Financial Resources for FLI Students

Amherst has some well-known, but overlooked financial aid resources available to students. From emergency funds to tax-filing questions, below we pulled an introductory list of resources that may be helpful to low-income students: 

  • All students may apply for emergency funding for an unanticipated financial challenge.
  • Some students (if you are a current recipient of the Access Grant, you will likely fall in this category) on financial aid are eligible to have out-of-pocket medical expenses, such as co-payments, covered by financial aid grant. 
    •  Click here to learn what financial support you are eligible for.
      • If you are not eligible for financial support from the college, it is still possible to work with the billing office of hospitals and medical providers to arrange payment plans over 12 or 24 months.
  •  Read through last year's 2023 FLI Tax Guide to prepare for the 2024 tax season! 

Check out our instagram post about Financial Support Resources, partnered with @ac_healthandwellbeing

Amherst College Textbook Solutions (ACTS) Program 

The Amherst College Textbook Solution (ACTS) will provide all enrolled students with the necessary textbooks and course materials required for classes.
This campus-wide program will serve the needs of faculty and students and create greater educational equity, as well as ensuring that the cost of course materials is never a barrier to taking a class. ACTS will start in the 2024–25 academic year.

Learn more on their website here. 

Access Grant v.s. Emergency Fund

Learn more about all Financial Aid Enhancements here. 

Access GrantEmergency Fund (Learn more here)

Is... automatically distributed to eligible students, and is one of the ways Amherst is increasing equity for students, as a proactive measure to help prepare students for unanticipated costs and personal expenses that may otherwise pose a hardship.

 

Who’s eligible: Typically, students who have an Amherst Grant of more than $80,000 are eligible for the Access Grant.

 

What’s Covered

Access Grant funds are intended to assist with items such as:

  • Winter clothing
  • Bedding
  • Unexpected travel
  • Unanticipated technology expenses
  • Senior expenses (interview clothing, graduation application fees, etc.)
  • Travel for parents to attend graduation
  • Co-curricular activities (equestrian course fees, conference fees, etc.) not otherwise covered by aid eligibility

How to Use the Access Grant

The Access Grant is automatically added onto eligible student’s accounts. Credit balance funds will be issued by Student Accounts and executed by our electronic payment partner, Finexio. Students will receive payment email from Finexio/Checkbook.io (support@checkbook.io) at the beginning of each semester they are eligible.

Is... intended to assist students with meeting immediate needs so they can continue their studies with minimal disruption. The emergency fund assists students experiencing financial strain and need supplemental resources due to temporary hardship. 

 

Who’s eligible: All Amherst College students currently enrolled.

 

What’s Covered

  • Medical expenses that are not already covered by health insurance or the medical grant (emergency, non-recurring)
  • Essential educational-related materials that are lost, damaged or stolen
  • Transportation, food, or lodging as a result of unexpected emergency circumstances
  • Computer repairs

How to Apply for the Emergency Fund

What Isn’t Covered

  • This grant is not intended to cover items like books, or the balance owed on your student account, which are part of the initial financial aid determination.

What Isn’t Covered

  • Living and personal expenses (including storage) during periods between academic terms, including summer
  • Books and personal expenses such as winter clothing
  • Unreimbursed medical expenses, eyeglasses and dental expenses causing pain (covered by financial aid)
  • Routine travel during semester breaks
  • Emergency needs that are for the benefit of family members

Learn more about your Student Loan options here at Amherst College

Check out this website for information on the three types of loans: 

  • Federal Direct Stafford Loan (Subsidized and Unsubsidized)
  • Amherst College Computer Loan
  • Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan
  • And some more information for international students, etc. 

Contact Financial Aid for any questions you have regarding loans. 

Charles Hamilton Houston Internship Program

Are you looking for funding for a summer internship and you used your Meiklejohn Fellowship Stipend already? Learn more about the Charles Hamilton Houston Internship Program. 

External Resources 

In hopes of promoting higher education for first-generation Americans & Inmigrants, Annuity has created two comprehensive, easy-to-read guides on scholarship information and financial literacy for First-Gen students on the internet. Their pages cover topics like needs vs merit-based scholarships, evaluating tuition costs, language barriers, planning for your future after college, and much more to benefit incoming students.

You can check out their guides here:
http://www.annuity.org/financial-literacy/students/
https://www.annuity.org/financial-literacy/first-generation-americans/

Office of Fellowships

Checkout the Office of Fellowships to see if there are any fellowships, which are merit-based, competitive awards, scholarships, or grants that support a major educational experience of goal, that align with your interests during or after your time (such as, graduate school) at Amherst College. 

  • Request an appointment here to learn more. 
  • Check this webpage for an updated list of available fellowships and their requirements.