Financial Aid

Schedule a virtual office appointment if you have any questions or require assistance. 

The Cooper Union was founded on the principle of providing access to higher education regardless of race, creed, gender, or financial means. Tuition assistance has been integral to the make-up of the institution since it began over 150 years ago. The Cooper Union’s office of financial aid helps students and their families understand the financial requirements of a Cooper Union education and explore options and funding to meet educational expenses. We assist with all aspects of the financial aid application process and help individuals and families financially plan their academic careers at the institution.

At The Cooper Union, every admitted undergraduate student receives a half-tuition scholarship currently valued at $22,275 per academic year.

  • The length of all merit scholarships and institutional grants (including tuition assistance) are 4 years (total of 8 semesters) for art and engineering students and 5 years (total of 10 semesters) for architecture students. The length of these awards for transfer students will be based on the number of semesters required for graduation at the time of their admission.
  • When a student withdraws during the semester, all the institutional scholarships, tuition assistance, and grants for the semester in which they are withdrawing will be pro-rated based on percentage of aid earned. Students are responsible for all financial obligations for the withdrawn semester after pro-rated calculation. For more information, review the withdrawal policy. 
  • Students must be enrolled as a full-time student, maintain satisfactory academic progress eligibility, and adhere to the institutional code of conduct to receive The Cooper Union merit scholarships and institutional grants (including tuition assistance).
  • Please note that all institutional scholarships and grants are for first bachelor's degree seeking students only. Students will automatically be considered for additional merit-based scholarship through the admissions process. In order to be considered for need-based aid, students must file the FAFSA form. For more information, review the financial aid priority deadlines. 
  • Review our eligibility and Satisfactory Academic Progress policy here. 
  • The office of financial aid reserves the right to change or modify your financial aid package at any time without prior notifications.

How to Apply for Financial Aid

  • Step 1: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the website and use our Federal School Code (Title IV Institutional): ​​​​​​002710
    NYS TAP Code: 0170
  • Step 2: If you do not already have an FSA ID, apply for one.
  • Step 3: If you have already filed your FAFSA, please update your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to transfer your parent's 2020 tax information and yours if you filed a return. If you are unable to use the DRT, you will be required to submit a 2020 IRS Tax Return Transcript. 
  • If you have additional questions, please review our Financial Aid FAQs. 

Contact Us

Summer hours of operation are Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. – 5:15 p.m. EST. Cooper will be closed July 4, and Fridays during summer hours. Our summer Fridays will end on Friday, August 19. 

How best to reach us: 

Office of Financial Aid
41 Cooper Square, 1st Floor
New York, NY  10003
Email: financialaid@cooper.edu
Fax: (917) 793-3304

Downloadable affordability and financial aid one-sheeter. 

 

 

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.