Grinnell College endorses the philosophy that all students, regardless of their financial ability, should be able to pursue their studies at Grinnell if admitted. We have a long history of providing financial assistance to international students. In recent years the College has begun offering additional scholarship opportunities to new international students. We are committed to providing affordable education to students from around the world—students like you!
Grinnell offers a full range of financial aid opportunities to international students. Admission to Grinnell is highly selective and the competition for financial aid is more competitive as the applicant's demonstrated financial need increases. The best students, who also maintain an active co-curricular involvement (sports, community service, music, theater, debate, student government, etc.), will be admitted regardless of financial circumstances.
All applicants applying for financial aid must complete the 2008-09 International Student Application for Financial Aid and Scholarships, which is sent with the Grinnell College Application for Admission, or the Foreign Student Financial Aid Application form printed by the College Board. There are no additional forms required for any of the categories of financial aid listed below. The Admission Committee will automatically consider you for the scholarship if you are eligible.
The price to attend Grinnell College is as follows:
| Tuition | $ 34,932 |
| Room and Board | $ 8,272 |
| Student Activities Fee | $ 350 |
| Health Fee | $ 146 |
| Health insurance | $ 665 |
| Books | $ 900 |
| Travel & Miscellaneous Expenses | $ 2,200 |
| Total Estimated Cost of Attendance | $ 47,465 |
Types of Financial Aid Available to International Students
1) Grants: Admitted international students who demonstrate financial need are eligible for financial assistance. Financial need is assessed by the Office of Student Financial Aid based on the information you and your family accurately and truthfully submit on the International Student Application for Financial Aid.
2) International Merit Scholarships: Annually, a few admitted international applicants, who demonstrate exceptional scholastic abilities and leadership skills, are awarded Merit Scholarships. An applicant does not need to apply for financial aid or demonstrate financial need to be eligible for Merit Scholarships. Scholarship amounts vary. No additional applications, forms or essays are required to be eligible for Merit Scholarships.
3) Special Scholarships: Grinnell offers a limited number of extremely competitive comprehensive scholarships that will pay for the costs associated with attending Grinnell College (comprehensive fee of tuition, room, board, and fees, plus costs to cover insurance, books, and miscellaneous expenses) that the student and the student's family are unable to cover. These scholarships are reserved for students who are either a citizen of a country listed below, or a citizen of a country in the regions listed below:
- Africa
- Eastern and Central Europe (including those regions of the former Soviet Union)
- Latin America
- Middle East and Asia
- Nepal
- People's Republic of China
Regardless of citizenship:
- Native Speaker of Russian (available every other year, will be offered again for 2009)
All of the above scholarships are renewable for three additional years of the student's studies at Grinnell College.
4) Employment: On-campus employment is available to students. Under the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) regulations, international students are permitted to work on campus (not to exceed more than 20 hours a week). During the academic year, a student can earn approximately $2,000 by working an average of 10 hours a week. We discourage students from working more than 10 hours a week because of the demanding course load at Grinnell College. Off campus employment is more difficult to obtain for international students due to immigration regulations restricting employment for non-US citizens.
5) Loans: The College does offer some loans to international students. However, to be eligible for a loan, the College requires the student have a U.S. citizen as the co-signer who lives in the United States. A co-signer is someone who is willing to sign the loan agreement with you and is promising that, in the event you are unable or unwilling to pay the balance of the loan, the co-signer will be responsible for paying the loan. The maximum loan for each year is $4,000.