Types of Aid: Undergraduates

Following are the various forms of financial assistance Bennington College awards to undergraduates who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens.

Scholarships

Merit aid at Bennington is offered in the form of Brockway and Bennington Scholarships. All applicants for admission are automatically considered for scholarships and no separate application is required. Awards are committed over the life of a student’s enrollment at the College, providing the student remains in good academic standing. Changes in a family’s financial circumstances will not affect these awards.

Grants

Unlike scholarships, grants are based strictly on calculated need and are subject to change depending upon a family’s financial situation. At Bennington, grant resources include the Bennington Grant; federal Pell, SEOG, ACG, and SMART funds; and various state grants.

Loans

Loans come in many different forms. Federal Stafford student loans are offered as part of an undergraduate aid award in amounts of $3,500 to $10,500 annually, depending on a student’s year in school and whether he or she is a dependent or independent student. The federal PLUS loan is available to parents. In some circumstances students may apply for a private alternative loan, but they will typically need a co-signer to qualify. For more information about loans, click here, and to compare and apply for loans, click here.

Federal Work-Study

Many aid awards include a Federal Work-Study (FWS) allocation, which means the student is eligible to apply for specific on- and off-campus jobs with wages subsidized by federal funding. An FWS-eligible student is not guaranteed a job during any given term, but most students who try to obtain FWS work are successful. Earnings are paid directly to the student and are most often used to pay personal expenses during the term.