Tuition and Financial Aid

Attending Rutgers, or any university, will have both direct and indirect costs, which typically include tuition, enrollment fees, housing expenses, costs for meal plans, books and class materials, transportation, and personal expenses. 

Tuition is the cost charged by the university for taking courses, and is often based on the number of credits you take.  At Rutgers, tuition varies based on school affiliation, campus, and program. After registering for courses, Rutgers issues students an online term bill each semester, which includes all tuition and fees. 

Term bills list the tuition, fees, and other costs due after deducting for credits for loans and financial aid, such as scholarships, grants, and other items. Paying your term bill completes your enrollment for each semester. An interest-free payment plan option is available.

The most important step in the financial aid process is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Completing the FAFSA annually is how students apply to receive federal grants, loans, merit-based scholarships from Rutgers, and work-study offers. FAFSA applications also determine if New Jersey students are eligible for state aid. All students are encouraged to submit a FAFSA every year.

It is typical for students to piece together the funds to attend college through a variety of sources. Many students at Rutgers receive some form of financial assistance through grants/scholarships, loans, and/or work study, and then use a combination of personal or family contributions or outside funding to make up the difference after financial aid.

Note: Rutgers Health students must complete an additional application (other than the FAFSA) to be eligible for financial aid.

All eligible New Jersey students can attend Rutgers tuition-free for four years through a combination of university, federal and state financial aid programs.

Our R-UN to the Top, Bridging the Gap, and Scarlet Guarantee programs build on existing state and federal aid programs to enable in-state students with family incomes below $65,000 to attend the university tuition-free and to reduce tuition and fees for students with family incomes below $100,000. Rutgers makes a world-class education accessible and affordable.

• $90M+ in federal Pell Grants to more than 17,700 Rutgers students, 2020–2021
• Ranked Top 25 in Pell graduation rates for all three Rutgers locations (U.S. News & World Report)
• 9,000 students received nearly $30 million in financial aid and emergency assistance through Scarlet Promise Grants
• 86% of Rutgers students receive financial aid
• 34% of 1st-year students are first-generation undergraduates