For ease of navigation, we’ve compiled many of the frequently asked questions into one location. We also encourage you to closely review the section of the Financial Aid Website that is relevant to your application status: First Year/Transfer Student; International Student; Renewal & Upperclass Student.
Additional Information for Transfer Applicants
Additional Information for International Applicants
Additional Information for Current Amherst Students
Your secure Financial Aid Portal can be quickly accessed at amherst.edu/go/faportal, using your Amherst username and password. You can review the status of your financial aid application (“Documents & Messages” link) and offer (“Offers” link). If you have any problems accessing your Financial Aid Portal or have questions, please email us at finaid@amherst.edu. For more systems-related FAQs, see “Financial Aid Systems” below.
If you submit your financial aid application materials on time (see Applying for Financial Aid), you'll receive an e-mail directing you to the Financial Aid Portal to view your financial aid offer, documents, and messages soon after you receive a letter of admission. E-mail notifications will be sent to all admitted students who have applied for financial aid and whose financial aid applications are complete.
Early Decision Applicants for financial aid should note that their financial aid offer will be finalized closer to the regular decision release date (typically in late March), after the cost of attendance for the coming year has been set, and should monitor their Financial Aid Portal for updates.
Students should be in touch with us immediately to clarify and complete their financial aid application. We will send an email to the student as soon as the details are available to be viewed on the Financial Aid Portal.
If you have a question about your financial aid offer, please visit, call, or email the office to clarify things. Our staff is experienced in answering a broad array of questions regarding the application process, individual aid programs, the crediting of aid to student accounts, and general policy and procedures. In some cases, a question may be referred to a dean for a response if it involves interpretation of financial aid policy.
You may ask us to review your financial aid offer and the way we calculated your family contribution. Appeals must be submitted in writing (via email is fine) and include information not included in your initial aid application. The letter (or financial aid appeal form) should address changes in circumstances, unusual expenses, special situations, or additional information not already presented in the financial aid application. The Financial Aid Appeal form is available in the Forms and Helpful Links section of the Office of Financial Aid website.
Our admission policy is need-blind for all applicants - domestic, international and undocumented. This means that our admission decision is based solely on your achievements, talents and promise. Your and your family's financial situation is not considered - it has no bearing on whether we offer you admission.
Attending college is expensive, and may be daunting to students and families. Amherst College is affordable because we're committed to providing financial aid to meet the full difference between what Amherst costs and what it is calculated your family is able to contribute toward those costs. Our financial aid meets your full calculated need - there is no gap or unmet need in your financial aid offer.
Typically, about sixty percent of Amherst students receive scholarship aid from the college. Another two percent of Amherst students with smaller need are eligible only for loans or work aid; the overall portion of Amherst students with aid from some source is typically about 62 percent.
Please keep in mind that factors other than family income can affect your financial aid package.
Amherst financial aid offers usually include scholarship and a work opportunity. The first $1,800 of need is met with a work opportunity, and since 2007, there are no packaged student loans. Any remaining need is met with scholarships—aid that doesn't have to be repaid. We also expect you to apply for federal and state scholarships and grants for use at Amherst if eligible.
Amherst uses a need analysis formula, developed by the College Scholarship Service (CSS) of the College Board, to evaluate the information you submit and to determine what you and your family can afford to pay. This amount is called your "family contribution." It consists of contributions from your parents' income and assets as well as your own income—usually from summer work—and assets (if any). Your family contribution subtracted from our cost of attendance equals your calculated financial need.
In determining the family contribution, Amherst considers your and your family's income, taxes, living costs, assets, debts, and in certain situations, personal or financial circumstances that may affect your ability to pay for college. The size of your family and the number of children in college are major factors as well. In the case of divorced or separated parents, we expect each parent to submit financial information. In some exceptional situations—usually related to your age, marital status or status as a parent - you may be considered independent of your parents.
We use a second, federal formula in determining your eligibility for federal financial aid programs. This formula is standardized for use by all institutions distributing federal financial aid.
Yes, Amherst College has two web-based net price calculator / estimator tools that allow you to estimate your family contribution. Please note, however, that you must use precise data to obtain a reasonably good estimate. Also, the estimate can vary from Amherst's calculations if your family's financial situation is more complex (such as owning a business, farm or rental property, or having capital gains or losses).
Under both federal rules and college policy, we must take into consideration any scholarship or grant aid you receive from outside sources, regardless of the amount. We use outside scholarships and parent’s employer’s benefits to replace self-help – student employment – in your financial aid offer. If your self-help is completely replaced by outside aid or employer benefit, any remainder will reduce scholarship aid that would otherwise be provided by the College.
We are frequently asked whether an outside scholarship can be used to replace a part of your family contribution. Unfortunately, no. An outside scholarship, grant, or employer benefit must be considered a resource in calculating your financial need. This does not apply to unsubsidized Stafford Loans or outside (“alternative”) parent or student loans.
In 2023-24, we typically expect students to be able to save $1,800 from summer employment. The expectation may be as low as $ 900 for students from lower-income backgrounds and $600 for students who are independent of their parents. If you don’t achieve this level of savings, you should tell us about the shortfall when you return to campus for the fall semester. We’ll ask you to complete a Student Income Contribution Appeal form (available in Forms and Helpful Links), in which you tell us how much you earned and what expenses you had. Typically, a shortfall can be made up from student loans or student employment.
Once during four years, if a student is receiving scholarship assistance from the college, Amherst will replace your expected summer earnings with a scholarship if you spend the summer doing unpaid community service work or an unpaid internship with no compensation or fellowship, stipend, or other support. The Student Income Contribution Appeal form (available on our website), must also be submitted to request the one-time grant replacement.
Yes, a monthly payment plan is available to help parents spread out payments over a 5-month period each semester. In addition, parent loans with favorable terms are available through the Federal PLUS loan program and are available to all U.S. citizens and permanent residents). Details on parent financing options are available on our website.
Yes. If you have financial need, you may borrow a long-term student loan for the purchase of a reasonably priced, education-related computer. Appropriate software and equipment (e.g., network card, printer, etc.) may also be included. The College sends information about recommended computer packages in the summer. You may, however, propose other alternatives to us. Direct purchase must be made while you are a student or in the summer immediately before your first year of college. More details on computer purchases can be found on our website.
Students must reapply for financial aid each year. Changes in the cost of attendance as well as changes in your and your family's financial situation, family size and number of children in college can affect your need and, therefore, your eligibility for aid. There may also be small changes in the amount included in your aid offer for work. Even so, Amherst will always meet your full calculated need - whether that figure increases or decreases.
Yes. We treat transfer applicants just like first-year applicants. You are considered for admission on a need-blind basis and your demonstrated need is met in full.
In addition to the financial aid materials required of all applicants, we must have information about any financial aid you received at each other U.S. post-secondary institution you have attended. In many cases, this information is available to the Financial Aid Office electronically through the U.S. Department of Education.
Yes, we treat Canadian citizens and permanent residents just like U.S. students in determining aid. You are considered for admission on a need-blind basis and your demonstrated need is met in full.
Canadians should submit the same financial aid materials as U.S. applicants, with the exception of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Please make certain that financial figures in all forms you submit (except Canadian tax and wage documents) are reported in U.S. dollars and if necessary, translated into English. Canadian tax returns should be submitted directly to the Office of Financial Aid and not to IDOC.
Yes, financial aid is available. Please visit the section of the Office of Financial Aid's website for International students for more information on how to apply for financial aid.
We require you to submit the CSS PROFILE for 2023-2024. This form, published by the College Scholarship Service of the College Board, collects personal and financial information that helps us determine the distribution of Amherst funds. You may obtain this form from the above link or on our Forms & Helpful Links page. Amherst College code for the PROFILE form is 3003.
Note: Applicants from North Korea cannot complete the CSS PROFILE; applicants from North Korea should complete the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA).
You must also submit copies of your and your parents' 2021 income tax return(s) and/or other documentation of income. All documentation must be translated into English.
Applicants for whom the CSS Profile application fee will present a serious financial hardship should submit a request to complete the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA) by logging into their Application Status Portal. This form is completed by International financial aid applicants ONLY and must be uploaded to their Financial Aid Portal. Applying for financial aid using the ISFAA will not change an applicant's eligibility for financial aid; completing the ISFAA is considered the equivalent of completing the CSS Profile.
Applicants utilizing the ISFAA will upload the completed form to the Financial Aid Portal in the same manner as income/wage documentation described below. Applicants must wait until email instructions for setting up your Financial Aid Portal credentials have been received before uploading the ISFAA and income documentation.
For families who live in countries that do require citizens to submit tax returns and/or earning statements, a signed copy of all pages of an original and translated tax statement need to be provided. Statements submitted without translations included will be considered incomplete.
All students should submit documentation that verifies taxes paid/withheld and a statement from your parent(s) employers that state what was the parents’ annual salary for the base year in addition to other taxable or untaxed benefits provided by the employer.
No, students/parents can write directly on the tax documents, translate into English the name of the form and next to each currency value write a brief English translation of what the value represents, such as income, or sale of real estate, taxes, etc. There is no need to translate the instructions or other materials. Failure to translate non-English documents may result in delays in processing your financial aid information.
In many countries, families do not need to submit/file tax documents but this does not mean that income and tax information/documentation is not required. All parents must submit original and translated statements from their employers stating what is their gross amount of earnings for the specified year. Statements should include wages, bonuses, and any untaxed benefits such as automobiles, housing allowances, etc. They must also submit documents that demonstrate how much in taxes and mandatory withholdings were required.
Applicants whose parents report savings and investments other than a business or real estate should provide statements showing values for Certificates of Deposits and/or investment accounts and/or savings accounts. Do not send copies of your family’s daily/monthly/annual bank account transactions.
All forms can be found on our Forms & Helpful Links page.
Even when parents are not employed, there is some source of assistance or support to cover the families’ living expenses. Students whose parents have not been employed must provide a reasonable explanation/documentation as to how the family has covered living expenses such as housing, food, medical expenses etc.
If you have reported on the Profile Income from Household, Other Untaxed Income or Parent’s cash benefits, please provide an explanation of the amounts and sources of support received from others.
The Salary Certificate is a document that comes from the parent’s employer that provides a breakdown, by month, of the gross amount of the parents’ salary, other taxable and untaxed income such as housing or bonuses, and mandatory withholdings such as government taxes.
Financial need is re-evaluated each year. That’s the reason we ask you and your family to complete application forms and submit income tax returns each year. There are many factors that are considered in calculating a parents’ contribution. Here are some that may play a significant role:
Our online publication Notes Concerning Your Financial Aid has further discussion of these factors.
If your family’s financial situation had some uncertainties when we read your application for financial aid, we may have offered a “January Review'' notation with your aid offer. If your family wants to update their income information for the anticipated year, they may do so.
We’ll write to you and your family in December to ask for information about their income for the calendar year then ending. The information we need may be in documents that will be used to prepare an income tax return for the year – such as earnings records (e.g., W-2 forms or year-end pay stubs); statements about interest, dividends, or other income; and records of payments made from unemployment compensation, disability, social security, or pension programs. Your financial aid offer will be revised if there is a substantial change in your family’s circumstances.
January Reviews will be conducted until the end of the second week in February each year. If information is not available by that time, reduced income will be reflected in your offer for the following year.
If you have a credit balance on your student account, you may request a refund of the excess amount, or if your financial aid will result in a credit balance, you may request an advance on your aid. But please plan ahead in making your requests. Checks for financial aid refunds and advances are prepared by the Comptroller’s Office only once a week — on Thursdays. We must submit check requests by the close of business on Tuesdays. Checks for advances and refunds are mailed to students’ post office boxes.
Note that refunds and advances cannot be requested until the first day of classes in the term and that any outstanding paperwork or electronic procedures (such as entrance interviews or promissory notes) must be completed before funds may be made available.
Applications for renewal of financial aid are usually available in mid-January. Information is posted on our website under Renewal & Upperclass Applicants, and the application must be completed online at amherst.edu/go/faportal. Students are eligible to receive financial aid at Amherst for a total of eight semesters, although a student who is approved for a ninth semester of enrollment at the College may also receive aid. The renewal application deadline is March 1.
Renewal of financial aid is based on:
Yes, your financial aid may be used for study abroad programs, as well as Twelve College Exchange or other domestic off-campus study programs. If the cost of attendance at the other program is greater than at Amherst, you will be offered additional scholarship assistance to make up the difference. If the cost of attendance is less, your financial aid offer will be adjusted accordingly.
Students who are planning on studying away from Amherst – study abroad or at another U.S. institution – should set an appointment in the spring semester with Dean Alex Robinson to discuss their plans and how financial aid can help. Please call our office at (413) 542-2296 to schedule an appointment. More information about financial aid and study away from the College is available on our website.
We use the same student expense budget for both on- and off-campus residents, so your financial aid is not affected by your living off-campus. The same contribution is expected from you and your family, and your aid will remain the same if you live off-campus.
If you live off-campus and you complete the necessary paperwork in the Dean of Students Office, your term bill will be reduced by a credit for housing and meals. Any scholarship, grant or loan aid from the College or outside organizations will be applied to your student account for tuition and student activities fees.
If your scholarship, grant and loan aid doesn’t cover all of your billed expenses, the balance of your bill will be paid by your family contribution along with your housing and meals.
If your financial aid exceeds the tuition and fees expenses, the aid in excess of your billed fees will be available to help cover your living costs, such as rent, food, utilities, etc. The rest of your living costs and other out-of-pocket expenses (personal and travel expenses) will be your and your family's responsibility, from your family contribution and student employment earnings.
If there is aid (pending credit) on your student account after the billed tuition and fees have been covered, the funds will be available after the first day of classes of each term.
If you receive scholarship help from the College and the cost of required books and supplies exceed $1,000 for the academic year, your scholarship aid can be adjusted for the difference. To ask for an adjustment, you should send the Office of Financial Aid a listing of your courses and the total cost of books and supplies (including lab fees) for each class. If you have questions, please contact our office.
Students who are having difficulty with book expenses may have some options in rearranging self-help (work and loan) in their aid offers. If you didn’t achieve the summer savings amount that we used in calculating your financial aid or if you want to shift some work to loan in your aid package, consult us to see if a change is possible. Also, if you are working, you may take an advance on your earnings by borrowing a no-interest short-term loan, which can be repaid from your student employment income.
If your total parental contribution (not adjusted for number of children in college) is $5,500 or less, you may qualify for assistance with medical and dental expenses that are incurred during periods of enrollment and that are not covered by health insurance. We expect that you will seek reimbursement through health insurance before you ask for help with these expenses from financial aid resources. Please review the Financial Aid Enhancements webpage or contact the financial aid office for further information and specific eligibility.
If your scholarship and grant aid in a given calendar year exceeded tuition, fees, and required books and supplies, you should report the excess scholarship and grant amount in your income tax return. (This doesn’t apply to loans. Earnings from student employment are taxable like any other wages.) Information about taxes on scholarship and grant aid is available on our website.
An international student’s tax situation is usually more complex. The College is required by law to withhold taxes from scholarships and issue a Form 1042-S to each student indicating the amount of potentially taxable scholarship and the amount withheld. In some cases, tax treaties affect the amount that may be taxed.
When you and your family complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the information that you provide is reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education for completeness and consistency. As a quality control measure, you may be selected for the federal verification process. If verification is required, we may need to collect additional information (if required documentation is not already on file). Please review the Financial Aid Portal for requested documents and return them to us promptly. If verification is required, federal financial aid funds cannot be disbursed to you until we receive and review verification documentation.
Amherst scholarship recipients in the graduating class are eligible for the Access Grant.
Typically, students who have an Amherst Grant of more than $80,000 are eligible for 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.
Graduating seniors who have borrowed a federal student loan while at Amherst are required to do an “exit interview” before they leave the College. If you borrowed a Federal Stafford Loan, you should complete exit counseling online.
If you borrowed a Federal Perkins Loan or an Amherst College Loan, we will contact you in the latter part of your final semester to arrange an exit interview.
A federal Direct Consolidation Loan allows you to combine one or more federal education loans into a new loan that offers you several advantages. You may review your federal student loans online. More information is available from the Federal Direct Consolidation Loans website. You should carefully review the benefits of your current federal education loan(s) before proceeding with a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan.
Amherst College has several fellowship funds for alumni/ae to use to pursue graduate studies. A listing of fellowships appears in the College Catalog and more information is available on the Fellowships Office website. Seniors who want to apply for Amherst College Fellowships may obtain application materials from the Fellowships Office, 213 Converse Hall, or the Office of Financial Aid.
Financing options include any educational loans that are pre-approved. Families chose the source and Amherst will certify the amount. More details can be found on our Family Financing Options page.
Students and families also have the option of setting up monthly payment plans, administered through Nelnet Campus Commerce. For more information on authorization set-up and how to enroll, please visit the Student Accounts website.
The financial aid portal may only be accessed by students. We encourage students to share the College Financing Plan (CFP) with their family members by downloading a pdf. The CFP has helpful details about the aid offer, including amounts and types, cost of attendance details and family contribution amounts.
Information on tuition payments can be found on the Student Accounts page of our website.
Student employment at Amherst College is open to all students, regardless of financial aid eligibility. Approximately two-thirds of all students work on campus at some time during the academic year. Students are responsible for finding their own jobs by viewing postings online (after you have matriculated at Amherst). Students must be prepared to present original documentation of citizenship and identity in person at the Office of Financial Aid for employment to be authorized. Students should bring necessary documents to campus.
To be employed by the College, you must complete three forms:
Any questions on completing these forms, beyond the general instructions given, should be referred to a parent, guardian, or your tax consultant.
Social Security and Medicare tax (F.I.C.A.) is not withheld from student earnings for employment on campus during the academic year. However, F.I.C.A. taxes must be withheld from any off-campus earnings and summer employment on campus.
Student employees should not work more than 20 hours a week during any week in which classes are held, and no more than 40 hours a week at other times, including summer. U.S. students who exceed these limits may jeopardize their status as a “full-time” student under Internal Revenue Service rules, which may affect the ability of their parents to claim federal education tax credits for them and may subject them to F.I.C.A. taxes during the school year. International students who exceed these limits may jeopardize their student visa status.
If you are receiving aid and have "federal work-study" in your offer, you are eligible to work off-campus with one of our local non-profit partners using federal aid. If you have "institutional student employment" in your offer, you are eligible to work on campus.
Working on campus starts with applying for a job through Workday. The hiring manager for the position you have applied for will let you know whether or not you have been selected. Once hired, you will be able to submit hours for manager approval every week that you work. Students are paid on a bi-weekly basis. If you have never had a job on campus before, you will need to complete the onboarding forms before being eligible to work.
In addition to on-campus employment options, if you are eligible for the Federal Work-Study program, you may be employed off-campus by an eligible non-profit organization or government agency in work that is “for the public good.” If you’re interested in off-campus federal work study, visit the financial aid office for information about available positions and federal work-study eligibility. Note that off-campus Work-Study positions are available in the summer as well as during the academic year.
Students may work off-campus during the summer under the Federal Work-Study program. In general, students may work for non-profit organizations and government agencies in jobs that are “for the public good.” Fuller details, including limitations, are available on the office’s website.
The purpose of the Federal Work-Study program is to help students with educational expenses. Because of this, students who work under the FWS program are expected to save as much as possible toward their academic year expenses, but the program allows reasonable expenses for living costs during the summer. An initial financial aid offer letter will show the full amount that you’re authorized to earn under the off-campus Work-Study contract, with no adjustment for expenses. We expect most students to submit a Student Income Contribution appeal at the end of summer so that we can adjust the expected savings for the summer’s living expenses. This form can be found on the Forms & Helpful Links page.
Applications are also available from the office or on our website. Off-campus positions require us to contract with the employing organization for a set amount of earnings and a specified time period of employment, so particular attention must be paid to those parts of the application. The organization usually pays “matching” funds equal to 25 percent of your wages plus employer expenses for FICA taxes (7.65 percent) and workers’ compensation insurance (2 percent). The remaining 75 percent of student wages are paid from federal and College funds. Student employees must have FICA taxes withheld for summer employment.
Summer Fellowships for Action funds available through the Center for Community Engagement or Career Center may sometimes be used to provide the matching funds usually paid by the employing organization.
Students working off-campus under the Federal Work-Study program during the school year or in the summer should monitor their earnings total so that they won’t go over their authorized earnings limits. Federal rules require us to contract with the employing organization for a set amount of earnings. Students can’t be paid more than the contract allows. We can advise you if you have questions about your earnings to date and what remains on your contract. Note that earnings during Interterm are included in the academic year ceiling for Federal Work-Study.
Some students choose to work on campus during the summer. The typical expectation is that students will earn enough to support themselves during the summer. Earnings beyond a reasonable level of expenses (typically $3,000) are usually considered to be savings for the following academic year. If you will be working on campus this summer and earn more than this amount, a contribution from your earnings will be expected toward next year’s educational costs. Please reach out to the financial aid office about what savings will be expected of you.
We do not send paper financial aid offer letters and notices about incomplete applications to current or matriculating new students. The College uses NetPartner software to permit students and applicants for admission to check the status of their financial aid applications online. Financial aid offers for admitted and current students may also be reviewed on-line.
Your secure Financial Aid Portal can be quickly accessed at amherst.edu/go/faportal, using your Amherst username and password. You can review the status of your financial aid application (“Documents & Messages” link) and offer (“Offers” link). If you have any problems accessing your Financial Aid Portal or have questions, please email us at finaid@amherst.edu.
A link to this site is also on our website home page. We encourage students to check this portal often, as messages about financial aid may also be communicated to you via your Financial Aid Portal.
When you first complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, you will also create an FSA ID. It’s important that you keep track of it. The FSA ID is used for communications with the Department of Education — including completing future years’ FAFSA’s, electronically “signing” applications and promissory notes, completing required loan entrance and exit counseling, and accessing account information about your student loans in repayment. If you have misplaced your FSA ID, you may retrieve your username or password on the login page of the FAFSA.
If you made a mistake on your application or need to include additional information after you submit, you can update your application by clicking “Correct Your CSS Profile” on your Dashboard. Corrections are available by late November each year. See more information on the CollegeBoard website.
The financial aid portal allows one upload per document. You can either email the remaining documents (keep in mind that email is not secure) or send an email to finaid@amherst.edu stating you have additional documents to upload. We can then mark the documents already received as incomplete which will enable you to upload additional material. Additional materials should all be uploaded as one document.
The staff of the financial aid office remain accessible through email and phone (413-542-2296), as well as in-person. We look forward to receiving your questions and speaking with you.