What Other Costs Can My Financial Aid Award Cover?

Student walking in snow with pink umbrella

Swarthmore’s financial aid awards may cover more than the billed costs of attendance (tuition, housing, food, and student activity fee).

 

Study Abroad

Swarthmore students choosing to study abroad or at one of Swarthmore’s numerous approved exchange programs will be billed and aided as if they were still on campus. Additionally, the College will provide students with a round-trip ticket from Philadelphia to their place of study. Contact the Global Engagement Office for additional information. 

Note: Most study-abroad programs do not offer campus work opportunities, and students may wish to borrow additional funds to make up for the semester of work aid while they are abroad or off campus. Let us know if this applies to your situation.

Eligibility for Swarthmore’s financial aid during study abroad will be based on Swarthmore’s actual charges and allowances for books and personal expenses as if the student were living on campus. In practice, this policy allows for a more generous budget for study abroad, as students will not be required to pay the activity fee.  Visit their website here for additional information.

 

Graduate or Professional School Application Fees

The Swarthmore Financial Aid Office will provide information requested by graduate schools for the purpose of waiving application fees to the applying student. Students must first contact their graduate school of choice, and email our office a list that contains the following:

  • graduate school institution name
  • website or copy of the institution’s fee waiver instructions
  • email or mailing address for the office requesting the information, including a specific name, if applicable

Note: Students with multiple graduate schools may submit this information in the form of a Google sheet.

 

Test Fees for Graduate or Professional School Applicants

Swarthmore students should utilize the procedure noted by each testing agency to request a fee waiver.

 

Additional Funding for Graduate and Professional School Application Expenses

Swarthmore’s Financial Aid Office increases the federal financial aid budget for all seniors by $600 to accommodate expenses that graduating students tend to incur, including costs related to the job-search process or graduate school/professional school admission applications.

Although determining student financial need is met without student loans, financial aid recipients are asked if they wish to borrow federal student loans when they complete our aid application each year for the coming year. All U.S. citizens or permanent residents, whether aided or not, have access to the Federal Direct Loan Program.