Financial Aid for International Transfers at Amherst College?

I'm an international student thinking about transferring to Amherst College and wondering about financial aid opportunities. How does their financial aid package look for international transfer students?

Amherst College has a strong commitment to financial aid and attempts to meet 100% of every admitted student's demonstrated need. This stance extends to international students as well, including transfer applicants.

Typically, the financial aid package can include a mix of scholarships, grants, student employment, and occasionally loans. It's primarily dependent on your financial need. Amherst uses the CSS Profile for this determination, which you'd need to fill out as part of your application.

What's important to note is that aid at Amherst is also need-based, meaning there are no merit scholarships. Therefore, the size of your financial aid package would depend entirely on your family's economic situation.

In terms of aid for transfer students, while the pot for transfer students is smaller than for incoming first-years, the commitment to meet full demonstrated need still stands. Keep in mind, financial aid is highly competitive at schools that offer generous packages like Amherst, especially for international students.

Since transfers are considered for admission separately from incoming first-years, it's also safe to assume that the pool of aid for international transfers might also be smaller due to the reduced number of spots available.

Although this might sound daunting, don't be discouraged from applying! If you require financial aid, it's advisable to apply for it when you're applying for admission, as Amherst's policy is such that if you don't apply for financial aid during admission, you can't apply for it later unless your financial circumstances change drastically.

Every situation is unique, so I recommend reaching out to the Amherst Financial Aid Office for the most precise and personalized information.