Applying for Financial Aid

New & Transfer Students: How to Apply

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

1. Apply by the appropriate due date

The 2024-2025 FAFSA is now available at studentaid.gov. The Department of Education has recently informed us that colleges and universities will start receiving completed FAFSA applications near mid-March. Since this is a significant delay, we encourage applicants for fall 2024 to complete the CSS profile. We will try to make an estimated financial aid offer as soon as possible. The FAFSA application will still be needed to finalize any estimated offer.

2. Submit the FAFSA®

All applicants (U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens) who wish to be considered for financial aid must complete the FAFSA®.

We use the FAFSA® to determine eligibility for institutional aid as well as various federal and state aid programs, including federal student loans, federal and state grants, and federal work study.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)®

• Our FAFSA® School Code is 004661
• You may complete and submit your 2024-25 FAFSA® now
• Be sure to include your correct Social Security Number (SSN) and the name on your SSN Card must match the name entered on the FAFSA®.
• Complete the FAFSA® by the due dates listed above for your admission type of application. The dates above are priority dates not deadlines.
• The FAFSA® includes questions about yourself and your parent(s). If your parent has remarried, your step-parent's information must be included.
• International and undocumented applicants: DO NOT submit this form. Please click on "International Students" on the right hand menu for instructions.
• Find information about the FAFSA®.

3. Make sure you haven't missed anything and Check your online financial aid account

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.

Check the status of your financial aid application by logging onto our applicant portal, Explore Hampshire, using your Hampshire account. Click on the "My Financial Aid" link under the Financial Aid Checklist, and log on again using the same user name and password. Here, you will be able to review what forms are required, which forms are missing, your aid offer 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: December through March.

In addition to the FAFSA®, you may be asked to provide supplemental documents such as a high school diploma equivalent, proof of citizenship, a copy of your Social Security card, copies of your or your parents' W-2 forms, specific schedules from your or your parents' federal income tax return, and certain documents and data if your FAFSA® was selected for the verification process.

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

If your aid application was completed by the appropriate due date, you will receive your financial aid offer letter with your admission acceptance mailing. Review the aid information carefully and thoroughly. You will need to accept or decline each of your offers, including your federal student loans.

To accept your aid offers log onto your "My Financial Aid" account, click on the My Award Letter tab, and accept or decline each individual offer. Review more information about your offer letter. If you are an international applicant, the process to accept your offers is different; please refer to the International Student page for your instructions.

If your aid application is incomplete at the time your admissions acceptance letter is being sent, you will receive an incomplete letter reminding you of the missing items for your aid application. We will review your aid application after it becomes complete. You will then receive a financial aid offer letter from us. 

5. Outside Scholarships

Outside scholarships may provide funding that does not need to be re-paid. Learn more about outside scholarships.

6. 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.