Financial Aid Estimator
Find out how Bates calculates your expected family contribution by using our Financial Aid Estimator.
Before you start, keep the following in mind:
- This calculator provides estimates of need-based aid and net price for prospective first-time students. All financial aid at Bates is based on demonstrated financial need. There are no merit-based or athletic awards.
- The contribution estimated here is only as reliable as the data you enter, and may be different from what Bates calculates if your parents are self-employed or own a business.
- Family contributions can vary widely among colleges depending upon institutional policies and professional judgments used. Bates College uses the basic guidelines of the College Scholarship Service’s Institutional Methodology to determine family contributions.
- The Office of Student Financial Services is the final authority on your exact contribution. This estimate should provide an approximation of your expected contribution.
- Special circumstances are treated on a case by case basis. This information should be communicated in writing directly to Student Financial Services at the time of your application.
- This software is intended to estimate a family contribution for U.S. Citizens and permanent residents. It is not designed to be used by international students or other currently enrolled students.
If your parents are divorced or separated
Divorced or separated parents can complete the calculator separately – the combination of the two results will be the total expected parent contribution. If either parent has remarried, your stepparent’s information should also be provided. The calculated parental contribution will be based on both incomes, but our final calculation will be based on the proportion of your mother’s or father’s income relative to the total income of your parent and stepparent. For example, if your parents are divorced and your mother has remarried, the contribution calculated from your mother and stepfather’s information will be adjusted in proportion to the ratio of your mother’s income to her and your stepfather’s income. If your father has remarried, a similar adjustment would be made to your father’s and stepmother’s calculated contribution.