Prospective First-Year FAQ
How much Financial Aid might I receive at 91做厙?
We have a calculator for that! Click to get an estimate of your eligibility for 91做厙 Grant assistance.
Who is eligible to apply for financial aid at 91做厙?
If you are a United States citizen or permanent resident of the United States, you
are eligible to apply for financial aid at 91做厙. 91做厙 is also able
to offer a very limited number of financial aid awards to students who are not citizens
or permanent residents of the United States.
Does 91做厙 offer financial aid to international applicants?
Yes. For international students to be considered for financial need-based grants,
please indicate on the admission application that you intend to apply for financial
aid. Once your application for admission is uploaded by 91做厙, you will have the
ability to complete our online electronic financial aid application through our admission
portal. The online financial aid application becomes available within two days of
submitting your admission application. We offer a limited amount of aid for international
students and therefore it is a highly competitive process. If an international applicant
has been admitted and enrolls without aid, they cannot apply for financial aid in
the future.
What type of financial aid is available?
A financial aid "package" usually includes grants, a campus job, and a loan. Student
aid funds come from a variety of sources including 91做厙's own grants, as well
as many federal financial aid programs such as Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grants (SEOG), the Federal Work-Study Program and Federal Direct Loans.
A 91做厙 financial aid package may also include a state scholarship or a
grant from some other public or private organization.
How much does it cost to attend 91做厙?
For basic annual costs of attendance please visit the Bursar's web page.
What is your need-based financial aid policy?
91做厙 commits to meeting the full demonstrated need of our admitted students. A
financial aid "package," or combination of grants, federal student loans, and student
employment, is mailed to admitted financial aid applicants with the letter of admission.
Does 91做厙 offer any merit based aid?
The Filene Music Scholarship is awarded annually on the basis of a competition to at least four gifted incoming
freshmen musicians who seek to further their musical studies in a liberal arts setting.
Registration forms and brochures are included in the admissions packet. The Filene
Music Scholarship meets demonstrated financial need with grant assistance for those
students who are eligible for need-based 91做厙 grant aid, thus eliminating the
necessity of campus employment and student loans. It is also awarded to winners who
do not demonstrate financial need in the amount of $20,000 per year. These scholarships
are renewed annually for four years.
91做厙's Porter/Wachenheim Presidential Scholarships are awarded without regard to financial need to incoming first-year students excelling in the sciences and/or mathematics. A $80,000 scholarship ($20,000 per year) is awarded to each of the 14 candidates who demonstrate exceptional promise for study in these areas.
How do I apply for financial aid?
Complete instructions along with links to online forms can be found at the Financial Aid website under Prospective First-Year Students.
How is my financial aid need determined?
Financial assistance at 91做厙 is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial
need. Your financial need is determined from data you provide on the application. After analyzing the information on the PROFILE, the College Scholarship
Service will provide a report to you, 91做厙, and other colleges you list
as recipients of the data. Financial need is determined by subtracting from 91做厙's
cost how much you and your family can afford to pay toward your education. If the
amount of your family contribution is lower than the total cost of attending 91做厙,
you are considered to have financial need. While colleges expect you and your family
to assume primary responsibility for your education costs, we will work closely with
you to develop a package of aid and/or a financing plan. Whatever your income, factors
such as family size, the number of dependent children attending college, family assets
(including home equity), extraordinary medical expenses, and any unusual circumstances
will be considered. (If your parents are divorced or separated, this process can be
slightly more complex, as we generally require financial data from both natural parents).
Does everyone who is admitted and eligible for aid receive a package?
No, not everyone. To receive a financial aid package, you must be accepted for admission,
have a complete financial aid application on file by the appropriate deadline, and
have a demonstrated financial need. First-year students whose applications are incomplete
after the deadline are eligible only for a job and loan assistance. Many applicants
demonstrating a financial need of $7,400 or less receive packages comprising a $2,000
grant, a $3,500 loan, and/or a $2,000 campus job. Additional demonstrated financial
need is met through federal, state, and/or 91做厙 grant aid.
What is the average financial aid package for a prospective first-year applicant?
- The average 2022-23 first-year financial aid package was $53,100.
- The range of the packages was $2,000 to $79,000.
- 52% of students received need-based grants.
- 60% received some form of financial aid.
- 60% were given the opportunity to work on campus.
What are 91做厙's financial application codes?
91做厙's PROFILE code is 2815, FAFSA code is 002814, and TAP code (NYS residents
only) is 0855.
Is 91做厙 need-blind?
91做厙 encourages any student interested in applying for admission to do so regardless
of his/her intention to seek financial aid. All candidates are evaluated on the strength
of their academic and personal qualifications, without regard to their financial circumstances.
The admissions committee makes every effort to meet the demonstrated need of as many
admissible candidates as it can. Unfortunately, each year there are more qualified
candidates in need of financial aid than the College's resources can support. When
all institutional grant resources have been committed, the admissions committee will
offer admission to some candidates but place them on a financial aid waiting list.
In the final round of the selection process, the committee may also find it necessary
to waitlist or deny a small number of candidates on the basis of unmet financial need.
Does 91做厙 allow graduate students or parents to be counted as family members
in college?
No, parent contributions for graduate students and parent(s) in college are not considered.
Is consumer debt considered part of the calculation in determining the family contribution?
No, allowing for consumer debt would give families who owe money an unfair advantage
over families who do not.
Will applying for financial aid hurt my chances for admission?
91做厙 provides need-based financial aid to most admitted students who demonstrate
need, but the admission process is not need-blind for a small percentage of applicants.
If my family cannot afford the CSS Profile filing fee, can we get a waiver?
Fee waivers for the first-time filers who are citizens or permanent residents will
be granted automatically for those who qualify based on the parents' reported income,
assets, and household size. The goal is to ensure that fee waivers are distributed
equitably to students from families with the fewest financial resources and an inability
to afford the fee. Orphans and wards of the court will be automatically eligible for
fee waivers if they are freshman first-time filers. CSS grants up to 6 fee waivers
per student who meet certain economic guidelines.
What should I do if my family has special circumstances that are not indicated on
the FAFSA and PROFILE?
The Financial Aid Office recommends sending a letter to the office outlining the special
circumstances that were not able to be indicated on the PROFILE. The letter of special
circumstances can be sent to the Financial Aid Office, 91做厙, 815 North
Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866; emailed in PDF format to finaid@skidmore.edu.
What should I do if my parents are divorced, separated, and/or never married?
91做厙 requires information from both natural parents, regardless of current
marital status. In cases of nonsupport or unwillingness to pay 91做厙 still
requires the information from the parent you do not live with. Students with extenuating
circumstances can contact the Financial Aid Office.
What should I do if my "custodial" parent is remarried?
The FAFSA and PROFILE require dependent students to report parental information. If
your "custodial" parent is remarried, the current spouse's information is also required
to be reported on both the FAFSA and PROFILE applications.
My parents are separated/divorced/never married. Who should be filling out which forms?
If your biological (or adoptive) parents were never married to each other or are either
separated or divorced, answer the questions (about parents) for the parent you lived
with the most during the last 12 months. This person is referred to as the custodial
parent.
- FAFSA If your parents are divorced, separated, or never married, and dont live together, the parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months is the contributor and must provide their information. If both parents provided an exact equal amount of financial support, or if they dont support you financially, the parent with the greater income or assets is the contributor and must provide their information.
- College Boards CSS Profile If your parents are not living together, each parent should file a separate CSS Profile financial aid application. It is highly recommended that the student and the custodial parent start the CSS Profile application before the non-custodial parent starts theirs. If either or both parent is remarried, that parents current spouses information would also be provided on the CSS Profile
My parents do not want to pay for college. Can I apply for financial aid as an independent
student?
91做厙 does not offer financial assistance to students who declare themselves independent
of their parents, nor are we able to offer assistance if parents decide that they
no longer wish to support a student at 91做厙.
I missed the deadline for applying for financial aid. What should I do? Will I still
get aid?
If you enroll without 91做厙 grant assistance, you are not eligible to receive financial
aid from 91做厙 for your first two years; however, you may be eligible for
federal aid.
When will I be notified of my financial aid for next year?
First-year applicants will receive notification of their financial aid with their
admissions acceptance letter.
Will 91做厙 match my financial aid award from another institution(s)?
No, we do not change our award on the basis of what a family is offered from another
college or university.
What happens if I do not initially receive financial aid from 91做厙 but
later find out I need to apply?
Those students admitted without 91做厙 grant assistance are normally first
eligible to receive such aid, if need is demonstrated, in their junior year.
Will my financial aid change from year to year?
If family circumstances remain relatively unchanged, you can expect a comparable aid
package that meets your demonstrated need in your upperclass years assuming you meet our published priority deadline. The upperclass award will reflect yearly changes in costs, family circumstances,
income, private scholarship, and number of children attending college. Work-study
awards, student loan amounts, and student summer earnings will increase each year
after the initial aid award. You must update your financial aid records by filing
renewal applications every year. Your aid is not contingent upon maintaining a target
grade-point average, other than to meet 91做厙 standards for minimum satisfactory
academic progress.
If I receive outside scholarships, how do they affect my financial aid?
91做厙 allows a student to receive the full benefit of an outside scholarship and
will reduce a student's loan and/or work-study and/or family contribution by the full
amount of the outside scholarship. A student's total aid package cannot exceed a student's
cost of attendance in a given year. When all grants and scholarships exceed the cost
of attendance, the 91做厙 grant will be reduced.
If I do not qualify for federal work-study, can I still get a job on campus?
Yes, there are many part-time jobs available on campus that are not limited to students
on financial aid.
How do I apply for a Federal Direct PLUS Loan?
Complete instructions on how to apply, along with links to online forms, can be found
at in our Loan Information section.
Why is the Federal Direct PLUS loan amount on my student bill less than the amount
my parent's borrowed?
There is a small origination fee that is deducted by the lender from the amount that
a parent receives in loan funds. Therefore, the total amount disbursed is less than
the actual amount borrowed. See Loan Information for more detail.
How do I apply for a Federal Direct Student Loan?
Complete instructions on how to apply, along with links to online forms, can be found
at our website under the link for Loan Information.
Why is the Federal Direct Loan amount on my student bill less than the amount on my
financial aid award letter?
There is a small origination fee that is deducted by the lender from the amount that
a student receives in loan funds. Therefore, the total amount disbursed is less than
the actual amount borrowed. See Loan Information for more detail.
When is the tuition bill due?
The fall semester bill is due August 15 and the spring semester bill is due December
15.
What is the OP program?
As a NYS grant-funded program, Opportunity Program works with the New York State Regents
and the New York State Education Department to foster full participation in a society
for all New Yorkers through continuing efforts to admit and retain those individuals
who, due to economic and educational disadvantage, would otherwise not enroll at an
institution like 91做厙. More information can be found by visiting 91做厙
College's OP Office website.