Financial Aid
You do not have to be wealthy or even well off to attend Vassar.
Financial aid is awarded to about 58% of Vassar students, exclusively on the basis of need. Beginning in the fall of 2008, loans will be replaced with Vassar grant funds for U.S. students with calculated family incomes of up to $60,000. In 2008-2009, our students received financial aid awards ranging from $1,200 to over $52,000, depending on their financial situations. Their families’ annual incomes ranged from $6,000 to $200,000.
If you are considering Vassar, do not hesitate to apply because you think your family cannot afford it. A Vassar education can be surprisingly affordable, as the following two hypothetical cases demonstrate.
Q: Does applying for financial aid limit my chances of admission? |
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A: No. For all U.S. Citizens and permanent residents who are applying for admission to the freshman class, Vassar adheres to a need-blind policy, which means that 100% of admission decisions for those candidates are made without regard to the student's financial situation. More. |
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Financial Aid Deadlines |
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| Early Decision I | Nov. 15 |
| Early Decision II | Jan. 1 |
| Regular Decision | Feb. 15 |
| Fall Transfer | Mar. 15 |
| Spring Transfer | Nov. 1 |
| Returning Students | Apr. 20 |
| Vassar and QuestBridge College Match |
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Vassar is a College Match partner with QuestBridge, a program dedicated to providing higher educational opportunities to academically talented, low-income, and underserved youth in America. More. |
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Two Hypothetical Financial Aid Cases
Case #1 Jack Jones, from Louisiana, lives with his parents and brother, who is also attending college. Both his parents work and earn a combined salary of $89,000. In addition, they earn $3,300 in interest on savings and investments. They have a modest amount of equity in their home.
Case #2 Sally Smith lives in a rented apartment in Brooklyn with her widowed mother and a younger sister. Her mother earns $18,500 a year and receives $11,000 in Social Security benefits.
| Total Cost | $ | 54,530 |
| (including $2,120 for books and personal expenses and $910 for travel to and from campus) | ||
| Total Family Contribution | $ | 13,120 |
| Parent contribution | $ | 11,570 |
| Student contribution | $ | 1,550 |
| Financial Need | $ | 41,410 |
| Total Financial Aid Award | $ | 41,410 |
| Vassar Scholarship | $ | 36,160 |
| Federal Perkins Loan | $ | 1,000 |
| Stafford Student Loan | $ | 2,500 |
| Campus Job | $ | 1,750 |
| Total Cost | $ | 53,740 |
| (including $2,120 for books and personal expenses and $120 for travel to and from campus) | ||
| Total Family Contribution | $ | 1,550 |
| Parent contribution | 0 | |
| Student contribution | $ | 1,500 |
| Financial Need | $ | 52,190 |
| Total Financial Aid Award | $ | 52,190 |
| Vassar Scholarship | $ | 41,440 |
| Pell Grant | $ | 4,000 |
| Tuition Assistance Program | $ | 5,000 |
| Campus Job | $ | 1,750 |
