Apply for Graduate Aid

Graduate aid application

RISD offers institutional financial aid options for both domestic and international students. To access our institutional financial aid application, you must first complete your application for admission via the admissions portal. Once you submit your admissions application, you will find the financial aid application via the same portal.

When you apply to RISD, you only need to submit our financial aid application once. Students who do not apply for financial aid by the deadline but still wish to be considered for federal student loans may still complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Please submit the RISD institutional financial aid application per deadlines below.

Apply through the admissions portal

Submitting your FAFSA

The US federal government provides several resources for domestic students to help finance your education. All of these require you to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for each academic year.

We use the FAFSA both as part of our aid consideration and also to award all federal financial aid—including grants, work-study jobs and loans. If you wish to apply exclusively for federal student aid, only complete a FAFSA application. Do not fill out not our institutional financial aid form.

When filling out your FAFSA form, please list RISD’s federal code 003409 so that we also receive your information. Please note you cannot complete your FAFSA application prior to October 1 for the following academic year.

For details about all federal programs, view and download this 2025–26 federal student aid program summary from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Start your 2025–26 FAFSA application