International Students
International applicants are required to submit a 2024-2025 CSS Profile (code 3089) to apply for financial aid. If you are unable to submit the CSS Profile or paying the fee would present a financial burden, you may complete and upload the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA) instead. Canadian applicants may not submit the ISFAA.
International students are not required to submit a FAFSA since they are ineligible for federal student aid. The Office of Student Aid may request tax or other documents from your family, so please check your Bowdoin admissions portal regularly for updates. Please see the Noncustodial Parents page if your parents are divorced, separated, or never married.
Income/Wage Documentation
Canadian applicants must submit 2022 Canadian federal tax returns.
All other international students must upload original 2022 documentation of income and taxes paid/withheld for your parents, and employer provided documentation of 2022 income and benefits to the Student Aid Document Upload Portal. Applicants from China should submit a Salary Certificate issued by the parents’ employer.
All electronic documentation should preferably be sent in .pdf format. All documentation should be in original foreign currency and your home language. All documentation and notations must be translated into English (it does not need to be a paid translation service; your own translation is sufficient). Digital signatures are not accepted; original signatures are required on all forms.
Bowdoin's admissions process is need-blind for all students, including international students. If admitted, Bowdoin meets a family's full calculated need. Qualifying for no-loan student aid is available to everyone—including those who reside outside of the United States. If you require financial assistance to attend college, Bowdoin will work closely with you and your family to ensure your aid meets your need.
Exchange Rate
Your student financial aid package from Bowdoin will reflect the prevailing exchange rate when packages are determined. You should report income and asset data in your local currency on the CSS Profile.
If a currency exchange rate changes more than 10% of the rate used in an initial aid determination, students can request a review of the exchange rate only once per academic year. Reviews can be done in either mid-July or mid-December - before payment of the student account to consider the rate that would impact the families from that country close to the time of payment. If the exchange rate change is less than 10%, there will be no adjustment. If the change of rate is 10% or more, there will be a full year adjustment if the review is completed in mid-July and a spring-only adjustment if the review is done in mid-December. (Effective 2023/2024 Academic Year)
Canadian Applicants
Canadian applicants need to apply for available provincial scholarships and bursaries. Please check with your provincial departments of education to determine availability and eligibility. Like state scholarships in the US, provincial scholarships become part of your student financial aid package and reduce eligibility for Bowdoin scholarship funds.