Bryn Mawr College

Financial Aid

For general information about financial aid and how to apply for financial aid, consult the Financial Aid Office Web site at http://www.brynmawr.edu/financialaid. Detailed information about the financial aid application and renewal process, types of aid available and regulations governing the disbursement of funds from grant and loan programs, can be found in the Financial Aid Handbook, which is updated and published annually, and posted to our Web site.

The education of all students is subsidized by the College because their tuition and fees cover only part of the costs of instruction. To those students well qualified for education in the liberal arts and sciences but unable to meet the College fees, Bryn Mawr is able to offer further financial aid. Alumnae and friends of the College have built up endowments for scholarships; annual gifts from alumnae and other donors add to the amounts available each year. More than 60 percent of undergraduate students in the College receive financial aid. The amount of grant aid awarded by Bryn Mawr to students ranges from $2,000 to $51,200.

Initial requests for financial aid are reviewed by the Financial Aid Office and are judged on the basis of the student and her family’s demonstrated financial need. Students must reapply each year. Eligibility is re-established annually, assuming the student has maintained satisfactory progress toward her degree. Bryn Mawr College subscribes to the principle that the amount of aid granted a student should be based upon documented financial eligibility. When the total amount of aid needed has been determined, awards are made in the form of grants, loans and jobs.

125th Anniversary Scholarship: Since 1885, Bryn Mawr has encouraged women with an intense intellectual commitment to take advantage of our extraordinary academics. In celebration of our 125th anniversary, we honored that history by selecting a group of young women as Bryn Mawr 125th Anniversary Scholars. No special application was required to be considered for the Bryn Mawr 125th Anniversary Scholarship. Recipients were chosen from among the admissions applicant pool, and represented aspects of Bryn Mawr’s extraordinary academics, global leadership, and vibrant community. 125th Anniversary Scholars received an annual grant award of $15,000 renewable for four years.

In addition to the funds made available through College resources, Bryn Mawr participates in the following Federal Student Assistance Programs:

• The Federal Direct Stafford Loan Program: Low interest federal loans for undergraduate students.
• The Federal Direct PLUS Loan: Low interest federal loans for parents or dependent undergraduates.
• The Federal Perkins Loan: A low-interest federal loan for undergraduates with federal need.
• The Federal Work-Study Program: This program provides funds for campus jobs for students who meet the federal eligibility requirements.
• The Federal Pell Grant: A federal grant awarded to undergraduates who have not earned a bachelor’s degree and who demonstrate a level of financial need specified annually by the Department of Education.
• The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG): A federal grant for undergraduates with exceptional financial need. Priority is given to students who receive Federal Pell Grants.
• Academic Competitiveness Grant: A federal grant awarded for the first and second year of undergraduate study to Pell eligible students who have successfully completed a rigorous high school program.
• National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant or National Smart Grant: A federal grant awarded for the third and fourth year of undergraduate study to Pell eligible students who are majoring in specific federally defined fields of study.

Instructions to apply for financial aid are included in the Admissions Prospectus and on the Financial Aid Office Web page at http://www.brynmawr.edu/financialaid/fa_apply_aid.shtml.

Required Forms and Instructions for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

First-Year and Transfer Students

Only applicants who apply for aid at the time of initial admission will be considered for Bryn Mawr Grant assistance during any of their subsequent years of enrollment at the College. To be considered for aid as a freshman, the applicant’s response to the FA Intent question on the Common Application must be affirmative. Applicants may apply and will be considered for federal aid, including the Federal Direct Stafford Loan Program, every year regardless of applying for aid as a freshman.

College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE: Submit the CSS PROFILE online at www.collegeboard.com at least two weeks before the deadline. If the student’s parent is divorced, separated or were never married, the noncustodial parent must also submit the CSS Noncustodial PROFILE online at www.collegeboard.com. CSS does not offer a paper version of the PROFILE. The Bryn Mawr College CSS code number is 2049.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): Submit the FAFSA as soon as possible to meet the deadline, but not before January 1st. Applicants are encouraged to apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov to expedite processing, but a paper version of the FAFSA is available by calling 1-800-433-3243. The Bryn Mawr College federal code number is 003237.

Federal Tax Returns: Submit signed photocopies of the most recent federal (no state) income tax returns, both business and personal, including all W-2 forms, statements, attachments and schedules for both custodial and noncustodial parents, stepparents and applicant by March 1st . Students and parents who are not required to file a federal tax return must still submit copies of all W-2 forms along with a Parent or Student Non-Tax-Filer Form. Parents who are self-employed or who have partnerships or corporations must include copies of the most recent business tax return with all schedules and attachments.

All federal tax return documents or non-tax-filer statements must be submitted to the College Board’s Institutional Document Imaging Service (IDOC). Upon completion of the PROFILE, the College Board will send instructions on Bryn Mawr’s behalf about how to submit tax returns or non-tax-filer statements at no cost to the student or parents. All documents should be submitted as one complete packet and must have an IDOC cover sheet.

Trust Documents: Students and parents who are beneficiaries of trust funds (other than Uniform Gift to Minor Act trusts) must submit a copy of the Trust Tax Form 1041, the beneficiary’s K-1 form, the year-end investment account statement for the trust assets, and a copy of the trust instrument governing the management of the trust by the Trustee to IDOC.

Returning Students

Returning students must reapply for financial aid each year. All applications and documents must be submitted by April 15. Eligibility is re-established annually and depends on the student’s maintaining satisfactory progress toward the degree and on her continued demonstrated need for assistance. The financial aid award may change each year as a result of annual changes in family circumstances, such as the number of family members in college or the family’s adjusted gross income. Self-help expectations - that is, the amount earned through campus employment and the amount of the federal loan a student is expected to borrow - increase each year.

College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE: Submit the CSS ONLINE PROFILE www.collegeboard.com at least two weeks before the deadline. CSS does not offer a paper version of the PROFILE. If the student’s parent is divorced, separated or has never been married, submit the CSS Noncustodial Parent Statement available from the Bryn Mawr web page to the College Board’s Imaging Document Service (IDOC). The Bryn Mawr College CSS code number is 2049.

Renewal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): Submit the Renewal FAFSA as soon as possible to meet the deadline, but not before January 1st. Applicants are encouraged to apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov to expedite processing. A paper version of the FAFSA is available by calling1-800-433-3243. The Bryn Mawr College federal code number is 003237.

Federal Tax Returns: Continuing students and their parents must submit signed copies of federal (no state) income tax returns, including all schedules and attachments, both business and personal, along with all W2 forms to the College Board Institutional Document Service (IDOC). Students and parents who are not required to file a federal income tax return must submit copies of all W-2 forms along with a Parent or Student Non-Tax-Filer Form to IDOC. All documents should be submitted to IDOC as one complete packet and must have an IDOC cover sheet.

Required Forms and Instructions for International Students:

First Year and Transfer

College Scholarship Service (CSS) International PROFILE. Register for a customized PROFILE online at www.collegeboard.com at least two weeks before the deadline. The Bryn Mawr College code is #2049.

Option for 2010-11: As an alternative to submitting the PROFILE electronically, applicants may download the College Scholarship Service (CSS) International Student Financial Aid Application from the Bryn Mawr web page at http://www.brynmawr.edu/financial/intl_students_financial_shtml or request the form from the Financial Aid Office. Applicants who choose this option, submit the paper application and the statements of parental earnings and perquisites (in English) directly to the Bryn Mawr Financial Aid Office.

Statement of Parental Earnings: Each of the applicant’s parents must submit letters (in English) from their employers stating the parents’ gross income and value of any perquisites, subsidies and benefits.

The International Financial Aid Application and parental earnings statements must be submitted directly to the Financial Aid Office by the applicant’s admission deadline date.

Returning Students

Continuing international students are not required to re-submit a financial aid application annually. College grants and loans are automatically renewed. Only international students who were awarded aid upon entrance to the College are eligible for college grant and loan support in subsequent years at Bryn Mawr.

Submission Dates	PROFILE	Tax Returns	FAFSA
Early Decision	November 15	March 1	After January 1st
Winter Early Decision	January 15	March 1	After January 1st
Regular Decision	February 5	March 1	After January 1st
Fall Transfer	March 1	March 1	After January 1st
Returning Students	Submit all documents by April 15

For a list of scholarship funds and prizes that support the awards made, see the scholarship funds page. These funds are used to enhance Bryn Mawr’s need-based financial aid program. They are not awarded separately. For information on loan funds, see the loan funds page.