International Student Financial Aid and Scholarships

Lake Forest College’s Office of Admissions follows need-aware admissions practices when reviewing applications of international students. International students offered admission may receive a merit-based award of up to $34,000 per year. You may receive additional funds by applying for need-based financial aid and/or a Fine Arts Scholarship.

Fine Art Scholarships

Lake Forest College offers talent-based scholarships in music, studio art, and theater. Scholarships require an application for admission, the scholarship application, and either an audition for music and theater, or portfolio review for studio art. The application deadline is February 15. Scholarships are available to both majors and non-majors.

Fine Arts Scholarship Form

Priority Deadlines

• Early Action I & Early Decision I - November 1
• Early Action II & Early Decision II - January 15
• Regular Decision -  February 15
• Transfer Spring - January 1
• Transfer Fall - August 1

To apply for need-based aid, students must complete The College Board’s International Student Financial Aid PROFILE. 

Our CSS Code is 1392.  

We cannot review your application to Lake Forest College until we receive a financial aid application.

The CSS Profile is available to students from nearly every country and nationality. The College Board is unable to process payments from a small number of countries, and so students from these countries may not be able to submit the CSS Profile. If this is the case for you, please email Director of International Admissions, Molly Noyed for an alternate application.

Students living in Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo are not allowed to use a credit card for payment of the CSS profile. Please contact Molly Noyed for assistance.

A new student entering in the 2025-2026 academic year may receive up to $42,000 in combined scholarship and grant funds. Those who are eligible for Work-Study (part-time job on campus) may receive up to $2,500, though job placement / earnings are not guaranteed.

You can expect to receive a similar amount of financial assistance from us each year if your academic performance is consistent with the standards of the College. An annual application is not required.

Other sources of scholarships and grants include Peterson’s, MALDEF (students from Mexico) and our Outside Scholarships page.

Loans may be available if you have a credit-worthy co-signor who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Visit our Private Loan page or contact Adriana Rodriguez for recommendations. 

Canadian students are encouraged to contact the Student Financial Assistance branch of your provincial government for possible loans.

Students from Latin America and the Caribbean should investigate the interest-free loan provided by the Leo Rowe Pan American Fund.

Work-Study (a part-time job on campus) may be offered if you show financial need and have proper visa status (F-1). In most cases the amount offered is up to $2,000 per year, though this is not guaranteed.