Financial Aid

Applicants & Prospective Students

You must not wait until you have been accepted to Smith to apply for aid. Any student who may need institutional financial assistance during their tenure at Smith should apply for aid by the financial aid deadlines. For applicants who meet the published deadlines, award notifications are sent with admission decisions.

First-Year Applicants

Undocumented students who do not apply for financial aid by the published financial aid deadlines will be required to complete 64 credits earned at Smith before they are eligible to apply for institutional financial aid.

Transfer & Ada Comstock Scholar Applicants

Undocumented transfer and Ada Comstock Scholar applicants who do not apply for financial aid by the published financial aid deadlines will be required to complete 32 credits at Smith before they are eligible to apply for institutional financial aid.

Each financial aid application file is personally reviewed by experienced staff in the Office of Student Financial Services. In addition to submitting the required documentation, you are welcome to include any information that you feel will help us understand your family's financial status. Remember to complete your admission application, since only accepted students can receive a financial aid decision.

Three steps are used in documenting your level of financial need:

1. Calculating the family contribution

The Office of Student Financial Services evaluates each student's application using federal and institutional methodologies to assess a family's financial resources. During the review, attention is given to individual family circumstances. Standard factors involved in the review include income, assets, family size, the number of family members in college, unreimbursed medical expenses, taxes paid and tuition for siblings in elementary or secondary school. Staff will determine what each family is expected to contribute toward the student's annual educational expenses following the appropriate federal and college policies.

2. Determining the cost of attendance

An educational expense budget is calculated for each student. Tuition, fees, room and board, and standard allowances for books, supplies, personal expenses and travel are included.

3. Financial need

The difference between the cost of attendance and the calculated family contribution is the student's documented financial need.

Smith College recognizes the diversity of the modern family and requires the submission of information regarding both parents, as well as spouses and domestic partners of each parent. Exceptions to this policy are made on a case-by-case basis.

Merit scholarships are considered a resource when determining eligibility for need-based financial aid.  For example, if a student has $22,000 of calculated need and receives the Zollman Scholarship for $25,000, this student would not receive need-based aid since the scholarship exceeds the need. Students who have need-based aid eligibility above and beyond the amount of merit scholarships will receive need-based aid to cover the difference. Merit aid is not awarded on top of need-based aid, but is also considered to meet a family's financial need.

The fees of undergraduate institutions attended by siblings of traditional students or children of Ada Comstock Scholars are considered in our aid calculations. The enrollment status of each person is verified in the fall. A change in institution or enrollment status may affect your grant aid. For future planning, contact us for the allowance amount used this year.

There is a grant reduction if you live with relatives. Please contact us for the amount of the reduction if you are considering living at home or with relatives in the area.