We will meet 100% of the demonstrated need of all admitted financial aid applicants.
What is Need?
Cost of Attendance − Family Contribution = "Need"
Cost of Attendance includes direct and indirect expenses. Direct expenses are tuition, fees, food, and housing. Indirect expenses are travel costs, books, supplies, laundry, etc. Although students do not receive a bill from Campus Billing for these expenses, we do consider an average amount per student when determining aid eligibility.
Family Contribution consists of a parent and student contribution. Students who receive assistance are expected to contribute a minimum amount annually, which should come from leave term earnings, as well as a percentage of the student's assets. Leave term earnings expectations range from $1,000 to $2,500 per year.
Dartmouth meets this "Need" with a combination of work and scholarships. Financial aid packages will not include a student loan.
Zero Parent Contribution and No Loans for Families with Annual Income Below $125,000
To ensure that students from low- to middle-income backgrounds can afford a Dartmouth undergraduate education, those students whose families have a total annual income below $125,000 can expect to receive a financial aid package that includes no responsibility for a parent contribution, provided their assets are typical for this income range.
Those students will still be expected to contribute to the cost of their Dartmouth education by drawing on their summer (or leave-term) earnings, their part-time work during the school year, and/or their own savings. Students' full need will be met without the inclusion of a student loan, but loans will be available upon request.
Families with Total Income above $125,000
We review each aid application carefully, considering each family's individual circumstances, and many families with higher incomes do qualify for scholarship assistance. Student loans are not included in any need-based financial aid package, regardless of citizenship or income level, though they are still available to use if needed. Dartmouth students graduate with among the lowest levels of student loan debt in the country, on average.