Financial Aid Information

Students must re-apply for financial aid each year so that annual aid offers reflect families' more current financial circumstances. The 2013-2014 Colby Financial Aid Renewal Application was e-mailed in March to students at their Colby e-mail account if they applied for financial aid in 2012-2013 and received grant or work awards. Parents were copied if the student had previously granted financial permissions and supplied the parent e-mail address(es). The Renewal Application, along with other information, can be found under the 'Finances' tab of the the student's myColby portal by clicking on 'Applying for Aid (Enrolled Students)'. Parents with permission are also able to find the link after logging into the parent portal.

FIRST-TIME AID APPLICANTS - If you are an enrolled U.S. student interested in applying for financial aid for the first time, you must complete the  CSS Profile Form in lieu of the Colby College Financial Aid Renewal Application. Students who do not complete a financial aid application prior to admission will not be considered for College grant assistance for two award years, unless their family financial circumstances change unexpectedly and unavoidably. A written explanation of the change is required as part of the application. Please call SFS at 1-800-723-4033 if you have any questions. 

Aid Application Deadlines for U.S. citizens, dual-U.S. citizens, and permanent residents:

*If the student resides in Connecticut and is eligible for a state scholarship, the FAFSA deadline is February 15, 2013. If the student resides in Rhode Island and qualifies for a state scholarship, the FAFSA deadline is March 1, 2013.

Federal Verification - When students submit a FAFSA, the Central Processing System selects some applications to be verified. There have been significant changes to the federal verification requirements for the 2013-2014 year. Students are reminded to monitor their Colby e-mail account regularly as that is the official means of communication employed by our office to contact students. Students selected for federal verification will receive an e-mail from our office with instructions on what will be required. This can vary from student to student. Please click here for answers to frequently asked questions regarding this process.

Aid Application Deadlines for Canadian Students:

Aid Application Deadlines for International Students:

Financial Aid Renewal Applications are reviewed in the order in which the application becomes complete. Students are notified via their Colby e-mail address when their Statement of Financial Aid is ready to be viewed online. Historically, files are reviewed approximately 2-3 months after the application is completed. 

If a family wishes to request a review of our analysis due to a substantial change in their financial situation, they should call 1-800-723-4033 or e-mail sfs@colby.edu to obtain the proper form and instructions. Student Financial Services focuses on initial awards through the month of July to ensure families who have completed their Renewal Application timely will receive awards before the start of the school year. We gradually shift our attention to requests for review in August. We appreciate your patience as we strive to give each application a thorough analysis . If the review has not been completed, we ask the family to pay at least one-half of the previous year's family contribution before the first day of classes.

Aid funds (all grants and loans) will be finalized (credited to the semester's charges) no earlier than 10 days prior to the first day of classes for the fall and spring term.

Federal Perkins and Stafford Loans do not appear pending on the Student Account Statement until the student has completed a loan request form confirming his/her decision to borrow. .

In accordance with Section 155 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, (HEA) and to satisfy the requirements of Section 128(e)(3) of the Truth in Lending Act, a lender must obtain a self-certification signed by the applicant before disbursing a private educational loan. The school is required on request to provide this form or the required information only for students admitted or enrolled at school. Should you need information for Section 2 of the form, please contact sfs@colby.edu for assistance.

Self-Certification Form