Financial Aid

The College announced that it is increasing its commitment to student financial aid to $71 million per year, and the College will provide support for 60 percent of its students. The additional investment will save low- and middle-income families thousands of dollars every year.

With this enhancement, which is effective for the 2022-23 academic year, students from 80 percent of U.S. households would typically receive a scholarship that covers full tuition. This group corresponds to annual household incomes of $141,000. Students from families earning less than the median U.S. household income will typically receive a scholarship that covers not only full tuition, but also housing and meals.This group corresponds to annual household incomes of $67,500. The average aid package is expected to increase to $63,570. One in six members of the student body (about 17%) will see their grant jump by more than $5,000 when the new policies go into effect next year. These changes will benefit students who come from low-income households, as well as those from middle-income families earning between $100,000 and $200,000.

In addition, the College announced enhanced grant programs that better support high-need students by providing them $1,000 annual access grants. Additional Financial Aid enhancements will reduce the work-study expectation to four hours per week from six hours, and formalize the availability of a Student Emergency Fund to cover unexpected needs such as unforeseen medical costs, financial stress around housing, and emergency travel.

These grants will be funded in large part by The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also known as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds III (HEERF III). The College acts as a conduit for these federal student funds. The direct grants to students are intended to support students’ needs related to the student’s cost of attendance (COA) or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus.These grants will be provided to students with demonstrated financial need for the 2021-22 academic year. No application will be necessary, but students will need to certify that expenses have been incurred that meet the criteria for receipt of a cash grant.

For information about the distribution of past grants, visit the CARES Act page.

The Office of Financial Aid has returned to the office in B-5 Converse Hall. Please feel free to be in touch with us by:

> Stopping in the office and saying hello,
> Phone at 413-542-2296 where a staff member will answer your call during business hours,
> Email us and we will reply to you as soon as possible,
> Current students can schedule an appointment to speak with a dean,

We are excited to see you and to assist you with your financial aid needs and questions.

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.