|
The School seeks to provide educational opportunities for students knowing that many of them will require financial assistance. The financial assistance of the School consists of grant and loan funds and is awarded based on need. Additional consideration in financial aid awards, beyond those in which need has already been established, will be given to individuals who have demonstrated significant experience with multiculturalism, work with communities of color and racial justice. Through the generous support of alumni and friends of the School, endowment funds have been established, which are explicitly used to support students through scholarships.
As the School’s resources are limited, students should expect to use personal, family and loan resources to help support their educational goals. Every effort will be made to assist and support students in obtaining educational loan funds.
To maintain maximum objectivity and
standardized criteria in analyzing each student's financial
circumstances, the School utilizes the FAFSA Form. Financial
aid forms are available in mid-December and will automatically
be mailed to all current students. The school strongly urges that financial aid application
materials be filed as soon as possible due to limited funds. Students
are advised to file the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1
of the year of scheduled admission. If you do not receive your financial aid packet by January 15th, please notify the Financial Aid Office so that another packet can be sent to you.
Financial aid awards cannot be
determined until the School receives the FAFSA analysis,
a photocopy of the student's income tax return from the previous year, and all other financial aid application materials;
this process can be lengthy.
| Students who will be relying on financial aid from the school are encouraged to file as soon after January 1 as possible. All financial aid materials must be received (not just begun) by the school no later than March 20. |
Financial aid award notifications begin
going out in early February.
Financial aid awards from the
School are a completely separate process from educational
loans. A student's financial aid award letter will only indicate
eligibility for School financial aid and will not indicate
educational loan eligibility. A separate notification regarding
educational loans will be sent out.
Financial aid awards are made
for a 12-month period, and students must submit a second
application for assistance for their second year of graduate
study. Although every effort will be made to continue financial
assistance, the School can make no guarantee that this will be possible.
Students going into their 2nd summer can appeal their award if they feel there has been a misrepresentation or miscalculation in the award.
To appeal a financial aid decision: write a detailed letter to the Financial Aid Committee stating the basis of the appeal. This letter should provide any supporting documentation and must be received at the school by April 15. Letters should be sent to
Smith College School for Social Work
Attn: Gina Zaikowski, Director of Fiscal Affairs & Financial Aid
Lilly Hall
Northampton, MA 01063
Because of limited financial aid resources, students generally
are expected to finance their final summer session through loans or
other personal resources.
Currently the final summer grant is $1,000.
The School regrets that students who are neither U.S. citizens nor permanent residents are not eligible for financial assistance. International students may be eligible for a United States Stafford loan if they have a co-signor who is a U.S. citizen.
Canadian students should contact the Canadian Student Loan office, in their province, to see if they may be eligible for a Canadian loan.
Occasionally, field stipends are made available to 2nd-year students. These stipends range from $1,000 to $3,000, and are normally provided to students who will be serving particularly under-served communities or to students in placements in designated geographic locations. More information about field stipends will be made available to students as they begin to consider their second-year field placement.
Inquiries regarding
financial assistance should be directed to the School for
Social Work Financial Aid Department:
Gina
Zaikowski
Director of Fiscal Affairs & Financial Aid
(413) 585-7950
sswfa@smith.edu
- or -
Diana Wheeler-Sims
Financial Aid & Loan Coordinator
(413) 585-7950
sswfa@smith.edu
|
