Undergraduates
Aid Basics
As its resources allow, Bennington awards aid to meet the difference between a family’s resources and the cost of attending the College. The College is not always able to meet a student’s full need, but approximately 80 percent of Bennington students receive some financial aid, whether through a combination of grants, scholarships, work, and loan, or simply student and parent loans.
Need-Based Aid and Merit Awards
Bennington awards two types of financial assistance: need-based aid and merit awards.
- Need-based aid: Students who would like to be considered for need-based financial aid submit an aid application annually, which is used to calculate aid eligibility according to federal and institutional guidelines. Need-based aid awards typically include grants, student loans, and a work allocation.
- Merit awards: The Admissions Committee awards undergraduate merit scholarships based on the strength of a student’s application for admission; they are not contingent on financial need. No separate application is required.
Awards in Subsequent Years
Families may anticipate some annual increase in college costs. Assuming good academic standing, students with merit awards receive the same funding each term without reapplying for aid. Students with need-based aid will continue to receive institutional grant funds that cover about the same percentage of institutional charges as long as they reapply for aid in a timely manner and family circumstances, as reflected on the annual aid application, have not changed significantly.
First-Year and Transfer Students
Continuing Undergraduate Students
Types of Aid
Following are the various forms of financial assistance Bennington College awards to undergraduates who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens.
- 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. Use this link for more information about scholarships.
- 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 student loans are offered as part of an undergraduate aid award in amounts of $3,500 to $12,500 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. Use this link for more information about loans.
- 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.