Types of Aid

The Federal Direct Loan Program offers low-interest loans for students to help pay for the cost of education after high school. The lender is the U.S. Department of Education, rather than a bank or other financial institution. Students can qualify for a subsidized Federal Direct Loan based on financial need, or an unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan regardless of need. Unsubsidized means that the student is responsible for paying the interest while in school, whereas, in the case of the subsidized loan, the federal government pays the interest while the student is in school. A student my borrow up to $5,500 ($3,500 subsidized, $2,000 unsubsidized) as a first-year student, $6,500 ($4,500 subsidized, $2,000 unsubsidized) as a second year student, and $7,500 ($5,500 subsidized, $2,000 unsubsidized) as a third- and fourth-year student. The student’s obligation to repay the loan begins six months after they cease to attend college or graduate school on at least a half-time basis. While the student is in school, the federal government pays the interest on subsidized loans; the student, not the government, pays the interest on unsubsidized loans.

Supplemental Unsubsidized Direct Loan: An independent undergraduate student may borrow a supplemental amount as an unsubsidized loan in addition to an individual subsidized or unsubsidized basic Federal Direct Loan as described above. First- and second-year independent undergraduates may borrow up to $4,000 per year. After two years of study, an independent student may borrow up to $5,000 per year. In exceptional circumstances, the financial aid administrator may be able to authorize a supplemental loan for a dependent undergraduate.
 
Notes on PLUS loans and Federal Direct Loans: Loans are disbursed in two equal payments: the first at the beginning of the academic period for which the loan is intended and the second midway through the academic period. In a standard two-semester program, a disbursement is made each semester.

The SEOG is a grant program funded by the federal government and Bard College and administered by the College. Recipients are those with exceptional financial need. The grants are given to students who are Pell eligible, but have limited outside support as well. As the funding is limited, not all Pell Grant recipients will receive SEOG and late applicants may find that the funding has been exhausted.

Awards can range from $100 to $4,000 per year, but, due to limited funding, the typical award ranges between $1,000 and $1500. Continuing students can expect to have the SEOG award renewed provided that they remain Pell eligible.

As is the case with the Pell Grant, eligibility for the SEOG is limited to the first bachelor degree program.

Each year, scholarships covering up to four years are available for academically outstanding students who have demonstrated interest and strengths in biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, mathematics or psychology during their educational careers to date. Scholarships do not adjust annually. Scholarship recipients are also eligible for a $1,500 stipend for summer research projects following their sophomore and junior years.  Please submit the scholarship form, along with your application, by November 1 for early applicants or January 1 for regular decision applicants. For transfers, please submit the scholarship form, along with your application, by November 1 for spring transfers or March 1 for fall transfers. We can not accept scholarship applications after these respective due dates. 
 

Each year, scholarships covering up to four years are available to academically outstanding students who have demonstrated interest and strengths in economics during their educational careers to date. Scholarships do not adjust annually.  Please submit the scholarship form, along with your application, by November 1 for early applicants or January 1 for regular decision applicants. For transfers, please submit the scholarship form, along with your application, by November 1 for spring transfers or March 1 for fall transfers. We can not accept scholarship applications after these respective due dates.

In order to make a liberal arts education available to recent immigrants, Bard College offers a New Generation scholarship to students who were born in the United States but whose parents were both born abroad. These scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate a commitment to academic excellence and are based on need. Please submit the scholarship form, along with your application, by November 1 for early applicants or January 1 for regular decision applicants. For transfers, please submit the scholarship form, along with your application, by November 1 for spring transfers or March 1 for fall transfers. We can not accept scholarship applications after these respective due dates. 

If you have questions about your eligibility for this scholarship, please reach out to the Admission Office at 845-758-7472 or [email protected].

Returning students not already receiving the DSS scholarship may be considered for a version of the DSS scholarship—typically up to $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’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:

• 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;
• file for financial aid and demonstrate financial need as determined by federal government and Bard College guidelines;
• 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 may only receive assistance once. 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.

Other places to look for scholarship funds include your high school guidance office, scholarship searches (if reasonably priced), scholarship handbooks, and parents’ places of employment or affiliations.

Although Bard requires students who receive outside scholarships to inform the Financial Aid Office of any awards that are received, the College encourages students to pursue outside scholarship sources; thus the Financial Aid Office does not routinely reduce Bard scholarship awards by the amount received through outside scholarships. Any such adjustments are made systematically and equitably.