The Office of Financial Aid understands students occasionally incur educational-related expenses that may not be accounted for in the student’s standard Cost of Attendance (COA). If this applies to you, you may be eligible to request a budget increase.
A budget increase request allows students to borrow or increase additional loan funds to help cover qualified educational-related expenses not already included in the standard COA.
To be considered for a budget increase:
- Expenses must be directly related to your education.
- All requests must be reasonable and well-documented.
- Expenses must have occurred while you are enrolled at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Examples of Eligible Budget Increase Expenses
- Computer: computer must be purchased during period of enrollment for educational use
- Medical Expenses: unusual medical/dental expenses not covered by health insurance or reimbursed from other sources
- Housing: if actual rent or WCM housing expenses exceed the standard monthly allowance, a budget increase may be approved for the academic year of enrollment period
2025-2026 Standard Monthly Housing Allowances:
- MD Year 1: $995/month
- MD Year 2-4: $1,476/month
- MS Programs: $2,400/month
- Childcare: parenting students may request an increase to cover out-of-pocket childcare expenses. Cost guidelines can be found at Bright Horizons
- Away Rotation (MD Students): to cover expenses directly related to registration fees, lodging, travel, and transportation based on approved away rotation assignment
- Residency Interviews (MD students): to cover expenses directly related to application fees, lodging, travel, and transportation based on scheduled residency interview(s)
Examples of Ineligible Expenses for Budget Increase
The following expenses cannot be considered for a budget increase as they are considered non-essential. Students are expected to cover these costs through personal resources:
- Vehicle purchase and maintenance
- Cell Phone expenses
- Housing-related costs such as; security deposits, first/last month's rent, furniture, moving or relocating, renter’s insurance, cable/satellite TV, storage fees, summer housing during non-enrollment period
- Payment towards student loans or consumer debt
- Pet Expense and maintenance
- Expenses related to extracurricular activities
Note: Budget increase requests must be limited to necessary and documented educational expenses incurred while enrolled. If you're unsure whether an expense qualifies, please contact the Office of Financial Aid before submitting a request.
Budget Increase Process and Expectations
To request budget increase, please follow steps below:
Step 1: Login to LEARN (select NetPartner)
Step 2: Select Menu→Applications
Step 3: Submit Budget Increase request
Step 4: Select Menu→ Documents & Messages
Step 5: Complete Budget increase request form and upload supporting documents*
*Documentation is key. Please provide legible receipts and invoices for your eligible expense.
Budget increase requests are typically processed within 3–7 business days after all required documentation has been submitted.