Do you identify as a first-generation student?
If neither of your parents has completed a four-year degree, then Grinnell College considers you a first-generation student. Even if that isn’t exactly your situation, all of the resources described below are available to you.
Why is the first-generation identity important?
Navigating the college search process, completing applications, filling out financial aid forms — these tasks are challenging for everyone. But when you don’t have a parent or guardian with experience doing this work, it falls mostly on you. That’s a lot.
A few tips related to money and financial aid:
- There’s no application fee to apply to Grinnell.
- Grinnell is need-blind — that means when you apply for admission, your ability to pay for college isn’t part of our decision making (for US students).
- Most students don’t pay the sticker price at Grinnell College. In fact, more than 90% of Grinnell College students receive some kind of financial aid to reduce how much they pay. The sticker price is the published cost of attending Grinnell for one year, but the net price is how much you actually pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Remember, grants and scholarships do not need to be repaid.
- The difference between the sticker price and the amount the Office of Financial Aid determines your family can pay is met with scholarships, grants, and work-study. Loans aren’t part of our financial aid offers because we want you to make it possible for you to graduate debt-free.
