On Nov. 19, Assistant Vice President of Student Financial Services, Sherri Avery, sent an email to the Brandeis community announcing “the Brandeis Commitment, a program to improve transparency for incoming students and their families around the cost of attendance. Beginning with students entering in the fall of 2025, domestic students with total family incomes of $75,000 or less and typical assets will receive grants and scholarships equal to the full cost of tuition and students with total family incomes of $200,000 or less and typical assets will receive grants and scholarships covering half of tuition costs.” She added that, “It is important to note that most of our current students receive similar levels of aid as that which will be provided through the Brandeis Commitment. Brandeis will continue to meet 100 percent of demonstrated financial need for all students attending Brandeis, regardless of eligibility for federal aid, class year, or income level.”
According to the Student Financial Services office’s website, “Brandeis University is making undergraduate education more affordable through a new financial aid initiative.” The website elaborated on the effort, calling it a “firm commitment to clarify the amount of aid students will receive.” The site also noted that “to be considered for the Brandeis Commitment, students need only complete the CSS Profile and FAFSA and submit appropriate year tax returns by the stated deadlines,” also saying that “families who continue to meet the total income and asset criteria each year will remain eligible for the Brandeis Commitment. Students must reapply for need-based financial aid each year.” Notably, international students, graduate students and commuter students are not eligible for the Brandeis Commitment.
The Hoot reached out to Assistant Vice President Avery for more information. When asked why Brandeis chose to announce the Commitment now, she said “The Brandeis Commitment is intended to add transparency to financial aid awards during the application process to mitigate uncertainty for undergraduate prospective students and their families around the cost of attendance. It is important that we made this information available to families during the application cycle so they could make informed decisions when submitting applications.”
When asked how the Commitment fits into Brandeis’ plans to address its financial troubles, she added that “The Brandeis Commitment is intended to remove barriers for prospective students, while at the same time working to address the current challenges of the dynamic higher ed marketplace in ways that align with the university’s mission and values. Making Brandeis accessible to as many students as possible has always been a major focus. We have shifted some of our resources to be able to make this happen for students and families.”
Finally, when asked if Brandeis has plans to address affordability for students who don’t meet the Commitment’s thresholds, Avery said “The Brandeis Commitment is intended to add transparency to financial aid awards during the application process to mitigate uncertainty for undergraduate prospective students and their families around the cost of attendance. Because Brandeis meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all current students, while not eligible for the Brandeis Commitment, current students will continue to benefit from similar levels of aid. If a student’s financial situation has changed, they are always encouraged to reach out to Student Financial Services at finaid@brandeis.edu for reconsideration of their financial aid package.”
