Bates College Need-Based Financial Aid

• Bates institutional grant and need-based financial-aid programme.

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• Institutional Methodology considers income/assets, family size, undergraduate siblings and documented unusual/emergency expenses. Private secondary-school costs for younger siblings are excluded.

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• Bates is not need-blind for non-US applicants. International applicants must declare aid intent before admission; the international section rejects later requests. This is distinct from the conflicting first-time continuing-student instructions.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• Meets full calculated need through grants, loans and student employment; low calculated need may result in loans/employment only. The international route has a separate no-loan commitment.

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• For qualifying non-US citizens, up to eight semesters of grants and on-campus employment of up to 20 hours/week, with no loans in the aid package.

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• Domestic applicants and parents submit 2025 federal returns with schedules/W-2s or non-filer statements through IDOC; corporate/partnership interests require business tax evidence as applicable.

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• Canadian applicants use parental CSS Profile and Canadian tax/T4 evidence via IDOC, or non-filer statements. The new-applicant heading says 2024 but its body says 2025; that tax-year inconsistency requires confirmation, not an assumed correction.

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• Noncustodial parent income/assets normally count even if the parent will not contribute. Exceptional waiver requests go through IDOC with a professional third-party statement and relevant court documents; approval is case-specific and unwillingness to pay is not sufficient.

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• Domestic applicants include US citizens/permanent residents regardless of residence, and undocumented applicants. Institutional aid uses 2027/28 CSS Profile including custodial/noncustodial parents. Only US citizens/permanent residents complete FAFSA; federal-only applicants need not submit CSS.

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• Other non-US applicants, excluding Canadian and undocumented routes, request aid through BISAFA in the Bates admission portal; it forms part of the admission application.

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• Renewal up to four years requires on-time forms, continued assessed need and prescribed academic progress. General annual renewal priority is 1 May; route-specific international exceptions apply.

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• Continuing international students already receiving aid have automatic renewal without a new 2027/28 application. The separate first-time continuing aid instructions conflict with the later ban on post-admission international requests; eligibility for that exceptional route still need confirmation.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

These details help you explore your options. Read the full eligibility requirements above, including any exceptions.

• Study destination

  Listed: United States

  Official requirements ↗

Check the dates for your intended intake. Previous-cycle dates are included for planning and do not confirm that applications are open.

Check the provider’s full terms for your citizenship, residence, course and intake. This overview is not a personal eligibility assessment.

Not yet confirmed in this guide: exclusions and exceptions; costs to plan for; academic and course requirements.