Packaging

Once the Financial Aid Office has calculated your expected family contribution and your student budget we will determine your financial aid award, also referred to as your financial aid package.  There are three main components to a financial aid award: student self-help, federal grants and/or institutional scholarships and outside scholarships.  Your total financial aid from all sources can never exceed your student budget (also referred to as being "over awarded").

Self-Help

Once the Financial Aid Office has determined your demonstrated financial need, the first source of aid we will package you with will be student self-help.  Self-Help may include on-campus employment and/or student loans. 

Beginning in the summer of 2012 Dartmouth will no longer include loans for families with a total income less than $100,000 with typical assets for all entering and current students.  For students who entered under our original no loan initiative, this policy will remain in effect.

Grants & Scholarships

If you have any demonstrated financial need remaining after being packaged with self-help, the Financial Aid Office will package you with grant and scholarship assistance.  Students with eligibility for Federal Pell and SEOG grants will be packaged with these funds first.  All remaining demonstrated financial need will be met with institutional scholarship assistance.

Outside Scholarships

Students who receive scholarships from external sources can use these funds to reduce the loan and/or job portions of their financial aid packages.  If the outside scholarship is greater than the self-help level, the expected family contribution can be reduced to the federal level.  In instances where the self-help has been eliminated and the expected parent contribution has been reduced to the federal level but the outside scholarship causes aid to exceed the student's budget, the Dartmouth Scholarship will be reduced.