Colgate vs. Bates vs. Wesleyan vs. Hamilton

Sue22
Sun, 13 Jan 2013 10:50:09 +0000

Sorry, Hamilton, not Bowdoin. That’s what I get for posting when tired.

[Hamilton College Overview - CollegeData College Profile](Hamilton College Overview | CollegeData)
[Colgate University Overview - CollegeData College Profile](Colgate University Overview | CollegeData)
[Wesleyan University Overview - CollegeData College Profile](Wesleyan University Overview | CollegeData)
[Bates College Overview - CollegeData College Profile](http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg01_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=125)

Bates $18,699
Colgate $19721
Hamilton $20262
Wesleyan $25864

All 4 schools give financial aid to international students and do so largely in the form of grants and work-study. An international student is unlikely to receive loans, meaning the above figures are less important than they might be to a domestic student. They’re still useful in thinking about how the schools treat debt and how much they think is reasonable to take on. None are need blind for international student admissions.

[International Students | Student Financial Services | Bates College](International Students | Student Financial Services | Bates College)

[Financial Aid - International Students - Hamilton College](Financial Aid - International Students - Hamilton College)

[International Financial Aid](http://www.colgate.edu/admission-financial-aid/apply/international-students/international-financial-aid)

[International Students, Financial Aid - Wesleyan University](http://www.wesleyan.edu/finaid/applying/internationalstudents.html)

Financial aid at all 4 schools is need based, meaning there are no merit awards. There are some differences in the way the 4 schools treat outside scholarships. This would be important to students coming to the school with a governmental or private scholarship award. All 4 schools use outside scholarships to first reduce the work portion of a student’s package (work-study or expected summer earnings if any). At Bates and Colgate the money can next go toward the family contribution. At Wesleyan and Hamilton it needs to cover the school’s grants before being used for the family contribution. Wesleyan limits the amount of non-merit outside aid to the first $1,500 before applying the money to college grants.

Wesleyan: "The University acknowledges the achievement of winners of merit-based outside scholarships by reducing self-help (loans or employment) dollar for dollar. Usually loans are decreased first, but at the student’s request, Federal Work-Study may be reduced first. Merit based scholarships in excess of self-help will reduce Wesleyan gift-aid.
Awards not based on merit (such as employer tuition benefits) will reduce self-help only by the first $1500. All amounts over $1500 reduce Wesleyan gift-aid.

Bates: “Bates has a generous outside scholarship policy. Students can use outside scholarships to reduce or eliminate the loan and/or work portions of a financial aid package, or help with the family’s calculated contribution toward costs. A student’s Bates Scholarship is adjusted only when the combination of scholarship aid from all sources (Bates, federal, state or other) exceeds the student’s calculated cost of attendance.”

Colgate: “Could you explain how outside awards — for example, foundation scholarships — are taken into account in calcu- lating a Colgate financial aid package, and why it’s handled that way?
Hale: This is one area where every school’s got a different policy. We do count the award as an additional resource; however, we do not reduce the grant the student receives, but rather apply that outside award to reduce the job, loan, and/or family contribution.”

Hamilton: “Federal regulations require you to notify the Hamilton Financial Aid Office if you receive other financial awards. Outside scholarships will be applied first to reduce the work-study and/or loan portion of your package. The remainder of your outside award will be applied toward the Hamilton College Scholarship.”