Financial aid basis

Latest answer — January 16, 2026

52 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, January 16, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Coming-out party?
  2. 11Finish (up)
  3. 15"Hello-o-o?"
  4. 16Dialect featured in the literature of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, for short
  5. 17Scenario calling for self-reliance
  6. 18Summer flier
  7. 19Classic 1926 poem associated with the Harlem Renaissance
  8. 20Do some cleaning
  9. 21Creatures that can turn into humans on land, in Scottish folklore
  10. 22Sound around a summer cornfield
  11. 23Wood used for flooring
  12. 24Trunk item
  13. 25Shortest-reigning English monarch (9 days)
  14. 28Molecule that can self-splice
  15. 29Enthusiasm-curbing
  16. 32"Here we go!"
  17. 34Uncovered
  18. 35Some cuts of meat
  19. 37Tennis great who had a tennis scholarship from U.C.L.A.
  20. 38Place for trading stories?
  21. 40Diverts
  22. 42It takes a long time to get this
  23. 43Leading character on social media?
  24. 45White House partner, for short
  25. 47Assume, as costs
  26. 48Do some cleaning
  27. 51Market for currencies, informally
  28. 52Financial aid basis
  29. 54Hand count?
  30. 55Ian : Scotland :: ___ : Wales
  31. 56One might help you hitch a ride
  32. 58Parmesan cheese feature
  33. 59Novel whence the line "Four legs good, two legs bad"
  34. 60Rests
  35. 61They're green year-round

Down

  1. 1Bare-bones
  2. 2Oscar-winning musical role for Rita Moreno
  3. 3Already
  4. 4"The Memory Police" author ___ Ogawa
  5. 5Brand lead-in to Caps or Balls
  6. 6Unwieldy situation, metaphorically
  7. 7"As if!"
  8. 8Blows away
  9. 9Release
  10. 10Kind of cycle
  11. 11Listing on a W-2 form
  12. 12Stumbled upon
  13. 13Overwhelming amount
  14. 14Some terrarium denizens
  15. 21Declares
  16. 23Tai chi accessory
  17. 24Receives unfair criticism
  18. 25Nimble, zigzagging maneuver
  19. 26Best Original Song Oscar winner from 2014's "Selma"
  20. 27P.E. unit
  21. 29Invitations to come on board
  22. 30First NASA mission broadcast live from orbit
  23. 31Secret offering?
  24. 33Julia of "The Addams Family"
  25. 36___ Excellency
  26. 39Like leatherette
  27. 41Witticism
  28. 44Start of a secret invitation, perhaps
  29. 46Leans
  30. 48Locale of a semiannual fashion week
  31. 49Opposite of subtle
  32. 50Makes do for a while?
  33. 52Gram, by another name
  34. 53Composer Satie
  35. 54Goal-oriented global org.?
  36. 56Half-___
  37. 57Totally

The answer to “Financial aid basis” in the New York Times crossword is NEED — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on January 16, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 52-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Financial aid basis” answer

NEED (4 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is NEED.

Why the answer is NEED

NEED is the 4-letter solution that fits "Financial aid basis" in the NYT Crossword crossword on January 16, 2026 (52-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does NEED mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of NEED is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(verb)

  • require (something) because it is essential or very important rather than just desirable
  • expressing necessity or obligation
  • be necessary

When else has “Financial aid basis” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

January 16, 2026 (most recent) → NEED. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Financial aid basis”?

The answer is NEED, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on January 16, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Financial aid basis”?

4 letters: NEED.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on January 16, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 52-Across.

Can “Financial aid basis” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for January 16, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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