Grants and scholarships are money for your education that do not need to be repaid. Your eligibility for Dartmouth and federal, need-based grants and scholarships is determined by the forms you submit when you apply.
Dartmouth Scholarships are need-based and are given without expectation of repayment. Amounts may range from $1,000 to over $70,000, depending on your expected family contribution. You will automatically be considered for these funds when you apply for aid.
Many Dartmouth students will be paired to one or more of our over 950 endowed scholarship funds. These awards do not represent additional aid, but indicate that the aid already awarded will come from a specific endowed fund. All students receiving aid complete an additional survey to assist with making these pairings, but no separate application is required for any specific opportunity. Any student can opt out of this program if that is their preference.
Most students receiving these scholarships are asked to answer some additional questions about their Dartmouth experience and write their donor a note of thanks annually. Many even have the chance meet their donors, which can lead to amazing networking opportunities. For our donors, a connection to one or more specific Dartmouth students helps them see the very real impact that their generosity has on our financial aid program and our student body.
If you have been awarded outside scholarships (based on any criteria: academic, civic or athletic achievement for example), this money will help reduce your own expenses.
Dartmouth will allow you to use these funds to reduce or replace the employment and student loan components of your award. If your award includes a leave-term earnings expectation as part of your Student Contribution, outside scholarships can also replace that amount. For students eligible for federal aid, if there is still a gap remaining between Dartmouth's EFC and the EFC calculated by the FAFSA, outside aid can also be used to reduce Dartmouth's EFC down to the federal level. It is rare, but there are times when a student's outside resources are large enough that we are required to partially reduce a student's scholarship award from Dartmouth in order to comply with federal and institutional awarding guidelines.
Dartmouth regards veterans' benefits as outside scholarships that you have earned and they will be used to reduce your own expenses. See the Veterans section for more information.
For U.S. citizens or permanent residents, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the only form required to apply for Federal Financial Aid.
The federal government provides Pell Grants to students who qualify on the basis of financial need as determined by their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) are awarded by the College to the most needy students. They vary in amount but do not exceed $4,000 a year.
Some states have need-based grants for undergraduate students which may be used at Dartmouth. State grants may be included in your overall grant eligibility, but are not counted until they are received from the state, at which time they will reduce Dartmouth scholarship, dollar-for-dollar. Contact the Financial Aid Office for the most recent information about your state's grant program.
ROTC Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis. Additional information about the Dartmouth College ROTC program is available on the Army Scholarships page.