accept translations done by parents or students. Don't worry about converting income to U.S. Dollars—just focus on getting those documents translated.

Income Verification Documents

Tax Filers: Parents who file taxes in their country of residence should submit copies of tax documents for the 2023 calendar year. If the tax cycle in the country is from January to December, submit copies of taxes for the 2023 calendar year. If the tax cycle is from July to June, submit copies of taxes for the 2023-2024 cycle.

Non-Tax Filers Who Earn Income: Parents who earn income but are not required to file taxes should submit copies of 2023 earning statements. Examples of acceptable documents include:

• A letter from the parent's employer outlining income earned in the 2023 calendar year
• Copies of pay stubs for January to December
• If self-employed or a business owner, submit bank statements showing income deposits to verify profits for the 2023 calendar year
• If retired or receiving pensions, submit copies of pension statements and/or bank statements showing pension deposits for the 2023 calendar year.

Non-Tax Filers Who Do Not Earn Income: Parents who do not have a source of earned income should submit a Non-Filing Statement - Parent(s) form, available on our Forms page. If any source of income is received, such as pensions, check the section above for more details.

How to Submit Documents

Prospective Students: Prospective international students are not required to submit tax documents until after they have been admitted. Once admitted, email documents directly to our office at financial_aid@999lsm.net Do not upload financial aid documents to your admission applicant status page. Documents submitted this way will not be processed.

When completing the Common Application, be sure to answer "yes" to Pitzer’s question asking if you intend to pursue need-based financial aid. We use your response to this question to send email reminders and allocate funds for Pitzer need-based aid.

International Students: If you answer "no" to the financial aid question, you will not be eligible for financial aid during your time at Pitzer.

Domestic Students: If you answer "no," you will not be considered for institutional aid for the first two years. Student and parent loan options may be available to help fund the first two years.

We encourage you to use your Social Security Number on all online applications (FAFSA, CSS Profile, Common Application). 

U.S. Citizens and Eligible Non-Citizens should double-check that the SSN used on the FAFSA is accurate as an incorrect SSN will make the FAFSA invalid.

While the SSN is not required on the CSS Profile or your Common Application, including it can help avoid processing delays. Without your SSN, it takes longer for our office to match your records and communicate what additional information is needed.

Prospective Students: Log into your admission applicant status page to add or update your SSN.

Students with divorced or separated parents need to complete two CSS Profile applications: one for the custodial parent and one for the noncustodial parent.

The custodial parent is the parent who has provided the most financial support to you in the past 12 months, even if you do not live with that parent.

Students who do not have contact with their noncustodial parent, can request a waiver for this requirement. The waiver and more information about divorced or separated parents can be found on the College Board’s website.

We understand that we ask for a lot of information, so we want to help you stay organized. The best way to ensure you have everything submitted is to regularly check your portals.

Current Students

Review Pitzer's MyCampus2 Portal for a complete, up-to-date list of all submitted and missing documents. This portal is live and reflects all current information. Please note that you cannot upload documents through the MyCampus2 Portal; it is for viewing purposes only. Use IDOC to upload documents.

Prospective Students

The Admission Applicant Status Page shows any submitted and missing documents. This page is updated weekly on Friday afternoons and is available starting December 1. You can access this page only after submitting your Common Application. Do not upload financial aid documents here; they will not be processed. Use IDOC for uploading documents.

IDOC

All students who submit a CSS Profile gain access to IDOC 2-5 business days after submission. IDOC allows for secure document uploads. While IDOC displays a required items list, this list includes general requirements for most students. For specific document requirements, please check your MyCampus2 Portal or Applicant Status Page.

By regularly checking these portals, you can ensure that all your documents are submitted and your financial aid process goes smoothly.

Our office sends missing document notices and follow-up form requests to students via email. We rarely email parents.

We understand students and parents often work together on the financial aid process. Students should forward relevant information to their parents. Occasionally, we may email parents directly for specific income or asset questions. To ensure we contact the right people, report active and frequently checked email addresses on your FAFSA, CSS Profile, and Common Application.

Timely replies to our emails are crucial for our review. Add financial_aid@999lsm.net to your email safe sender list to avoid our emails going to junk or spam folders.

Pitzer offers financial assistance to international students through our merit-based and need-based programs. International applicants interested in need-based financial aid only need to complete the Pitzer International Financial Aid Application (PIFAA). See Applications above for more details.

Merit-Based Aid

All first-year international students who apply for admission are automatically considered for Pitzer’s merit-based Trustee Community Scholarship. This scholarship is not available to international students who apply through the New Resource or Transfer program. This scholarship is $5,000 per year and is available for up to four years of attendance, so long as the student is enrolled at least half-time and meets Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Need-Based Aid

To be considered for need-based financial aid, students must answer “yes” to this question on the Common Application: “Do you intend to pursue need-based financial aid?”

Due to limited financial resources, Pitzer is only able to offer financial aid to a small number of international students. However, if admitted, Pitzer will meet 100% of your demonstrated need with work-study and a Pitzer need-based scholarship. In addition, international students with high financial need will also receive grant assistance to cover the cost of Pitzer’s health insurance.

Financial Aid “No” Policy

International students who are admitted and indicate “no” to the “Do you intend to pursue need-based financial aid?” question on the Common Application are not eligible to apply for financial aid at any time during their enrollment at Pitzer. Thus, we strongly encourage all international students who require financial assistance (even slightly) to indicate “yes” to the financial aid question on the Common Application during the initial admission application process. Visit Policies on our website for more information.

Pitzer offers financial assistance to transfer students through our need-based programs. Merit-based aid is not available for transfer students.

Need-Based Aid

The financial aid application progress for transfer applicants is similar to that of first-year students. However, there are two key differences. A transfer student will receive slightly higher student loan based on their grade-level as determined by the Office of the Registrar at the time of admission. For example, a transfer student who enters Pitzer as a second-year will receive a student loan of $4,500 to correspond to their sophomore status.

Pro-rated Semesters of Aid

Transfer students receive Pitzer financial assistance for a pro-rated amount of semesters based on the courses approved for transfer at the time of admission. Pitzer will fund institutional aid for up to 8 semesters minus any semesters approved at the time of transfer. For example, a student who transfers 8 courses worth of work (equivalent to two full-time semesters), will receive institutional aid for up to 6 semesters. Visit Satisfactory Academic Progress on the Policies section of our website.

Pitzer offers financial assistance to New Resource students through our need-based programs. Merit-based aid is not available for New Resource students.

Need-Based Aid

New Resource Students (NRS) receive scholarship aid to assist with the cost of tuition & fees and any other mandatory costs. Loan assistance is available to cover the cost of other expenses such as housing, food, books, travel, etc.

Similar to first-year students, NRS applicants submit the FAFSA, CSS Profile and tax documents for themselves and their spouse (if applicable). We use the information from those documents to determine a contribution and review your eligibility for Pitzer scholarship, federal and state grants, and federal loans.

Federal Pell Grant & Direct Loan Eligibility

NRS applicants who have previously borrowed or received Federal Pell Grant funds at other intuitions are encouraged to visit the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) to review their remaining Federal Direct Loan and Federal Pell Grant eligibility. These funds have maximum lifetime limits that may impact our ability to award additional aid from these programs.

Pro-rated Aid Eligibility

All students admitted into the NRS program receive Pitzer financial assistance for a pro-rated amount of time based on the courses approved for transfer at the time of admission. Pitzer will fund institutional aid for up to 32 courses minus any courses approved for transfer. For example, a student who transfers 8 courses worth of work (equivalent to two full-time semesters), will receive institutional aid for up to 24 courses to complete their Pitzer degree. Visit Satisfactory Academic Progress section of our website.