Requesting Financial Assistance
Financial Assistance for the MITx MicroMasters Program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP) is shared across all of the program's courses. You only need to apply for Assistance once—not for every course you plan to take.
It's important to note, however, that the Financial Assistance Process is not immediate. It can take several business days or more to complete the process and receive your Personal Course Price. And it can take longer if additional or amended documentation is required.
Starting the Process
There are a few ways you can start the process of requesting Financial Assistance for DEDP MicroMasters courses.
Before you Enroll: On either the MITx Online Course About Page for any DEDP Microasters course, or on the MITx Online Program About Page for either of the two DEDP MicroMasters Program Tracks, you will find a "Financial assistance available" link at the bottom of the Infobox. Click this link and follow the directions to start the Financial Assistance process (more details below).
While Enrolling: During the process of enrolling in a DEDP MicroMasters course, you will be asked to choose which track you want to enroll in—either the Verified/Certificate (Paid) track, or the Audit (free) track. You will also find a "Need financial assistance?" link at the bottom of the page. Click this link and follow the directions to start the Financial Assistance process (more details below).
After you Enroll: If you've already enrolled in one or more DEDP MicroMasters courses on the Audit (free) track, don't worry! You can still apply for Financial Assistance—using either of the above methods or by finding the course enrollment on your MITx Online Dashboard and clicking the "Financial Assistance?" link in the bottom-right corner.
Before Submitting Payment: You can also find a "Need financial assistance?" link on the Checkout Page
| Caution: If you begin the Financial Assistance process too close to the Payment Deadline for a DEDP MicroMasters Term, it may not be possible to process your application and assign you a Personal Course Price before the Deadline. Because your Personal Course Price persists once assigned, we strongly encourage you to start the Financial Assistance process as soon as possible! |
Reporting Your Income
All of the methods listed above will direct you to the DEDP MicroMasters Program Financial Assistance Form to apply for Financial Assistance. You will need to self-report your annual income, and you may also be asked to submit corroborating Financial Documentation.
When asked, input your current, gross, household income, select the correct currency, click the checkbox, and then click "Submit Request".
What Income Should You Report?
- Current refers to the income you have at the time that you submit your information, which may be different from that reported on official tax documentation—if, for example, you have recently lost employment or begun new employment
- Gross refers to your income before any income taxes are accounted for
- Household refers to you and anyone who helps support you financially (see below for details)
What is a Household?
A household includes you and anyone who helps support you financially. If you share responsibility for paying for your housing, living expenses, and other necessities with a partner or spouse, you must include their income in addition to your own. If some or all of your expenses are paid for by someone else—for example, parents or guardians—you must report their income as well. If you pay for all of your own housing, living expenses, and other necessities then please report only your income.
You do not need to report the income of anyone you support financially, such as children. You also do not need to include the income of other adults with whom you share housing expenses, such as roommates or housemates, if you do not share any other financial responsibilities with them.
Submitting Financial Documentation
After you submit your income, the system may instantly approve your Personalized Course Price; or it may require you to submit Financial Documentation to verify your reported income.
If asked, follow the instructions the system presents to submit your documentation via DocuSign (which is free and secure). Continue reading for more information about what types of Financial Documentation are acceptable.
| Caution: Ensure that the income amount you self-reported in the first step of the process matches the income indicated on your Financial Documentation. Mismatches in income often result in delays, which can prevent you from receiving your Personal Course Price before the Payment Deadline of a DEDP Term. A mismatch may also result in denial of Assistance. |
Acceptable Official Financial Documents
Preferred Documentation: If possible, please submit a signed copy of the most recent federal tax return (or equivalent) for each income earner in your household.
Alternate Documentation: If tax return documentation is not available, please acquire and submit an income statement, which is a statement of annual salary, printed on the official letterhead of your employer, that includes your employer’s address and contact information, and is signed by your employer.
Acceptable Documentation: If neither of the above documents are available, you may submit a pay stub, signed by you.
Documentation in Languages Other Than English: If any of your official documentation is not written in English, please also provide a translation. You can translate the document yourself, and your translation does not need to be notarized. You must submit both the original document and your translation.
If you are unable to obtain any official documents of the types detailed above to verify your income—for example, if you do not participate in a tax system because of the laws or rules in your area—please reach out to DEDP MicroMasters Support at dedp-micromasters-support@mit.edu for additional assistance as soon as possible.
What If You Are Unemployed?
If you and every member of your household are unemployed, please submit either of the following for every member of your household:
- A tax return in which the household member filed an income of $0
- Proof of unemployment benefits, for example pay stubs from unemployment insurance checks
As above, if you are unable to obtain any official documents of the types detailed above to verify your lack of income, please reach out to DEDP MicroMasters Support at dedp-micromasters-support@mit.edu and explain your situation as soon as possible—we will provide additional assistance.
Receiving Your Personal Course Price
Once you have reported your income and submitted any Financial Documentation required, the DEDP MicroMasters Team will review your application. Financial Assistance applications are reviewed in the order they are received, and the DEDP team generally processes them within about 7-10 business days after submission. However, processing can sometimes take longer—especially close to the Payment Deadline each DEDP Term.
Additionally, incomplete or inaccurate applications, and those with mismatches or conflicts between self-report and documented information typically require amendment, and may take much longer to process. The DEDP MicroMasters Team will reach out to you via email to resolve any issues with your application.
Once your Financial Assistance application has been processed and approved, you will receive your Personal Course Price, and the MITx Online system will send you an automated email to let you know.
What If You Make A Mistake — Or Need To Change Your Information?
If you make a mistake or otherwise accidentally submit incorrect information, your circumstances change, or you need to update your income information for any other reason, please let us know! DEDP MicroMasters Support can reset your personalized price and allow you to re-do the financial assistance process. Reach out to us at dedp-micromasters-support@mit.edu for assistance!
$100 Course Price Coupon Lottery
If you enter an annual income of less than $10,000 USD, you will be asked to submit documents to verify your income. If you submit your documents and receive your Approved Personal Course Price before the Documents Submission Deadline, you will be entered automatically into the $100 Course Price Coupon Lottery.
Important Note:
You must begin the Financial Assistance Process by reporting your income, as described above!
You cannot submit Financial Documentation without first completing the income report process.
If you submit documents through DocuSign without following the Financial Assistance Process, your submissions will not be recognized, you will not receive a Personal Course Price, and you will not receive a response from the DEDP MicroMasters team.
More Information
See the following FAQ articles for more information about:
DEDP MicroMasters Financial Assistance Process Screenshots
Starting the Financial Assistance Process
The Financial Assistance Link as seen on the Course About Page and the Program About Page:
The Financial Assistance Link as seen on the Choose Your Enrollment Track Dialog:
The Financial Assistance Link as seen on the MITx Online Dashboard:
The Financial Assistance Link as seen on the Checkout Page:
The Financial Assistance Application Process
The Income Self-Report Page