The Financial Aid Portal

Portal Access

What Is My Financial Aid Portal?

The Financial Aid Portal is a secure online system that allows applicants to monitor the status of financial aid applications. If you've applied for financial aid from Amherst, you can use the Financial Aid Portal to check your personalized document list to be certain that you've submitted all the material needed for a financial aid determination to be made. It's also the place where decisions about your financial aid eligibility are posted.

How Do I Access The Financial Aid Portal?

To access your financial aid portal, complete the following three steps:

Step 1:  Establish your Amherst online applicant credentials:
  • Go to the Amherst College Password Reset page.
  • Enter your e-mail address that you listed on your admission application and hit the "submit" button.
  • You will immediately be sent an e-mail which will include your username and a link to the College's password reset system. When you click the link, you will see your Amherst username (make note of it!) and you will be able to create an Amherst password.
  • At the “Change Password” screen, enter the temporary password sent in the e-mail.  This password is time sensitive, so it is important to complete this step promptly. 
  • Create a new strong password that satisfies the College's password rules.
  • You will use the same account login credentials for both your Admission Application Status Portal (ASP) and Financial Aid Portal (FAP).
Step 2:  Access and review your financial aid application checklist:
Step 3: Review your financial aid application checklist
  • Use the “Documents & Messages” link to review the current status of each required document.
Step 4: Submit any missing application materials:
  • Documents shown in blue are live links to more information or to the form itself.
  • Respond promptly to ensure that any missing materials are submitted as soon as possible.
  • Notices of financial aid awards (if your application is complete) will be accessible online at the same time admission decisions are available to first-year and transfer applicants.

If you have any problems accessing your Financial Aid Portal, or if you have any other questions about your financial aid application, please email us at finaid@amherst.edu for assistance.

Email Address: Throughout the admission season, we will send emails to you with important updates, notices and other information concerning the status of your admission and financial aid applications. (We do not send emails to parents, only to you!) It is extremely important that you provide an accurate, reliable email address that you monitor regularly. You should notify us promptly of any change to your email address. To do so, use the Applicant Contact Information Change Form available at your Admission  Status Portal.

Note 1: If you have applied for financial aid and have already set up your Financial Aid Portal credentials, but now can't remember your password, you should follow Step 1 above to reset your password.

Note 2: If you applied for financial aid and received an e-mail explaining how to set up your financial aid username and password to access the Financial Aid Portal, but never actually did set up your access and can't find the e-mail now, you should follow the same procedure in Step 1 above to establish your Financial Aid Portal credentials.

Note: Your Amherst account username is initially linked to the email address that you submitted with your admission application. Should you notify us of a change of email, it may take 24 hours for the email change to be processed through our system and linked with your username.During that 24-hour transition period, you may not be able to log into your ASP or FAP.

Electronic Use Policy: Access to your online Application Status Portal is a privilege and you are responsible for all activities associated with its use. To be certain that you understand your obligations as a member of the Amherst electronic community, as well as the actions that may be taken in cases of misconduct, you should carefully read Amherst’s Electronic Resources Acceptable Use Policy (https://www.amherst.edu/offices/it/policies/acceptable).

As always, if you have any problems accessing your financial aid portal, or if you have any other questions about your application or aid eligibility, please e-mail us at finaid@amherst.edu for assistance. We’re ready to help!