Appreciating Investment: Bowdoin’s Financial Aid Program Inspires Gratitude amid New Challenge to Support Its Funding

Bateman, who is from Missoula, Montana, is quick to point out that she wouldn’t be envisioning this kind of future for herself at all were it not for the financial aid she’s received at Bowdoin.

“I come from a single parent family and always knew that I would have to get financial aid to attend college,” said Bateman.

“Being able to get enough financial aid so that I will be able to graduate debt-free from Bowdoin is better than what my high school self could have ever imagined. It means that I am able to put my time and energy into my passions and education rather than stressing about money all the time.”

The student aid offered at Bowdoin is designed to do just that—support students through their academic journey, including studying abroad, internships, personal computing, and more.

The College is need-blind for all applicants, which means a student’s ability to pay is never a factor or barrier to admission.

Bowdoin meets students’ full calculated need using scholarships, which never have to be paid back.

Additionally, Bowdoin waives the $65 application fee for any student applying for financial aid or who will be the first in their family to attend college.

For the most recent entering class, need-based Bowdoin scholarships ranged from $8,950 to $82,900, with the average financial aid package coming in at $69,000.

More than half of Bowdoin students in the most recent entering class receive aid. Of those aided students, 29 percent pay nothing.

Bowdoin’s aid packages are loan-free, which means that, when students graduate, student loan debt won't limit their options for pursuing whatever comes next.

“These pillars of financial aid at Bowdoin—that we are need-blind for all, that we meet the full calculated need of admitted students and do so without loans—would not be possible without the generous support of our alumni, parents, and friends,” said Claudia Marroquin, senior vice president and dean of admissions and student aid.

“The effects of the pandemic and high inflation across the country and the world mean that financial aid support has become even more important to ensure that cost is not a barrier to this next generation of applicants. Bowdoin has been able to provide a remarkable educational opportunity to students regardless of their financial means; that need is now more important than ever.” 

Bowdoin’s financial support has had such an impact on junior Sadie New that after graduation she hopes to champion higher ed access through college counseling at the high school level or possibly by working in college admissions.

“Bowdoin provides such a privilege to its students, allowing us to access all of these corners of the professional and academic world during and after our time here, a privilege which must continue to be expanded,” said New, a psychology and education coordinate major from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

“With more expansive financial aid support from generous donations, Bowdoin can continue to equitably spread resources to even more prospective students, making this privilege more accessible.”

New says she’s grateful for the opportunities financial aid has afforded her and what she describes as an “uplifted future.”

To the generous donors who help make the Bowdoin experience possible, Bateman, too, is effusive with her thankfulness.

“I really can't express my gratitude fully for the opportunities I have been given due to receiving financial aid at Bowdoin,” she said.

"So many people at Bowdoin are only able to get this education because of the resources financial aid offers and, if we want to continue growing the impact of Bowdoin on our world, we need to continue supporting people from all backgrounds so that they too can receive this education."