Federal Assistance Programs

In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education, Bard College administers the following federal programs.

Federal Perkins Loan

This program offers an interest-free loan to students with an exceptional degree of financial need while they are enrolled at least half-time. The student repays the loan at 5 percent interest beginning nine months after he or she ceases to attend college or graduate school at least half-time. Loan funds may not exceed $4,500 for the first two years of study and $9,000 for the entire undergraduate program. (The average annual award at Bard is $1,500.)

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant

Students with an exceptional degree of financial need can receive nonrepayable grants ranging from $100 to $4,000 per year. (The average annual award at Bard is $1,000.)

Federal Work-Study Program

This program offers students the opportunity to work at an approved job on or off campus. Awards vary depending on the student’s financial need, availability of funds, and employment opportunities. (The typical allocation at Bard is $1,650.) An award is not a guarantee of the amount indicated; it is an indication of the student’s eligibility to work at an approved job. Students are paid, in accordance with the number of hours worked, on a twice-monthly payroll. Earnings from employment are used primarily to cover the cost of books and personal expenses; they may not be used as a credit against tuition and fee charges.

State Assistance Programs

Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)

Bard accepts a limited number of New York State resident students from groups that are historically economically disadvantaged, through its Higher Education Opportunity Program. One objective of HEOP is to assist students who, by reason of inadequate early educational preparation, do not compete with the average Bard applicant in high school grades, class rank, and College Board scores, but do possess the ability and motivation for successful study at Bard. Further information may be obtained by writing to the HEOP office at Bard.

Bard College Assistance Programs

Bard Scholarships

Nonrepayable grants are awarded on the basis of financial need and academic achievement and promise. Bard scholarships range from $2,000 to $24,000 annually for full-time enrollment and are made possible by various philanthropic sources. Subject to the wishes of the benefactors, the recipient may be advised of the source of the scholarship. Named scholarships are listed in a separate chapter of this catalogue. Students who are awarded a Bard scholarship upon entry into the College should note that renewal of that scholarship amount for the next three successive years is contingent upon several factors, including:

1. maintaining satisfactory academic standing, namely, a C+ (2.3) grade average, unless otherwise specified by a particular scholarship;
2. submitting the FAFSA and Financial Aid PROFILE each year;
3. demonstrating financial need for the scholarship each year by the methods and procedures described above;
4. actually incurring the charges for which the award is applicable, that is, tuition, fees, and room and board.

Bennett College Endowment Fund

Following the 1977 closing of Bennett College, a small liberal arts college for women in New York State, a court decision ruled that half the college’s remaining assets would become the property of Bard College. This fund is established in perpetuity and used according to its original intention, that is, for student scholarships and faculty endowment.

Distinguished Scientist Scholars Program (DSS)

Each year full-tuition scholarships for four continuous years of study are available for academically outstanding high school seniors who are committed to majoring in biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, or mathematics in their undergraduate studies. Additional financial aid to assist in covering remaining costs, such as room and board, may be applied for and will be awarded on the basis of need. Scholarship recipients are also eligible for a $2,000 stipend for summer research projects following the sophomore and junior years. Renewal of a DSS scholarship is contingent upon the student’s maintaining a 3.3 grade point average and continuing to major in one of the above-named programs.

Distinguished Scientist Scholars Program for Continuing Undergraduates

Returning students may be considered for a scholarship—typically, $5,000 per year— that will supplement the aid they already receive. Applications for this program are considered directly by the Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing; to be considered, contact the division. The names of the applicants selected will be forwarded to the Office of Financial Aid for the scholarship award.

Bard College Conservatory of Music Distinguished Musician-Scholar Program (DMS)

Each year full-tuition scholarships for five continuous years of study in the Conservatory and the College are available for high school seniors of outstanding achievement and talent in both music and academic subjects. Additional aid to assist in covering remaining costs, such as room and board, may be applied for and will be awarded on the basis of need. Renewal of a DMS scholarship is contingent upon a student’s maintaining a 3.3 grade point average and continuing as a student in the Conservatory of Music and in the College.

Excellence and Equal Cost Program (EEC)

This program assists students who would not otherwise be able to attend a private college or university because of its cost. A public high school senior whose cumulative grade point average is among the top 10 in his or her graduating class is considered for a four-continuous-year EEC scholarship. The first-year students who are selected annually to receive EEC scholarships attend Bard for what it would cost them to attend an appropriate four-year public college or university in their home state. Renewal of an EEC scholarship is contingent on the student’s maintaining a 3.3 grade point average, completing 28 credits each academic year, and remaining in good standing.

Foreign Language Intensive/Immersion Programs

Bard’s foreign language intensive/ immersion programs include study in the country of the target language. The College provides limited financial assistance to eligible students in intensive or immersion programs to help with the additional expenses of study abroad. To be eligible for this assistance, a student must:

1. enroll in and successfully complete an intensive or immersion language program during the semester and participate in the study-abroad program during intersession or summer;
2. file for financial aid and demonstrate financial need as determined by federal government and Bard College guidelines;
3. receive a financial clearance from the Office of Student Accounts.

Students who have received merit awards for the regular academic year are not automatically eligible for this assistance. The amount of the award will depend on a systematic assessment of the family’s financial strength; the maximum award will not exceed 60 percent of the program costs. Students who are considering an intensive or immersion program should weigh carefully the additional expense of study abroad, and those who would need financial aid for such study should consult with the Office of Financial Aid.

Hudson Valley Scholarships

In an effort to make the education offered by a small liberal arts college more readily available to talented students in its own geographical area, Bard awards a number of Hudson Valley Scholarships to academically qualified commuter students. The amount awarded depends on the student’s financial need.

Immediate Science Research Opportunity Program (ISROP)

This program, open to first-year students, with the opportunity to continue through a second year, establishes a research community in molecular biology and biochemistry. Up to 10 students are chosen each year to work part-time during the academic year as research assistants. The assistantship provides a stipend.

The Levy Economics Institute Scholarships

Full-tuition scholarships are awarded each year to academically outstanding high school seniors who are committed to majoring in economics. Renewal of the scholarship is contingent on the student’s maintaining a B+ (3.3) or higher grade average.

New Generations Scholarships

In order to make a liberal arts education available to recent immigrants, Bard College offers full-need scholarships to approximately 20 students each year who demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a commitment to academic excellence and whose parents were born abroad and came to the United States within the past 20 years. Students born abroad and those born in the United States to immigrant parents may apply by contacting the Office of Admission at 845-758-7472 or admission@bard.edu.

Trustee Leader Scholar Program (TLS)

Students who exhibit a strong commitment to academic rigor and community service may be designated Trustee Leader Scholars. They receive stipends and are eligible for financial aid on the basis of need. In order to continue in the TLS program, a student must remain in good academic standing and participate in TLS activities, including leadership training seminars, service projects, and evaluation and support sessions. Working closely with the program director, students develop leadership abilities by designing and implementing on-campus and off-campus service projects, for which a stipend is provided. The stipend, $1,800 per year, is disbursed to the student in weekly installments, upon the approval of the program director.