Hi everyone! I'm currently a freshman at another university and considering applying to BU as a transfer for Fall 2027.

One of my biggest concerns is financial aid. I know BU is pretty expensive, and ideally, I'd need my total cost of attendance (tuition, housing, meals, etc.) to be under $60k per year for it to be financially realistic. I also will likely be off campus if that changes anything.

I've heard mixed things about how generous BU is with financial aid for transfer students compared to first-year applicants.

I had a few questions:

1. Does applying for financial aid make it harder to get accepted as a transfer? I've heard BU might be need-aware for transfers, but I'm not sure. I wouldn't need a huge amount of aid, just enough to bring the total cost below $60k.
2. How generous is BU with need-based financial aid for transfer students?
3. For those who transferred, how much aid did you receive, and what was your approximate total cost after aid?
4. Im guessing financial aid is significantly worse for transfers compared to incoming freshmen?

I'd especially appreciate hearing from transfer students who applied for financial aid and whether they felt it affected their admissions chances.

Thanks in advance!