Next Steps

Step 1

You are encouraged to review your Financial Aid Portal frequently to ensure you have no missing documents to complete your financial aid “file.”

Step 2

If your FAFSA is selected for the federal verification process, check your Financial Aid Portal to make sure there are no new documents required.

Step 3

Develop a Family Financing Plan well in advance to determine the best method for your family to pay for Amherst.

Overview

Financial aid is the term for the different sources (including scholarships, employment, and federal or state grants, and loans) available to help pay for your cost of attending Amherst. Amherst’s financial aid program is 100% need-based. We do not offer any financial aid based on merit, talent, or any other criteria. We’ve been providing need-based financial aid since our founding in 1821.

Students must apply for financial aid each year, whether a first time applicant or an upper class student renewing or applying for the first time.  

The complete Financial Aid Application Process is outlined in the section to the left.  To reapply, each year a student must:

  • Complete the CSS PROFILE and FAFSA forms 
  • Submit income tax returns, and other documents that are posted on the Financial Aid Portal
  • Complete the Amherst Application for Renewal of Financial Aid online at the Financial Aid Portal 

  • Continue to have calculated financial need after submission and review of all application materials

  • Continue to make satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory academic progress is demonstrated by the ability to continue in enrollment at Amherst in accordance with the academic standards defined in the Amherst College Catalog. For the purposes of federal financial aid, a student may not receive assistance for more than one semester while on academic probation and may not receive assistance if his or her cumulative grade point average is less than “C.”

A student is eligible to receive financial aid at Amherst for a total of eight semesters. Exception are made only with the approval of the Dean of Students.

What Makes Amherst Different?

  • Amherst is committed to meeting 100% of every student’s calculated need with a combination of scholarship and/or grant and student employment funds.
  • Amherst’s initial financial aid offers have no student loans. We were one of the first colleges in the country to adopt a no-loan policy, so our students can graduate with little or no debt. 
  • Amherst’s admission process is need-blind for all applicants, domestic and international. We admit extraordinary students from around the world based on a student’s qualifications and not their ability to pay.

Students leave Amherst with an extraordinary education, a long list of exceptional accomplishments—and the freedom to build their future without the burden of student loan debt.