Financial aid for international students

An international student is defined as one who is not a citizen or permanent resident alien of the United States. Hampshire College offers merit scholarships to international and undocumented applicants, as well as a limited amount of financial aid (grant) assistance to applicants who demonstrate significant financial need.

While the competition for international grants is strong, Hampshire is committed to maintaining and expanding its global campus community.

Information on grant assistance for international students:

Grants are renewable for a maximum of eight semesters, provided the student is enrolled and is making satisfactory academic progress. The amount of grant aid cannot be increased in renewal years. Students who receive grant assistance are responsible for any remaining cost of tuition, as well as the cost of room, board, and other expenses.

We encourage students to apply for financial aid at the same time they apply for admission to Hampshire College. Financial assistance is not available to international students who did not receive aid upon admittance. Financial aid is not available for students who seek a second bachelor's degree.

International students who receive Hampshire aid, and who change their citizenship status to either a permanent resident or U.S. citizen during their time at Hampshire, must complete the applicable FAFSA application for their next year's aid application. Please view more information about the aid application process for permanent residents and U.S. citizens.

Consider applying for an outside scholarship. Learn more about outside scholarships.

Merit scholarships for international students:

All international students admitted to Hampshire College are eligible for merit scholarships which provide a maximum of $35,000 per year for a maximum of eight semesters. Scholarships are awarded based on applicants’ academic and extracurricular achievements, as evidenced by their applications; there is no separate application needed to qualify for merit scholarships.  View a list of these merit scholarships.

International Scholar Award (full cost of attendance):

From our pool of fall semester applicants, one international student will be selected to receive a merit scholarship that covers the full cost of attendance at Hampshire for a maximum of eight semesters. This scholarship covers tuition fees, room/board, and all other required fees. Preference will be given to students who present high financial need. View a full list of Hampshire’s fees for the current academic year.

International Scholar Award (full cost of tuition):

From our pool of fall semester applicants, two international students will be selected to receive merit scholarships that cover the cost of tuition at Hampshire for a maximum of eight semesters. These scholarships will cover the full cost of tuition, but recipients will be responsible for room/board and all other fees. Preference will be given to students who present high financial need.

United World College (UWC) Scholarships:

Students who attend/ attended a United World College are eligible for one of three specific merit scholarship awards—two covering the full cost of tuition, and one covering the full cost of attendance. These are separate from the International Scholar Awards listed above.

Steps to Applying for Financial Aid

1. Apply by the appropriate due date

Application Type PROFILE and
NonCustodial PROFILE*
Early Decision
(Fall 2024)
November 15
Early Action
(Fall 2024)
December 1
Early Decision 2
(Fall 2024)
January 1
Regular Decision
(Fall 2024)
January 15
Transfer Students
(Fall 2024)
March 15
Spring 2024 November 1

* if applicable

2. Submit the CSS Profile

We use the CSS Profile to help determine your eligibility for our institutional student aid. All international and undocumented applicants who wish to be considered for financial aid must complete the CSS Profile, and, if applicable, the Non-custodial Profile by the due dates listed above. Admissions will not evaluate applications from international students who do not submit the CSS Profile. Hampshire College does not offer CSS Profile fee waivers.

  • Start by logging onto https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org
  • Our Profile school code is 3447.
  • Only international and undocumented applicants submit the CSS Profile.
  • Complete the CSS Profile application online by the due dates listed above.
  • You are able to submit the CSS Profile as early as October 1, 2023, for the 2024-2025 year.
  • The CSS Profile has a processing fee. Hampshire does not offer fee waivers.
  • If your biological or adoptive parents are not together, the parent with whom you reside or provides more financial support completes the CSS Profile. The other parent will need to complete the Non-custodial Profile; see below. You will receive an acknowledgment when the CSS Profile has been submitted.
  • Non-custodial Profile: This application is required ONLY if your biological or adoptive parents are separated, divorced, or never married and not living together. If applicable, both the CSS Profile (completed by the student and the custodial parent) and the Non-custodial Profile (completed by the non-custodial parent) are required to complete your financial aid application. The Non-custodial Profile is available online using the password obtained by the student after registering for the Profile. The non-custodial parent should complete this form online as soon as possible. View for more information about the Non-custodial Profile.
  • We do not require the CSS Profile or the non-custodial parent Profile after the student's first year.

IMPORTANT:  If you are applying for the Spring 2024 semester, you must complete and submit the 2023-2024 Profile and Non-custodial Profile, if applicable, by November 1.

3. Make sure you haven't missed anything

Our applicant portal requires you to have applied for admission before an account is created. You will receive a username and password usually within 24 hours depending on when the application is submitted. Please contact the IT help desk at helpdesk@hampshire.edu if you have problems or questions about your Hampshire portal account.

You may check the status of your financial aid application and the forms needed to complete it by logging onto Explore Hampshire, using your user name and password as provided by helpdesk@hampshire.edu; click on the "My Financial Aid" link under the Financial Aid Checklist. Log on again using the same user name and password. Here you are able to review what forms are required, which forms are missing, your aid award letter, and other important information about your aid application. Please allow a few days for the office to update your records after you submit a required document during our busiest processing time of December through March.

If we require additional documents, your "My Financial Aid" account will list them, so check your account periodically to make sure your aid application remains complete.

4. Notification of your aid offers

You will receive your financial aid offers letter with your admission acceptance mailing. Review the aid information carefully and thoroughly with your parents. To accept your offers, you and a parent must sign the award letter and return it to us. By signing the award letter you and your parent are agreeing to the responsibilities, terms, and conditions of your financial aid awards. Review more information about your award letter.

5. Contact the financial aid office with any questions

We are here to help you. If you have any questions about the financial aid application process or about your financial aid offers, please contact the financial aid office. Call us at 413.559.5484 or email us at financialaid@hampshire.edu.