Colgate University
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Colgate is committed to meeting 100 percent of the demonstrated need of accepted students. A recent fundraising campaign generated an additional $141 million exclusively for financial aid. Continuing to raise money for financial aid will therefore be absolutely critical. Colgate's goal is to become need-blind in admission, and to meet 100 percent of demonstrated need for domestic applicants by 2019 (the end point of Colgate's recently adopted 2013 Strategic Plan).

Colgate does not have a program to equip faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds.

Some students who come from low-income backgrounds are selected for Colgate’s Office of Undergraduate Studies Summer Institute--a five-week program the summer prior to the first year that features two Colgate classes, introduction to academic support services, and prepares students for leadership and engagement in the Colgate community. More information can be found at: http://www.colgate.edu/centers-and-institutes/center-for-learning-teaching-and-research/office-of-undergraduate-studies.

All financial aid is need-based. Information on average aid awards by income is available in our print and online version of “Financing your education: advice, insight, and resources” that can be found on our website at http://www.colgate.edu/docs/d_admission-financial-aid_admission-publications/fin-aid_brochurefinal2012.pdf?sfvrsn=0. This piece is also available in Spanish and Chinese.

Colgate’s multicultural recruitment efforts include parent components at several stages of the process. While this audience is not exclusively low income, there are many first-generation students in this group for whom financing a private education is real mystery, and sacrifice. Our multicultural open house, held each fall, has an extensive parent component that includes a financial aid session and a session with Colgate administrators and faculty who are all invested in helping students make a successful transition to college. Additionally, we have had letter campaigns from parents of current students to parents of prospective multicultural students.

In addition to visiting high schools in rural and urban areas with large populations of low-income students, the Colgate admission staff works closely with a network of community based organizations whose missions are to prepare and guide underrepresented students through the process of applying to college and being successful once there. We work with multiple vendors to find high-achieving high school students from a range of backgrounds. Our outreach to these students and their parents uses both electronic and print communication to share a range of information from the broad (introductory information about Colgate, the liberal arts, financial aid) to the specific (academic programs, pre-professional opportunities, multicultural life, special interests).

All our policies can be found on the Colgate website at http://www.colgate.edu/admission-financial-aid. Colgate’s admission process is designed to identify individuals of academic skill, intellectual and cultural diversity, and wide-ranging interests and backgrounds. Each application is read by members of the admission staff and evaluated on its own terms, relative to the entire applicant group. The admission staff looks for demonstrated achievements and individual talents and differences. Our goal is to understand each student’s abilities and potential, and to admit the most able and promising mix of students. Academic achievement and intellectual potential are the primary criteria for admission. Colgate also values demonstrated leadership, curiosity, and substantive involvement in extracurricular and community activities. The breadth and depth of a student’s interests, both in and out of the classroom, are important factors in the admission evaluation, helping to distinguish among the majority of applicants who demonstrate outstanding preparation for the academic challenge of Colgate. In shaping the class, the admission staff seeks applicants representing diverse cultural, economic, racial, and geographic backgrounds whose talents and perspectives enrich the variety of ideas and experiences in the learning community.

All our policies can be found on the Colgate website at http://www.colgate.edu/admission-financial-aid/financial-aid. Colgate is committed to meeting 100 percent of the demonstrated need of accepted students. Many people assume that they cannot afford a private, highly selective liberal arts college such as Colgate. However, need-based financial aid can help bridge the gap between what a family is asked to contribute and the full cost of attendance. For students receiving Colgate grant during their first year of college our financial aid awards typically consist of grants, a modest student loan, and a campus job opportunity, with grant funds generally representing the largest portion of the financial aid award. Students who don't receive aid during their first year at Colgate but who become eligible for assistance in a subsequent year generally receive loans and a job first, then grant to meet remaining need, if any. Aid packages will usually include a Federal Direct Loan, which for 2012-13 has a fixed interest rate of either 3.4% (subsidized) or 6.8% (unsubsidized), depending on the student's eligibility for federal aid. Some students may be offered a Federal Perkins Loan, which carries a fixed interest rate of 5%. The type of loan received depends on a student's federal eligibility and on the availability of funds. A campus job award can generally be earned by working between ten and twelve hours a week, which still leaves sufficient time for academics and activities.

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Colgate enrolls military service veterans into our undergraduate programs.

http://www.colgate.edu/centers-and-institutes/center-for-learning-teaching-and-research/office-of-undergraduate-studies http://www.colgate.edu/admission-financial-aid/financial-aid