International Students

This section is for current students applying for aid. If you are a prospective student, please go to the Tuition & Financial Aid section for application deadlines and policies. You must apply for financial aid prior to admission.

Applying for Financial Aid

International students who do not apply for aid prior to admission are not eligible to receive institutional aid at Smith at any time. For more information, see When to Apply for Aid.

Automatic Renewal

International students do not re-apply for financial aid each year; financial aid will be automatically renewed and updated each academic year. No action is required on your part.

Housing & Aid

Holding a position with the residence life office will impact your financial aid award. The aid adjustment will depend on the position. Please contact us to determine how your award would be affected by a residence life position.

Students working as part of the Residential Life Student Staff will receive a stipend for the work performed.  This stipend will be paid in equal amounts throughout the semester(s).  The actual stipend will be determined by Residential Life and will be based upon longevity within that department.

Financial Aid Impact – For those students who currently have work study in their financial aid award, a revision will be made to replace the work study allocation with the Res Life Stipend.  The award revision will only show a dollar for dollar replacement of work study amount with a Res Life Stipend in order to reduce any confusion related to the award revision.  The full amount of the stipend will be paid through the Payroll Office.  In other words, a work study award of $3,460 will be replaced with a Res Life Stipend of $3,460 when in reality, the full amount of the Res Life Stipend paid will be no less than $4,140 (with the actual amount depending on the hiring contract).

Non-traditional Housing for Traditional Students

When a traditional student lives off campus, in a co-op, or in an on-campus apartment, their cost of attendance changes. This change may result in a need-based grant reduction. IMPORTANT: All non-traditional housing assignments require approval from the Office of Residential Life.

Academic Year 2024–25. If you move off campus, you will not be charged by the college for Housing and food.

Reduction Amount
Reduction in billed fees $22,570
Smith Grant reduction $11,766
Net savings in billed fees* $10,804

*This figure is designed to provide a “break even” point to help make the decision whether it is affordable for you to live in off-campus housing. If your costs for living off campus, housing, food, utilities, etc., are more than this figure, then it will be more expensive to live off campus than it would be to live in traditional Smith housing.

Direct Billed Costs Cost (U.S. dollars)
Tuition $67,140
Student Activities Fee $308
Health Insurance
(domestic students may waive)		 $3,356
Indirect Costs Not Billed Cost (U.S. dollars)
Food and Housing Allowance $10,804
Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment $800
Transportation (domestic average) $640  
(international average) $1,000
Personal expenses $1,850

*Actual costs incurred will vary and are the student’s responsibility.

Academic year 2024-25. Living in a co-op (Tenney/ Hopkins) or in the Friedman Apartments without a meal plan.

Charge Amount
Charge for housing $11,300
Smith Grant reduction $4,602
Net savings in billed fees* $6,698

Please note: You will be charged by Smith only for the housing; the cost of food is your responsibility.

*This figure is designed to provide a “break even” point to help make the decision whether it is affordable for you to live in co-op housing. If your estimated costs for food are in excess of the amount provided here, then it is important to understand that this housing option may be more expensive for you than living in traditional Smith housing.

Direct Billed Costs Cost (U.S. dollars)
Tuition $67,140
On-campus Housing $11,300
Student Activities Fee $308
Health Insurance
(domestic students may waive)		 $3,356
Indirect Costs Not Billed Cost (U.S. dollars)
Food Allowance $6,668
Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment $800
Transportation (domestic average) $640   
(international average) $1,000
Personal expenses $1,850

*Actual costs incurred will vary and are the student’s responsibility.

Types of Aid

Grants are need-based and do not need to be repaid.

The grant amount is based on a family's financial need as determined by Smith College through the financial aid application process. Most Smith grants come from funds given for this purpose by alumnae and friends of the college and by foundations and corporations. If you are a recipient of one of these named scholarships, you will be contacted by the Office of Donor Relations. You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire about your Smith experience. Your timely response is important. If you have any questions, contact DonorRelations@smith.edu.

All international and undocumented students who receive need-based financial aid from the college will receive a health grant to cover the cost of health insurance through the college.  Non-aided international or undocumented students or international or undocumented students who successfully waive the health insurance are not eligible for this grant.

Smith College offers a limited number of awards based on merit rather than need. All applicants for admission are automatically considered; there are no special application forms. Students are selected by the Office of Admission and must maintain satisfactory academic progress in order to have their scholarships renewed annually. Merit aid is only offered at the time of admission.

Merit scholarships are considered a resource when determining eligibility for need-based financial aid.  For example, if a student has $15,000 of calculated need and receives the Stride Scholarship for $22,500, this student would not receive need-based aid since the scholarship exceeds the need.  Students who have need-based aid eligibility above and beyond the amount of merit scholarships will receive need-based aid to cover the difference.

The student employment component of a financial aid award represents the opportunity to have a job on campus. You are responsible for finding a position that aligns with your preferences and schedule, and are encouraged to apply early for the best selection of jobs.

You may work to earn money for books and supplies, to put towards your tuition accounts, or for personal spending money. There is no obligation to work all or any of the hours awarded, though income not earned is not replaced with other aid.

For information about work-study at Smith College, see Student Employment.

Earnings

Refer to your financial aid award on to verify the type and amount of work-study you are eligible for, which in turn determines where you can work and how much you can earn. Your other aid will not be increased if you choose not to work. Your earnings are paid directly to you.

Holding a position with the residence life office will impact your financial aid award. The aid adjustment will depend on the position. Please contact us to determine how your award would be affected by a residence life position.

Students working as part of the Residential Life Student Staff will receive a stipend for the work performed.  This stipend will be paid in equal amounts throughout the semester(s).  The actual stipend will be determined by Residential Life and will be based upon longevity within that department. 

Financial Aid Impact – For those students who currently have work study in their financial aid award, a revision will be made to replace the work study allocation with the Res Life Stipend.  The award revision will only show a dollar for dollar replacement of work study amount with a Res Life Stipend in order to reduce any confusion related to the award revision.  The full amount of the stipend will be paid through the Payroll Office.  In other words, a work study award of $3,460 will be replaced with a Res Life Stipend of $3,460 when in reality, the full amount of the Res Life Stipend paid will be no less than $4,140 (with the actual amount depending on the hiring contract). 

If you receive any assistance from an organization outside of the college, this aid must be taken into consideration in calculating your financial aid award. You are required to report all outside aid to the Student Financial Services office.

Once you notify us of any aid which is expected to be sent directly to the college, we will add the anticipated amount to the student account as a pending credit, reducing the amount due.  If the aid is expected to be late, please notify us so we can extend the pending credit.  Any amounts expected but not received are the responsibility of the student.

Outside aid, based on either student merit or parent employment (e.g.: employee tuition benefits), will first reduce or replace the student employment portion of your award.  If outside aid is in excess of the student employment award, we will allow it to go toward the cost of the Smith health insurance plan or a one-time computer purchase.  Any amount of outside aid in excess of self-help and these costs will reduce Smith Grant dollar for dollar.

Smith College recognizes your achievement in being awarded merit-based aid. Outside aid based on student merit will first reduce or replace the self-help portion of your award. If the outside aid exceeds the total self-help portion of your award, we will allow the aid to go toward a one-time computer purchase. If you do not purchase or have already purchased a computer, or if your merit aid exceeds this cost, merit aid will replace Smith grant on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

Review Requests

The Expected Family Contribution determined during the college application process prior to your first year will remain in effect during your tenure at Smith. Appeals for those students already receiving financial aid from Smith College are granted only in extreme cases when a life-changing event has occurred. International students who are currently not receiving financial assistance may appeal only when there has been a significant life-changing event. Examples of significant life-changing events include the death of a parent or extremely high medical expenses.  

For those already receiving financial aid or those who applied in their first year but determined ineligible, enrollment of a sibling in a U.S. college or university may also be considered as a situation where an exception may be granted.

As all International student appeals are considered exceptions to policy, these appeals are reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee is chaired by the vice president of enrollment and includes one member of the faculty, the dean of students and the controller. The director of student financial services is a nonvoting member of the committee.

The Appeal Process

Students must present appeals by completing a Request for Review form and submitting all required documentation. The committee will consider the appeal as soon as possible. It generally takes one to two weeks for the committee to convene and review the appeal. A decision will be given to the student in writing within 48 hours after the appeal is heard. The decision of the appeals committee is final in all cases.