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Making Sense of Financial Aid
Learn about the differences between various offers of student aid; how to evaluate those offers; and questions to ask before accepting a particular aid package.
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The Myths of Financial Aid
A discussion with the Director and Associate Director of Student Aid at Bowdoin.
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Office of Student Aid

Announcement: Bowdoin Replaces Student Loans With Grants

Financial Aid at Bowdoin

    At Bowdoin, over forty percent of enrolled students receive some amount of grant assistance to help pay for college costs. Grant assistance is money that reduces billed charges on a dollar-for-dollar basis and does not need to be repaid. With the exception of transfer, wait list and international students, admission to Bowdoin is "need blind," that is, students are admitted without regard to their economic need.

    Eligibility for Bowdoin grant assistance is "need based," determined through analysis of income, asset and tax information submitted on the CSS Profile, federal FAFSA and federal income tax returns. Bowdoin does not offer merit based scholarships or grants of any kind.

    Eligibility for Bowdoin grant assistance is based on a proprietary need analysis system developed over many years and modeled after the College Board’s institutional methodology (IM). Eligibility for state and federal assistance is based on the federal methodology (FM). As such, awards may vary from college to college, depending on the need analysis methodology employed.

    Bowdoin meets calculated need with grant money from federal, state and institutional sources. If parents need help paying remaining billed charges, first year students may elect to borrow up to $5500 in low interest, federal Stafford loan money.

    Many Bowdoin students work during the summer and work on campus to pay for books, supplies, personal expenses and travel. In most cases, receipt of private merit scholarships from local sources does not affect Bowdoin grant awards.

    Grant awards are based on a family's financial capacity to contribute to college costs, as determined by the College. Willingness to contribute does not influence financial aid decisions. Financial aid is intended to supplement family resources to enable students from all economic backgrounds to attend Bowdoin.

    Award decisions are determined annually. Awards can increase from year to year because of tuition increases or reductions in income, for example. Awards can also decrease because of higher family incomes or fewer children attending undergraduate college.

    Academic, athletic and personal traits weigh heavily in Bowdoin's decision to admit students, but they play no part in the determination of how much grant aid students receive.

    Bowdoin's need analysis practices are based on principles of fairness and equal treatment. Families with similar financial circumstances receive similar levels of grant support.

Steve Joyce, Director of Student Aid

"...at Bowdoin we will meet your full calculated need for all four years... all aid at Bowdoin is need-based."

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