Financial Aid
What is financial aid and who is it for?
Financial aid helps you pay for college. It helps to cover the difference between the published cost of attendance at Mount Holyoke and what we determine families can contribute. You are encouraged to apply for financial aid if you believe that, in any of the four years of undergraduate studies, you may have difficulty paying for your education. Both U.S. and international students are eligible to apply for financial aid.
How Aid Works
Everyone’s financial situation is unique, and we’re here to make sure cost does not get in the way of an exceptional education.
Eligibility and the family contribution
Financial aid eligibility is determined by taking the difference between your total cost of attendance (e.g., tuition, room and board, fees, estimated books and personal expenses) and how much we determine your family should contribute each year — what we call the “family contribution.” We consider a variety of factors when we determine the family contribution, including:
- The parents’ and the student’s respective income levels and assets.
- The number of dependents in the household.
- The number of dependents pursuing undergraduate education at a four year institution in the U.S.
The amount that is left after subtracting your family contribution, as calculated by Mount Holyoke, from the cost of attendance is your financial need. If we determine you have financial need, you will receive a financial aid package.
U.S. students can obtain financial aid consisting of a combination of grant, loan and work-study aid. Students who do not complete a financial aid application at the time of admission and indicate their intention to apply for financial aid on their admission application are not eligible to apply for aid consideration for their first two semesters of attendance. Thanks to the Mount Holyoke Commitment, students from U.S. families with household incomes of $150,000 or less do not pay tuition.
International students can obtain financial aid in the form of a combination of need-based grants, student loans and campus employment. Be sure to indicate your intention to apply for aid on your admission application and complete all required documents for financial aid by the published deadline. If you don’t apply for financial aid as an incoming international student, you will not be eligible for need-based aid at any time during your years at Mount Holyoke.
