Hampshire College

Students going on field-study leave may be eligible for assistance from Hampshire. Hampshire charges one-third of the normal tuition to all students going on field-study leave. Current financial aid is not transferrable or automatically available for field-study; students must apply for field-study aid.

The process begins by your completing all of the forms required for a regular financial aid application. You must also submit a field-study application that is available from our office or can be downloaded HERE

Tuition at another institution or program is not eligible for Hampshire assistance. You and your family will have to cover that amount. The other expenses associated with your field-study project will be reviewed individually. You cannot receive more aid while on field study than you receive to be enrolled. Because the cost of field-study is usually less than the cost to attend Hampshire, students usually qualify for less aid. Work-study is not available to students on field-study leave.

The maximum field-study award you can receive from Hampshire is the amount of our field-study tuition. You can use your Federal Pell Grant, state grant, any scholarships and your student loan to assist with the other expenses of your field-study project. 

All of your financial aid award will be applied to your student account at Hampshire because you are an enrolled Hampshire student while on field-study. If your aid overpays your Hampshire bill, you will have a credit balance that you can access as a refund to help pay for your field-study expenses. You should contact Student Accounts to determine if you have a credit and how to obtain it. No refunds are issued until after the semester begins, so you may have to front some of your expenses and get reimbursed with your credit/refund later.

If you are participating in another school's program, you will receive a bill from them in addition to your bill from Hampshire mentioned above. You are responsible for satisfying the bill from the other school. You can use any credit/refund to help you meet their bill, but you must make payment arrangements directly with them.

A fall field-study: complete your regular aid application and your field-study application by May 1 and you will have the decision on May 10. Otherwise, you should complete by the regular June 1 deadline and receive your decision at the end of June.

A spring field-study: complete your regular aid application and submit your field-study application as soon as you can. A decision will be made within a week or so.

It is important for you to have a contact person (usually a parent) who should also have your power of attorney to sign documents for you and to arrange finances and payments in your absence. This is also important if financial aid application materials need to be submitted while you are away.