Gail Holt, Dean of Financial Aid at Amherst College, explains how students who qualify for need-based financial aid are going to see the effects of the recently announced enhancements to our financial aid offerings for the upcoming year.
As of March 17th, the Office of Financial Aid has transitioned to a remote work model, which means we are working off campus until further notice. We are providing full service remotely via our various online and virtual resources. The best way to contact us is via email. If you prefer to call us at 413-542-2296, you may leave a message and we will return your call as soon as we are able. Soon, we will provide a URL where families can make appointments with financial aid deans. Please note that the office will remain closed for the fall 2020 semester.
Amherst College is doing our part to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus in our community, and beyond. We want to do all we can to keep everyone safe and healthy in the midst of this crisis, while also providing support to our students.
Due to COVID-19, Amherst understands that students receiving financial aid will be unlikely to contribute to expenses using funds earned during the summer of 2020. Amherst has replaced the amount we would typically expect aided students to contribute from summer earnings with grant funds from the College.
Amherst has also decided to replace academic year work with additional scholarship grant funds. This policy adjustment is a one-time accommodation and will likely not be carried forward to future years.
“The most rewarding part of the work that we get to do is to provide the resources that truly make an Amherst education affordable.” —Gail Holt, Dean of Financial Aid
We have awarded nearly $60 million in Amherst scholarships this year. That’s money dedicated solely to meeting the financial need of our students.
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. 72% of Amherst graduates in the Class of 2019 graduated with no student loan debt.
This approach makes us distinctive. We are proud to say it also makes us a leader. Only a few colleges in the country can say what we can about financial aid:
Gail Holt, Dean of Financial Aid
If you have indicated an intention to apply for financial aid, the Office of Financial Aid will create a secure, personalized Financial Aid Portal (FAP) that will allow you to monitor the status of your financial aid application. The FAP is scheduled to be available online around mid-October. You will use the same Amherst online applicant account credentials to log into both your Admission Application Status Portal (ASP) and your Financial Aid Portal. If you never set up your user credentials or have forgotten your password, steps to access instructions are here.
Current students can check the status of their financial aid application, view award information and important messages through our online financial aid portal.
The MyinTuition tool will give you an early cost estimate using six basic financial questions.
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Renewal applications for the 2020-21 academic year will be published in the Financial Aid Portal (FAP) beginning on June 11th for students with complete applications. Late fees will be assessed on applications that remain incomplete after August 12. Application requirements can be viewed through the Financial Aid Portal and the Documents and Messages link.
Due to COVID-19, Amherst understands and is sensitive to the fact that students will be unlikely to contribute to 2020-2020 academic year expenses using funds earned during the summer of 2020. Amherst will replace the amount we would typically expect students to save from summer 2020 work with grant funds from the College. This policy adjustment is a one-time accommodation and may not be carried forward to future years.
If your family’s financial situation had some uncertainty when we read your financial aid application for the 2020-2021 academic year, we may have included a “January Review” notation in your award messages. In some cases, we have invited a “voluntary” January Review of family income. If your family wants to update their income information for the “anticipated" year (2020), they may do so in January 2021 until February 12, 2021.
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